Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Big sale at Plaza Books

We're having a 25% off sale on ALL books in stock. This includes our first editions, signed first editions, Easton Press and Franklin Library books, Shelton First Editions and Library of America.

The 25% sale applies in store as well as on the Plaza Books website and it lasts until January 12, 2013.

If you order on the website, at checkout, use the code DEC to take advantage of the sale!


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Vegas writer wows us with The Perfume Alibi

People don't usually think of Nevada, Las Vegas in particular, as the home of serious authors. There's so much else to focus on, the famous Las Vegas Strip, the casinos, the entertainment, Boulder Dam and Lake Tahoe, for example.
But a number of authors of fiction and non-fiction call Nevada home, and you can find their work at Plaza Books.
One emerging author we'd like to highlight here is Jeffrey Cruden, whose The Perfume Alibi, found its way into our shelves about a month ago.

To be honest, as a used bookstore that also specializes in rare, unique and antiquarian books, we don't usually handle newly-published work. However, we make an exception for Nevada authors. In Jeffrey Cruden's case, we were happy to do just that.

Here's our take on this must-read.
The Perfume Alibi has all the good stuff of the mystery genre with a lot of twists and turns, fast action, interesting characters, wry humor and a very confusing plot. This book is kind of like having a bit of Elmore Leonard, a tad or two of Lawrence Block, some Harlan Coben thrown into the mix with a dash of wry humor sprinkled on top.
You've got a dark and dreary night, a bored cop, a driver who is not just out of character for the kind of car he's driving but who is also a man with a deep concern about what's in the trunk of the fancy wheels; you have a couple of down-and-out character actors in training as hit men, a dead wife, a husband under suspicion, a nefarious brother and some cooked books -- and that's just for starters. Throw in a masterful remix of pulp fiction and you have a definite page turner.
So beware, if you begin reading, you won't want to stop.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Oz art by John R. Neill

After author Frank Baum lost contact with W.W. Denslow, who illustrated his first book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, he turned to Philadelphia born artist John R. Neill (aka Jno. R. Neill) to bring Dorothy and her pals to life.

Neill also illustrated Oz titles penned by himself as well as for author Ruth Plumly Thompson, who kept Baum's work alive.

Here are a few of the awesome works of art that Neill did for Baum.

 


Visit our website to see more. (Note, as these are the cover art for books that are listed for sale, they will disappear from the page if (or when) the actual titles are sold.
 


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

10 BEST SF/FANTASY NOVELS OF THE DECADE

There have been many excellent SF/Fantasy novels published since 2000. The list below is not an order of preference, since all can be considered outstanding examples of the genre.

1)     Old Man’s War  by John Scalzi
Some of the best science fiction writing since early Heinlein. Read them all.

2)     The Traveler (The Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1) by John Twelve Hawks
This dystopian novel, beautifully written, will really creep you out. Just because you’re paranoid…

3)     The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1) by Patrick Rothfuss
One of the best new fantasy series around.

4)     The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
A fantasy thriller, winner of the Hugo award in 2010.

5)     The Final Empire (Mistborn Series, Vol. 1) by Brandon Sanderson
The unusual premise of the series makes it well worth reading. His stand alone novel Elantris is also great.

6)     The Blade Itself (The First Law, Book 1) by Joe Abercrombie
Violence, bloody battle scenes, and extremely compelling story. The whole series is great.

7)     Faith of The Fallen (The Sword of Truth, Book 6) by Terry Goodkind.
Okay, I’m cheating. Start with the first one in the series Wizard’s First Rule (1996).

8)     The Way of Shadows (Night Angel Trilogy, Book 1) by Brent Weeks
Another good fantasy trilogy.

9)     Fool’s Errand (Tawny Man trilogy, book 1) by Robin Hobb
Continuation of the Farseer trilogy. Another cheat. Start with Assassin’s Apprentice (1995)

10) The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms(The Inheritance Trilogy, Book 1) by N.K. Jemisin. Author’s first novel, Hugo nominee 2011.

So sue me for leaving out Robert Jordan’s epic. I never read the second book. Same with George R.R. Martin’s series Game of Thrones. I may revisit them at a later date, but so many books, so little time…

Ann











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