Circle City Books & Music

08/26/2026

In the world of American books, there are two people who tower over all others in their impact, at least in this century: Dolly Parton and Jeff Bezos. But they couldn't be more different. No one has ever accumulated more money selling books to readers than Bezos. Then look at Dolly. No one has ever given more to readers than Dolly. Her lmagination Library has sent more than 330 million free books to children, with no end in sight. Any family can sign up to receive a free book every month for five years. These are beautiful, well-made, high-quality children's books. Her foundation pays for the books, prints them, pays the authors, pays the delivery costs. This has been going on for 30 years, and those of us in the used book trade see it every day. All over America (and in other countries too), children's bookshelves are filled with Dolly's books.

06/11/2026

12/23/2025

This is a first printing of the 1931 Modern Library Giant edition of War and Peace. The Modern Library has issued this title with three covers over the years, but this art deco original is the best. It's also my favorite, and the 12th, of this year's 12 Books of Christmas.

12/22/2025

This 1923 Oxford Press edition of Jane Austen's works was issued as a limited, numbered set. I'm addition to being well illustrated, each volume includes a new, replacement paste-down (photo 3) to substitute for the worn one pictured above. This set is the 11th of our 12 Books of Christmas.

12/21/2025

Sometime in the next few years, unless mortality intervenes, Robert Caro will finish the last book in his five volume biography of Lyndon Johnson. When that happens the celebration in the book world will likely exceed anything I've ever seen (Caro is now 90 years old). Until then, here's a first printing of Caro's first book, The Power Broker, all 1162 pages, our 10th Book of Christmas.

12/20/2025

Near the end of Harry Crews' career, this novella pairing Crews with Ralph Steadman was issued in a limited, signed edition. The book is the sequel to Crews' first novel, The Gospel Singer. This is our ninth book of Christmas.

12/19/2025

By the time Hemingway completed this gem, Scribner's was ready to order a first printing of 50,000 copies. But because the entire story was published in Life magazine a week before the book was released, it's possible the 5 million copies of Life sold that week prevented an even larger print run. This is a first printing from 1952, our eighth book of Christmas.

12/18/2025

Zane Grey pioneered the western novel at the beginning of the 20th century until his death in 1939. This story is about a teenaged girl alone in the west, passing as a boy. This Harper & Brothers first printing is our seventh book of Christmas.

12/17/2025

Kurt Vonnegut's debut was not a success. The paperback rights were sold to a pulp publisher who tried marketing it as science fiction, changing the name from Player Piano, and sexing up the cover with space age art. This is it, in the rarely-seen first paperback edition of 1954.