Finding "A Common Reader" Again

September 16, 2010 7:46 PM

I miss the Common Reader catalog. Have you missed it too, and do you know where to find a list of what was in the inventory?
posted by msamye to Education (4 answers total)

Bas Bleu bought their stock.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:13 PM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

I miss it, too. It's partially archived in the Wayback Machine, if you're trying to reconstruct what they were carrying.

Also, there was a bankruptcy auction in early 2006; I imagine there is a record in the bankruptcy action of what was sold.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:38 PM on September 16, 2010

Unbelievable! I miss the Common Reader catalog, too! I loved how the company would unearth and spotlight all sorts of gems that I would never consider looking for in a bookstore. I discovered so many writers and books through that catalog that would have passed me by, and the little blurbs that they wrote were so insightful and intimate.. kind of like getting book recommendations from a friend who has really brilliant, esoteric tastes. Essentially, I always considered the Common Reader catalog to be the Banana Republic of the book (catalog) world. I was devastated when the company disappeared and I didn't get the catalog anymore. Bas Bleu was good as far as their selection (it totally makes sense that they bought their stock because they've always had the same sort of books), but there was something less satisfying about their catalog. So, I had been planning to query MeFi about finding a similar sort of store/catalog where books seem handpicked and equally fantastic.. and the little blurbs make every book sound so enticing. Or, maybe even a blog that does the same sort of thing.. really charming book reviews that make you want to read everything. *sigh* I don't have an answer for your question, I'm just excited that someone else remembers the Common Reader!
posted by Mael Oui at 12:23 AM on September 18, 2010

Not the answer to your question, but David Godine is the closest I've found to the late Common Reader in terms of cool books and descriptions.
posted by JanetLand at 6:52 AM on September 20, 2010