- The Boston Globe has a short article on the "Crooks, Rogues & Maids Less Than Virtuous: Books in the Streets of 18th-Century London" exhibit which I mentioned recently.
- Over in the New York Times Home & Garden section, Elaine Louie profiles what must be quite a gorgeous newly-renovated townhouse somewhere in Boston's Back Bay, home to art book dealer Elmar Seibel. The designers, Louie reports, focused their plans around Seibel's 14,000-book collection, and the result is a "vertical staircase that wraps itself around a tower of books that goes up three floors." Unfortunately, there's no picture of the staircase itself.
- Joyce notes an odd story that doesn't seem to have gotten much mainstream coverage yet: apparently a Bonn University literature professor received a suspended sentence for stealing more than $325,000 worth of rare books from the University library and reselling them at auction. Another case of book theft not being taken seriously, it appears.
- At Upward Departure, Travis comments on the Between the Covers thefts, noting that while this appears to be a "theft of opportunity" (making it likely that thief will attempt to resell the books), the items themselves aren't unique enough to make them "instantly recognizable" as stolen. Good points both.
- Independent columnist Miles Kington offers some (fairly tongue-in-cheek) tips on how to write a book review. (h/t Reading Copy)
- For the first time, the Washington Post's website is going to be running a serialized novel - that of longtime Post business reporter David Hilzenrath. The "book", Jezebel's Tomb, is described as "a thriller set in the present-day Middle East. It features a journalist who investigates a bombing and tries to track down a mysterious 2,000-year-old document that may hold a dangerous secret. It is a biblical mystery reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code." Hilzenrath's manuscript was turned down by several publishers last year, so he decided to try this route ... an interesting strategy. The first two installments are now online, with others to follow each Monday and Thursday. I haven't started reading it yet, but I'll give it a shot. (h/t GalleyCat)
