Genre Fiction

Bloomsbury Auctions is preparing two hefty, book-related auctions replete with original artworks, children’s illustrations, 19th and 20th century literature, manuscripts, personal letters and notes, literary collections, early publications, and first editions and prints.

The goods are divided into two categories: The first collection - “Literature” - will be up for sale by auction on Thursday, June 19, starting at 2 p.m with a total of 302 lots that are currently available for online viewing.

The second - “Children’s Literature and Bibliophile Sale” - happens on Wednesday, June 25, at 2 p.m. with 509 lots that are also available for prior viewing online.

There are numerous authors with work up for grabs; some names include A. A. Milne, Hans Christian Andersen, Frank L. Baum, Truman Capote, Henrik Ibsen, Charles Lamb, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, J. M. Barrie, and William S. Burroughs.

Even if you don’t have the mad money to participate (starting bids range from about $200 to $2,000), it is utterly fascinating to peruse the items. As a book lover, I was in awe of how many original pieces were still around and intact.

Perusing a used bookstore is probably my favorite way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon. But you have to go with the open mind idea that you will be discovering new books, and only occasionally snagging a good deal on a bestseller. Plus, it >bothers me that they purchase the used books from patrons for only $1, then turn around and sell them for $8. That is an impressive markup.

I have found something that, while it won’t inspire the same giddiness as going to a used store, will help alleviate my qualms: PaperBack Swap.

Here’s the simple steps you can take at PaperBack Swap to trade your books for new ones:

1. Register.

2. List at least 10 books that you are willing to trade. Now you will have 2 credits good for 2 new books.

3. Request books that you are interested in.

4. Mail your books (+1 credit each) when requests come through to you; receive books (-1 credit each) when others mail you your requested ones.

5. Read a new book for only the cost of shipping one. Add it to your shelf, or toss it back in the mix of available books to be traded.

PaperBack Swap has been around enough years that the kinks should be worked out. With continued success in the book world, the company has added Swap-a-CD and Swap-a-DVD.

Borders, previously teamed online with Amazon.com, has branched out on its own to bring you a Web site experience as close to the in-store atmosphere that we love about book stores as possible.

There are so many new features, I couldn’t even begin to cover them all - you’ll have to just go see for yourself!

Be sure not to miss “Live at 01″ where you can see author interviews, in-store appearances, readings, and more. The “Magic Shelf” is another must-check out feature that allows you to peruse themed shelves, as you would in the store, and browse through books to help you decide if you should buy it.

But be warned, all of these new features use a lot of Internet technology that can jam your computer if you don’t have a top-speed connection. Plus, there’s no cafe to order a soy latte to enjoy while shopping - you’ll have to make it yourself.

Deeming a book a “best” is not an exclusive right of the New York Times. Although the Times are certainly top in the game, and pull from all genres, there are many other great - and fun - resources out there. Some create their own criteria, and others pull from NYT.

I’m going to randomly grab different sources’ lists, to find who thinks what books are “best.”

First up: HarperCollins Publishers, by total random chance.

On their Web site, HarperCollins will tell you which of their new releases (in the last three months) have made it onto the NYT bestsellers’ list. Out of the 31 adult books currently making the best of HarperCollins, here are the fiction ones. And since I am guilty of judging books by their covers, the two pictured are the ones that caught my eye based on cover design alone. Click a title to head to its page.

* Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos

* Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline

* The Dark Tide by Andrew Gross

* Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank

* The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison

* Sin No More by Kimberla Lawson Roby

* Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews

* Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman

* Sword Song: The Battle for London by Bernard Cornwell

* Rules of the Game by Neil Strauss

* The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

* Wrath of a Mad God: Book Three of the Darkwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist

* Where the Heart Leads: From the Casebook of Barnaby Adair by Stephanie Laurens

* Manic: A Memoir by Terri Cheney