I'm so sorry to hear it went out of business. I loved that catalog. And they had a great website, too.

You might try the Powells.com website. Powells is the big used bookstore in Portland, Oregon and their website has lots of reviews and 'sponsored bookshelves', author interviews and staff favorites.

There are lots of book blogs on the web, though it may take quite a lot of hunting to find one to your taste. Arts and Letters Daily (aldaily.com) has book reviews every day, generally non-fiction and taken from different places on the web. It also has a long list of book review links.

Unfortunately, I don't know of anything that will completely replace the Common Reader.

Hi josh! Before internet forums and the like, I waited eagerly for my Common Catalogue. That, along with Blas Bleu, were my main avenue for the unusual and interesting reads. So this summer, I noticed I hadn't been getting them (granted, I have so many ways of getting books now that I rarely ordered from them anymore) and was bereft that they went out of business. The reason is probably because people like me found other places to get books. But its a pity - I enjoyed the comments and the little asides,and esp loved being introduced to writers like Eliz Von Armin.

I also get many of the University Press catalogues. When something looks interesting, I google it to see if I can get some more information. Sometimes that helps get passed the 'oh its wonderful' waste of $50.

I also get some of my non fiction from the bibliographies of non fiction books I loved. That often leads me down a learning road I wasn't expecting to go on, with wonderful results.

If you get cable, Book TV is a good way to get info on new non fiction as well as listen to the authors. Their website has a schedule of whats coming up.

Aside from all that, I think everything is the net now.

There are other book forums and book blogs out there you might google for and check out.

What about the Daedalus catalog? Or the newspaper-like catalog from the guy in CT--can't remember the name tho I've gotten it for years.

Edward Hamilton

I loved the Common Reader catalog for the same reasons all of you did--books I would never have run across otherwise, and I too am guilty of ordering from other places.

Perhaps we could start a kind of cross sharing of unusual forgotten, terrific books on all sorts of subjects. I've been telling myself I need to put together a list of what I consider are truly great, barely known, historical novels. I read so much non fiction history that I am extremely demanding that there be a real feel for a very different place and time, and I won't stand for cardboard characters. But, hooh boy, I do know some great ones that I bet you've never run across. And if you have any I don't know, I'd like to try them. BTW, I did just order one mentioned on another thread recently--Lamb in His Bosom.

DH and I did the same thing. Guilty, guilty, guilty! I guess if we loved the Common Reader, we should have given it more business. What a loss!

Merryworld, I really appreciate your recommendation of ALDaily...looks like a great site to get lost in for hours, good links, too. Almost overwhelming but a broad spectrum. Thanks. I do visit Powells occasionally.

Cindy, like you I find bibliographies very helpfull in finding other books on the same subject which then lead you on and on. Love Booknotes and just watched an interview with granddaughter of founder of Strand Books this afternoon, plus a talk by Sydney Blumenthal.

Ginny, I've been a Daedalus fan for years,,,remember the flying pigs in the catalog ? LOL Good variety at great prices. Likewise Edw.Hamilton.. Not too many weeks pass without a carton from one or both.

Laceyvail, I 'd like to see your list. After glancing thru a few posts here (actually saw a reference to Common Reader which Search didn't find) I think I'd find good recommendations here, too.

Biwako, so many of the books were imported from England or small pressruns that I just went ahead and ordered from Common Reader rather than looking elsewhere. Plus I'd still rather make out a paper order and send it in...something comforting about it after so many years. (I still miss Capability's Books for garden books too! I just don't like change... I'm getting old and I've always been crotchety. LOL

Thanks to you all. I did find a listing at Amazon of Akadine Press books. I'm hoping I can find somewhere on my bookshelves a couple or three old Common Reader catalogs
(which I usually saved with "want lists" marked on back...LOL). I can then see about ordering the books elsewhere. I just hope we'll hear from Thos. Meagher and the other reviewers again soon. josh

josh, now that the gardening work is almost done, I'm going to make a start on my list of great historical fiction you've probably never heard of. I'll post it here, with annotations, I hope in a few weeks.

I, too, found the Common Reader catalog unique in its off the beaten track suggestions. Bas Bleu does not even come close.

laceyvail, I look forward to seeing your list here!

I periodically scan the Nicholas Hoare catalogue, especially for history and travel.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nicholas Hoare books

Oh dear - that is a very dangerous site, and now bookmarked!

Another site that I love is longitudebooks.com. Wonderful place to find travel narratives and maps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Longitude Books

Mummsie, Unfortunately my MSNTV browser balked at the Nicholas Hoare site. Usually I can find the info on another site so keep putting off switching to a computer. Do you have another similar site by chance?

Cindy, Thanks so much for the Longitude site (I've filled my bookbag ~grin). Several I remember were on my want list from Common Reader and/or by favorite authors so I'll order a few at a time. Good prices too.

Laceyvail, Yeah, it's a balancing act between gardening and reading and net time, plus I've started cooking more with cooler weather so I'm visiting Cooking Forum, too. LOL But sounds like your historical fiction list will be popular here so don't forget.

Once again, GW comes to my rescue... josh

I don't know of any replacements for CR, but for reviews, I find the TLS superior to the NY Review. Often, the books mentioned in the reviews are better finds than the books being reviewed.

Thanks for the links to Hoare and Longitude. They make some nice "browsing."

I didn't realize it till I was browsing the Hoare site, but that was the bookstore that we just happened upon when we were in Ottawa. Great place, and very knowledgable owners. There is one in Montreal as well, apparently, but didn't get there.

josh, took me a minute to realize what GW meant.. I always call this RP, and the garden sites GW no matter where I am. A bit confused for a moment :)

wrmjr, I'll check out TLS, thanks. I'm realizing even more how much I depended on Common Reader...and stayed in my own little rut. Probably needed booting out of it.

Cindy, I've been visiting Gardenweb since my first week online in 1996 ... was Reader's Paradise here then or added later?...anyway, I just think of it all as GW. And there's that rut again...I'm too prone to visit just my usual forums. I'm going to check in here more often...josh

RP was its own entity for years, owned by the wonderfully "paternal" Spike who would "send you to Disney" if you got out of line-he meant this to be a book discussion site-no politics or religion unless it was germane to the book(s) under discussion, and NO nasty language-which sometimes involved us in interesting spellings...for instance, when we discussed Faust, and we wanted to state that he was da*n*d to he77 ...there was a filter that would suddenly pop Mickey up on your screen if you posted any nasties! But there were no ads.
Spike sold RP, bought it back, (we celebrated) then sold again to iVillage. there have been some technical difficulties-we all had to reregister and it didn't allow everyone to use our old names-but in substance it is close to the original. Back in the day, we did have multiple book discussions per month and that has not revived-don't know why-and fewer OT threads-not that I'm complaining, some have been fascinating.

I have only been here about a year - but I was on GW for many years and Spike was part of that. I know, because he deleted my threads more than once. And iVillage was horrible in the beginning, tho now things seem to be back in place and running along quite nicely (w/o Spike)

I like this place to have few OT threads. I am here to talk books. On another forum, OT threads basically strangled any other thread. I can chatter elsewhere (besides its amazing how much 'chatter' you can have while talking about books!) My fav OT thread is the virtual parties. Great idea!

Thanks for the "history" of RP. I do recognize some poster's names from the garden forums and guess some just found RP through another book site.

I too have fond memories of inadvertent Disney trips...LOL josh

I never knew there was a book site here till a lurker mentioned it to me. Considering how many newbies pop in, I assume that it was just part of the excellent grass roots campaign :)

I found it inadvertently while searching for an OOP book I wanted...and didn't know there was a gardening site attached for quite a long time.

Oh dear, I have to show my novice card now. I'm an avid reader of this site, rarely a contributor, but now I'm stumped and forced to write (sorry, Josh, to dilute your original conversation).

OT Thread?
OOP book?

So many acronyms, so little imagination on my part.

laceyvail, add me to your list of folks eagerly anticipating your historical fiction guide!!!

OT-Off Topic-for instance our parties, or the recent "Things Kids Say" are not clearly book-oriented-but we usually drift back to books even on an OT thread.

OOP-Out of Print book

Don't fret, Crazydogs, every time I visit another forum I also run into specialized acronyms unique to that site. If you're like me though I'll bet you quickly recognized you had a TBR stack ~ grin ~ just never realized it. josh

Thanks, cc!! Something new everyday. Although it seems painfully obvious now.

Thank you, Josh! Keep visiting!

I am rapidly developing a TBR wall-at least it is extra insulation.

ccrdmrbks, we downsized house/garden about 4 years ago. After all the books came off the floor to ceiling shelves in nearly every room everyone remarked how large the rooms seemed. We'd lived there 34 years and it was "well-insulated" ~ grin ~ josh