leafy rivers

leafy rivers: a novel by jessamyn west

first edition, 1967, harcourt, brace & world, new york

jacket design by james and ruth mccrea

another book chosen for its cover. i love the graphics of this cover. true genius. apparently the book is of the adventure/suspense category. which i would not have surmised by the cover alone. the cover makes me think heart of darkness or the island of dr. moreau (on second thought i suppose these are adventure/suspense.) i'm also reminded of gauguin, although more for the tahitian vibe rather than a likeness of style. i'm definitely keeping this one around for inspiration. james and ruth mccrea have illustrated tons. see more here, here, and here.

groups and links.

i've started a rad library group on flickr...feel free to join and add scans or photos of your vintage (pre-85) books! i've placed a widget on the sidebar, so you can always visit from there.
also on the sidebar i have links for bibliophiles and resources. there are a lot of other blogs aimed towards books, vintage books, art books, etc... that are wonderful reads. i highly recommend each and every one. there are also some great resources for finding out of print books, when i find them i'll post them. one of my goals with this blog is to be able to share information and resources so you may be able to find a copy of something you see here that you enjoy. i'll be adding to both categories periodically. if you have any suggestions, please send me an email.

lament for a lost lover and the queen bee.

yesterday my husband and i, along with our friend dawn, visited a local church charity drive book fair. we visited the second day they were open and everything looked pretty picked through. i find with books sales (at least in this area,) the book dealers get there first thing and snap up a lot of goodies. however, i still got a good lot. i was really drawn to these painterly-style covers. i admit they do remind me of my childhood. mostly i am drawn to nostalgic items. i'm not sure the quality of the stories, but i do like the covers.

lament for a lost lover by philippa carr a.k.a. eleanor hibbert
book club edition, 1977, g.p. putnam's sons, new york
jacket illustration is by charles geer

the queen bee by edna lee
book club edition, 1950, appleton-century-crofts, inc., new york
the illustrator isn't credited, although there seems to be a signature reading be(i,a)nyé? unfortunately, i wasn't able to find any information.

an interesting aside. apparently my grandfather's step-mother was a major b*tch. she was also a member of a popular (high-end) department store family. anyways, my grandparents referred to her as "the queen bee," after this book. i love it when good book finds have quirky stories attached to them. i find it interesting that both of these books are book club editions. i'm thinking that book clubs gravitated toward covers with a romantic vibe to better market them to women. not that that is what women were (or are) all about.

introduction.

hello, my name is rachael and i am an artist, illustrator, and nostalgist living in pennsylvania. i live with my husband and 5 cats in a book-laden home. i've been collecting vintage books (any books really) since i was a child. i'll be sharing selections from my collection and as i add new books, will be cataloging them here. i most likely won't be doing book reviews, although don't hold me to that since i might be inspired from time to time. rather, my goal is to share unique examples of illustration, type, graphics and lastly, content. welcome! feel free to comment or email.

about me and a FAQ or two...

about me:

Rachael Amen (that's me) is an artist/illustrator and nostalgist. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and 5 cats. She one day hopes to shepherd her own gang of mini-goats, as well as, a capybara named Dr. Bombay. Rachael is known for her detailed illustrations and line work. She spends her days searching for inspiration in nature and old books. She is a freckled redhead by design, a teacher and photographer by trade, and an artist by choice.
You can find out more about her at her shop, her blog, and her flickr page. Rachael also runs a vintage shop called Tigerluxe, where she celebrates nostalgia with select vintage goods, and has a blog devoted to her vintage book collection, Rad Library.

FAQ:

i get emails from time to time (which i happily receive) asking me questions. i thought i would compile some of these in a FAQ here...

-are you a librarian?
no i am not, i have a BSED in secondary english education and was a literature / education double major. now i am strictly an artist/illustrator and don't teach anymore.

-do you know how much my book is worth?
no i do not. i can give you a ballpark amount, but if you want to know the true value of your book (either to sell or for insurance purposes) you would need to contact your local antiquarian for an appraisal.

-do you sell the books you feature on Rad Library?
mostly, no. from time to time i will and will provide a link to the item in my vintage shop, but i will not promote the item or overtly state so. Rad Library is an expression of love and interest for me, not a vehicle to sell things.

-do i want to buy your book?
probably not, sorry. doesn't hurt to ask though.

-where do you find these books?
i am frequently searching book sales, thrift stores, garage sales, auctions and such for vintage books that catch my eye. occasionally i will visit an antique mall or book dealer, but rarely.

-will i locate a book for you?
i am currently thinking about starting a book locating service. i do keep an eye out for some folks, and if i run across the book they are looking for, will pick it up for them. i'm open to requests at this time, but can't promise anything.

-will you review my book, blog, website, etc...
if it's a book, maybe. otherwise, no.

-what camera do you use?
i use a canon digital rebel xti with a standard 58mm lens and occasionally a point and shoot sony cybershot.

-how long have you been collecting books?
i've been collecting books for about 25 years now.

-what are you looking for in a book?
that indescribable djinn. it has to attract my attention, and keep it. that's the only requirement.

-can i link to your blog?
by all means, please do!