The Raise-a-Reader event took place here in the Cowichan Valley today with four locations where folks could donate and enter for prizes. All funds raised are to help local literacy programs and will be matched by the Province of B.C.

The Downtown Duncan location was at City Square, alongside Gallowglass Books.  Among other notables in attendance, there were Cowichan Valley Capitals hockey players Curtis Gedig and Shayne Taker, as well as local MLA Jean Crowder, all there to help kick the event off.

Our appreciation to everyone who came out to support local literacy campaigns!

On Tuesday Sept 22nd we had Armstrong B.C. author Gordon Schnare at the bookstore all day promoting his book “Uncovering Treasures from the Earth: The Life Story of Prospector Thomas James McQuillan.”

McQuillan grew up in Courtenay and went on to become one of Canada’s most successful prospectors, laying claim to four major ore bodies (all major producers) over his career. He served in the Canadian Navy in W.W.II as a petty officer aboard a Corvette and was also a coastal logger for a time.  The author was a long-time friend.

The book retails at $25.00 and is currently available for sale.

While most readers probably seek out biographies to learn the intimate details of people’s lives and the history of different eras and cultures, there are some for whom autobiography is meant to be outright comedy. (Whether it was written comically or not!)  Which brings us to the off-Broadway production of Celebrity Autobiography.

Recently on CBC’s show Q, host Jian Ghomeshi interviewed the producer (?) and Saturday Night Live alum Rachel Dratch, one of the players from the New York production,  which is where we first heard about it.  The video below is a taste of the style, an odd and frequently very funny mixture of melodrama and witty spins on the personal stories of your favorite celebs.

A unique and fun way to put your biography library (or our collection) to fresh use, perhaps? You decide!

Certainly books are the most important thing to a bookstore  (of course!), but have you noticed how so many bookstores carry things in addition to books?  Everything from blank journals and stationary, to beautifully crafted bookmarks and other lovely things, can be found in our favorite stores around Vancouver Island.  And even here at Gallowglass — where we don’t actually carry journals or stationary — there’s always a few odd things around the store.

Taking inventory recently, I snapped a few photos…

The cards on this rack are all lovingly crafted by our friend, and long-time customer, Gwen Rawlins, a talented artist here in the Cowichan Valley. On the walls of the store you can also see various examples of prints and paintings (not pictured here) available for sale.

Above, you can see we keep a few audio books on hand, tapes and CDs. (Handy if you’re in the car a lot or like to take long walks!)

Recognize the books above? Well, they’re not books; they’re book boxes, actually. Particularly handy for hiding valuables. (Just be sure to buy a box of a book you really like… you don’t want to accidentally forget you’ve stored some cash in there before unthinkingly giving the book away!)

Finally, a wall hanging by Mary Rolls, another customer of the store and talented local artist. And below that photo, some stray book ends for the shelves.

Books are always the star of the show, but it seems other things have a way of slipping onto the shelves. And who knows… maybe one day we’ll even add some of those blank journals like a normal bookstore.

Everything at Gallowglass Books, from the $1 paperback beach books to the rarest of expensive treasures, is covered by our semi-annual 25% off sale.*

Come by and check it out!

*Sale is for in-store customers only.

So why this very unusual name anyways?  Where does it come from, why was it chosen and why do so many have so much trouble remembering it?

It’s been a pleasure fielding the constant inquiry about the meaning of Gallowglass over the years.  There’s been times where it has flowed quite naturally and times where even I have not felt confidant with my acute knowledge in this regard.

A quick Wikipedia search defines `gallowglass`as:

“The gallowglass were a mercenary warrior élite among Gaelic-Norse clans residing in the Western Isles of Scotland (or, Hebrides) and Scottish Highlands from the mid 13th century to the end of the 16th century. As Scots, they were Gaels and shared a common origin and heritage with the Irish, but as they had intermarried with the 10th century Norse settlers of the islands and coastal areas of Scotland and the Picts, the Irish called them Gall Gaeil (”foreign Gaels”).

They were the mainstay of Scottish and Irish warfare before the advent of gunpowder, and depended upon seasonal service with Irish lords. A military chieftain would often select a gallowglass to serve as his personal aide and bodyguard, because as a foreigner, the gallowglass would be less subject to local feuds and influences.”

Essentially The name “gallowglass” means servant, summarized as `one indebted to another’.

The Store Gallowglass Books has been in existance since it’s founding in 1990. It was started, and of course named, by a gentleman called Terry Malone. Terry was very well read in his Celtic history and folklore and revered the Gallowglass as bodyguards, protectors, per se, of the nobility that contracted their services. Perhaps, the metaphor of the ‘gallowglass’ being the protector of literature and books that span the ages, can summarize a possible purpose for his giving the name to the business.

For whatever reason, the name was truly chosen, I have been very comfotable with it’s unique nature and the connotation to service that defining the role of these medieval warriors can lead to.  In a time when service is somewhat compromised in place of perceived price discount and larger purchasing power, if this business were remembered for anything, I would wish it to be it’s dedicated and consistent focus on service.

GALLOWGLASS - in dictionary

Gallowglass: gal·lo·glass or gal·low·glass
Pronunciation Key (gl-gls) n. [Irish Gaelic gal-
loglach : gall, foreigner + oglach, soldier (from
óg, from Old Irish óac. See yeu in Indo-
European Roots).] \Gal”low*glass`\, n. [Ir. gal
loglach. Cf. Gillie.]

Galloglass or gallowglass (Irish gallóglach, from
gall, ‘foreigner’, and óglach, ‘young warrior-
servant’). An armed servitor or foot soldier in
ancient Ireland. Shakespeare speaks of kerns
and gallowglasses as coming from the Western
Isles of Scotland. See also KERN.

Bestsellers lists are a handy tool, not necessarily because we want to read what everyone else is reading, but because sometimes we have no idea what to read next! Since Gallowglass Books is primarily a ‘used books’ store, our inventory can be unpredictable. But that being said, there’s usually a fair number of recent bestsellers around, so drop by or give us a call if you’re looking for something in particular.

As for what to read? Here are some links to bestseller lists which might inspire you:

• The Globe & Mail bestsellers via Amazon.ca has a list of its top books. (The list is always discounted at 50% off, too, so if you can’t get a used copy with us, that’s a very affordable option.)
• Amazon also conveniently allows you to sort bestsellers into various categories, but in broad terms  here are the best of current fiction and non-fiction
• Other periodicals with formidable bestseller lists include the NY Times, The Guardian, Maclean’s and the LA Times.

Have you ever wondered what some of the best selling books of all time are? Fans of literature have updated the Wikipedia to include a range of some of the top sellers through history, to make for an interesting list.

For instance:

• The Bible is said to have sold at least 2.5 billion or as many as 6 billion copies.
• Some books said to have sold a minimum of 100 million copies, are: The Book of Mormon, A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens), Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien), The Koran, etc.
• In the 50-100 million copies category, we find: The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown), Le Petit Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry), Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery), Black Beauty (Anna Sewell), and many others.

Religious tomes, thrillers, fantasies, world respected children’s classics… there’s certainly something for everyone on a bestsellers list.

Note: For readers in the Cowichan Valley, you can contact us by phone if you like, to find out if we have a book in stock that you’re looking for. And if we don’t have it, there’s always Ten Old Books, another fine used book store in Duncan, and Volume One Books which sells new editions.

And if none of us have what you’re looking for, there’s always Amazon and other online options.

Hello good people;

We have purchased boxes and boxes of books and books and books on religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology and world literature… all of them in great condition!  They range from Sufism, the Kabbalah and Hasidism, to early and Medieval Christian writings and Gnosticism, from the Pre-Socratics and Plotinus to Kant, collected writings of St. Thomas Aquinas and other Church Fathers, scholarly texts on methodologies in spirituality and psychology.  The Islamic faith is well represented, as are the Taoists and Buddhists in both theory and practice.

Here are just 5 of the 2000 new titles to whet the appetite:

(1) “Pure-land Zen, Zen Pure-Land, Letters from Patriarch Yin Kuang”, Translated by Master Thich Thien Tam, Forrest Smith, editor. On the Pure Land of Amitabha.

(2) “History of the Triune God: Contributions to Trinitarian Theology”, by Jurgen Moltmann.  A new discussion on God after Auschwitz is at the root of the author’s theological concerns. Jurgen Moltmann is a Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Tubingen in Germany.

(3) Moses Hadas’ “The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca: Essays and Letters”. Seneca’s themes are man’s relationship to himself, society and God, his attitude towards change, time and death, on the good and happy life, and others.

(4) “A history of Christianity in Asia” in Two Volumes, by Samuel Hugh Moffett.  Why did Mission work in Asia fail before 1500 AD?

(5) “Women’s Rebellion and Islamic Memory” by Fatima Mernissi, a leading Muslim feminist and sociologist. A small, intense book that reviews women’s place in Islamic societies to the present as well as the ‘construction of femininity in the Muslim unconscious’.

We are very proud of this collection and are writing as best we can about them on our regularly up-loaded web-site.  So many books have joined our rank and files that we have had to construct new shelving units to display them!  A hearty huge “Thank-You” to Ben Buss for his talented carpentry, and to our customers who were patient and didn’t mind wading through some wood-dust.

You can search for books of interest by using such keywords as Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Bible Studies and so forth.  Let us here at Gallowglass Books know what your needs are.

Bye for now, Richard.

Erik Bosee of The Aldredge Book Store in Dallas, Texas, has a very informative video series online where he talks about the basics of collecting, caring for and understanding rare books. The videos are short and informative, and bound to be very helpful for budding — and even some expert — collectors. Check out the complete collection on the Expert Village website where they’re freely available for everyone to enjoy.

Here’s one video from the series, titled “How to Care for Rare Books.”

Greetings everyone and Happy New Year! This is my first official post at our new blog at gallowglassbooks.com and I do promise to make it a more regular occurrence. It will be a wonderful means of recording some of the happenings, and comings and goings at the Bookshop.

The overwhelming feeling that I have at the close of 2008 is one of sincere gratitude. With completing my 12th Holiday Season at Gallowglass, I am left with the deep sense that the bookstore is very much appreciated. This is so important and is really the lifeblood of a Used & Rare Bookshop; to know that your work matters and is important in your community. We have been so well patronized, even through the most unpredictable of weather here in Cowichan; the door just never stopped opening, and the shop had a true feel of vibrancy the whole year through. Success in my business really is measured by ‘appreciation for your existence on an ongoing basis’.

It is very evident to me that the passion for books and reading is very much alive and that is true, both here locally and internationally. We definitely see that one of the great truths is that ‘reading breeds more reading’. A part of one’s personal evolution is the result of a lifetime of reading, whether the individual is young or old, or somewhere in between. Reading is one of life’s great pleasures, and it seems that even more people are finding their way to discovering the merits of a well stocked and carefully selected used & rare bookstore inventory with titles that span the ages (well, the past couple hundred years, in any event!).

I want to thank all of the individuals, far too many to mention, who through small or large contribution over the past year, have made Gallowglass Books what it is. We have clients from next door to us, on each side, and from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, and many many places in between, and I truly wish to offer sincere thanks to all of you. I believe that in plying the trade of used & rare books, one gets to know their patrons as friends and in terms of what their passions are in many cases, and that is just so rewarding.

I would like to thank the two who share in my delight with the running of the shop, Richard Neftin and Pat Ormond, whom I feel are very closely connected to the spirit of the business. Also to my lovely wife Alanah who, in her spare time (which is practically non-existent) came up with the wonderful idea of enhancing the store’s ability to interact with it’s clients with this new website. And also, I wish to thank my mentor and inspiration, my Dad and business partner Andy Downie, who has always believed so strongly in Gallowglass, even I times when I was in doubt of its ability to survive. Dad was the one who instilled the passion for books in me at such a young age and that gentle madness of always feeling that the next great find is only a box lid away, and another box, and another box, etc. etc. etc…..

I am very much looking forward to what the New Year brings and I feel that we shall have ample opportunity to help with all of your book requests, buying, selling, searching and sharing. It has been a true pleasure to have made it this far and I am very eager to see what the future holds for this business.

Best Wishes!

Jeff Downie, manager

Gallowglass Books Ltd.