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BOOKSTORE TOURISM

Name: BOOKSTORE TOURISM
Author: Larry Portzline
ISBN: 0-9758934-0-8

THE BOOK ADDICT'S GUIDE TO PLANNING AND PROMOTING BOOKSTORE ROAD TRIPS FOR BIBLIOPHILES AND OTHER BOOKSHOP JUNKIES

by Larry Portzline ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 20, 2004

A slim but invigorating guide to an appealing and promising concept.

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A college instructor shares his plan to help independent bookstores survive: shopping trips specially designed for–and marketed to–tourist readers.

Portzline conceived the idea for bookstore tourism after hearing a fellow community college instructor explain restaurant adventures he led in New York City. Wanting to own a bookstore himself, Portzline figured he could learn about the business by leading tourists on buying trips, beef up the bottom lines of independent retailers, earn money for himself and encourage reading. As of last August, Portzline had organized and led six bookstore tourism groups–five to Greenwich Village in New York City and one to the Georgetown and Dupont Circle neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. Portzline’s whim eventually evolved into a self-styled grassroots campaign–he launched a Web site (BookstoreTourism.com), actively sought media attention and penned his thin guide to organizing journeys to independent retailers. The handy how-to section covers many common questions: Do you have to be some kind of expert to do this?; Who should consider planning a bookstore road trip?; What’s the main purpose of your trip?; Will it cost anything to get started?; Who are you inviting?; How will you handle reservations?; Where do you want to go?; How long do you want the trip to be?; What day will you go?; etc. Even for those who don’t take action with groups of their own, Portzline’s guide is engaging reading because of the specific independent stores he mentions. They’re not necessarily the most famous bookstores in the nation, nor does Portzline attempt to provide a comprehensive list. But each retailer has its own story to tell, and most will hold the interest of any book enthusiast.

A slim but invigorating guide to an appealing and promising concept.

Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2004

ISBN: 0-9758934-0-8

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.