Cracked and Spineless New and Used Books in Hobart, Tasmania | Independent book shop

Cracked and Spineless New and Used Books

Locality: Hobart, Tasmania

Phone: +61 3 6223 1663

Address: 138 Collins St Shop 9 7000 Hobart, TAS, Australia

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25.01.2022 Morning folks!!!

25.01.2022 It’s Monday night! And I’m between games of badminton again... But instead of resting and/or hydrating, I’m selling fucking books again. But what a book it is! You see, as you’re on Facebook, there’s a good chance that you’ve come across IFLScience on here! And it truly is brilliant! ... It’s basically a Facebook page devoted to all things science-based; but presented in a refreshing and irreverent manner! They have over 25 million followers on here, it’s hardly surprising that we’ve now got a book. And as the title suggests, the book contains 117 Things You Should Fucking Know About Your World! It’s divided into categories like Health and Medicine, Plants and Animals, Technology, Space and heaps more! I’ve been browsing through the book, and already I’ve learned about a tick that can turn you into a reverse zombie; how long it takes to shit out a Lego brick; precisely why we haven’t met aliens; how wombats do their square poos... And I’m already feeling way smarter than I did at the start of badminton tonight! Better go play another game now... But if you’re keen on one of these highly entertaining tomes... We have a bunch in stock now at $35 each! See more

25.01.2022 I don't usually buy magazines in here.... But when I got offered the famous 1994 issue featuring Elle MacPherson.... Well, I couldn't say no, could I? So here it is: $10 for one lucky person! There's some minor damage to the back cover....... But Elle's still looking good. ;) See more

24.01.2022 Undoubtedly one of the biggest "lemons" I have experienced in my time in the book trade, was the long-awaited second novel by Harper Lee, author of "To Kill a Mockingbird". The book was "Go Set a Watchman".... This thing had SO much hype; so much publicity... It had been held back from being published for so many years.... But when it finally came out? ... It tanked. So I STILL have four completely new hardcover copies lying around. They were supposed to retail for $45... But I'm letting these last four copies go for a mere $10 each. I need the room. :) :) :) See more

23.01.2022 Oh HELL YES!!!! So I was perusing one of those cheap, "remainder" lists recently, looking for some bargains to bring into the shop... And I was absolutely astonished to see "King of Ashes" by Raymond Feist on it!! This was probably the most popular fantasy title of last year AND the first book in a brand new series! Not only that, the sequel, "Queen of Storms", conveniently just came out!!! ... And yet here it is being sold off cheap! I couldn't believe it! So I've ordered in 15 copies. I suspect it's because it's the trade paperback format. The book came out in hardcover first, and didn't really need a trade paperback edition.... Because it THEN came out as a regular paperback, which we sell all the time for $22.95. So no one realy wanted the trade. But now's your chance to pick one up nice and cheap! I'm making them $12.50. And they're brand new!! So get in quick! :) See more

23.01.2022 Before we get on to the new stuff...let's show you a few more secondhand goodies! Here's some music ones: "Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes" - Greil Marcus ($10.00) "Lipstick Traces" - Greil Marcus ($15.00)... "Rolling Stones: An Unauthorised Biography" ($15.00) "The Real Frank Zappa Book" ($15.00) :) See more

23.01.2022 Ok folks!!! It's time to show you one of the BIG ones which we've just got in.... It's the latest book from comedian, tv presenter, novelist, academic, and living legend Stephen Fry! In the last few years, Fry has become obsessed with bringing the myths and legends of Ancient Greece back to a modern audience. In "Mythos" and "Heroes" he gave us vivid re-tellings of these legendary tales...... But perhaps the most famous of all the Ancient Greek legends is the siege and sacking of the city of Troy... And Fry has now devoted a whole book in order to tell this epic tale! Once more we are told of the kidnapping of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world; and once more we witness a thousand Greek ships set sail to the city of Troy in order to rescue her. And then we get ten long years of war: a siege that never looks like ending because the Greek's finest warrior Achilles, refuses to fight. There are countless casualties on both sides...and all the while the gods watch on from on high. But then the Greeks hatch a cunning plan; one involving a rather large wooden horse! No wonder this stuff is legendary! This is a masterful and vivid retelling of perhaps the most famous story of all....and a lot easier to read than "The Iliad"! I suspect this will be a huge seller this Xmas, so I made sure to get in quite a few copies... And this post also provided me with the perfect opportunity to show off my donkey cigarette dispenser! "Troy" is a nice chunky trade paperback... And we have copies available now at $35 each :) See more

23.01.2022 Well look what I just found in a box! It’s the latest from Tasmania’s own literary superstar, Richard Flanagan! It’s a profoundly moving and magical meditation on life, death, grief and those spots of joy in between. Once again demonstrating his love for the magic realist masters), in particular Borges), Flanagan tells a tender tale of a dying woman who wants to die, and her family who refuses to let her go. And while this is going on in a Hobart hospital, bushfires tear at ...the landscape outside and social media takes our collective imaginations hostage. The Living Sea of Waking Dreams is only a short novel; but Flanagan manages to pack more emotional punch into it than most 600 page door-stoppers. We’re hopeful that the man himself will pay us a visit soon and sign some copies... But for the moment, we have stacks of this lovely hardcover in stock now at $32.95 each See more

23.01.2022 We don’t get many of these in secondhand... And it’s in great condition! $15 if you’re keen!

22.01.2022 Heeheehee!! So, uh... Just got this little delight in secondhand!! Came out in 1981... They don’t make ‘em like this anymore!... $10 if you’d like it! See more

22.01.2022 I'm not much of political person. Certainly, I have more of an opinion about books than I do about any political matters... But being at Uni in the early 90s? Well, I couldn't help but be impressed by some of Paul Keating's epic put-downs and genuinely funny retorts! He didn't last long as Prime Minister, but I started picking up any signed Keating stuff that came my way. I've got some nice signed books... ... But the pride and joy of my Keating collection, is this SIGNED broadsheet thing from March 14th 1993... It shows the TWO different front pages the Herald Sun had to choose from - depending on the outcome. And Keating (the victor) then signed it! I've not seen another one of these for sale...EVER. And I suspect it's rare. So I have no idea what it's worth. But I decided to bring it into the shop to put on display! (And the timing felt right!) ;) See more

21.01.2022 Had a few Signed by the Author stickers left over from our Trent Dalton books... So I put them to good use.

21.01.2022 At last!!!! Goddamn, I've been waiting months to finally offer you this book - and it has FINALLY arrived! It actually came out in hardcover last year, and it's already been through at least nine printings. And first editions are already skyrocketing in value! Why? Well, "Gideon the Ninth" made quite a splash when it hit the shelves last year! Both readers and critics hadn't read something quite so bonkers and brilliant in ages! Lesbian necromancers, profanity-laced sarca...sm, wicked swordplay and space zombies instantly made this book stand out from the pack, and it was universally proclaimed a modern classic. And now FINALLY, it has come out as a more affordable paperback! So if you've not had the pleasure of reading Tamsin Muir's batshit crazy space fantasy yet? Now's your chance! Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. But some things are better left dead! We've got a few of these sexy paperbacks in stock now... At $29.95 each :) See more

20.01.2022 Two very similar books happened to come in secondhand today.... Take your pick! 120 Days of Sodom - Marquis de Sade ($12.50)... Diary of a Bookseller - Shaun Bythell ($9.50) See more

20.01.2022 Hehehe!! Had a couple of cool rock autobiographies turn up in the last week... One is by Rob Halford, frontman of Judas Priest... And one is by Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward, who formed one of the world’s greatest trail-blazing female rock groups, Bananarama, in the early 80s. I’m sure they tell a good tale...... And these people have had wilder lives than you! We’ve got a couple of trade paperbacks of each in stock now. Confess - Rob Halford ($32.95) Really Saying Something ($35.00)

19.01.2022 Ok!! Tonight I’m showing you t-shirt design #2! This one’s black... A bit grumpier. With a different slogan.... See more

18.01.2022 Ok people!!! There are probably quite a few of you out there who have been waiting a good seven years for this books to finally come out! Well, there's a $29.95 paperback edition coming in late November... But if you can't wait; if you absolutely positively HAVE to have this book in your hands NOW....? Well, we've got in a couple of copies of the hardcover for $55 each (and I can get more!) ... :) See more

15.01.2022 Here's something pretty damned great! It's a complete set of "Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" done by The Folio Society. There's a bit of wear to the slipcases....but otherwise, this is an absolute bargain for someone! 8 volumes in two slipcases.... $150 for the lot! ... :) See more

15.01.2022 Think you're pretty shit-hot at building stuff with Lego? Well...how good are you at building trains, huh? Can you build an "Open Hopper"? Or an "EMD FL9 Locomotive"? .... Do you even know what these things are?... I'm not sure. But I know now! Cos I've been looking through this new book, which shows you how to build 7 different - and very realistic - trains... Out of Lego. It contains step-by-step instructions on how to make: - a coal gondola - a milk tanker - a depressed flatcar - a passenger coach - a powered box car Plus the two I mentioned earlier! It's pretty detailed stuff - so not great for a total beginner. But you don't have to be a complete expert either! We've currently got FOUR copies in stock... And they're $41.95 each :) See more

13.01.2022 Spent the whole day trying to clear up all the books on the floor.... And I've made a BIT of progress! So now I'd better show you a few more of these fantastic new releases... Like this LONG-awaited memoir by Australia's beloved children's author, Paul Jennings! Nearly every Australian child from my generation has read a Paul Jennings story - or watched the "Round the Twist" TV series on ABC, which was based on his tales. ... But how much do you know about the man himself? In "Untwisted: The Story of My Life", Jennings gives us a glimpse into his own life as a teacher, lecturer, speech therapist, author and script writer... And it also delves into his complex relationships with others and his long struggle with depression. This is an incredibly honest, moving - and often very funny - memoir by one of Australia's favourite authors. But it is NOT for children. So if you fancy learning more about the man who gave you so many hours of reading pleasure as a child... We have a small stack of "Untwisted" in stock now... At $34.95 each :) See more

12.01.2022 So many books in today.... So I’m working late, of course! Here’s another one of those cheap bargains I scored today! A hardcover book filled with the private letters of Mr Nazi psycho himself, Heinrich Himmler. It’s seriously creepy...... And we have 5 of these brand new hardcovers in stock now... At a mere $15 each! See more

11.01.2022 Spent all morning just answering messages... Better start showing you some stuff! So what about some secondhand non-fiction titles by Michael Pollan? "The Omnivore's Dilemma" ($9.50)... "Second Nature" ($8.00) "The Botany of Desire" ($8.50) "A Place of My Own" ($8.00) :) See more

11.01.2022 So here we are in 2020...and I've just got in the brand new children's book by J.K. Rowling! In previous years, selling Rowling's books have been no problem at all...in fact, it has been a pleasure! So many happy children; so many happy adults... But this year is different. Rowling has said some stuff which has made a lot of people very unhappy - so suddenly here I am, somewhat trepidatious about putting a new Rowling book up for sale! Will people get angry? Will they boyco...tt this? Or will people be happy at last that Rowling has written another decent-sized book for children? I honestly don't know! Because "The Ickabog" is certainly a really beautiful-looking book. Rowling wrote it several years ago, and would read it chapter by chapter to her children every night before bed. But by the time it came to publish it, she was knee-deep in her adult crime novels - and so she tucked the book away again, ready for a rainy day... Or as it so happened, A PANDEMIC. Lockdown was hard on many children around the world...so Rowling decided to put it out online for free - and also encouraged children to submit their own illustrations for the book. The best of these illustrations are now included in this final published version of the book, and they complement the text wonderfully! Ans as for the story itself? Well, it's a bit like fairy tale. It takes place in the mythical land of Cornucopia, a once happy kingdom, which is now facing fear and uncertainty from the north, where a monstrous "Ickabog" is terrifying the locals! But though the Ickabog is massive (as tall as two horses), is this creature REALLY the source of all this fear and terror? Or is there more to this story than meets the ear and eye!? Four teenagers risk everything to travel north and find out! By most accounts of those people who have actually read the book, it is a great little story, and perfect for a slightly younger audience than the Harry Potter books... But will people separate the art from the artist? Rowling is donating all proceeds from this book to a children's charity to help kids affected by the lockdown this year.. So I suppose there's that... And I'm selling our copies for $35 instead of the regular $45 price! If you want it? Great! If you don't? That's also fine. I've got a nice big stack to get rid of! :) :) :) See more

10.01.2022 Right.... Enough of this old secondhand stuff... Let's show you some more of the cool new stuff! Like this impressive new illustrated hardcover thing from Dorling Kindersley, which takes a look at some of the finest literary and historically important diaries from ancient times through to the present day! Bringing together historical and literary diaries, artists' sketchbooks, explorers' journals, and scientists' notebooks, "Great Diaries" provides an intimate insight into t...he lives and thoughts of some of the most interesting people of the last two thousand years. Discover what it was like to build a pyramid, sail the seas with Magellan, travel into the heart of Africa, or serve on the Western Front. Find out how writers and artists planned their masterpieces, and how scientists developed their groundbreaking theories. Arranged chronologically, shows us pages of the world's greatest diaries, notebooks, and letters, including those of Samuel Pepys, Henry-David Thoreau, the Goncourt brothers, Virginia Woolf, and Anne Frank. Stunning reproductions of the original notebooks and manuscripts are complemented by extracts and quotations, and illustrated features set the diaries in their cultural and historical context. It's absolutely fascinating to look at all these entries from times past... And it's sad to think that this simply won't happen anymore... Will there be a book on great Facebook/Twitter updates sometime in the future? I have my doubts! Anyways....we have several of these huge hardcovers in stock now... And they're $39.95 each :) See more

10.01.2022 Just got in some Bluey bunting to help promote the latest books... So of course I thought it would be funny to wear as pictured... However, I then got in a steady steam of customers, who I had to serve with it on!

09.01.2022 Let’s begin our Tuesday with some nice illustrated children’s books!! The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams ($8.00) My Brother’s Book - Maurice Sendak ($8.00) Olive, The Other Reindeer - J. Otto Seibold ($6.00)... Favourite Tales from Grimm & Anderson ($9.50) See more

09.01.2022 Time now to show you a brand new fantasy novel, which also happens to have the coolest title I've come across all year! "The Left-Handed Booksellers of London" is the latest from acclaimed Aussie fantasy author Garth Nix, and it's a highly entertaining alternate history set in London, 1983. Eighteen-year-old art student Susan Arkshaw arrives in London in search of her father. But before she can question crime boss Frank Thringley he's turned to dust by the prick of a silver... hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin. Merlin is one of the youngest members of a secret society of booksellers with magical powers who police the mythic Old World wherever it impinges on the New World - in addition to running several bookshops, of course! Merlin also has a quest of his own: to find the Old World entity who arranged the murder of his mother. Their investigations attract attention from enemies of the Old and New Worlds. Soon they become involved in an even more urgent task to recover the grail that is the source of the left-handed booksellers' power, before it is used to destroy the booksellers and rouse the hordes of the mythic past. As the search for the grail becomes strangely intertwined with both their quests, they start to wonder Is Susan's long-lost father a bookseller, or something altogether more mysterious? Sounds pretty damned good, doesn't it? I mean, of course I'm also a little biased! I LOVE having booksellers as main characters! But each to their own. We have a nice stack of this new trade paperback in stock now... And they're $24.95 each :) See more

09.01.2022 Rose’s Mum spends a lot of time listening to true crime podcasts... So she’s very excited about her brand new bedtime book: A History of British Serial Killing! Expanded and updated, this is the definitive history of British serial killing from 1888 through to 2020, by the UK's leading criminologist, David Wilson He tells the stories of all of Britain's serial killers from Jack the Ripper through to the extraordinary Suffolk Murders case. There’s stuff on Fred and Rosemary ...West, Peter Sutcliffe, Harold Shipman, Dennis Nilsen, Myra Hindley and plenty of other Pommy sickos! It’s a fairly brief book (at only 300 pages), but there’s plenty of macabre info to keep all you true crime nutters happy for hours! We’ve got a bunch of these paperbacks in stock now... And they’re $24.95 each See more

09.01.2022 I have never played Magic: The Gathering, and nor do I think I ever will. It seems to require an awful lot of time, AND money. But there are millions of Magic fanatics out there; and I have to concede that a lot of the artwork on the cards IS pretty cool! So what we have here is a little hardcover book that examines all the game's "Legends" cards! These legendary cards harken back to Magic's early history, having been introduced in one of the first sets of Magic cards (19...94's Legends) and in yearly expansions all the way through spring 2020's most recent set. This new book showcases high-quality reproductions of the most iconic card art, in many instances for the first time outside of the card frame - along with accompanying creature and character histories, written by Jay Annelli. This collection also offers exclusive insight into the art and mythology behind some of Magic: The Gathering's most powerful, popular, and enduring legends and legendary creatures. I can't imagine that anyone who doesn't play Magic would want this book... But if you ARE a Magic player, then I suspect you're already very excited... And getting ready to write "Mine please" below! We've got several in stock now... And they're only $27.95 each :) See more

07.01.2022 Hehehehe! Yes, we've had an enormous number of amazing new releases come in this week... But have you heard about the controversial 1976 Canadian novel called "Bear"? I'd heard about it; I'd read about it. But I'd never actually seen a copy! In fact, the book seemed so completely outrageous and bizarre, I felt sure that it was nothing more than an internet obscurity.... But a few weeks ago, I was asked if I could find a copy , and I was astounded to discover that it was still in print!!! So I decided to order in a few copies. And what's it about, you say? Well....basically, it's about a female librarian who travels to the remote Canadian wilderness... And fucks a bear. ... Yep. I kid you not. I just read a passage.... Woah. Apparently bears are very talented with their tongues. $26.95 if you'd like a copy! ;) See more

07.01.2022 Hehehehehe! Here's a good one for all you folk who like the tv show Outlander - or even if you're just into kilts, haggis, Sean Connery and all things Scottish!! Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish are two of the majors stars of this international hit show, and have done their best to turn Scotland into a desired tourist destination for countless viewers around the world. But how much do these two actors actually know about their homeland? In "Clanlands" Heughan and McTavish t...eam up to travel the length and breadth of Scotland to explore and experience this land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare. They begin their journey in the heart of Scotland at Glencoe - the site of a great massacre and major clan feud - and travel from there all the way to Inverness and Culloden battlefield, where along the way they experience adventure and a cast of highland characters. They travel by boat, kayak, bicycle, motorbike and on foot.... And oh yes, and they drink a LOT of whisky! This is a highly entertaining new travel book about the land of clans and kits... And we have several of these trade paperbacks in stock now at $32.95 each! :) See more

06.01.2022 Brilliant!!! Also just had a secondhand copy of The Art of Sensual Massage come in! Over 30 years old... And inside I found several vouchers for a free massage!!! I’m thinking of just randomly putting them inside some of our other books...... What do you reckon? See more

05.01.2022 I was about to store these re-stocks away, when I suddenly thought NO! Have I shown this to all the gentle-folk out there? Are there closet seashell collectors out there that DON’T know about this book? Who am I to assume! $32.95 each if you’d like one!... See more

03.01.2022 Morning folks!!! It's business time! ;) ;) ;)

03.01.2022 Got something a bit different for you tonight!! My mate Ben has come up with a t-shirt design for the shop! So I thought I’d put it out there and see what reaction/ opinion we get. This is only a prototype, so I’m not keen to answer specific questions regarding sizes etc....I’m drowning in other stuff to do currently! So this is really just testing the water!... See more

03.01.2022 Just unpacked copies of THIS brilliant new book, which takes the reader on a journey through a thousand years of folklore and English history! Do you wonder where dragons once lurked and where fairies baked their loaves? Or where wolves were trapped and suicides buried? Did people in the past really believe the marvellous stories they told and can those beliefs and those stories still teach us something about how to live in the world today? These questions lie at the heart... of Christopher Hadley’s "Hollow Places" as it searches through the centuries for the truth behind the legend of Piers Shonks, a giant from a village in Hertfordshire, who slew a dragon that once had its lair under ancient yew in a field called Great Pepsells. Hadley’s quest takes us on a journey into the margins of history: to the margins of the Bayeux Tapestry where strange creatures gather, of ancient woodland where hollow trees hide secrets, of 18th century manuscripts where antiquaries scribbled clues to the identity of folk heroes. "Hollow Places" rescues a vanished world and wrestles with superstition, with what people really believed; with what that tells us about them and how very much we are still alike dragons or nay. It's a brilliantly researched and exhaustive look at the roots of English myth... And we have a bunch of these paperbacks in stock now at $24.95 each :) See more

03.01.2022 These press-out and colour-in books have been extremely popular each time we've had these in... So I expect this new one, featuring a heap of mythological creatures, will be just as popular (if not more!) You get 25 different creatures: first you press them out; then you colour them in...and THEN you slot them together and hang from an appropriate place! They're very pretty once assembled...and kids can feel VERY proud of themselves! We've got several available now...... And more to come in... At $19.95 each :) See more

02.01.2022 Had a HUGE number of people asking for Dune lately... I’ve already shown you some of the versions we’ve had in... But I also got in a couple of these nice slipcased editions of the first three paperbacks!! $59.95 if you’d like a set.

01.01.2022 Here's a nice little philosophical bite, which just turned up! It's a small hardcover book from by Luke Russell on precisely what it means to be "evil"! We regularly encounter appalling wrongdoing, with the media offering a depressing parade of violent assault, rape, and murder. Yet sometimes even the cynical and world-weary amongst us are taken aback. Sometimes we confront a crime so terrible, so horrendous, so deeply wrong, that we reach for the word 'evil'. The 9/11 ter...rorist attacks were not merely wrong, but evil. A serial killer who tortures their victims is not merely a bad person. They are evil. And as the Holocaust showed us, we must remain vigilant against the threat of evil. But what exactly is it? If we use the word 'evil', are we buying into a naive Manichean worldview, in which two cosmic forces of good and evil are pitted against one another? Are we guilty of demonizing our enemies? How does 'evil' go beyond what is merely bad or wrong? "Being Evil" explores the answers that philosophers have offered to these questions. Russell discusses why some philosophers think that evil is a myth or a fantasy, while others think that evil is real, and is a concept that plays an important role in contemporary secular morality. It's a fascinating and thought-provoking little number... And we have three copies in stock now... At $22.95! :) See more

01.01.2022 Ok! Let's start things off with some rather spiffy secondhand literary choices! Some of these have only been out a few weeks! "The Sandpit" - Nicholas Shakespeare ($12.50)... "Sex and Vanity" - Kevin Kwan ($10.00) "The Binding" - Bridget Collins ($9.50) "Where the Crawdads Sing" - Delia Owens ($10.00) "Conversations With Friends" - Sally Rooney ($9.50) "Jasper Jones" - Craig Silvey ($8.00) :) See more