Forgotten Bookmarks: A Bookseller's Collection of Odd Things Lost Between the Pages [Hardcover]

Michael Popek (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 1, 2011

It's happened to all of us: we're reading a book, something interrupts us, and we grab the closest thing at hand to mark our spot. It could be a train ticket, a letter, an advertisement, a photograph, or a four-leaf clover. Eventually the book finds its way into the world-a library, a flea market, other people's bookshelves, or to a used bookstore. But what becomes of those forgotten bookmarks? What stories could they tell?

By day, Michael Popek works in his family's used bookstore. By night, he's the voyeuristic force behind www.forgottenbookmarks.com, where he shares the weird objects he has found among the stacks at his store.

Forgotten Bookmarks is a scrapbook of Popek's most interesting finds. Sure, there are actual bookmarks, but there are also pictures and ticket stubs, old recipes and notes, valentines, unsent letters, four-leaf clovers, and various sordid, heartbreaking, and bizarre keepsakes. Together this collection of lost treasures offers a glimpse into other readers' lives that they never intended for us to see.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Popek studied literature at Bennington College before rejoining his family's used-book business. He lives and works in Oneonta, New York, with his wife, dog, and cat.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399537015
• ISBN-13: 978-0399537011
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Paper Ephemera & Cards > Paper Ephemera
  • #6 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Books
  • #34 in Books > Arts & Photography > Architectural Art & Design > Individual Architects & Firms

More About the Author

Michael Popek is the 33 year-old manager of a family-run used and rare bookstore in Oneonta, N.Y. He has been in the book business since junior high school, when his father bought a vanload of used books at an auction and decided to see if there was any money to be made off them. Since then, his family has built a successful used-book business that combines a brick-and-mortar location with an online presence that ships books all over the world. As manager of the bookstore, Popek buys books from libraries, estates and individuals on a regular basis. His first Forgotten Bookmark, which he posted in June 2007, was a handwritten note found in a paperback copy of "The Blind Assasin" by Margaret Atwood. Since that post, more than 700 items have been featured on the website.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Find! November 22, 2011

By C. Reynolds

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have waited for a book like this for years! As hokey as it may sound I fell asleep with this book across my chest with a big smile on my face! It has always been a dream of mine to own a book store and a flower shop. They both smell so good! As a collector of old and new books the rare times I have found a treasure left behind in an old book or photo album has been priceless to me. Now I have a book so well put together of the many finds of a book store seller! Mr. Popek has done a wonderful job of replicating his finds between the pages. From the Introduction of this book to the last page titled "Thanks" this book is priceless. The photography is spectacular. He has done a great job of replicating his finds in picture format. The letters left behind are easy to read. Each and every page takes to to a time in history and into the hearts and minds of those long gone. You will find,
Letters written but I guess some never meant to be read by strangers, such as "Dear Jennie" dated 1882 "Oh to married. Just think of that first night......,
Poems,
Photos,
Post cards,
Old labels,
Drawings,
Recipes,one for beer bread I will try!
Diplomas,
Birth Certificates,
and so much more!
Be prepared to shed a tear or two but in a good way. The only thing missing is the smell of times gone but that's OK. Mr. Popek has done a wonderful job in placing you in a time forgotten.
I thank him.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Value Added Reading December 8, 2011

By C. Ebeling

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Forgotten Bookmarks is a delight for anyone who has found something left behind by the previous owner of a used book. Many years ago, I began stashing commercial bookmarks found in used copies. When I began buying older hardbound versions of classics to replace crumbling paperbacks from my school days, I found, for instance, a baby's photograph, circa 1930s, in a copy of Robinson Crusoe. It's been fun, and I have "curated" my collection in my book journals, but of late, I haven't found so many treasures. I think it's because Michael Popek, a blogger who manages his family's used book service and store, has gotten there before me. But that's okay because his book, Forgotten Bookmarks, shares his finds.

The book offers up pictures of the items and the books in which they were found, some of them ironic pairings. There are many letters, for which the author provides typescripts. If it is flat, it has been used as a bookmark and or hidden in a book and accidentally left behind. That would include some banned substances, too.

The book is modest in size, and there is no removable dust jacket. That said, the book design is creative and well executed. Popek resists the temptation to overanalyze or clutter the pages with his own text. He leaves us to marvel at how it is we can learn about a complete stranger by the book they have left behind. It is an enriching experience missed by those who read new, audio or e-books exclusively.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Briefly interesting September 1, 2012

By Lumierette

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a lover and collector of books and almost anything to do with them fascinates me so I thought this particular book would be right up my alley. It's certainly a lovely collection of book bound ephemera but for some reason the items didn't quite grab me, and I soon lost interest. Perhaps it had something to do with the design and layout of the book which was a little tacky? I also thought it would have worked better in a larger format rather than a normal paperback size.