Lifeline Bookfest - Livre Eclectica Books

The Lifeline Bookfest has been one of my key suppliers of books since I started Livre Eclectica. It happens twice a year and runs for a week at the Brisbane Convention Centre. I have lined up early to be among the very first in, and I have also gone on the last few hours of the last day. Either way, it never fails to disappoint me.

This week I have picked up a range of titles that you might like to browse:

The Secret Garden by Fances Hodgson Burnett – Reprint, Heinemann, 1936, frontispiece, illustrated (Stunning!)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – Ward Locke, 1940s, frontispiece
Wind, Sand and Stars by Anoine de Saint-Exupery – Folio Society, 1990 (2015, as new, still in plastic)
The Moon Spinners by Mary Stewart – First Edition, Hodder and Stoughton, 1962
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – Reprint, 1957
The Burnt Ones by Patrick White – First Edition, 1954
Triumph in the Tropics – First Edition, Raphael Cilento (ed.), 1959
Maigret in Society by Georges Simenon – Reprint, Thriller Book Club, 1962
Maigret in Court by Georges Simenon – Reprint, Thriller Book Club, 1961
A Pony to Stay by Elizabeth Batt – First Edition, 1968
The Darling Buds of May by H.E.Bates – Reprint, Book Club, 1958
A Breath of French Air by H. E. Bates – Reprint, Book Club, 1959
Emma by Jane Austen – Reprint, 1962, Collins Classic
From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne – Reprint, 1975, frontispiece
The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink by Erle Stanley Gardner – Reprint, 1959
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – Reprint, 1940s

I only select books that whisper my name. So, hopefully they might do the same to you! I’ll be loading these into the site over the next week, and will update the hyperlinks above.

Enjoy!

This weekend is the bi-annual Lifeline BookFest in Brisbane. It’s an event that I really look forward to. And even though I’m not a seasoned book hunter, I thought I’d share with you what I’ve learned the last few years from watching the dealers.

First in best dressed – There is no subsitute for arriving early and getting first pick. The Dealers rush in and just swoop up arm fulls of books, without spending too long deciding on them. I imagine this is partly because their experienced eyes can make snap decisions, but I think they must cull them later. They literally run between tables and fill their trolleys (and cars) up to the brim with booty.

Have a Focus – Go in with a plan of the kind of books you are looking for – publishing date range, fiction or non fiction, hardcover or paperback, dust jacket or no dust jacket. Know your limit on condition.

The Collector’s Section – There is always a section behind a counter where BookFest display books they think are collectible. Sometimes, these can be badly overpriced but their policy is that they will match a lower price from another bookstore, if you can show them evidence of it. Last year, I picked up a couple of Raymond Chandler books and was able to get a first edition reduced from the ticket price.

Bring a carry bag on wheels – BookFest have shopping trolleys you can use, but I prefer to take a cabin bag with wheels. It has a limited capacity which ensures I can get it home. P.S. Park your car close too!

Wear comfy shoes – There is a whole lot of standing on concrete floors and nowhere to sit.

Bring snacks – You don’t want to be relying on the Convention Centre eatery!

Avoid ex-library books – Sadly, the library stamps affect their value.