The Art of Libromancy, Josh Cook
The Art of Libromancy, Josh Cook
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Art of Libromancy
On Selling Books and Reading Books in the Twenty-first Century

Author: Josh Cook

Narrator: Justin Price

Unabridged: 9 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/13/2024


Synopsis

"If books are important to you because you're a reader or a writer, then how books are sold should be important to you as well. If it matters to you that your vegetables are organic, your clothes made without child labor, your beer brewed without a culture of misogyny, then it should matter how books are made and sold to you."

With Amazon's growing power in both bookselling and publishing, considering where and how we get our books is more important now than ever. The simple act of putting a book in a reader's hands—what booksellers call handselling—becomes a catalyst for an exploration of the moral, financial, and political pressures all indie bookstores face. From the relationship between bookselling and white supremacy, to censorship and the spread of misinformation, to the consolidation of the publishing industry, veteran bookseller and writer Josh Cook turns a generous yet critical eye to an industry at the heart of American culture, sharing tips and techniques for becoming a better reader and, of course, recommending great books along the way.

About Josh Cook

Josh Cook is a bookseller and coowner at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he has worked since 2004. He is also author of the critically acclaimed postmodern detective novel An Exaggerated Murder and his fiction, criticism, and poetry have appeared in numerous leading literary publications. He grew up in Lewiston, Maine, and lives in Somerville, Massachusetts.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mikala

This was ENLIGHTENING 💯💯👏 I learned so much about publishing and how indie shops survive in this world. This book gave me hope for the future of publishing and book selling! ◦ 7% the whiteness of the publishing world. This section is EYE opening!!! ◦ VERY interesting conversation around Amazon book se......more

Goodreads review by el

WOOOOW !!! genuinely one of the best books i’ve read recently. i know i am the definition of this book’s target audience, but i truly think anyone who has ever interacted with the written word needs to pick this one up. never missed a beat. insightful, relatable, and just so so correct.......more

Goodreads review by Natalee

Libromancy is a love letter to books, booksellers, and independent bookstores. More than that, however, Libromancy is a challenge to industry standards from how books are genred to what defines good taste.......more