New Books Available!

Greetings friends and fellow booklovers!

Well, it's official! Book Oasis has joined the ranks of retail booksellers. We now sell new books On Demand! If we don't have what you want amongst our considerable stock of used books, we can order a newly-minted copy from our distributor. The shipping time is a paltry three-day wait!

With the sad demise of Goodenough Books, the need for a retail bookstore here in town has been acute. Fortunately, the former Goodenough proprietress, Susan Mayall, was quite helpful. With her suggestions and instructions, the process went fairly quickly. The feedback from customers has been good, and we're one step closer to filling the considerable shoes that Goodenough left behind. :)

Yes, we're working to fill the gap left in the community. On Sunday, July 30th, the Livermore Library will be having a lecture by James R. Smith, author of San Francisco's Lost Landmarks. I, Larry Burdick, will be on hand, selling copies of that book. The lecture begins at 2:00 PM. I hope to see you there.

Later this month, Kevin Anderson's new book, Hunters of Dune will be released. This is the long-awaited sequel to Dune Chapterhouse, and is based on an unfinished story left behind by the late Frank Herbert. I have reserved several copies of the book from my distributor. Please let me know if you are interested in a copy.

I have also ordered a couple copies of Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq, by Thomas E. Ricks. It's currently on the best-seller list, and I admit to being curious about its conclusions. If there is enough demand, I will order more copies in bulk.

On October 7th, Livermore Laureate Poet Connie Post will be doing a reading here. Details to follow.

Our stock continues to grow in all areas. Here are a few of the notable acquisitions:

Delicious, by Shelby Lewis. Signed and inscribed.

In the Land of the Grasshopper Song: Two Women in the Klamath River Indian Country in 1908-09, by Mary Ellicott Arnold.

The Rebirth of Nature, by Rupert Sheldrake.

The Map of Love, by Ahdaf Soueif.

The Octopus, by Frank Norris.

A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh, by Allan W. Eckert.

Heir of Charlton, by May Agnes Fleming.

Underground, or, Life Below the Surface, by Thomas Knox.

The Dogs of Babel, by Carolyn Parkhurst.

Canoeing, by the American Red Cross.

On Being a Christian, by Hans Küng.

Savage Dreams: A Journey in the hidden Wars of the American West, by Rebecca Solnit.

The People Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies, by Jim Gaedon.

Survivor in Death, by J.D. Robb.

Cowboy Arithmetic: Cattle as an Investment, by Harold Oppenheimer.

The Eagle's Shadow : Why America Fascinates and Infuriates the World, by Mark Hertsgaard.

Grace Slick: Somebody to Love, by Grace Slick.

The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie.

Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets, by Dav Pilkey

And much more....

The recent book signing by mystery novelist Ann Parker was a huge success. I recently received a very nice card from her, and look forward to hosting her when she finishes her next book.

CLOSE THE BOOK ON: Mickey Spillane, aged eighty-eight. Author of nearly two dozen books including The Killing Man and Vengeance is Mine - many of which featured his signature detective Mike Hammer.
Spillane got his experience with Mike Hammer's world while working for the FBI. He was twice shot in the line of duty was even knifed during the course of a drug trafficking investigation. His first book, a Mike Hammer story, reportedly took only a few days to write and was an instant hit.

Spillane soon became known as the epitome of 'hard-boiled' detective stories containing sexy, and often violent storylines. His books were so popular he was even satirized by cartoonist Harvey Kurtzman in Panic Magazine with a fictitious story titled, "My Gun is the Jury"!

While Spillane was never a hit with the literary critics, he never cared about reviews, and even preferred to call himself a "writer" and not a "novelist".

He will be missed.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE: I recently acquired several fourth edition copies of the Raggedy Anne and Andy stories. If you've been looking for good reading copies, I've got them.

Lawrence H. Burdick
Book Oasis



Larry Burdick on 07.27.06 @ 07:24 PM PST [link]