Why we say "Discover Your Treasure" and other things you should know about the 2025 book fair that's coming in March

We hope you’re going to be as excited as we are about the 2025 Florida Antiquarian Book Fair. We wanted to be sure to tell you that tickets are now available at Eventbrite.com. So you can be among the first to get them.

As you probably know by now, the theme for the book fair is Discover Your Treasure. We think it’s a perfect theme for our book fair for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, if you’re a fan of the annual book fair, you already know that it is, indeed, a place to discover your book or paper treasure — in almost any genre.

 This is the 42nd year of the book fair, and over the decades book lovers have discovered some of the most wonderful treasures to add to their collections. If this is your first time, you’re going to find out what our returning patrons already know — if you love books (and other vintage paper items) this is the place for you.

Booksellers annually come from all over the country — and sometimes from overseas — with some of the most amazing items that are certain to thrill anyone who is open to literary discovery.

So there’s that.

But there’s another reason Discover Your Treasure is so appropriate for us. It’s our salute to our heritage. Many people know that hundreds of years ago, when piracy on the high seas was at its zenith, Florida was a favorite hiding place for buccaneers and their booty.

The natural coves and bays along Florida’s sparsely populated coastline were perfect for the privateers’ purposes. Sometimes, even in modern times, pieces of eight have been known to wash up on our beaches.

Of course, Tampa Bay’s NFL football team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the annual Gasparilla celebration also help keep the heritage alive.  We’ll be talking about all that later on but for now suffice it to say that you’re in for a treat if you’re a book lover (of course you are) because the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair is, indeed, the place to Discover Your Treasure.

There’s a code in the graphic at the top but if you’d rather use a simple link, here it is. Get your tickets early. We’ll have more exciting highlights leading up to the book fair.

TICKETS LINK TO EVENTBRITE.

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 71: Carol Mobley and Rocky Mountain Book & Paper Fair in August

Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn chat with Carol Mobley, who runs the Rocky Mountain Book & Paper Fair, which will be August 17-18 in Castle Rock, CO. 

The show features antiquarian booksellers not only from Colorado but also from all across the country. They’re offering a wide variety of used and rare books as well as ephemera at all price points. 

Ed and Lee also discuss the latest issue of Book Lovers’ Paradise Magazine, which is now available and includes an article by Carol about collecting kitchen appliance ephemera. 

The magazine is for collectors of books, maps, prints, photographs and ephemera. It is free and can be found at https://issuu.com/tallansmith/docs/bl... 

A SPECIAL REQUEST: Please SHARE this program with your book loving friends. If this is the first time you've watched Rare Book Cafe, let us know what you think in the comments. If you're a regular watcher, tell us in the comments how often and what you enjoy about the show. 

Our Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK series offers short programs, usually on a single topic. Watch for more in the series. 

Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscript and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia. 

Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-2, 2025 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com 

The program also is made possible by Biblio.com, a website featuring used, rare, and out-of-print books from independent booksellers. Biblio is celebrating 20 years of serving book lovers. It’s better than ever. Biblio spotlights “the core of our business model: the independent booksellers who bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism to soon the used and rare book trade.” 

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Music by Kevin MacLeod Hyperfun Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

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Rare Book Cafe is a gathering of collectors and lovers of old, rare, and collectible books. It is a virtual cafe, accessible anywhere in the world, where the subjects are priceless and the conversation is free. It is truly the book lovers' rendezvous. Join us on our Facebook group Book Lovers’ Rendezvous. 

Rare Book Cafe is based in Florida. 

Rare Book Cafe The Book Lovers' Rendezvous™ YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Also as a podcast on YouTube Music 

 #rarebooks #collectiblebooks #ephemera #ephemeraforsale #leatherboundbooks #leatherbound #antiquemapsandprints #bostonbooklovers #booksinboston #floridabookfair #floridaantiquarianbookfair #rarebookcafe #bookloversrendezvous

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 70: A visit to the Mark Twain museum in Connecticut and more

 

Co-host Ed Markiewicz takes us on a visit to the site of The Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut. Photography isn’t allowed in the house but Ed manages a look inside the museum, which contains manuscripts and published volumes of Twain’s books. 

Co-host Lee Linn also has visited the house, and in this episode she offers some commentary about the experience. 

Ed and Lee also mention their favorite Mark Twain books, which include A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). 

They discuss a new, related volume, James (2024), by Percival Everett, which is on the short list to be considered for Pulitzer Prize. Everett’s book reimagines the Huckleberry Finn story from the point of view of Jim, the enslaved man who sets on the Mississippi River adventure with Huck. 

As it happened, on the evening of the day Ed visited, Mr. Everett was to be a guest of The Mark Twain House & Museum for a live streamed program. You can watch a recording of that program in the comments section. 

 A SPECIAL REQUEST: Please SHARE this program with your book loving friends. If this is the first time you've watched Rare Book Cafe, let us know what you think in the comments. If you're a regular watcher, tell us in the comments how often and what you enjoy about the show. 

Our Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK series offers short programs, usually on a single topic. Watch for more in the series.

Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscript and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia. 

 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. 

The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-2, 2025 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com 

The program also is made possible by Biblio.com, a website featuring used, rare, and out-of-print books from independent booksellers. Biblio is celebrating 20 years of serving book lovers. It’s better than ever. Biblio spotlights “the core of our business model: the independent booksellers who bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism to soon the used and rare book trade.” 

************** 

Music by Kevin MacLeod Hyperfun Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

************** 

Rare Book Cafe is a gathering of collectors and lovers of old, rare, and collectible books. It is a virtual cafe, accessible anywhere in the world, where the subjects are priceless and the conversation is free. It is truly the book lovers' rendezvous. Join us on our Facebook group Book Lovers’ Rendezvous. 

Rare Book Cafe is based in Florida. 

Rare Book Cafe 

The Book Lovers' Rendezvous™ 

YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Also as a podcast on YouTube Music  

#rarebooks #collectiblebooks #ephemera #ephemeraforsale #leatherboundbooks #leatherbound #antiquemapsandprints #bostonbooklovers #booksinboston #floridabookfair #floridaantiquarianbookfair #rarebookcafe #bookloversrendezvous

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 69: A visit to the oldest feminist bookstore in America

 

It's Pride month, and with the help of Atlanta booksellers Libby Ware and Charlene Ball, co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn visit the oldest feminist bookstore in the country. It’s Charis Books and More and it’s on Candler Street in Decatur, Georgia, across from the campus of Agnes Scott College. 

 

Lee and Ed visit with co-owner Sara Luce Look, who has been a part of Charis Books for 30 years. Sara gives a tour of the fascinating store and a little of its history, including its origins in a section of Atlanta known as Little Five Points. 

 

Libby and Charlene, owners of Toadlily Books, are annual exhibitors at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair and frequent visitors to Rare Book Cafe.

 

They also are authors. Charlene’s book, Dark Lady: a Novel of Emilia Bassano Lanyer, was published in 2017. Libby’s book, Lum, was published in 2020. 

 

The two collaborated on two murder mysteries, Murder at the Estate Sale (2020) and Murder at the Book Fair (2023), both under the pseudonym Lily Charles. 

 

A SPECIAL REQUEST: Please SHARE this program with your book loving friends. If this is the first time you've watched Rare Book Cafe, let us know what you think in the comments. If you're a regular watcher, tell us in the comments how often and what you enjoy about the show. 

 

Our Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK series offers short programs, usually on a single topic. Watch for more in the series. 

 

Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscript and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia.

 

Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-2, 2025 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com

 

The program also is made possible by Biblio.com, a website featuring used, rare, and out-of-print books from independent booksellers. Biblio is celebrating 20 years of serving book lovers. It’s better than ever. Biblio spotlights “the core of our business model: the independent booksellers who bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism to soon the used and rare book trade.”

 

**************

Music by Kevin MacLeod Hyperfun Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

************** 

 

Rare Book Cafe is a gathering of collectors and lovers of old, rare, and collectible books. It is a virtual cafe, accessible anywhere in the world, where the subjects are priceless and the conversation is free. It is truly the book lovers' rendezvous. Join us on our Facebook group Book Lovers’ Rendezvous. Rare Book Cafe is based in Florida. 

 

Rare Book Cafe

The Book Lovers' Rendezvous™

YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Also as a podcast on YouTube Music

 

#rarebooks #collectiblebooks #ephemera #ephemeraforsale #leatherboundbooks #leatherbound #antiquemapsandprints #bostonbooklovers #booksinboston #floridabookfair #floridaantiquarianbookfair #rarebookcafe #bookloversrendezvous

 

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 63: Ed visits the birthplace of the mythical Greek god Zeus

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 55: Rebecca Rego Barry on writing The Vanishing of Carolyn Wells

 

Writer and editor Rebecca Rego Barry joins us to share the intriguing inside story on how she came to pursue the backstory on Carolyn Wells, a once prominent and prolific author in the early 20th century who all but vanished from the public consciousness in the intervening decades.

It’s a fascinating story spurred by a journalist’s natural curiosity and a book lover’s discovery. Rebecca Rego Barry was the longtime editor of Fine Books & Collections magazine and is now director of communications for The Raab Collection, a company that buys and sells historical autographs and documents.

Please SHARE this program with your book loving friends.

Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscripts, and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia.

Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-2, 2025 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com

The program also is made possible by Biblio.com.

 **************
Music by Kevin MacLeod Hyperfun Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
**************

Join us on our Facebook group Book Lovers’ Rendezvous.

Rare Book Cafe is based in Florida.

Rare Book Cafe The Book Lovers' Rendezvous™ YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Also as a podcast on YouTube Music

 SUBSCRIBE to our new magazine, Book Lovers’ Paradise. IT’S FREE. You can see the first issue here: https://issuu.com/tallansmith/docs/bo...  

 
 #rarebooks #collectiblebooks #ephemera #ephemeraforsale #leatherboundbooks #leatherbound #antiquemapsandprints #bostonbooklovers #booksinboston #floridabookfair #floridaantiquarianbookfair #rarebookcafe #bookloversrendezvous

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 54: Sophia Bogle on choosing your book repairing expert wisely

It was our pleasure to welcome back Cafe regular and supreme book restorer Sophia Bogle. In this episode, she shares with co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn some advice on choosing who should repair your damaged book. There’s more to it than you might realize. 

Sophia is scheduled to give a lecture on the subject at the American Bookbinders Museum, in San Francisco on Saturday, March 30 at 11 a.m. Pacific. Sophia’s talk will be recorded on Zoom and will be available to the public. Tickets are $10. 

You can get more information here: https://bookbindersmuseum.org/event/w... 

Sophia is an enthusiastic advocate for saving and repairing books. She is the founder of Save Your Books, an educational platform that promotes simple archival book repairs from a conservation perspective. 

 Learn more about her platform here: https://saveyourbooks.com/ 

A SPECIAL REQUEST: Please SHARE this program with your book loving friends. If this is the first time you've watched Rare Book Cafe, let us know what you think in the comments. If you're a regular watcher, tell us in the comments how often and what you enjoy about the show. 

Our Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK series offers short programs, usually on a single topic. Watch for more in the series. Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscripts, and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia. 

Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-2, 2025 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com 

The program also is made possible by Biblio.com, a website featuring used, rare, and out-of-print books from independent booksellers. Biblio is celebrating 20 years of serving book lovers. It’s better than ever. Biblio spotlights “the core of our business model: the independent booksellers who bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism to soon the used and rare book trade.” 

 ************** 

Music by Kevin MacLeod Hyperfun Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

************** 

 Rare Book Cafe is a gathering of collectors and lovers of old, rare, and collectible books. It is a virtual cafe, accessible anywhere in the world, where the subjects are priceless and the conversation is free. It is truly the book lovers' rendezvous. 

Join us on our Facebook group Book Lovers’ Rendezvous. 

Rare Book Cafe is based in Florida. 

Rare Book Cafe The Book Lovers' Rendezvous™ YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Also as a podcast on YouTube Music 

 SUBSCRIBE to our new magazine, Book Lovers’ Paradise. IT’S FREE. You can see the first issue here: https://issuu.com/tallansmith/docs/bo...  

#rarebooks #collectiblebooks #ephemera #ephemeraforsale #leatherboundbooks #leatherbound #antiquemapsandprints #bostonbooklovers #floridabookfair #floridaantiquarianbookfair #rarebookcafe #bookloversrendezvous #northernnewenglandbookfair #bookbinder #bookbinding #booksinboston

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 52: Return of Sophia Bogle of Save Your Books, who wants to help you

 

We’re glad to have RBC regular Sophia Bogle back for a visit. She’s a passionate book restorer and she shares with co-host Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn a current project to prepare two volumes of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank Baum. And, of course, there"s valuable information for those who would repair their own books. 

 Sophia created Save Your Books, and she’s on a mission to help provide essential information for proper steps for book repair. 

From her website: Save Your Books is “an educational platform that promotes simple archival book repairs from a conservation perspective.” There are numerous videos designed to help those who would endeavor to repair their books. 

Sophia also has a book available titled Book Restoration Unveiled, which you can order here: Book Restoration Unveiled 

There's also a brief preview of our new free quarterly for collectors, Book Lovers' Paradise Magazine, 

A SPECIAL REQUEST: Please SHARE this program with your book loving friends. If this is the first time you've watched Rare Book Cafe, let us know what you think in the comments. If you're a regular watcher, tell us in the comments how often and what you enjoy about the show. 

Our Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK series offers short programs, usually on a single topic. Watch for more in the series. 

 Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscripts in Portland, Oregon, and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia. 

Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. The next Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-2, 2025 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com 

 The program also is made possible by Biblio.com, a website featuring used, rare, and out-of-print books from independent booksellers. Biblio is celebrating 20 years of serving book lovers. It’s better than ever. Biblio spotlights “the core of our business model: the independent booksellers who bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism to soon the used and rare book trade.” 

************** 

Music by Kevin MacLeod Hyperfun Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

************** 

Rare Book Cafe is a gathering of collectors and lovers of old, rare, and collectible books. It is a virtual cafe, accessible anywhere in the world, where the subjects are priceless and the conversation is free. It is truly the book lovers' rendezvous. Join us on our Facebook group Book Lovers’ Rendezvous. 

Rare Book Cafe is based in Florida. 

Rare Book Cafe The Book Lovers' Rendezvous™ 

YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Also as a podcast on YouTube Music 

 #rarebooks #collectiblebooks #ephemera #ephemeraforsale #leatherboundbooks #leatherbound #antiquemapsandprints #bostonbooklovers #booksinboston #floridabookfair #floridaantiquarianbookfair #rarebookcafe #bookloversrendezvous

The Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 were right there in the studio when two exhibitors appeared on Channel 10

Florida Antiquarian Book Fair exhibitors Richard Mori and Duane Stevens were guests on Channel 10's morning program Great Day Tampa Bay with hosts Java Ingram and Janelle Martinez on Thursday. 

They persevered amid the chaos that is what you get when you pair up The Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 to let everyone know about our celebration of Dr. Seuss on Saturday, the 120th birthday of the beloved author and illustrator from whose fertile imagination sprang that frolicsome trio. You can watch the entire festivities right here.

Richard brought along some unusual items created by Dr. Seuss in the 1930s and during the World War II era, when Theodor Seuss Geisel did his patriotic duty and aided the war effort. Duane brought a beautiful book with illustrations of insects published centuries ago in England.

You can see all of these items at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. On Saturday, as reported in the previous blog entry, the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 will be on hand for the Dr. Seuss birthday party.

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, we're celebrating the artist and author who brought us the Cat in the Hat and so much more

This Saturday is Dr. Seuss’ 120th birthday, and at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, we’re celebrating it in a big with a big cake and the antics of The Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2. It all begins at 2 p.m. We hope you’ll come join us.

During his career, Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) wrote and illustrated more than 60 books, most of them innovative stories for children. Most fairgoers either grew up with the phenomenon that became Dr. Seuss or knew someone who did.

Today The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, the Grinch who stole Christmas, Horton (who heard a Who), that gastronomic oddity Green Eggs and Ham, the Fox in Sox, the environmentally active Lorax, are enmeshed in our culture.

In the program for the 2024 Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, we delve into some of the back story of the man who created the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss. We hope you’ll take the time to learn more about this beloved and creative man.

Of course, the Dr. Seuss’ birthday is only a small part of the phenomenon that is the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair. Booksellers from all over the country gather once a year here in St. Petersburg to present opportunities for book lovers and others who are attracted to old prints, maps, photographs, and all sorts of ephemera like post cards, brochures, newspapers and so much more.

Please enjoy the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, and come all three days if you can. That way you can take your time and see everything.

Just in time for the book fair, we're proud to introduce a new periodical devoted to collecting the printed matter you love

It's written by people who know their stuff and it's dedicated to you -- the individual who wants to keep on learning about the things of the past that hold such fascination.

Perhaps best of all, it's free. The first issue is presented right here so you can flip through it right now. You can return to it any time you want to, and you can even download it, though it really works best on the issuu.com platform.

What's more, you can subscribe for free and get it delivered into your email inbox every time it comes out. That'll be four times a year.

So, what's in it? This first issue has a cover article with advice about building your collection. It's by Richard Oates, a retired educator who now has a business selling antiquarian books. He has been at it quite a few years and has picked up quite a bit of experience along the way. You get to benefit from his experience because he's willing to share some of what he's learned.

That's actually the case of everyone who has contributed to this first issue of the magazine. These are people who, like you, have an abiding interest in some aspect of old and collectible books, antique maps, prints, and all kinds of other printed material. They revel in it. For most, it's a hobby that turned into a business; an avocation that they have no intention of stopping. They're also people who are willing to share what they know with people who also have an abiding interest in these subjects. In short, they're generous -- with their knowledge and with their time.

You’ll find articles about collecting some unique genres. For instance, Black urban literature that came up in the mid-1960s, early Americana items produced as a growing nation began to figure out its new life, a perhaps obscure teen sleuth who’s much more realistic than Nancy Drew, fine art prints (often derived from old books). There’s even an article about what to do if you’ve been collecting for a long time ,or suddenly acquired an extensive collection, and need to get rid of it.

There’s also a fun piece by the authors of a new murder mystery novel set at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair (It’s fiction, of course.) Authors Charlene Ball and Libby Ware are also booksellers at the Florida show, so they know whereof they speak.

We sincerely hope you'll get something out of this endeavor -- that it will enrich your life just a little.

You’ll find this information in the magazine, but we’ll put it here, too. Write us at the magazine for any reason — if you like it, if you don’t, if you have an idea you’d like to share: bookloversparadisemagazine@gmail.com.

We can’t wait to see what you have to say.

-- T. Allan Smith

Editor, Book Lovers' Paradise Magazine.

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 46: DeLand bookseller Richard Oates is bringing Florida ephemera

Our guest is Richard Oates, retired educator and bookseller, who owns Blind Horse Books in DeLand, Florida. Richard shares for co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn some of the remarkable Florida ephemera he’s bringing to the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair this year, including several beautifully preserved late-1890s and 1920s brochures and other travel-related items from Florida resorts.

Richard also reveals for Ed and Lee the funny backstory about his store name, Blind Horse Books, and the real secret behind Dottie's Plate Lick'en Good Jazz Café and All-Night Blues Bookstore reference on his Facebook page

A SPECIAL REQUEST: Please SHARE this program with your book loving friends. If this is the first time you've watched Rare Book Cafe, let us know what you think in the comments. If you're a regular watcher, tell us in the comments how often and what you enjoy about the show.

Our Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK series offers short programs, usually on a single topic. Watch for more in the series.

Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscripts, and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia.

Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-3, 2024 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com

The program also is made possible by Biblio.com, a website featuring used, rare, and out-of-print books from independent booksellers. Biblio is celebrating 20 years of serving book lovers. It’s better than ever. Biblio spotlights “the core of our business model: the independent booksellers who bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism to soon the used and rare book trade.”

**************

Music by Kevin MacLeod Hyperfun Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

**************

Rare Book Cafe is a gathering of collectors and lovers of old, rare, and collectible books. It is a virtual cafe, accessible anywhere in the world, where the subjects are priceless and the conversation is free. It is truly the book lovers' rendezvous. Join us on our Facebook group Book Lovers’ Rendezvous.

Rare Book Cafe is based in Florida.

Rare Book Cafe

The Book Lovers' Rendezvous™

ouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Also as a podcast on YouTube Music

#rarebooks #collectiblebooks #ephemera #ephemeraforsale #leatherboundbooks #leatherbound #antiquemapsandprints #bostonbooklovers #booksinboston #floridabookfair #floridaantiquarianbookfair #rarebookcafe #bookloversrendezvous

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 45: The authors of Murder at the Book Fair sell books there, too

Booksellers and authors Libby Ware and Charlene Ball of Toadlily Books in Atlanta, are exhibiting at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair for the first time since they published their latest mystery novel Murder at the Book Fair. 

Setting for this tale of biblio intrigue is, of course, a fictional version of the Florida show, a venue they’re quite familiar with after many years as booksellers showing their wares there. Charlene notes that many mysteries dealing with booksellers have the characters spending little time in the store. They’re too busy out trying to solve the mystery. This book is different, weaving many books the authors like into the plot. 

Libby and Charlene also talk about some of the book items they’ll be bringing to the show. Charlene specializes in children’s and illustrated classics. Libby is drawn to the occult as well as the women’s movement of 1970s and LGBTQ. 

Libby has a lot of related ephemera. 

Among the titles Charlene shows is a beautifully illustrated volume called Russian Wonder Tales. Another is Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1919). She also shows an oversized edition of A Child’s Garden of Verses (1900), illustrated by Ethel Mars and Maud Hunt Squire. Libby shows a book called Witches Still Live (1926). She shows another about alchemy. In ephemera, Libby has three copies of the 19th century newspaper Banner of Light. 

She also has a volume titled The Price of Salt by Claire Morgan, which was the pseudonym of novelist Patricia Highsmith. 

A SPECIAL REQUEST: Please SHARE this program with your book loving friends. If this is the first time you've watched Rare Book Cafe, let us know what you think in the comments. 

If you're a regular watcher, tell us in the comments how often and what you enjoy about the show. Our Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK series offers short programs, usually on a single topic. Watch for more in the series. 

 Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscripts (soon to be in Massachusetts), and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia. 

 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-3, 2024 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com 

The program also is made possible by Biblio.com, a website featuring used, rare, and out-of-print books from independent booksellers. Biblio is celebrating 20 years of serving book lovers. It’s better than ever. Biblio spotlights “the core of our business model: the independent booksellers who bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism to soon the used and rare book trade.” 

************** 

Music by Kevin MacLeod Hyperfun Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

**************

Rare Book Cafe is a gathering of collectors and lovers of old, rare, and collectible books. It is a virtual cafe, accessible anywhere in the world, where the subjects are priceless and the conversation is free. It is truly the book lovers' rendezvous. Join us on our Facebook group Book Lovers’ Rendezvous. Rare Book Cafe is based in Florida. Rare Book Cafe The Book Lovers' Rendezvous™ YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Also as a podcast on YouTube Music #rarebooks #collectiblebooks #ephemera #ephemeraforsale #leatherboundbooks 

#leatherbound #antiquemapsandprints #bostonbooklovers #booksinboston #floridabookfair #floridaantiquarianbookfair #rarebookcafe #bookloversrendezvous

🔴 Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK No. 44: Bryan Young shares what he"s bringing to the Florida book fair

Bookseller and large animal veterinarian Bryan Young, owner of Grayshelf Books in Tomball, Texas, is looking forward to the upcoming Florida Antiquarian Book Fair. 

He shares with co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn some of the unusual items he’s bringing to the Florida show this year. Bryan and his wife Kelly specialize in first editions and rare books. 

Among the treasures Bryan and Kelly are bringing to the book fair is a signed first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in pristine condition, with the signature on a Bloomsbury book plate, as well as a good collection of other Harry Potter items. They’ll also have a complete set of the U.S. edition of the Harry Potter series. 

They also will bring a copy of Stephen King’s The Stand in very fine condition with its own beautiful clamshell case. Other Stephen King titles will also be in their offerings. And, finally, Bryan shows a first UK edition of To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) with a typed letter signed by Harper Lee. Bryan says the author’s letter mentions what a difference the publication of the book made in her life. 

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Our Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK series offers short programs, usually on a single topic. Watch for more in the series. Co-hosts Ed Markiewicz and Lee Linn are veteran antiquarian booksellers. 

Ed owns Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscripts (soon to be located in Massachusetts), and Lee owns The Ridge Books in Calhoun, Georgia. 

Rare Book Cafe COFFEE BREAK is made possible by the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest rare, used, and collectible book fair in the southeastern United States. The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair will be presented March 1-3, 2024 at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. More information at floridaantiquarianbookfair.com 

The program also is made possible by Biblio.com, toa website featuring used, rare, and out-of-print books from independent booksellers. Biblio is celebrating 20 years of serving book lovers. It’s better than ever. Biblio spotlights “the core of our business model: the independent booksellers who bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism to soon the used and rare book trade.” 

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Music by Kevin MacLeod Hyperfun Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

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 Rare Book Cafe is a gathering of collectors and lovers of old, rare, and collectible books. It is a virtual cafe, accessible anywhere in the world, where the subjects are priceless and the conversation is free. It is truly the book lovers' rendezvous. Join us on our Facebook group Book Lovers’ Rendezvous. 

Rare Book Cafe is based in Florida. 

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