My favorite librarian-who-is-also-an-action-figure Nancy Pearl* has made a deal with Amazon to publish Nancy Pearl’s Book Lust Rediscovery series, which will release six Nancy-selected books a year of previously published but now out-of-print books. Apparently some readers have taken against this idea, accusing Pearl of collaborating with the enemy, that is, Amazon, because of their predatory policies. (You can read about that here.) I understand the pressure Amazon puts on the industry (for librarians, book sellers, and authors) but I also feel like anything that puts more books in the hands of readers can’t be all bad. I’m looking forward to checking out this series. I haven’t read either of the first two books slated for release later this year: A Gay and Melancholy Sound by Merle Miller, and After Life by Rhian Ellis.
I am still working my way (slowly) through Pearl's summer reading list. And now I see that she put a new list out in December called 7 Books with Personality. Must get going on that too! All this reminds me that I haven’t recently read anything published by Persephone, the UK-based publisher of out-of-print titles by 20th century women. I wonder if Nancy Pearl's books will look as pretty as the ones published by Persephone.
*because you know I have some favorite real-life librarians too (hey Sarah S.-C. and Lexy S.!)
2 comments:
I am really looking forward to this! I love Pearl's lists and I love her action figure, too! I hadn't seen it before. What a laugh! I want Pearl to write me a list telling me how to get my own, someday. ;)
Since Amazon is here to stay, the best thing seems to do what we can to get the kind of books from them that we want to read, so I think it's a good idea. But given that it's a behemoth corporation and not a group of feminist readers, I don't think the design, concept and presentation will match Persephone. I adored the Virago Press series from the 1970s (same concept as Persephone), so this seems like a good idea and I applaud her.
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