Hreflections: A Common Reader
It appears that quality-over-quantity bookseller, A Common Reader, has passed beyond the rim. Their website brings up a blank page and the toll-free number, 800 832-7323, rings unanswered. There's not much to see a the Internet Archive. A Common Reader, differentiated itself by sending out a small catalog of overlooked, well printed, and/or well written books of every stripe. The first book I ever purchased from them was The Last Cuckoo, a collection of letters to the London Times.
A Common Reader, the latest fatality of the move from bricks and mortar to the net. You'll be missed.
8 Comments:
There's an interview with the proprietor here - http://www.bly.com/newsite/Pages/DMNCOL5e.htm - well before they closed. A quick superficial scan of Google didn't turn up any stories on their demise.
Tim:
I agree, ACR has always shown considerable style.
So far as I can tell, they stopped doing business is the last few weeks. We found out something was up when I book we returned came back undeliverable.
We even tried their local number and it doesn't pick up.
A Common Reader - (914) 747-3388 - 175 Tompkins Ave, Pleasantville, NY 10570
Very sad. I loved the Common Reader.
I updated Wikipedia here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Common_Reader with a link back to this page, so if some more of this mystery is unveiled we might hear of it.
ACR have declared bankruptcy. A liquidation company has been called in to clear out the backstock and other assets: http://www.haleonard.com/BOOK_AUCTION.htm
Its not much solace, I realize, but Bas Bleu (http://www.basbleu.com) has a similar attitude about their copy.
In addition, BookSense (http://www.booksense.com/)is a great way to find local bookstores with a point of view, something lacking in major retailers on the net or otherwise.
On a local (and thus equally sad) note, the discount/remainders bookstore Afterwords in Ann Arbor is closing. Perhaps they have already closed, I'm not sure. There's a photo set on Flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicalookate/sets/72057594056874390/
James Mustich is alive and well. He wrote a lovely essay in a new book The Still Small Hours w/pictures by Ellen Wiener. Check it out !
He is reviewing books for Barnes and Noble - Hooray
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