It’s a busy time in the Bibliomanse.

The immediate task (on top of production, marketing, arranging tours, getting all the holiday orders out, getting the spring season into a shape that doesn’t make us all want to open-mouth sob, etc.) is the production of handcrafted chapbooks.

Against Amazon is a short manifesto written by Biblioasis author Jorge Carrión. As with his hugely successful travelogue and love-letter to book stores everywhere, Bookshops, Carrión’s chapbook concerns itself with the state of the book. Against Amazon is exactly what it sounds like — an author explaining how damaging Amazon is to the world of the book. Dan loved the manuscript and immediately decided to turn it into a chapbook – an objet d’art to celebrate the independent bookseller from an independent-bookseller-turned-indie-publisher.

Production Manager Chris Andrechek, who has been with Biblioasis since the working-from-Dan’s-garage days, was tasked with designing and producing 500 individually-numbered chapbooks. Chris has been typesetting, printing, trimming, hand-binding and sewing

chapbooks at Biblioasis for six years on top of his other responsibilities (like making sure our books actually get made). He’s never seen a response to a book like Against

Amazon. Within hours of offering the chapbook to independent booksellers, Chris received orders for over five hundred chapbooks. On top of that, the publicity department (Chris’ sworn enemies) gave away most of his existing stock to reviewers. With orders continuing to come in, Chris has developed a feverish look in his eye and is never without some sort of book-binding weapon in his hand. We’re not sure we’ll all make it.

Against Amazon is only available through independent bookshops (call your local shop!) and each copy was hand-folded, hand-stitched, and hand-trimmed by one of us here at the Bibliomanse (usually after work hours; sometimes while \drinking and practicing for Futuramatrivia night). Most of the books were made by Chris himself (and then he quality controls the ones the rest of us were permitted to make because he does not trust us). Bookshops is available everywhere and is getting terrific reviews all over the place!

Read that book that started Carrion’s crusade against Amazon and Cultural Department Stores and that has been named a Globe and Mail top 100 book of 2017, a National Post 99 best books  of 2017, and one of Maclean’s 10 best books of 2017.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

DO IT! READ IT NOW!

Today’s media roundup is a heart-warming reminder that, in this world of e-readers and social media, some people in the old fashioned book worlds of newspapers, magazines, and libraries are still fighting the good bibliofight. Yes, they’re fighting it mostly online these days (and you are reading this on a computer or a cell phone) but it’s book people finding ways to talk about books and that is rad!

Halifax’s The Chronicle Herald wrote about David Huebert’s Peninsula Sinking, praising Huebert for capturing anxieties about the east that many Nova Scotians can relate to, saying “If you were born and raised in Nova Scotia, moved away and came back — or moved away and stayed away — there’s likely a story within Peninsula Sinking that will speak to you.”
The Chronicle Herald: Book Peninsula Sinking speaks to Nova Scotia connections 

The Toronto Star celebrated the poetry of 2017 with a nod to Pino Coluccio’s hilarious Class Clown, writing that “Colluccio proves that light verse isn’t necessarily lightweight.”
The Toronto Star: Poetry lovers — the latest volumes to entertain and make you think

More good press from the Star, as The Redemption of Galen Pike made their list for the 10 Best Books of 2017!

“This book of stories from Welsh writer Davis garnered critical acclaim — and the attention of our reviewers. “What a wonderful find this book was. The stories are compelling and quirky and more often than not take a turn toward the unexpected that can leave you breathless. I’d never read Davies before . . . I will always read her now.” “Dazzling writing that is so evocative, that takes you down a narrative road you think is familiar, and then takes a turn you weren’t expecting, with a gut-punch of emotion. Truly wonderful.”
The Star’s top 10 books of 2017

Early Edition! Sneak peak at 2018 Biblioasis titles!

Biblioasis’ 2017 titles continue to attract good buzz and we are so happy and thankful for all the wonderful readers and reviewers. Looking ahead, review copies of 2018 books have already started to garner some attention!  Here’s a sneak peak:

André Forget mentioned Paige Cooper’s upcoming short story collection, Zolitude, in The Walrus, saying “When I read a Cooper story, “Vazova on Love” for example, I feel I have been transported into a strange country, a puzzling one, sensuous and potentially hostile, and I know she will reveal something to me if I stay very focused.”
The Walrus: Does Writing About Boredom Have to Be Boring?

And some of our favourite bibliofriends of all, librarians, are chatting to one another through LoanStar and their blogs about 1979, Ray Robertson’s forthcoming novel about coming-of-age in smalltown Chatham, Ontario. Here’s what Alexandra Yarrow wrote:

“One to watch for, if you enjoy small-town Canadian stories, is 1979 by Ray Robertson. Tom Buzby, a thirteen year-old living in Chatham, Ontario, narrates this sweetly nostalgic coming-of-age story about Tom’s developing interest in girls, his understanding of his parent’s divorce, and his discovery of various rock bands (you could make an amazing playlist from records mentioned in this novel). I also loved reading about the dynamic between Tom and his sister, Julie. What makes this story a true gem however, is how Tom’s narrative is interspersed with a glimpse into the very private lives of his neighbours, including the people whose papers he delivers, and those whose paths cross his for other reasons.”
1979: Another year curled up with a novel — My favourites of 2017

You’ll be hearing more from us and our 2018 authors very soon. Keep reading!