If I ever reach a point where I'm "performing" and not just bothering someone with a trick here and there, I'm almost certain I won't be in a situation with a table and card mat.

Can anyone recommend some books that are specific, or mostly specific to in-hand card controls and routines?

I don't mind hard work. In fact... I think I prefer it. I've spent the last year really grinding learning how to perform the three tricks that fried me the hardest... and I'm super happy to have those in my arsenal... but those three and the two short routines I've made are the only five tricks I know... Which is kind of absurd for someone who's dedicated thousands of hours to the craft. (I've got a stack memorized to instant recall, not sure if that's info relevant to in-hand books)

Most card magic can be done in the hands. I've worked restaurants for MANY years and table space was very limited. Check out books by David Regal, Harry Lorayne, Jay Sankey, the list goes on and on. There are some fantastic dvd's as well. Bill Malone has a great set. There are just too many to mention.

I was in an email conversation with a pro and I asked him to recommend some books.

He specifically asked me if I prefer table work or in-hand. I told him in-hand... but then I never heard back from him 😂

I don't want to pester him, but he left me feeling like that was an important question.

I skip a lot of Madison's stuff because of the table requirement... but if that's not a typical problem I'm going to run into with books, that will make life a lot easier

There have been a few tricks I've read, that I really liked, but had handling the required use of a surface. I kept those specific routines recorded in my database of magic and returned to them later when I found different utility moves that solved some of the handling issues I was encountering when trying to perform the routine in the hands.

Remember that most card magic books will contain the starting point for you to craft your own creation. Very rarely is a routine, which you have read, going to be be able to be immediately duplicated (even down to the patter). Finding your "reason" for performing the trick and working backward to the actual handling is some of the most fun you can have as you're just getting started!

It's also worth noting that some surfaces, like a close-up pad, will allow for different natural handlings than other surfaces like a kitchen table. I like to have audible options to resort to so I'm not caught with something looking unnatural in the moment. Even movements like picking up the pack off an even surface can change some of the timing, for example...