Tuesday 19 November 2013

Hoonaloon News Nov/Dec 13



Welcome once again to the maelstrom of magnificence that is the Hoonaloon Books Blog !

First up, we reflect on comments received from some satisfied customers who have kindly agreed to be quoted in this online epistle ;


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"Many thanks indeed for the two books. They arrived on Wednesday, both in excellent condition...As before, thank you for taking such great care over the packaging. I`ve bought quite a lot of books online, but very few have been as well packaged as these were. I`m extremely pleased with both these books, and look forward to reading them at the earliest opportunity."

 NC from Bristol

"I just wanted to say a great big thank you for your fantastic speedy service. My daughter has texted me to say she has received the book we ordered yesterday and is thrilled. Thank you so much. "

Brenda

(On being asked for her agreement to being quoted, Brenda was kind enough to add "I was thrilled you were able to help and so willingly. It`s like a breath of fresh air today."

 I have been called many things in my time, but "breath of fresh air" is a new one !)

"I`m pleased to say the book arrived this morning - thank you so much ! I will most certainly call you first when I need new books."

RT from Chester

In common decency, I should make it clear that we can`t take all the credit for these words of praise- Post Office Counters Ltd, Royal Mail and, occasionally, the courier Collect Plus all do their bit too !


                           
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Having read these comments you may be tempted to explore our listings, if only out of morbid curiosity.

 If you do find that you feel this way, do not be alarmed. Your health is not at risk if you search or browse our listings. This can be done safely and securely in most libraries, internet cafes or indeed in your own home simply by clicking this link ;

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Hoonaloon-Books-Derbyshire/53404521/sf

Subsequently, you may find you wish to make a purchase, or, hopefully, several.

If you wish to pay by credit card, then you will need to place your order via ABE ; www.abebooks.com .

If you wish to pay by another method, then you can deal with us directly on hoonaloon@btinternet.com or you can place orders via ABE (www.abebooks.com ), Antiqbook www.antiqbook.com ) , Mare Libri   (www.marelibri.com ) or Local Studies UK ( www.localstudies.co.uk ) .

Without more ado, let`s familarise ourselves with the outpourings of some authors ;


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First up we have number 6167,  Turner and others - The Story of Large Print - Ulverscroft, Leics, 1999.

An unusual book. The first part of the book, unsurprisingly, tells the story of Ulverscroft Large Print Books, a Leicestershire-based company. The second part, largely written by Prof Ralph Rosenthal, deals with visual impairment, and the third part comprises five short stories ;  The Cat that Walked by Himself (Rudyard Kipiling) ,  Lucky Cat (Charlotte Wallace), Dick Baker`s Cat (Mark Twain), The Wolves of Cernogratz (Saki) and The Ferry (Joan Aiken).

There must be a danger here of not so much `falling between two stools` as having a similar mishap between three of the aforementioned seating items ! Nevertheless, this is an unusual and intriguing publication.

 
At 6179 in our listings, Ally Carters` I`d Tell You I Love You but then I`d Have to Kill You concerns itself with the emotional life of a teenage girl who is attending the sinister Gallagher Academy wherein her accomplishments include becoming fluent in fourteen languages and acquiring the handy skill of  being able to kill a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti).  


This versatile young woman`s unusual skills aside, this brings us to the interesting subject of Advance Review Copies and Uncorrected Proof Copies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_copy).

These differ from the `normal` edition in many ways. Some have plain covers, often cheaply produced, with lettering but no artwork. Some have the same, or similar, artwork to the finished product, but others have quite different designs. Some publishers have a generic design they use for all their ARCs.

Inevitably, something that began as a purely practical matter is now sometimes treated as a marketing tool, so you get such relatively new phenomena as the `numbered, limited edition proof copy` which is plainly not a proof copy in the original sense of the phrase.

Collecting proof copies is not as popular a passtime as it once was, but is still an affordable and pleasant hobby. Handily, we habitually have a supply of these delectable items in stock.

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As I`ve been a touch more wordy than usual, I`ll leave it there for this newsletter.

Any questions, feel free to get in touch and remember,

Respect the Book !



















Wednesday 14 August 2013

Hoonaloon News Aug/Sept 2013




Here we are again with a few selections from our stock with which to tempt and tantalise you.

Before we go any further, perhaps I could just take this chance to remind you that our full stock of 4,000 - 5,000 books can be viewed by clicking on this link ;

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Hoonaloon-Books-Derbyshire/53404521/sf

Now that we`ve dispensed with that formality, let`s move on and see what life has to offer ;


 
 
6025 - Awareness February 2007, Volume 28, Number 3
 
Awareness was/is the journal of Contact International UFO Research, incorporateing OCCS, Oxford Crop Circle Studies, ( http://contactinternationalufo.homestead.com ) . In addition to the expected news on possible UFO sightings etc, this issue also looks at a few other items of interest, including the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.
 
 
 
Supplied with the newsletter are a couple of flyers, one a Contact International membership application form and the other a flyer for a book. UFO enthusiasts come in for a lot of ridicule, but there again, it`s poor sort of man (or woman) who lets themselves be deterred by a bit of ridicule.
 
 
 
 
Talking of enthusiasts, amongst our stock we have a number of model engineering and/or model railway publications, some dating from the `50s and `60s. Rather than highlight any particular item, perhaps I could suggest you use the link above to find these.You may wish to use `Search Hoonaloon Books` to look for particular titles, or if you`re in a browsing mood, then you may wish to use `Catalogues of Hoonaloon Books` and look under `Trains, Trams, Ships, Vans`, `Hobbies/Interests`, `Vintage Magazines` and/or `Collectable`.
 
Or, if it`s easier, just ask !
 


 
 
 
 
 
The Farming Press began in 1959 when Bradbury Agnew, publishers of Punch and The Countryman, purchased and renamed Dairy Farmer Ltd, a specialist publisher of agricultural books and magazines.
 
 The company had considerable success with the published works of  vet Eddie Straiton, a popular TV personality of the `60s,  and  during the early `80s  found a new star in the person of Northumbian cartoonist Henry Brewis. While the bulk of the FP`s output continued to be non-fiction/agriculture, they also began to issue more accessible titles, usually humorous in tone, aimed at the general reader. An advantage here was that Henry Brewis was happy to supplement his income from his own books  by illustrating the works of others.
 
During it`s existence, the company changed hands many times - perhaps too may times - eventually becoming part of Miller Freeman/United Business Media. In 1997 the parent company made a number of FP staff in Ipswich redundant, prompting the departure of Roger Smith, manager of Farming Press Books and Videos since 1979. Smith claimed, with some justification it seems, that the parent company were prioritising short-term profit over growth. He subsequently founded his own company, Old Pond Publishing, which he still runs today. 
 
In 2002 Farming Press ceased trading. The rights to their books now reverted to the authors which left them free to find another outlet if they saw fit to do so.
 
Here at Hoonaloon, we are happy to be able to offer a number of titles published by the FP ;
 
3173 - Ian Campbell Thomson - The Hired Lad - Farming Press, 1993
 
3194 - John Terry - Ducks in Detention - Farming Press, 1990 (illustrated by Henry Brewis)
 
5989 - Veronica Frater - They All Ran After the Farmers` Wife - Farming Press, 1996
 
6099 - John Terry - Rabbits on Report ( * Signed Copy * ) - Farming Press, 2001 (illustrated by John Garbett)
 
At 2850 we also have a reprint produced after the closure of the Farming Press when the author obviously used his option to find an outlet elsewhere ;
 
2850 - Ian Campbell Thomson - The Hired Lad - Drum, 2002
 
These are not expensive titles, but they have a certain appeal, being what I would think of as a `Sunday afternoon read`, ideal for half a days relaxation.
 
 
That`s all I know right now, as someone once sang, and I shall close by reminding you that our current outlets are these ;
 
 
Antiqbook - www.antiqbook.co.uk
 
Mare Libri - www.marelibri.com
 
Local Studies UK - www.localstudies.co.uk
 
Or, of course, you can deal with us directly by e-mailing us at hoonaloon@btinternet.com
 
Happy reading !
 
Nick and Ann-Marie
Hoonaloon Books
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday 2 July 2013

Hoonaloon Books ; An Ever-Expanding Online Emporium




Here at Hoonaloon Books we are constantly looking at ways to adapt to changing times.

Starting this week we`ll be touting our wares on these sites ;

ABE - www.abebooks.co.uk

Antiqbook - www.antiqbook.co.uk

Mare Libri - www.marelibri.com

Local Studies UK - www.localstudies.co.uk

On a personal note, I have to say that it`s a pleasure to be dealing with Antiqbook once again as our previous experience of them was very positive.

It is also a matter of personal satisfaction to be part of Local Studies UK, a project which I wholeheartedly support and which I hope will prosper. It will certainly to a great asset to anyone intersted in local history, whether they are academics or ordinary enthusiasts.

Having set metaphorical pen to paper, I`ll just take this opportunity to show you a few of the titles we have added to our listings over the last couple of days ;



 
 
 
5994 - Judith Loades (ed)  - Medieval History;  Vol 1 No.1, 1991  Headstart, Bangor



5991 - Patience Sonko-Godwin - Ethnic Groups of the Senegambia Region ; A Brief History - Sunrise, Banjul, 2003

 
 
 
5992 - Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi - Grandmother`s Secrets ; The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dancing - Interlink, New York.
 
So if you are a historian who enjoys a bit of belly dancing, this is a good time for you to be taking a look at our listings !
 
 
All the Best,
 
 
Nick
Hoonaloon Books
 
 
 

  





Thursday 27 June 2013

Hoonaloon News June/July 2013




After a rather more lengthy break than usual, here`s the latest Hoonaloon News, full of bits and bobs and odds and sods guaranteed to raise your spirits in these troubled and troubling times.

As regular readers of our online epistle will know, at any given time we have 4,000 - 5,000 titles in stock. All are physically present in the UK on our shelves - we don`t do drop-shipping or any variation thereof.

To view our entire stock, click here ;

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Hoonaloon-Books-Derbyshire/53404521/sf


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Following on from that, here are a selection of recently acquired items you may wish to see. I have no real process for selecting which items to feature, though I do like to include a couple of lower price items.




At 5957 in our listings we have `Lion People ; Intercosmic Messages from the Future` by Murry Hope. Ms Hope, sometimes also known as Athene Williams, was a member of a group called The Atlanteans, described as a `spiritual and healing` group, but eventually departed their ranks citing differences between Christian members and others, like herself, who leaned more towards Paganism.

Prior to that, perhaps surprisingly, she had been involved with the Women`s Royal Air Force and the British Legion.

Her varied interests included Ancient Egypt and the Gaia movement.




If inter-cosmic message are not your thing, why not consider collecting old buttons ? It used to fashionable to sneer at this sort of thing (particularly among those who had no interests of their own !) but I like this charming little booklet, not least because author Primrose Peacock sounds like a character from a P G Wodehouse novel.

`Discovering Old Buttons` can be found at 5976 in our listings.




At 5987 we find Lawrence D Hills` `Fertility Finder ; The Good Plant Food Guide for Gardeners` (Henry Doubleday Research Association, undated).

This is a reprint  of a booklet previously entitled `The Sludge Guide` (Observer, 1961) and contains he authors` thoughts on such subjects as Sludge and How to Use It, Compost From the Council, Sludge Suppliers, Municipal Compost Suppliers and much else.

Tempting though it is to poke fun at this unusual item, we should hesitate before we dismiss it out of hand.

Lawrence D Hills was a founder of  the Henry Doubleday Research Association. He wrote many books and booklets on organic gardening and farming and was gardening correspondent for The Observer. 

Henry Doubleday himself was an English scientist and horticulturalist , not to be confused with his cousin, also named Henry Doubleday, who was a noted expert on insects and birds.

The Henry Doubleday Research Association still exists, though it is better known by it`s trading name, Garden Organic.  Its` activities range from an enquiry service for budding organic gardeners to projects promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

I had never heard of the HDRA until yesterday, but I like it already !

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That`s the current newsletter nearly done with except that I`d like to re-iterate, re-affirm and confirm that you can browse our full stock by clicking here ;


http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Hoonaloon-Books-Derbyshire/53404521/sf

Our next newsletter will appear in due course, but in the meantime, I`d like to wish you all a month or so of  happy reading and don`t forget -

                                                           Respect the Book !

















Saturday 6 April 2013

We`re Back !





We`re back in the saddle and ready for action, as you can see from the above picture (actually the cover illustration from Mike Lawson`s `For God and the North`, a copy of which you will find at 5785 in our listings).

Our next newsletter will be along soon, but in the meantime, you can browse our stock by clicking on this link ;

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Hoonaloon-Books-Derbyshire/53404521/sf .

Happy reading !


Friday 29 March 2013

Hoonaloon Books







Hoonaloon Books is going to be offline for a few days, but normal service will soon be resumed.

Respect the Book !







Saturday 23 March 2013

The Hoonaloon News March 2013


This month we`re having a change of approach and taking a look at some of the pamphlets we have in stock.

There`s a lot to be said for the humble pamphlet. They`re normally cheap to produce and cheap to acquire. Within their pages all manner of views and attitudes can be encountered, and the format obliges their authors to express themselves with brevity.

Why waste your time and money on the outpourings of over-paid pundits ? The time is right to rummage in the pamphlet box. It`s contents are affordable, take up little space and don`t need to be fed.

Here are a few examples of the pamphleteers` art, currently in stock at Hoonaloon Books at very reasonable prices. 





5717 - Rudolf Steiner - The Change in the Path to Supersensible Knowledge - London, Anthroposophical Publishing Company - 1959



5720 - `A Barrister at Law` - Psychic Science ; What it Reveals - Hemel Hempstead, Needham - Undated






5723 - J N D Anderson OBE (Later Sir J N D Anderson) - The Evidence for the Resurrection - Inter Varsity Fellowship - 1954 (Reprint)




5752 - Chapman Cohen - Morality Without God - Pioneer Press/G W Foote and Co - Undated (in the `Pamphlets for the People` series)


So there you have it. Whether you lean towards Anderson`s Christianity, Cohen`s atheism, are a devotee of Steiner or share our anonymous barrister`s* interest in psychic phenomena, there`s something for you in one of these slender volumes. Buy, read and enjoy !

Nick



* I tried to find out the identity of our anonymous learned friend but withut any luck. If anyone knows this unknown author`s true identity, I`d be happy to hear from you, if only for curiosity`s sake.








Saturday 23 February 2013

Hoonaloon News February 2013





Hello and welcome once again to the Hoonaloon Books Blog, your guide to the vast panoply of literary loveliness that awaits you in the Hoonaloon Books online emporium.

At time of writing I have a headache, sore throat and runny eyes and generally cut a far-from charismatic figure. Any flippancy that creeps in from time to time is my attempt to stay upbeat under these circumstances !

First up, among our more recent acquisitions we have `Lanterns ; 23 New Writings`. Appearing at 5585 in our listings, this volume mixes both the fresh-faced young hopefuls and the grizzled veterans of the local literary scene. Within it`s covers you will encounter David Belbin, John Lucas, Mahendra Solanki, Peter Porter and many others.  Buy it now and savour the heady delights on offer ! 

 
5585
 
 
 
 
5640
 
Personally, I`ve come to the age where I prefer moths to butterflies, but  Kelam and Wood`s `Butterflies Shown to the Children` (5640 in our listings)  is a visual treat by anyone`s standards. I think this is a case where a couple of pictures are worth more than a whole bunch of words, so here are said images.
 
 
5640
 
 
 
Moving on from our winged pals, we turn our attention to the Thinker`s Library series. Published by Watts and Co by arrangement with the Rationalist Press Association between 1929 and 1951, this series eventually ran to 140 titles, some of which appear in my own collection.
 
At present we`re lucky enough to be able to offer you a number of Thinker`s Library titles at very reasonable prices, including works by H A L Fisher (5651),  Charles Duff (5650), Herbert Spencer (5643), Adam Gowans Whyte (5645), Ralph Waldo Emerson (5644), Luther Burbank (5649) and Mark Twain (5648). Pictured below is our copy of Sir Leslie Stephen`s `An Agnostic`s Apology` (5647).
 
 
 
5647
 
That`s just a brief selection from the titles we`ve acquired recently. all that remains now is for me to point out that our full stock of over 4,000 titles can be viewed by clicking here ; http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Hoonaloon-Books-Derbyshire/53404521/sf .
 
Happy reading and remember to Respect the Book !
 
 
 
 
    
 

 

Sunday 20 January 2013

Hoonaloon News January 2013



Greetings and welcome to our first newsletter of 2013.

Here at Hoonaloon Acres, ancestral home of the Hoonaloons, we have been ankle-deep in snow for the last few days. However, we`re managing to carry on more or less as usual, cold but cheerful,  and posted books out each day last week, with no appreciable delay to delivery that we know of.

Our main item of news is that we`ve reduced the price of our older stock so don`t forget to take a look at our catalogue and see if you can pick up a bargain or two.

All the items we have in stock can be viewed by clicking on this link ;

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Hoonaloon-Books-Derbyshire/53404521/sf .

Here are a few recent additions to our stock ;




 
 
5571 - Elizabeth Goudge - The Herb of Grace - Hodder and Stoughton - 1956 (1st/8th with no dust jacket)
 
Elizabeth Goudge (Elizabeth de Beauchamp Goudge) was an English author of novels, short stories and children`s books. Her career received a posthumous boost when it was found that a modern  author, whose books were critically very well-received, had lifted vast tracts of her work word for word !
 
Goudge was an unusually prolific writer who still commands a loyal following decades after her death (see www.elizabethgoudge.org). I doubt very much that she was writing for posterity, or for critics, but life`s like that !
 
I don`t suppose collectors are going to be overwhelmed by the opportunity to acquire an 8th edition of a first edition, but nevertheless this is a nice copy, available at a moderate price.
 
 
 
5574 - Raymond Rush - Countrywise One - Signed Copy - Churnet Valley Books - 1987
5573 - Raymond Rush - Countrywise Three - Signed Copy - Churnet Valley Books - Undated
 
A farmer from Siddington, Raymod Rush was noted for his knowledge of folk customs and the origins (often rather gory, apparently) of popular phrases and sayings. He made regular appearances on Radio Stoke and wrote a column on country matters for  the Town and Country Post.
 
The Countrywise series collected a selection of his newspaper articles in book form.
 
  
 
 
Elisabeth Hargreaves - Safe Journey Home -   Hutchinson - 1958 - (1st ed w/ dust jacket)
 
Elisabeth Hargreaves is often remembered as a writer of romantic fiction. As is so often the case, convenient pigeon-holes are not always accurate. Noted for it`s wit and sensitivity, Safe Journey Home tells the story of two very different women, both separated from their husbands, who find themselves sharing a house.
 
That`s about all for now. Our next newsletter will be alomg in due course but until then, do your thing with a swing and remember - Respect the Book !