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Gift Books

ABANDONED CHICAGO: DECAY IN TH

ABANDONED CHICAGO: DECAY IN TH

$23.99
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Abandoned Chicago: Decay in the Windy City is an exploration through photographs of the shuttered buildings that are scattered all over Cook County, Illinois, and the city of Chicago--from beautiful churches with colorful stained glass, a moldy medical clinic that still has all its machinery, and a funeral home with everything still left inside. Have you ever questioned what's inside that boarded-up building you pass by? This book features photographs that will show readers a glimpse inside these decaying, haunting places and make them question why some were so quickly left behind.

The city of Chicago is home to around 2.7 million people. Each year, more Chicago churches, schools, and businesses are permanently closing. Many will sit for sale in hopes of being used again or hopefully renovated into something different. Sketchy floors, dark hallways, and flooded basements won't stop explorer Alison Doshen from stepping inside and continuing to share these places through her photographs.

AMPHIGOREY AGAIN

AMPHIGOREY AGAIN

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This collection displays in glorious abundance the offbeat characters and droll humor of Edward Gorey. Figbash is acrobatic, topiaries are tragic, hippopotami are admonitory, and galoshes are remorseful in this celebration of a unique talent that never fails to delight, amuse, and confound.

Amphigorey Again contains previously uncollected work and two unpublished stories--"The Izzard Book," a quirky riff on the letter Z, and "La Malle Saignante," a bilingual homage to early French silent serial movies. Rough sketches and unfinished panels show an ironic and singular mind at work.

AMPHIGOREY: FIFTEEN BOOKS

AMPHIGOREY: FIFTEEN BOOKS

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An illustrated collection of 15 macabre short stories.

In this gorgeously detailed volume, American artist and author Edward Gorey accents amphigory (nonsense verse or composition) with his signature cross-hatched pen-and-ink drawings. A mix of poetry and prose, light-hearted and decidedly more morbid storytelling, the book is sure to satisfy both fans of art and lovers of short stories alike.

Stories included:
"The Unstrung Harp"
"The Listing Attic"
"The Doubtful Guest"
"The Object Lesson"
"The Bug Book"
"The Fatal Lozenge"
"The Hapless Child"
"The Curious Sofa"
"The Willowdale Handcar"
"The Gashlycrumb Tinies"
"The Insect God"
"The West Wing"
"The Wuggly Ump"
"The Sinking Spell"
"The Remembered Visit"

Book Lover's Joke Book

Book Lover's Joke Book

$16.95
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How many crime writers does it take to change a light bulb?
A. Two. One to screw it most of the way in, and the other to give it an astonishing twist at the end.

I slipped over in the library this morning. It was the non-friction section.

Peter: What are you doing in that wardrobe?
Lucy: Narnia business

Joke books have a long publishing history dating back to the 'Philogelos' from ancient Greece and 'Facetiae' of the 15th century.

But while there are themed joke books on everything from cats to lawyers, there have surprisingly been few with a literary theme. The Book of Book Jokes includes a huge range of comic material concentrating exclusively on the themes of books, reading, libraries, bookshops, and the literary life.

As well as one-liners, puns, knock-knock jokes, and shaggy dog stories, it will feature sections including gravestones, book titles, jokes in acknowledgements/ copyright/index pages, literary hoaxes, literary snark, and authors' in-jokes in novels, as well as sections such as Charles Dickens's humorous fake book decorations. It will also feature the favorite jokes of well-known writers, and a selection of literary cartoons.

Can You Read This Book?: A Book of Nonsense to Twist Your Tongue to

Can You Read This Book?: A Book of Nonsense to Twist Your Tongue to

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A new collection by the author of previous British Library title Swallowed by a Whale: How to Survive the Writing Life, this book challenges readers with impossible tongue-twisters and word-mangles in an amazing reading adventure. With illustrations throughout by Joanna Lisowiec.

For adventurous readers of all ages... a book of nonsense, old and new... a playful text, like a game to share, a challenge... an absurd-word wrangle-mangle, a story-stew...

This beautifully presented and fully illustrated new collection presents many English-language favorites, some old and some newly made, to try twisting your tongue to. Dip in and out, or attempt to read all the way to the end in one sitting. The word gatherings get harder as the book goes on, but each gets easier, of course, once you have a go.

Read these words carefully and out loud. Follow the book's path as it turns and twists, as it stoops and stumbles. Keep up as it baffles your brain and shifts your senses. Try saying them as fast as you can. Delight in the confusion and test yourself. You'll soon get the hang of it.

Can you read this book? We look forward to finding out.

Cursed Objects: Strange But True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items

Cursed Objects: Strange But True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items

$19.99
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Beware...this book is cursed! These strange but true stories of the world's most infamous items will appeal to true believers as well as history buffs, horror fans, and anyone who loves a good spine-tingling tale.

They're lurking in museums, graveyards, and private homes. Their often tragic and always bizarre stories have inspired countless horror movies, reality TV shows, novels, and campfire tales. They're cursed objects, and all they need to unleash a wave of misfortune is . . . you.

Many of these unfortunate items have intersected with some of the most notable events and people in history, leaving death and destruction in their wake. But never before have the true stories of these eerie oddities been compiled into a fascinating and chilling volume. Inside, readers will learn about:

- Annabelle the Doll, a Raggedy Ann doll that featured in the horror franchise The Conjuring
- The Unlucky Mummy, which is rumored to have sunk the Titanic and kick-started World War I
- The Dybbuk box, which was sold on eBay and spawned the horror film The Possession
- The Conjured Chest, which has been blamed for fifteen deaths within a single family
- The Ring of Silvianus, a Roman artifact believed to have inspired J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit
- And many more!

Do It Yourself Coffin for Pets

Do It Yourself Coffin for Pets

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Dale Power departs from his usual animal carvings, burying himself in a new art form--the manufacture of special boxes for pets and people. Here's one project you won't want to put off till tomorrow. All of the tools and techniques needed to produce strong and beautiful coffins are presented here in clear, concise language. Color photographs illustrate every step in the construction of three pet-size and three human-size coffins. Detailed patterns are provided and different box construction techniques are revealed. One box design even doubles as a beautiful blanket chest or coffee table. Once the coffins are built, the discussion turns to the many moldings, appliques, linings, and finishes which may be used to make each coffin unique. A color gallery is also provided. With full color illustrations and detailed instructions, this book is a challenge to the novice and a joy for the experienced craftsman.
Do-It-Yourself Tombstones & Other Markers with Dale Power

Do-It-Yourself Tombstones & Other Markers with Dale Power

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Throughout history people have sought ways to mark their passing and to memorialize their loved ones' final resting places. In this book, Dale Power provides you with the tools and techniques to create long lasting, beautiful stone monuments and markers with a sandblaster. Step-by-step, with straight-forward explanations and color illustrations, Dale takes you thorugh the process from preparing the stone and sandblasting mask, through the sandblasting process itself, and finally to finishing touches that will make your monument stand out among the rest. The gallery is filled with fine examples of the sandblasting art--both old and new--to fire your creativity. Also provided are eleven designs to reproduce and ten typeface styles for easy monument and marker lettering.
Dogs in Medieval Manuscripts

Dogs in Medieval Manuscripts

$22.95
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Throughout the Middle Ages, medieval manuscripts often featured dogs, from beautiful and loving depictions of man's best friend, to bloodthirsty illustrations of savage beasts, to more whimsical and humorous interpretations. Featuring stunning illustrations from the British Library's rich medieval collection, Dogs in Medieval Manuscripts provides--through discussion of dogs both real and imaginary--an astonishing picture of the relationship of dogs to humans in the medieval world. Now in a gift book format.
Edward Gorey: Les Echanges Malandreux
Edward Gorey: Les Echanges Malandreux

Edward Gorey: Les Echanges Malandreux

$18.96
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