We've written about First Editions Clubs for hypermodern collectors (e.g. in Brooklyn, and in Raleigh, NC), but here's a plot twist: a subscription service geared toward readers with a serious case of bibliophilia. Page 1 Books, a family-run book selection service, offers a 3-, 6-, or 12-month subscription called "For the Booknerd" featuring our favorite category: books about books. So what's inside each hand-picked package? "I like to provide a combination of what I call new hits and deep cuts," said founder Brandy O'Briant. "There is a variety of titles from classics like 84 Charing Cross Road to more recent like The Book of Speculation, and everything in between."
O'Briant, who currently works from Evanston, Illinois, calls her business Page 1 Books in "homage" to the independent bookstore she visited as a child in Corpus Christi, Texas. She said she hopes to have a storefront location one day. As a passionate and cross-genre reader, O'Briant would often be asked for recommendations. That sparked the idea for Page 1. "The concept for Page 1 was to combine that warm, friendly, feeling of an indie bookstore with a proprietor whose recommendations you trust with the convenience of a regular delivery personalized to your tastes. We like to say, 'You are more than an algorithm,'" she said. 
Worried about having to return a book? Don't be. O'Briant explained, "We don't ever expect anyone to send a book back. If they dislike it, or already have read it, we ask they pass it along and we will send a replacement ASAP. We think sharing books is good karma!"
Page 1 offers several other genre subscriptions as well. Check them out at https://page1books.com/collections/all.
Images courtesy of Page 1 Books
Illustrator Barney Tobey's illustrations for the classic children's book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! The Magical Car (Random House, 1968) have recently been acquired by the New-York Historical Society. Twenty-nine original preparatory pieces are currently on display alongside page proofs from the book. Tobey illustrated the emerging reader's version adapted by Al Perkins. (John Burningham illustrated the original edition published in 1964.)
Born and raised in the City That Never Sleeps, Tobey (1909-1989) illustrated dozens of children's books and cartoons for a range of outlets: 1,200 covers for The New Yorker alone, as well as covers and illustrations for Collier's Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, and Variety. His artwork was also exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Grolier Club, and other New York-based institutions.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! was the only children's book written by James Bond creator Ian Fleming. In it, inventor Caractacus Potts renovates an old car that soon begins acting independent of its drivers, and hilarity ensues. Roald Dahl wrote a screenplay based on the book, which was turned into a film in 1968.
"We are grateful to Mr. and Mrs. David M. Tobey for donating his father's vibrant and enchanting illustrations to our collection," said N-YHS president Louise Mirrer. "Our visitors are in for a treat this summer as they follow along with the Pott family and their magical tour on their fantastical adventure."
Like summer, this show is fleeting; the donated watercolors and page proofs from the 1968 edition of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! are on display through August 30. Gallery hours and more information at New-York Historical Society.
