There's No Business by Charles Bukowski

Later printing of Bukowski's short story with illustrations by R. Crumb

First published by the legendary Black Sparrow Press in 1984, There's No Business is another short story by Charles Bukowski published in a stapled, matte card-stock volume with amazing illustrations by R. Crumb. Bukowski's short story (barely 7 pages not including illustrations) tells the brief tale of over the hill comic Manny Hyman and his failure of an act. Like the majority of Bukowski's characters, Manny is an aging and depressed drunken mess, and this story highlights the travails of less than mediocre show business as Manny receives heckle upon heckle. Eventually a fracas breaks out, and, surprisingly though, a new star is born. Bukowski's short stories never disappoint and There's No Business is no exception, not to mention being part of a great illustrated volume. 

An R. Crumb illustration depicting ailing comic Manny Hyman in his dressing room 

The Magic Barrel by Bernard Malamud

Later printing of The Magic Barrel published by FSG in 1967

Bernard Malamud's collection of 13 short stories pictured above won the National Book Award in 1959, his first of two, and solidified his presence as a major emerging American writer. Writing largely about Judaism and its people, The Magic Barrel collects some of Malamud's finest short stories from the beginning of his writing career, some published as early as 1950. Malamud came to be considered a master of the short story, publicly praised by many of his colleagues, and now has a short story award named after him given out by the PEN foundation. The eponymous story from this collection is about a young rabbi named Leo Finkle about to begin his congregation, who is in search of a bride in order to get a bigger flock. Finkle sees a marriage coordinator, who gives him pictures of potential brides, except the one he likes most is the coordinator's daughter and comedy ensues. This later edition, which is virtually identical to the first edition, has amazing jacket design by Milton Glaser, the famous designer who made the I ♥ NY logo among many other things. Pictured below is Malamud's simple, script signature on the front endpaper.

The Bodysurfers by Robert Drewe

Reprinting of The Bodysurfers from 2009 Penguin Australia

First published in 1983, Robert Drewe's The Bodysurfers is a classic of Australian literature. Hailed as a sort of J.D. Salinger from Australia, this short-story collection recounts the ups and downs of the Lang family over multiple decades. The settings for most of the book are the many Australian beaches that members of the Lang family frequent, which Drewe himself grew up going to and clearly loves. For some reason Drewe doesn't have the biggest audience in the U.S., although a lot of his books have been printed here. I've only read The Bodysurfers, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but from what I understand his other books are just as good. This Popular Penguins paperback is an Australian edition with the awesome stock cover used for all overseas paperback editions. It should also be self-evident that this book makes for great summer beach reading.

March 1940 Vol. 1 by J.D. Salinger

Bootleg anthology of previously unpublished Salinger short stories

This copy of collected J.D. Salinger short stories was more than likely published in 1975, originating somewhere in California. Known as March 1940 Volume 1, it collects 17 of Salinger's first short stories published in various magazines mostly from the 1940's to mid 1950's. Among these stories is "Slight Rebellion Off Madison," which is Holden Caulfield's fictional debut, along with others that contain various Caulfields in them, or at least references. These stories bridge the gap before Catcher in the Rye to when he first began publishing. Volume II contains five slightly longer stories, and I've been after it for some time—they aren't cheap though. After an injunction that Salinger's lawyers filed, most copies of these volumes were seized and/or incinerated, hence the weighty price tag. The cover of this slim volume is a reprinting of the March-April 1940 cover of Collier's, in which the story "The Stranger" first appeared.

Bring Me Your Love by Charles Bukowski

First edition with illustrations by R. Crumb

While this isn't a book per se, it is a nice paper printing of a short story by Charles Bukowski with great illustrations and cover by R. Crumb. First printed by the famous Black Sparrow Press of Santa Barbara in 1983, this story is only 15 pages long and nothing short of ridiculous with three or four Crumb drawings scattered throughout. Bound with brown matte cardstock, the inside also features hot pink endpaper.

Cover page

Final drawing inside by R. Crumb