After a rather lengthy hiatus, due to the unrelenting assault from malevolent spirits of the Internet who seek out humble book blogs in which to infest and spread their disease from (coupled with an epic bout of procrastination on my part to actually deal with the issue), we are back and blogging in the New Year. Who would have thought to see a New Year’s resolution acted upon and take effect so quickly!

It has been a long time since I last posted (nigh on 6 months I believe), so much redemption will be needed in 2012 to bring the Bytown Bookshop Blog back to its former glory and vast readership (mom, you still there?).   I’ve had a number of ideas fulminating over the past few months that will hopefully come to fruition soon, and of course will, as always, continue to post on local book events, sales, reviews, odd finds and what’s happening in the Canadian Private Press scene (they’ve been busy).

My original intention had been to write a lengthy post covering all the wonderful things the bookshop has been involved with over the latter portion of 2011, but unfortunately while the evil demons of the Net have been beaten back (thanks to a good friend who is wily in the ways of interweb), my good friend procrastination has yet to be fully subdued.  In fact, even as I write this I am also making the final preparation for a weekend getaway and will not likely be posting again until next week.

So, I guess a Happy New Year to all who have followed us in the past and those who may just be joining us now (don’t worry you didn’t miss much…), and we look forward to a fun and fulfilling 2012!

To keep you occupied the next few days whilst we are vacationing, I highly recommend checking out what a properly managed blog looks like at Intentionally Entertaining.  If you love food and the art of hosting, this blog is for you.

As for what has kept me occupied these last few months that would allow my website to remain in such a state of disrepair……why this little lady of course!

Yes, she already has her own e-reader…..

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*The whole website blog thingy I mean, we never really went “out of business” (doing quite well online actually…)

Hope to see you there!!

ONE DAY SUPER SALE!!!!

THIS SATURDAY ONLY

ALL SOFTCOVER BOOKS $1.00

ALL HARDCOVER BOOKS $2.00

When:    April 16th, 2011
Where:  Ottawa Antique Market (1179 Bank St., Ottawa)

Time to stock up!!!

50% OFF ALL BOOKS INSTORE

When: April 2-30, 2011
Where: Ottawa Antique Market (1179 Bank St., Ottawa)

Note: while the Bytown Bookshop will be closing up the bricks & mortar side of the shop, we will remain very active online and at Book Sales in the Ottawa area.

Subsequently, the Bytown Bookshop (never one to completely disappear from the book scene) will be partnering with Cornell Booksellers to launch their 1st Annual Books, Beer & Brats Day to be held at the Montgomery Legion (330 Kent St.) May 14th (11:30am – 6:30pm).  Plenty of books from a number of vendors to be had from $0.25 and up.  A fun book bazaar style afternoon that will hopefully take off and grow in the years to come.  Details can be found here.

The book has been printed by hand on Canson Mi-Teintes paper in an edition of 100 copies. Included in the edition are thirteen mounted wood engravings, hand printed on Fabriano Accademia paper. The type is Italian Oldstyle. Foreword by the printer, L.F. Thompson.

Dimensions 9.25 x 12 inches, 30 pages including 14 plates. Quarter bound in cloth and paper. Price $160.

We have only two of these limited edition books available at the shop, so if you are interested, be sure to send us an e-mail.  I would also highly recommend visiting the Greyweathers Press website to follow how printer Larry Thompson brought these old blocks back to life and wove them into a wonderful glimpse of 19th century engraving and design.

The Bytown Bookshop will be having a Spring Cleaning Sale!

When: 11:00-5:00, Saturday March 26th, 2011
Where: Ottawa Antique Market (1179 Bank St., Ottawa)

Discount will be on cash sales only

The Bytown Bookshop will be having a Spring Cleaning Sale!

When: 11:00-5:00, Saturday March 12th, 2011
Where: Ottawa Antique Market (1179 Bank St., Ottawa)

Discount will be on cash sales only

The Future of the Book

The 2011 CBBAG Book Arts Show and Sale
Saturday, 11 June 2011, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington St., Ottawa, Ontario.

Open to the public and admission is free.

Future of the Book is the theme for this year’s CBBAG Book Arts Show. An impressive array of book artists and artisans are coming together to look at this intriguing question.

***Also note that the Bytown Bookshop will have a booth in the Dealers Room at the Fair.***

Thought I would sneak in a quick last post of 2010 to wish everyone all the best for 2011!

And to take the opportunity to show off my new antique globe, gifted to me this Christmas by my lovely wife.  Ain’t she a beauty!

The first weekend this month saw us at the Con*cept Convention in Montreal with our perrenial Con partners Cornell Booksellers.  Overall we were both rather a bit disappointed in the show, perhaps as a result of coming in with too high of expectations.  While the Con did have a couple good headliners like Tad Williams (Otherland series) and Nicki Clyne (Cally from Battlestar Galactica), it seemed the majorityof other panel participants and speakers where relatively unknown or off target making the couple of the panels I attended somewhat lacking. 

The Dealer’s room was a good size with plenty of vendors, but unfortunately while many con goers seemed interested in our stock, it seemed only the $20 and under books found new homes.  If it weren’t for a reasonable sized last minute sale as I was packing up, we wouldn’t have even broke even.  Perhaps expectations were a little high with World Con as our previous experience in Montreal, and therefore I may be a little harsh, but I must admit I was surprised that for a city of Montreal’s size and variety, only a few hundred people attended the convention and that so few Canadian authors were participating or speaking.   I guess just a miss on our part, or the right people for the books we had weren’t there.  Not to be discouraged, we will certainly be doing Can-Con next year in Ottawa (www.can-con.org) and have our sights set for the World Fantasy Convention being held in Toronto 2012 (www.worldfantasy.org).