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Friday, July 8, 2011

Books Books Are Best When They're Gifts

Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 7:50 AM

While we're talking about Seattle literary community and literary magazines and local delights, here's a fun thing to keep in mind: A little while ago, local publisher Chin Music Press started something called Books Rx. For $40 (or $140 for a year), they'll mail you a curated collection of books and/or objects based on a theme.

The first issue of Books Rx was "inspired by our passion for finding new ways to tell stories from and about Japan," and it featured a beautiful Chin Music anthology named Kuhaku & Other Accounts from Japan, a beautiful giclée print by L.J.C. Shimoda, and a copy of the first issue of Monkey Business: New Writing From Japan, a new endeavor from the kids at A Public Space.

There's no pleasure quite like getting an unexpected package in the mail, and it's even better when the package is made up of beautifully gift-wrapped books. I read the books with a heightened excitement precisely because I didn't know they were coming. I didn't even know that Monkey Business existed until I got the package in the mail, and I was thrilled to discover that it features a long, smart interview with Haruki Murakami. I don't know what's coming in the second issue, but I know that $40 is a bargain for this kind of unique experience. I recommend it.