''The Neglected Books Page'' is a book review website. The site features reviews of books that have been, according to the site, "neglected, overlooked, forgotten, or stranded by changing tides in critical or popular taste." The site was founded in 2006. Volume 256 Issue 5. Brad Bigelow is the author of the website, he reportedly has had a lifelong interest in finding and reading neglected books, typically by browsing used books stores. He says he was inspired by David Madden's book ''Rediscoveries'' (1971), a collection of essays by a variety of writers about little-known or long-forgotten books. Bigelow said it provided the model for how to write about forgotten books. Bigelow is unnamed on the website, only as "Editor", he says he does not seek publicity or fame, rather he sees the project as a hobby like stamp collecting. Bigelow worked for the U.S. Air Force for 25 years; at the time the site started in 2006, he was an IT project manager for NATO. Some of the books rediscovered include ''The Moonflower Vine'' (1962) a novel by

Jetta Carleton Jetta Carleton (October 18, 1913 – December 28, 1999) was an American novelist. Life and career Carleton was born on a farm in Nevada, Missouri, the daughter of P. A. Carleton, the local superintendent of schools. She had two sisters, Truma and ...

, a discovery noted by ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

''. ''Neglected Books'' had featured the book in December 2006, including an endorsement from author

Jane Smiley Jane Smiley (born September 26, 1949) is an American novelist. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992 for her novel ''A Thousand Acres'' (1991). Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a su ...

. Literary agent Denise Shannon read ''Neglected Books'' and from that ordered a used copy of ''Moonflower'' which she read and loved. From there she sold the idea to Harper Perennial to republish. Author

Jack Gantos Jack Gantos (born July 2, 1951) is an American author of children's books. He is best known for the fictional characters Rotten Ralph and Joey Pigza. Rotten Ralph is a cat who stars in twenty picture books written by Gantos and illustrated by ...

said in ''The New York Times'' that "My favorite Web site is ''The Neglected Books Page''. Every time I go on it, there is always a title I walk away with that I track down, and it's drop-dead great." In March 2016, Bigelow and the website were featured in a '' New Yorker'' article titled "The Custodian of Forgotten Books". In July 2021, the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and 26 schools of study. The annual income of the institution f ...

's UEA Publishing Project announced its series 'Recovered Books', inspired by the blog, and with Bigelow as series editor. The first two titles are ''Gentleman Overboard'' by Herbert Clyde Lewis and '' What Katy Did'' by

Sarah Chauncey Woolsey Sarah Chauncey Woolsey (January 29, 1835 – April 9, 1905) was an American children's author who wrote under the pen name Susan Coolidge. Background Woolsey was born on January 29, 1835 into the wealthy, influential New England Dwight famil ...

References

External links

The Neglected Books Page
official website. 2006 establishments in the United States Internet properties established in 2006 American book websites Book review websites {{lit-website-stub