Top 100 most wanted out-of-print books of 2011
The bestseller lists are one thing, but how about the most popular books that you can鈥檛 so readily buy? Bookfinder compiles an annual list of the most sought-after out-of-print books, based on the past 12 months of searches on its site. This year鈥檚 list is topped by Madonna鈥檚 coffee-table book 鈥淪ex,鈥� a 鈥渘early perennial鈥� #1, , but also included some interesting newcomers.
The report called out three new additions to the most-wanted list. At #50 was 鈥淭udor Roses鈥� by Alice Starmore, 鈥渁 superstar in the knitting world,鈥� featuring 鈥渟weater designs inspired by the Tudor royals (e.g. Henry VIII and Elizabeth I)鈥�. The new #74, 鈥淭he Reluctant King鈥� by Sarah Bradford, was a biography of King George VI that became newly in-demand after the hit movie 鈥淭he King鈥檚 Speech.鈥� Number 83, 鈥淭he House Without Windows鈥�, is by Barbara Newhall Follet, 鈥渁 child prodigy novelist鈥� who disappeared at age 25. An NPR story and a feature on her in Lapham鈥檚 Quarterly 鈥渞eignited interest in her work,鈥� the report said.
A look down the entire list could spark still more conversations (or dinner-table debates, or PhD thesis topics). Who knew that 鈥渢he definitive Washington tale,鈥� ever had gone out of print? Who knew that respected cookbook author Marie Simmons had penned a 1997 ode to 鈥淧ancakes A to Z鈥�? (Enough people knew to rank it #58 on the list, just ahead of a short story collection by W. Somerset Maugham.) Philip K. Dick fans chiefly know him as a science fiction author, but the list includes an out of print piece of his literary fiction, 鈥淕ather Yourselves Together,鈥� at #30. Stephen King holds both spots #3 and #4.
The list is of more than purely academic interest. One of Alice Starmore鈥檚 popular titles, 鈥淎ran Knitting,鈥� had been a perpetual presence on the Bookfinder list, according to the report 鈥� it鈥檚 no longer there because it no longer qualifies; last year it went back into print. For some books, though, there鈥檚 no hope. Romance novelist Nora Roberts came in just behind Madonna, at #2, for her 1984 book 鈥淧romise Me Tomorrow.鈥� But Mediabistro reported (a few years ago, when the book held Booklist鈥檚 #3 spot) that Roberts has sworn to never let the book be reprinted, because it is 鈥渕ediocre.鈥� Sometimes books go out of print for a reason.
What out-of-print books are on your wish list?
Seattle writer Rebekah Denn blogs at
Join the Monitor's book discussion on and .
