Lifehacker, Biblio Finds Rare and Out of Print Books (June 16, 2009)

Finding the latest New York Times Best Seller List topping novel at a bookstore is easy. Finding a first edition of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'? Not so much...For another resource in your book-finding arsenal, check out BookFinder.com for another excellent search engine for rare and out of print books. If you're a bibliophile with some tips and tricks to share on the topic of hunting down rare books, let's hear about it in the comments below.

The Financial Times (United Kingdom), Long-distance love (May 30, 2009)

"In the 1970s large numbers of people began running for the first time. John L Parker, himself a former champion runner, wrote a novel about the habit in 1978. But no publisher wanted 'Once A Runner', so Parker self-published it. He sold copies at races out of the boot of his car, and a cult developed around the book. In 2007, search engine BookFinder.com rated it the most sought after out-of-print book in the US. This spring, the book was republished -- this time by Scribner, a commercial publisher in the US.

Momlogic, Read Me Like a Book: How a mom of three manages to find time to read ... and afford the books she buys! (May 29, 2009)

In fact, books are great to, buy online, and are often cheaper. One of my favorite sites to compare bookstores is. BookFinder.com. You can search by author, title, or ISBN number.

CNET News, Why ebooks aren't cheaper (May 27, 2009)

We've all heard the rant. With ebooks, there's no paper, printing, transportation and so forth. So why should an ebook still cost $9.99 (in the typical Kindle case) or even more? The idea makes a lot of intuitive sense. If everything you physically hold in your hand and everything it took to deliver that physical good to your hand can be converted to a few megabytes worth of electrons, surely the cost of the book must be dramatically lower than a typical hardcover--and the price should reflect that fact. The problem is that the costs aren't nearly as much lower as you might believe. Here's one breakdown from Money Magazine for a hardcover bestseller by way of the BookFinder.com Journal.

The Canberra Times (Australia), Top ten femme fatales and how Google threatens books (May 24, 2009)

The 10 worst mothers in Literature: Jennifer Schuessler says 'Take My Mother, Please'. If there is one person who personifies selflessness, un-wavering love and caring the first to come to mind should be your mother. She cradled you for your fist nine months and held your hand though all the challenges life could throw at you. Like with all true heroes books are littered with examples of hundreds of miracle moms from the classic Hester Prynne in the Scarlet Letter, who taught her daughter it's not shameful to have pride in ones self, to the more contemporary Mrs. Weasley the super poor super mom who took in Harry Potter like he was her own son. However not all the mother's in literature come out smelling like roses. Abandonment, abuse, and adultery are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the bottom of the barrel of fictional mothers. To help you forget that time your mom forgot your birthday BookFinder.com has compiled a list of the 10 worst mothers in fiction.

Associated Content, 5 Tips for Buying the Cheapest Textbooks Online: Part 2 (May 21, 2009)

Keep Your Money in Your Wallet! A college student has many woes, and an empty wallet is a common one. Between juggling studying, pledging for that frat, and partying, a college student can burn cash like no other. This is especially true for those staying at a dormitory and living away from home. Students can save money by being smart and buying textbooks online. I know this has personally saved me hundreds of dollars per semester. The following is Part 2 of my guide to getting the best deals on textbooks and getting the most out of your money...2. Shop around. I know this seems like common sense but you'd be surprised how many people overlook this simple money saving method. A smart shopper will compare different prices from, at the very least, three different sellers. If you would like to make a comparison between online booksellers, visit BookFinder.com. BookFinder.com is a useful tool if you want to compare prices on many different books from various sellers.

The San Francisco Examiner, Pianist K.O. Eckland passes away at 83 (May 12, 2009)

K.O Eckland first came to prominence in the traditional jazz scene subsituting for the Firehouse Five Plus Two's pianist, Frank Thomas. When Thomas left the band, Eckland replaced him and contrinued to play with the group until they disbanded in 1972. Later, Eckland founded and led the The World Famous Desolation Jazz Ensemble & Mess Kit Repair Battalion Jazz Band. He also took an active interest in the Pismo Jazz Festival. I recall that had the pleasure to hear K.O. play with the Desolation Jazz Ensemble and Mess Kit Repair Battalion in the mid-1990s at one of the Pismo festivals. The band brought the same joy and sense of fun to the stage that the Firehouse Five reputedly did. In addition to his muscial gifts, Eckland was also a published author. A sample of his writing can be found on BookFinder.com.

Jezebel, Mommie Dearest (May 10, 2009)

Need last-minute gift ideas? BookFinder.com helpfully brings us a list of literature's worst moms! From Jocasta to Norma Bates, neglectful to psychotic, there's a Barnes and Noble's worth of neurosis and pathology!

Crikey (Australia), Literary Minded (May 10, 2009)

Happy Mother's Day! My Mum is amazing and I love her to bits, but for something humorous on Mother's Day, here's BookFinder.com's look at the worst mothers in literature.

Paper Cuts (The New York Times Blog), Take My Mother, Please (May 8, 2009)

Just in time for Mother's Day, the ungrateful brats at BookFinder.com have compiled a list of the worst literary moms ever. Jocasta, the mother of Oedipus, may have been 'too stupid to not sleep with someone who is half her age when the gods have proclaimed she will commit incest,' but apparently she's got nothing on Corinne Dollanganger from 'Flowers in the Attic,' who had similar, um, issues. The list is limited to fiction, but plenty of mothers from recent memoirs could give BookFinder.com's women a run for their money. In this Sunday's Book Review, Lori Gottlieb has a funny piece about the perils of writing less than flattering about dear old mom. What about you, readers? How honest would you dare to be?

The National Post (Canada), Bookmarks: Finding lost texts, rich author attacks really rich author, the worst literary moms (May 8, 2009)

BookFinder.com rounds up the ten-worst literary moms, just in time for Mother's Day. It's this Sunday, in case you've had your nose in a book.

January Magazine, Top 10 Worst Moms (May 8, 2009)

In honor of mom (ahem): BookFinder.com today tells us who they figure are the worst moms ever in literature. If there is one person who personifies selflessness, un-wavering love and caring the first to come to mind should be your mother. She cradled you for your fist nine months and held your hand though all the challenges life could throw at you. Yes, yes, yes. We've got it: hearts and flowers. That's what Mother's Day is all about. But that's not quite what we're dealing with here. As BookFinder.com tells us, 'not all the mothers in literature come out smelling like roses. Abandonment, abuse, and adultery are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the bottom of the barrel of fictional mothers.' All true, in fact, literature is stuffed full of really awful moms. Here is BookFinder.com's very good list. Can you think of any more?

The Globe and Mail (Canada), Mommy dearest (May 8, 2009)

Still, this is Mother's Day weekend and so Mum's the word. But Bad Mums is what interests me. And the Victorian angel in the household having given way to the Freudian complexities of modernity, it means that I'm hardly alone here. So I was pleased to get an email from BookFinder.com, listing, in descending order, the Top 10 Worst Mothers in Literature...As you can see, it's an interesting and considered cast of the negligent, the fanatical, the narcissistic, the stupid, the neurotic and the pure psychotic. And with one exception, it doesn't even include stepmothers, who could easily make for a litany of their own.

Listin Diario (Dominican Republic), 'Sex', one of the most sought after books on the Web (May 7, 2009)

Madonna's first book, entitled 'Sex' has become one of the most sought after on the web according to BookFinder.com, a website dedicated to providing information and sale of more than 150 million books around the world, which places this title in the 10 most wanted books. This phenomenon is not unique in the U.S. but also in the United Kingdom. 'Sex' is a photographic scandal that last year broke sales records becoming the most expensive book auctioned after reaching a price of around $6,000 on the 15th Anniversary since its publication in October of 1992. Now placed at number 2 on the BookFinder.com top 10 U.S. list with 'Once a Runner' by John L. Parker Jr., heading the list, and number 3 on the the Top 10 United Kingdom list.

The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, CA), BookFinder.com ranks literary world's worst moms (May 7, 2009)

Happy Mother's Day, fellow lovers of literature! Our friends at BookFinder.com, the Berkeley-based Web site that trawls the cyber-universe for you in search of that elusive title you've been dying to get your hands on, have a quirky sense of humor about how to celebrate all things mom. They've pulled together a list of the Top 10 Worst Mothers in the history of literature, going all the way back to Sophocles' time to pillory the lady who gave us the original Oedipus complex, Jocasta, wife of Creon and of, uh -- her own none-too- bright boy, Oedipus.

The Mercury News (San Jose, CA), Bookends (May 7, 2009)

Our friends at BookFinder.com, the Berkeley-based Web site that trawls the cyber-universe for you in search of that elusive title you've been dying to get your hands on, have a quirky sense of humor about how to celebrate all things mom. They've pulled together a list of the Top 10 Worst Mothers in the history of literature, going all the way back to Sophocles' time to pillory the lady who gave us the original Oedipus complex, Jocasta, wife of Creon and of, uh -- her own none-too-bright boy, Oedipus. And while I might quibble a bit with their selections -- they left off that veritable black hole of self- absorption, Astrid's mother Ingrid in Janet Fitch's 'White Oleander' -- it is kind of fun to ponder their reasons and see if you agree...to read more, go to InsideBayArea.com. And feel free to fling this list in your own kids' faces and say, 'See -- I'm not so bad!'

The Dallas Morning News, Worst mothers ever? (May 1, 2009)

BookFinder.com has compiled a list of the Top 10 Worst Mothers in Literature...And I have to ask -- how is Oedipus' mom only No. 7? Their list: 10. Jeanettes Mother from 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit' by Jeanette Winterson; 9. Sarah from 'Little Children' by Tom Perrotta; 8. Gertrude from 'Hamlet' by Shakespeare; 7. Jocasta from 'Oedipus the King' by Sophocles; 6. Sophie Portnoy from 'Portnoy`s Complaint' by Philip Roth ; 5. The mother/stepmother in 'Hansel and Gretel' by Brothers Grimm; 4. Norma Bates from 'Psycho' by Robert Bloch; 3. Margaret White from 'Carrie' by Stephen King ; 2. Petal from 'The Shipping News' by E. Annie Proulx ; 1. Corinne Dollanganger from 'Flowers' in the Attic by V.C. Andrew.

Virginia Lawyers Weekly, Search engines besides Google? Who knew? (April 27, 2009)

Niche Searches: Not even Google can find everything that's available online. And if your search is specific, you may not want to wade through the Web at large to locate your topic or media of choice. Fortunately, whatever your area of interest might be, there is most likely a searchable database for it. Here are just a few of the many sites that have carved out a niche in Internet searching: Blogs: Technorati.com; BlogScope.com; Books: BookFinder.com; Amazon.com; BN.com.

The New York Times, Inside the List (April 26, 2009)

Slow and Steady: John L. Parker Jr.'s 'Once a Runner' enters the hardcover fiction list at No. 14 -- more than three decades after it was first published. Unfamiliar with this come-from-behind story? Parker is the self-published author whose tale of a mystical miler named Quenton Cassidy was revived after it topped BookFinder.com's list of the most searched for out-of-print books in the United States for 2007 and 2008. Two years ago in Runner's World, Parker described to Benjamin Cheever the publicity strategy that helped him sell 100,000 copies over the years, which included listing his personal records (he once ran a 4:06 mile) on the jacket and racing in a T- shirt promising a free book to anyone who passed him. ('I didn't give away a lot of books,' he said.)

Sheppard's Confidential (United Kingdom), International: Earth Day (April 23, 2009)

BookFinder.com carried out some research with the heading `Help save the planet, choose used books. Purchasing used books on BookFinder.com saves 7.1 lbs of CO2 emissions per book'. They claim that: Producing and retailing a new book generates 8.85 lbs of CO2 and Shipping a used book some 2,132 miles by ground uses just 1.7 lbs of CO2. BookFinder.com used the study by the Green Press Initiative, which found that the entire US book industry emits 8.85 pounds of CO2 per book, through all its production steps, retail, and publishing activities. They found that shipping a used book purchased on the Internet, and assuming it was bought and sold within the USA that the average order had to be shipped by 2,132 miles.

Book Brunch (United Kingdom), Mark Earth Day - buy secondhand and online (April 22, 2009)

Today (22 April) is Earth Day, and e-commerce site BookFinder.com, which can search for more than 150m new, used, rare and out-of-print textbooks, is reminding us that reading is not without an environmental impact. The company compared the carbon footprint of buying a new book with the impact of buying a used book over the internet. Each new book produces 8.85 lbs of carbon, but shipping a book 2,132 miles by surface mail produces just 1.7lbs. More information and details about how the figures were arrived at can be found on the BookFinder.com website: http://www.bookfinder.com/

The Irish Times (Ireland), Parker's gem takes me on a long run down memory lane (April 18, 2009)

The runners' bible, 'Once A Runner', was one of the hardest-to-find books in America...Last year the most searched-for item on BookFinder.com -- the Google of rare books -- wasn't some old bestseller or literary classic, but a fairly whimsical piece of writing that is part training manual, part religious tract, part love story, and all about running. It's only had two paperback editions and it's a wonder it was ever printed at all. But for reasons most people will never understand, 'Once A Runner', by John L Parker Jr, became the bible of every college runner in America. It's a cult classic, not in the sense of creating a new cult, but in capturing that strange and often insular cult known as distance running. And after years of absence it's finally back in print, my shining new copy arriving yesterday in magnificent hardback.

The Times-Gazette (Shelbyville, TN), a bibliophile's dream: or free books (April 15, 2009)

I love to read. I will read just about anything and my bigest dream is to have a 100.00 to go and just spend at Barnes and Noble on anything I want. Next to that dream is one just as good, free books. I have found several websites where you can sign up and get free or very low cost books...4. Places to get books cheap or find rare books: Amazon, Powells, Alibris, AbeBooks, BookFinder.com, Half.com. Barnes and Noble has used books of the one you search for as Amazon does too sold by individuals.

The Foster Folly News (Chipley, FL), Consumers Turn to Money-Saving Web Sites (April 13, 2009)

As the economic recession continues, Americans look to pinch their pennies. Here are some top Web sites that consumers are using to find deals on items ranging from prescription drugs to home furnishings: BookFinder.com. Whether a user needs text books or a pleasure read, bookfinder.com will show what different vendors charge for the same used or new titles.

Entertainment Weekly, The Return of A Cult Classic (April 10, 2009)

Thirty years ago, John L. Parker Jr. offered free copies of his self- published novel, 'Once a Runner', to anyone who could beat him in a footrace. (He didn't have to give away very many.) Before long, Parker had sold the rest of his 100,000 copies to athletes fascinated by the story of Quenton Cassidy, a college-age runner who strives to complete a four-minute mile. Since then, the novel has frequently topped BookFinder.com's list of most sought-after out-of-print books. Now cult fans can rejoice: Scribner is republishing the book on April 7. 'Perseverance pays off,' says Parker, 61. 'That's one thing I learned from distance running. Distance runners don't give up. We hang in there.'

The Capital (Annapolis, MD), Book Beat: Learn the bad book warning signs (April 5, 2009)

It's always hard to judge whether a book is good or bad unless you've had a chance to read it for a while...Some books mentioned are in print and can be obtained in libraries and bookstores. Others are out of print but may be found in used bookshops or on at Web sites like Alibris, Amazon.com, Bibliofind and BookFinder.com.

The New York Times, Inside the List (March 22, 2009)

After the video was put online in 2007 by a still-unidentified poster, 'A Lion Called Christian,' which was originally published in 1971, shot onto BookFinder.com's list of the top 10 most searched for out-of-print books, behind Madonna's 'Sex' but ahead of 'Woodworker's Essential Shop Aids and Jigs' and 'The Principles of Knitting.' In recent years, this shadow best-seller list has become something of a training ground for the Times list: Catherine Anderson's 1991 historical romance 'Comanche Heart' (No. 7 at BookFinder.com) hopes to follow Anderson's reissued 'Comanche Moon' onto the paperback mass-market list when it's republished in June, while BookFinder.com's gold medalist in the out-of-print Olympics, John L. Parker Jr.'s 1978 cult distance-running novel, 'Once a Runner,' makes its own charge at the Times list next month. Early re-reviews of Parker's novel are mixed. Writing in Slate, Mark Tracy called it both 'like the work of an eighth grader going through his Beat phase' and 'the best novel ever about distance running.

The Imperial Valley News (EL Centro, CA), Consumers Turn To Money-Saving Web Sites (March 19, 2009)

As the economic recession continues, Americans look to pinch their pennies. And while a good pair of scissors and sales flyers can go a long way toward cutting expenses, many people are printing, rather than clipping, their coupons. Here are some top websites that consumers are using to find deals...BookFinder.com. Whether the user needs textbooks or a pleasure read, BookFinder.com will show what different vendors charge for the same used or new titles.

Associated Press, Old and New Technologies Converge in Internet Book Readers (March 9, 2009)

The Internet may be the world's newest communication medium, and books may be among the oldest, but the two have met in lots of interesting ways...One controversial aspect of online book buying is the easy ability of buying used books from used booksellers as well as fellow readers. In addition to the above sites, used books are available through eBay and Half.com as well as book aggregators such as Alibris and BookFinder.com.

The State (Columbia, SC), Books: Quick Reads (March 8, 2009)

Most wanted: BookFinder.com has issued its annual report on the most in-demand out-of-print books. Once again, Madonna's 'Sex' leads off the arts and music section, which is funny all by itself. 'Sex' is followed by Salvador Dali's 'The Jerusalem Bible' and Walt Kelly's 'I Go Pogo.' Most-wanted biographies include Norman Mailer's 'Marilyn' and Joan Crawford's 'My Way of Life,' while the literature category includes volumes ranging from Taylor Caldwell's 'Dear and Glorious Physician' to C.S. Lewis' 'The Allegory of Love'.

The Palm Beach Post, On Books: The stories behind those intriguing dedications (March 1, 2009)

Own These Books, Earn Big Money. BookFinder.com has issued its annual report on the most in-demand out-of-print books. Once again, Madonna's 'Sex' leads off the (ahem) Arts and Music section, which is funny all by itself. 'Sex' is followed by Salvador Dali's 'The Jerusalem Bible' and Walt Kelly's 'I Go Pogo'. Biography's most wanted includes Norman Mailer's 'Marilyn' and Joan Crawford's 'My Way of Life', while literature includes everything from Taylor Caldwell's 'Dear and Glorious Physician' to C.S. Lewis' 'The Allegory of Love'.

The San Francisco Examiner, Going Bananas grows bananas (February 27, 2009)

In 1992, Lessard wrote and self-published a 119-page book, 'The Complete Book of Bananas', that is still one of the best available books on bananas. It's now out of print, but Amazon and BookFinder.com sometimes offer it. The supply always was limited, and today it is very expensive. Lessard says that he intends to update and reprint it.

The Citizen-Times (Asheville, NC), Spring is the time for birds (February 21, 2009)

Birds, especially long-distance migrants, are creatures of extreme habit. They have to be; otherwise, they could never arrive on their wintering or breeding grounds at the right time. Just one ill-timed flight pattern can mean death. It's fun to observe the migratory birds arrive at their appointed times. For years, we have used Arthur Stupka's 'Notes on the Birds of Great Smoky Mountains Park' (Univ. of Tennessee Press, 1963) for reliable information on earliest spring arrival and fall departure dates. (This book is now out of print, but used copies are available via BookFinder.com.)

Bitten: Mark Bittman on Food (New York Times blog), Preparing for Fat Tuesday (February 19, 2009)

In honor of Fat Tuesday, a comprehensive look at pancakes and cookbooks by Scott Laming at BookFinder.com.

Publishers Weekly, Scribner to Reprint Bestselling Running Novel (February 12, 2009)

A self-published novel about running that took off in the 1970s is coming back into print this spring. On April 7, Scribner will publish 'Once a Runner' by John L. Parker, Jr., which is now a cult classic, having landed in the number-one spot on BookFinder.com's top-10 list of out-of-print books of 2008 in the U.S. Parker's agent, Byrd Leavell, said 'Once a Runner' is 'Rocky for runners,' and Runner's World called it 'the best novel ever written about running.' There are 100,000 copies of the book in print, and used copies have sold for as much as $300 on Amazon. There's even a fake movie trailer for the book online that generated considerable buzz?until it turned out to be a fake.

The Chronicle (College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY), Students search for cheaper alternatives (January 30, 2008)

Cheaper ways to buying books are popping up to help students...'I do mention Half.com, BookFinder.com, or Amazon on occasion to a student if they have concerns about cost, but I don't generally suggest it to the entire class, especially once a semester starts,"'said Farr. Farr suggested that the problem of the long lines can easily be avoided by being well-prepared before the semester.

The Oracle (University of South Florida), Renting changes the textbook industry (January 22, 2009)

For the average cash-strapped college student, watching large amounts of money ring up at the bookstore's register can be very unsettling. The estimated cost for textbooks and related expenses in the 2007-2008 academic year ranged from $805 to $1,229 per student, depending on the university, according to the National Association of College Stores...Scott Laming of BookFinder.com, a discount textbook search engine, said textbook rentals may not be the best fit for everyone. 'If you like to write in your books, don't rent,' he said. 'If you rent and demolish them, you'll end up buying them.' Laming said rentals are best for students who take good care of their textbooks and know they don't want to keep them.

Las Vegas Weekly, Inkheart (January 22, 2009)

Like most fantasy-adventure stories, 'Inkheart, adapted from German author Cornelia Funke's popular children's books, strives to conjure up a long-forgotten world...Only by finding a copy of the now-lost tome can he restore his family and thwart evil. Which is as well and good, but his movie would be over in 10 minutes if Mo just hit BookFinder.com.

University of South Florida, Renting changes the textbook industy (January 22, 2009)

For the average cash-strapped college student, watching large amounts of money ring up at the bookstore's register can be very unsettling. The estimated cost for textbooks and related expenses in the 2007-'08 academic year ranged from $805 to $1,229 per student, depending on the university, according to the National Association of College Stores...Scott Laming of BookFinder.com, a discount textbook search engine, said textbook rentals may not be the best fit for everyone. 'If you like to write in your books, don't rent,' he said. 'If you rent and demolish them, you'll end up buying them.' Laming said rentals are best for students who take good care of their textbooks and know they don't want to keep them.

Hawke's Bay Today (New Zealand), Stunned family also on hunt for book (January 20, 2009)

The family of a Hawke's Bay author whose out-of-print book topped a list of most-searched-for books on an international website are also seeking a copy. When Maree Barham returned to Havelock North from her Christmas break and read in Hawke's Bay Today about a book by her late husband that was highly sought after in Australia, she was blown away. The 'Guide to Fresh Water Angling in Hawke's Bay', by Charles Russell Barham, first published in 1968, was the No 1 title searched for on the Australian section of international website BookFinder.com. In the first year requests to the Australian section were rated, 2008 saw Barham's book prove more popular than true blue Aussie titles such as Souvenirs of the Sunny South, a collection of Australian Horse Verse (1915) by William James Wye, and Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia (1975) by Harold G Cogger. To have the book, which Maree said Barham put his life into, come up again this way 40 years after it was published and 26 years after his tragic death, was unexpected. 'I was just blown away, it's been more than 25 years since he died,' she said. 'When I saw the article in the newspaper I thought, 'what's this?' 'To know that 40 years after it was published people are looking for it now is amazing. He put his heart and soul into that book.'