Book Group News from Julie

MORNING BOOK GROUP NEWS: For our August meeting, we will be discussing Border Songs by Jim Lynch. This month's meeting will take place on Friday, 27 August 2010 at 10:30 AM. If you have any other questions about this book group, please call us at (925) 837-7337.

EVENING GROUP NEWS: Our evening book group will meet on Tuesday, 10 August 2010 at 7 PM. They will be discussing The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Elizabeth Howe.

Julie says, "We try to read good books you might not pick out for yourself. And we talk about it, and talk about it, bringing our own lives and that of the author to bear on the subject at hand. Join us!"

Also, remember that either Julie or Michael is happy to talk to your book group about books. Visits last about an hour and your group will come away with a couple dozen great suggestions for future reading. Let us know if you are interested in arranging for one of these special programs! And, at the new shop, we have a wonderful room for book groups!

Email Julie for more information about these groups by clicking here.

Julie's Book Picks Now on Twitter!

Everyone who shops here regularly can't help knowing Julie's passion for the books she reads. If she loves a book, she is going to share that with as many of you as possible. It's that simple. And, since she has a terrific track record, regular customers pay attention to what she reads and loves. For the past several weeks, she has been focusing on a different pick each week. She puts on the counter and makes sure to introduce them to folks. Well, starting today, she will be using Twitter (and the store's website) as well as that in-store display and all those personal recommendations, to announce her weekly pick.

For all its newfangled veneer of technology and the digital age and all that, at its heart all this is still just about talking about books, about sharing our enthusiasms with all of you. If you'd like to follow Julie's Picks on Twitter, click on the link below. I know she'd love to be tweeting to a crowd of you!

To follow Julie's Picks on Twitter click here.

Signed First Editions Club

In the world of book collecting, few items are as desirable as signed first editions of great books. Over the past decade Rakestraw Books has gradually become one the Bay Area's premier venues for author readings and signings. Our customers have had the chance to buy signed books by writers such as Michael Chabon, Philip Pullman, Richard Russo, Kiran Desai, and Jonathan Harr. Many of these books have become highly sought after collectibles. A signed first edition of Richard Russo's Empire Falls purchased during his visit to the bookshop in May 2001, cost $25.95. Today, after being awarded the 2002 Pulitzer Prize, a signed first edition of Empire Falls retails for up to $300. Of course not every signed first edition increases in value so dramatically, but signed first editions can be a great addition to a booklover's library.

We are delighted to invite you to join our Signed First Editions Club. Each month, registered members will receive a signed first edition of a great book — mostly fiction, some by established favorites, others by great new writers — and all you will pay is list price. Once or twice a year — if you’re busy or a selection is not to your taste — you may turn it back with no problem. And, best of all, when you have paid for twelve months of selections, you will receive a 13th signed first edition at no charge.

As we start 2010, our list for the first half of the year has shaped up nicely. I think you will genuinely enjoy this special group of books. Please consider joining this special club today.

***BREAKING NEWS! — I am excited to be able announce that our Signed First Editions Club selection for August is Lily King's magnificent third novel, Father of the Rain. We've shipped a couple boxes of books to her in Maine and are eagerly awaiting their return. I think this novel is a masterpiece: one of the best I've read all year.More information is available by calling the shop at (925) 837-7337.

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