Does anybody recognize the room in this picture? I hope not, because if it’s recognizable then it means it still looks messy. I was recently given the task of cleaning it up – a task that involved no small amount of dust, sweat, tears, etc, and so for that reason if not any others, I want to give it some attention here.
So anyway, it’s the First Editions room! For anyone who doesn’t know what/where that is, it’s the room on your right when you walk through Lemuria’s main entrance. It also functions as the semi-office of Joe and John and so for that reason I think lots of people think they can’t browse around in there, which is completely not true. It’s part of the store just like any other section. If you can put up with a bit of clutter, a liberal approach to the alphabet, and of course the company of Joe and John, then I encourage you to pay a visit to the FE room.
Before I worked with books in any capacity, I don’t think I completely understood the allure of first editions. I still don’t have that many, but one of my favorites is Music of the Swamp, by Lewis Nordan. It was a gift from a friend, and after it was given to me, something clicked. I don’t know. These books are just really, really special, with the added bonus of having fantastic covers (see Sharpshooter Blues up there? !!). I suppose what I’m trying to say is I don’t think you have to be a huge book-collecting enthusiast with lots of money to drop to appreciate FEs. If nothing else, they’re fun to look at.
Also fun to look at, and also in the FE room, are Advanced Reader Copies – it’s hard to miss this ARC of Libra:
I took loads of pictures and I could put them all up right now, but I’ll take it easy. I suppose I just wanted everybody to know that yes! the First Editions room is open for browsing and is hopefully more accessible than it was a month or so ago. Lemuria is full of first editions – many of them signed, it’s worth noting – so come and have a look!
Susie
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