book collections

Nick Piombino lists (here and here) some of his collection:

Books and Company
was the name of a bookshop, gone long ago, housed
by the Whitney Museum, and then heartlessly
thrown aside. Its passing was mourned by innumerable
writers; it has never been replaced, not by a long
shot.

I always liked the name of that store, because, in a
way, books *are* company, and the combination
is unbeatable. By that I mean, hanging out with
friends and family who you exchange books and
talk about them with


Meanwhile Kent visits a bookshop in Adelaide


20 Strange and wonderful books
a short list of books that took me by surprise and then changed me, odd little books you may never have heard of. After several decades there are only a handful that stick out in this way. Some are truly wonderful and cry out to be shared. Others, frankly, aren't as good - but are genuinely strange
(via things)


My Strange Pets And Other Memories of Country Life is one of the sample collection of Victorian and Edwardian articles, stories and illustrations at Forgotten Futures

One of my sons and I were standing at the front door feeding nine fan-tailed pigeons. At the same moment every one of the birds dropped down on the gravel as if they were in the agonies of death,- throwing themselves from side to side, and at the same time raising each wing alternately in the air. I remarked, "How strange that is. I never saw a bird go on like that except 'Polly' when I give her a bath with the watering-can." The pigeons kept going through the same performance for at least three or four minutes, when all in a moment a heavy shower came down with a sudden plump. The birds were aware of its coming, though my son and I did not anticipate it  Pigeons and Rain

via apothecary's drawer

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Comments: book collections

I’m reading Tom Holland’s ‘Rubicon’, a rattling account of how Julius Caesar hijacked the Roman Republic and came across this wonderful line, that I just have to share with the world, illustrating just how tight two powerbrokers of the time were with eachother.

‘”A year later, however, when Caelius found himself particularly short of panthers, Curio thought nothing of slipping him twenty of his own.”

We’ve all been there, but not with such panache.

I can just read the message delivered to Curio: “Wow! that was some party you threw in Naples last month. I still can’t get the stains out of my best toga. Listen mate, I’m in a bit of a bind at the moment and I was wondering…”

Now that’s living the Vida Loca.

Oh, and if yer want weird elegant sexy bizarre fantasy books, check out James Branch Cabell's "Jurgen".
Posted by Nabakov at December 1, 2004 08:57 PM

better yet, if a man in a toga calls for 20 panthers
say: sorry mate, I don't have any anthers

(apologies to ogden)

I'll look out for Jurgen.
Posted by boynton at December 2, 2004 11:33 AM