Much like this http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/615805-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/61002849 post, during the fight with the caller, a book get flung onto the ledge above the doorway. Since I didn't realize this, I used up my auto-save going out the door to try and find where the heck the book was, and my normal save was used when I finished the fight which was entertainingly hard for my mage, which I am now beating myself over the head about saving at such a (in retrospect) crappy moment.

My attempts have included stacking as many baskets, pelts, bowls, caller's body etc. as I could find, but I am on the edge of the stairs in the room, so everything falls back down when I try to walk/jump onto the pile. I tried shouting it off, nothing. Using dual-wielded fireball, ice spikes, dual frostbite, nothing. I tried reloading, leaving the dungeon, and going to a different city with no result. My next attempt is to use the telekinesis spell, assuming I can find it and use it.

Any tips, tricks or comments of 'ah yes, this is broken' would be great.

Probably your best bet at this would be getting the telekinesis spell at this point. Which is sold by Tolfdir in the College of Winterhold, for about 350-ish gold, depending on how much skill you put into speech.

My book went behind one of those pillars. Shot it out with sparks -spell.
Tried that good old benjamin franklin superpower?

Thanks for the location, I'll head to the college and see if I can grab it.

I will certainly try this before I go trudging off to get the telekinesis spell, thanks.