Start spreading the news: the 54th Annual New York Antiquarian Book Fair opens tomorrow! As I type, over 200 American and international exhibitors are converging on the historic Park Avenue Armory, unpacking crates of rare books, ephemera, maps, prints, manuscripts, and other gems. If you've never attended, you'll be amazed at the amount and range of material that our exhibitors have in each booth, their mini-stores for the weekend. The fair has been referred to as a treasure trove and it's an apt description. Exhibitors spend countless hours curating their most interesting material and arranging their booth displays in the most enticing manner. As the Armory slowly fills up with the most knowledgeable specialists in the trade and their extraordinary material, each booth becomes a unique, not to be missed exhibit in a truly living museum. Living, you see, because at ABAA fairs you have the chance to look at and to hold items that you can't otherwise find outside of a museum or special collections library. What's even more remarkable is that you are afforded the opportunity to speak with the curator of each exhibi who would love to send you home with a priceless souvenir. This is my fifth NY Book Fair, and I have some advice for first time attendees. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer size of the event and intimidated by the material on display. I felt this way myself during my first visit to an ABAA fair. But push past these feelings, walk the show floor, and enjoy y... [more New York, New York!]

Longtime friend of the ABAA Nicholas Basbanes will be signing copies of his latest book, On Paper, at the upcoming Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair. You can find him at the ABAA Booth at 1pm on Saturday, November 16th. Proceeds will benefit the ABAA's Benevolent Fund, which provides aid to booksellers in distress. The cost of the book is $35. On Paper takes the reader on a journey throughout the history of paper and the ways in which it has influenced and shaped societies throughout the world. Publisher's Weekly gave the book a starred review, saying that through Basbanes's "wide-ranging, freewheeling, authoritative" survey of paper, he "reveals how many roles, directly and indirectly, paper plays in our lives." As if you needed another reason to visit the Boston fair. We hope to see you in line for a copy of Mr. Basbanes's excellent new book! [more Nicholas Basbanes Book Signing at Boston Book Fair]

We are only nine days away from opening night of our 36th Annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair and I am ready to head north to Beantown! I'm excited to see all the wonderful material- books, maps, ephemera, etc.that will be on exhibit, see friends and members, and take advantage of my time in Boston. It's a fantastic city with no shortage of history, culture, and activities, so we have been compiling a list of events and attractions taking place during the fair. Check out our Facebook and Twitter pages for a new suggestion every day! Plus, it's autumn in New England which means you'll be in stunning surroundings all weekend. For a sneak preview of items exhibitors will be bringing to the show, visit the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair's Facebook page. I'm drooling over the latest post about a signed Charlie Parker LP of his notorious Lover Man recording. Check out the post for more details. Click here to purchase your tickets for the fair. [more Countdown to the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair!]

ABAA member Greg Gibson, proprietor of Ten Pound Island Book Company, has just released his latest book, a noir crime novel entitled The Old Turk's Load . The story takes place in 1967 Manhattan and the lives of the colorful cast of characters is entwined by a $5 million herion shipment that goes awry. I have yet to read the book myself, but it has already garnered critical praise. From the New York Journal of Books: "...character descriptions that shine like pistols in sentences that burst like bullets&The Old Turk's Load is probably the fastest neo-noir read on the crime novel shelves. Exquistely hard boiled, this crime novel is the perfect beach read for those matured on Tantantino and Spillane." Greg has authored several other books Gone Boy, Demon of the Waters, and Hubert's Freaksand has a great blog about his involvement in the antiquarian book trade, The Bookman's Log. (Check out recent entries in his blog that relate to The Old Turk's Load.) Greg will be exhibiting at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend and will be signing copies of his new novel, with all profits going to the ABAA's Benevolent Fund. Stop by Booth D23 and get your copy! I know I will. [more Greg Gibson's New Novel, 'The Old Turk's Load']

This past weekend was the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, which was held at the Hynes Convention Center. The Boston fair kicked off the ABAA's fair season, which includes our California show in February and New York show in April. Besides getting to see an abundance of fascinating and unique books, prints, maps, and ephemera, the fairs are the book world's opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues, and fair weekends always involve good books, food, drink, and conversation. This fair was no exception and a good time was had by all. Every ABAA fair also features lectures and presentations, and the Boston fair had some really interesting programs like "What's For Dinner", a presentation by Richard Gutman and Erin Williams that recounted the variety of factors that influenced cuisine in the 20th Century and an illustrated lecture by Martin Antonetti and Ron Patkus on "The Art of the Book in Wales." Attendees took advantage of the free appraisal program on Sunday afternoon, evidenced by the long line that persisted during the program's two hour slot. (It's worthwhile to note that every ABAA fair features an opportunity for attendees to have up to three books appraised on Sunday afternoon.) If you attended and had your books appraised, we'd love to hear from you about the experience. Thanks to all the exhibitors, attendees, and Commonwealth Promotion for another great fair! [more Boston Fair a Blast]

Boston in Autumn (image by Rebecca Kennison via Wikipedia Creative Commons) There's still plenty of summer ahead, but it's the perfect time to plan a weekend getaway for the fall, when heat and summer holidays seem a distant memory. Where to head, you ask? New England is the place to be in autumn, and the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is the perfect reason to plan a long weekend in the historic city. Just released details on this year's fair are below. The annual fall gathering for booklovers, the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, will return to the Hynes Convention Center in Boston's beautiful Back Bay, November 16-18, 2012. The offerings are wide and diverse from over 120 dealers from the United States, England, Canada, France, Hungary, The Netherlands, and Argentina who will exhibit and sell rare, collectible and antiquarian books, illuminated manuscripts, autographs, maps, atlases, modern first editions, photographs, and fine and decorative prints. Seminars and events punctuate the weekend, including, The Annual Ticknor Society Roundtable, a panel discussion of collectors talking about their collections. More events will be announced, and folks can visit www.bostonbookfair.com for up to the minute details. Friday, November 16 5:00-9:00pm Tickets: $15.00 - Opening Night (tickets valid throughout the weekend) Saturday, November 17 12:00-7:00pm Tickets: $8.00 each day Sunday, November 18 12:00-5:00pm Tickets: $8.00 each day Hynes Convention Center 900... [more Autumn, Books & Boston? Yes, please!]

As I mentioned in my previous post, there was some extra buzz at this year's NY Antiquarian Book Fair due to a number of celebrity sightings. I know there were a number of important and influential scholars, authors, curators, etc. in attendance and I'm sorry that I didn't recognize more! I was, however, all over the pop-culture 'heavy hitters'. Below are my top five celeb sightings from the fair. 5. John Larroquette John Larroquette was the first familiar face I saw early on Friday (his face is etched in my mind from watching Night Court as a kid). Mr. Laroquette is a known collector and was also present at last year's fair. He spent quite a bit of time wandering the aisles but I'm unsure if he left with any purchases. He is currently starring in a Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man. 4. Lucy Liu Lucy Liu enjoyed the fair two days in a row, attending on both Friday and Saturday, and spent quite a bit of time on the show floor on both occasions. Many will recognize Ms. Liu from her past roles in Kill Bill and Charlie's Angels or from her current work on the tv drama Southland, but people may be surprised to hear about her work outside of Hollywood. A native New Yorker, Ms. Liu attended Stuyvesant High School and later majored in Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan. In addition to acting, Ms. Liu is also an artist and a singer. She has been a U.S. ambassador for UNICEF since 2005 and has done much work to raise awareness about the plight of chi... [more Top 5 Celebrity Sightings at the NY Book Fair]

This past weekend's NY Antiquarian Book Fair was a great success, with high attendance, eager buyers, and, most importantly, fantastic inventory from over 200 exhibitors from around the world. This was our largest NY Fair to datethere were so many enthusiastic dealers that the show floor was slightly expanded to accomodate the absolute maximum number of exhibitorsand dealers did not disappoint with the marvelous offerings they brought along. The weather was spectacularI heard it again and again throughout the fair and there truly is nothing like springtime in NYCbut that didn't stop people from exploring the cavernous space of the Armory all weekend long. There were also multiple celebrity sightings (more on that later) which only infused the show floor with additional excitement. As an employee of the ABAA, I spend most of my time during the fairs in the ABAA booth handing out literature about the organization and fielding questions from attendees and exhibitors. I enjoy the opportunity to speak with both attendees and dealers about the fair, and I'm particularly fond of the gusto book fair virgins have, the wonder and excitement they express at their discovery of the rare book world. This isn't to say that time in the booth doesn't drag on a bit at times. It does, but mostly because I get frustrated that I'm not exploring every nook and cranny in each booth. Preview night at the NY Fair allows me the chance to explore, and it's one of the many reasons I love this fair i... [more Springtime in NY + Antiquarian Book Fair = Success, Great Time Had By All]

For many readers of this blog, the answer is obvious, but based on the responses I occasionally receive when I tell people who I work for or about one of our fairs (blank stares and sometimes an "antiquari-what?), it's very clear to me that not everyone is 'in the know'. The most evident reasonto buy rare bookscan be easily deduced, but it overlooks the pure pleasure of attending, whether you leave with books in hand or not, and what I consider to be the true spirit of the show: a celebration of books, history, and intellect. I attended my first antiquarian book fair here in New York two years ago, before I had any idea what the ABAA was. Literature has always played a central role in my life, both academically and personally, so when my aunt, also a bibliophile and minor collector, invited my boyfriend and I to attend the show with her we accepted eagerly. We were unsure of what to expect, but figured that if there were lots of books involved then it couldn't be that bad. Armed with no real expectations, I was staggered to arrive on the show floor and behold the immensity of the Armory and its current inhabitantsfirst editions of every classic I had ever read, texts from the Renaissance, maps and prints I had only seen the likes of in galleries and institutions. I was overwhelmed, albeit in a good way, and before I had even begun to look around I realized that I wanted to spend more time there than I had allowed for that evening. I wandered through the aisles in silent wo... [more Why Visit an Antiquarian Book Fair?]

There are only two days left before the NY Antiquarian Book Fair opens to the public! In addition to the more than 200 exhibitors coming in from all parts of the country and the world, collectors and book lovers will be coming to NYC for the fair. Refreshments will be offered on the show floor, but below are a few recommendations for a variety of nearby restaurants. Bon appetit! For a nice meal&.. Daniel 60 E 65th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 288-0033 Menus * Yelp Reviews JoJo 160 E 64th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 223-5656 Menus * Yelp Reviews Bistro Chat Noir 22 E 66th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 794-2428 Menus * Yelp Reviews Uva 1486 2nd Ave New York, NY 10021 (212) 472-4552 Menus * Yelp Reviews The Modern 9 W 53rd St New York, NY 10019 (212) 333-1220 Menus * Yelp Reviews David Burke Townhouse 133 E 61st St New York, NY 10065 (212) 813-2121 Menus * Yelp Reviews Sushi of Gari 402 E 78th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 517-5340 Menus * Yelp Reviews A quick bite&.. Luke's Lobster 242 E 81st St New York, NY 10028 (212) 249-4241 Menu * Yelp Reviews Shake Shack 154 E 86th St New York, NY 10128 (646) 237-5035 Menu * Yelp Reviews The Candle Cafe (good for vegetarians and vegans) 1307 3rd Ave New York, NY 10021 (212) 472-0970 Menu * Yelp Reviews Pret A Manger 400 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 212-207-4101 Menu If you have little ones with you&.. Alice's Tea Cup (Chapter II) 156 E 64th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 486-9200 Menus * Yelp Reviews Serendipity 3 225 E 60th St New York, NY 100... [more NY Book Fair: Where to Eat]