Canadian Paperback Guides

It will not be a surprise to hear that most of the information for this blog comes from the books themselves. Without the book in hand this blog wouldn't be possible. But one of the challenges of collecting Canadian paperbacks from this era is the lack of an accurate and complete public guide to the books.

To fill the gap I've been preparing guides that provide cover images and bibliographic data for Canadian publishers. Each listing has a bibliographic description of the title and copyright pages, a collation of the pages and notes on when first published, author pseudonym, artist if known and other information about the book.

Below are two examples of listings from the guides - one for an obscure publisher (Pocket Library of Best Sellers) and one for a large publisher (Collins White Circle). I would happy to email the guides as a Word document to anyone interested. I just need name, email address and the publishers in which you're interested.

102 Legion of Lost Souls and other stories of strange loves

“Thrill to the Lusty Fever of Exciting Love” | LEGION OF LOST SOULS | And Other Stories of Strange Loves | Edited By | LEONA S. RICHARDS | Author of the Best Seller “No Bed of Her Own” | [drawing of man and woman] | CONFESSION STORIES | NO. 102 | POCKET LIBRARY OF BEST SELLERS | 131-137 Yonge St. - Toronto

CONFESSION STORIES NO. 102 | LEGION OF LOST SOULS | Copyright by Leona S. Richard | POCKET LIBRARY | OF BEST SELLERS | Copyright, 1947 | Fireside Reprint Editions Copyright, 1947, By The Macfadden Estate | Copyright, 1948, By Exotic Books Publishing Co. | STRANGE CRAVING | LEGION OF LOST SOULS | DERELICTS OF PASSION | I LURED THE PLAYBOYS | MY HOUR OF SHAME | DANGEROUS PARADISE | All the characters in this story are fictitious and if the names of | any actual persons occur, it is by sheer coincidence. | Printed in Canada

[1-2] 3-128

Note: First published? See Triangle Pocket Library listing for Confession Stories No. 101.


58 The Bloody Tower

THE BLOODY TOWER | by | JOHN RHODE | [ornament: fountain] LONDON 48 PALL MALL | WM. COLLINS SONS & CO. LTD. | GLASGOW, TORONTO, SYDNEY, AUCKLAND

COPYRIGHT CANADA 1943 BY | WM. COLLINS SONS & CO. CANADA LTD. | PRINTED IN CANADA 

[1-4] 5-192

Note: First published London: Wm. Collins, 1938. Pseudonym of Cecil John Charles Street. Also wrote as Miles Burton.