The first thing with a copy of such a cover on it, that I bought, was a key ring - a nice little souvenir from Den Haag.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjnB8yD9edXRo9YqgTWAx7uc_AFgbS0ch_v8mmGqW4SC5SkuYLPbxss4TyaCpgjma6eSyl8G7sqyCBfxHVvtri4S83HP4a7wKxbKbO-CvOOrwg0-BScJG_y8tCrunmYgVMzdmUty87mSs/s400/campustramp.jpg)
Note the line at the bottom: "This is an original Nightstand Book"! And as I have found out, this wasn't just meant to say this was the kind of book you kept on your nightstand and didn't read in public - these books were called just that - it was a whole line, that was started in 1959 by Hamling Publishing, after the market for science fiction books had collapsed. It spawned other lines like "Midnight Readers" - they couldn't have put it any better I guess!
And funnily enough, the book above is going to be reprinted... as you can read here (this is also a pretty good blog about sleazy reads). Talk about chance... this is was only the second link I clicked when I searched for more info on Nightstand Books. Another virtual-needle-in-the-haystack-find.
A few years ago, I also found postcards with sleazy book cover prints that made a nice addition to my willy-nillies:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlhUQHNSkDtDzrNfM770Yg_d0Yyk18PukayaHPaRxpdL2pSSyDjlqcB5FFmFluIc7LIcoln0zwL6VdD1xSbj-zng9Sd7fujlRggCB54LzsJmWA1POPDWvPML0CJet1I-jBCg6GNj_Ilfb/s400/nbr1.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXFytc4wioJu3s7YCWDPsGtshyiHs9g-oLtuN4UxLDGxJT1f7IqhlDEh43BIle9gurX5J316WqQTaD1hfFWdJQ9i3hxwfVD-zBkslOPODS62DPNbFQ3Aw8mzuAJzHgQEO6UlQ3S-tOAw3/s400/nbr2.jpg)
More great covers can be seen in this fun Flickr set: Sleazy Reads. Aren't they the best?
I've never had an actual book of these in my hands - but if I can get my hands on one, I'll give it a try. Can't be worse than some of the bad stuff I've already read. Hey, you can't always read serious stuff only - we all need our dose of fluff! I do admit that I read the modern, feminine version of this - thought there's nothing sleazy about those. Happens that I do keep one my nightstand though. And that's where I'm off to now... nighty-night!
Karin
No comments:
Post a Comment