[Friday, July 30, 2010
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[Since I neglected to post last week (a pre-road trip nap won out), this Friday's post is an extra-large serving of bookmark-worthy links. There are some real doozies in here - enjoy.]
*Let's start things off with a bang, shall we? A Kentucky man sketched out what the basement of his dreams would look like. In his basement. With $10 worth of Sharpies and Magic Markers. It includes literary detectives Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, playwrights George Bernard Shaw and William Shakespeare, and Alice in Wonderland characters The Walrus and the Carpenter. Oh, and it's seriously good.
*"Is there anything more joyful than watching 124 Hemingway lookalikes slug it out?" Go on, find out.
*On the heels of the news that ebooks have outsold hardback books for the first time ever on Amazon, the online retailer released a new $139 Kindle, the cheapest version of the reader yet.
*Ever wondered how classic lit becomes classic? Apparently, angry old critics have to die first. At least, that's what I'd guess after reading about these six classics that were savaged when they first appeared in print.
*And if trial by fire is how classics are born, what does that bode for this year's Man Booker prize longlist?
*Speaking of classics and non-classics, here's a book destined never to have that problem - the upcoming Sarah Palin biography for children has vanished from its publisher's website and schedule just three months before its publication date. Hmmm...
*In related news, S.Palin thinks she's got mad word-coining skills, just like Shakespeare. will.she.aint.
*In actual celebrity news, Daniel Radcliffe is already filling his post-Potter dance card. He's signed up to star in the film adaptation of Susan Hill's modern gothic thriller The Woman in Black
. Jane Goldman of Stardust and Kick-Ass fame is set to write the screenplay.
*Also across the pond, celebrated egghead and legendary tweeter Stephen Fry has revealed he'll be presenting a five-part season for BBC2 on language called Planet Word. Presumably, this is part of his effort to fight the infantilism of British TV.
*Last week I posted about I Write Like, the massively popular text analyzer. Naturally, a spoof version has emerged. Called I Actually Write Like, it compares your writing to other writers, as well as animals and household objects. I was cheered to learn that instead of David Foster Wallace, I actually write like a moonstruck lunatic possibly actually wearing a straitjacket.
*Real headline: Boys trail girls in reading; can fart jokes help?
*My heart sank when I read that Enid Blyton's Famous Five
books are being updated for the 21st century. I was raised on Enid Blyton, and for me part of the allure of her books was the nostalgia they evoked. I can't help thinking that changing the wording will alter the flavor of the books - and not for the better. There's a reason her books have sold more than 600 million copies, don't you think?
*Now that you know one of the authors responsible for forming my literary bent, here are a few Maggie Gyllenhaal credits for hers.
*To finish things off in style, here's a roundup of nine of the most amazing bookstores in the world (according to HuffPo, but I can't really quibble with their picks).
[Thursday, July 29, 2010
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I hemmed and hawwed about posting about SIMPLESONG Design on here for one terrible, selfish reason - I don't want my favorite thank-you cards to be out of stock when I go to buy them. I know, it's shameful. But I decided that these particular cards were too lovely not to share, so, begrudgingly, I will introduce you to one of my favorite letterpress designers.
SIMPLESONG Design is based out of DC and run by Suann Song. I stumbled upon her stationery soon after she opened her Etsy store back in 2008, and she's received a lot of much-deserved press since then. So many of her designs are stunning, but I think you'll find her library card-inspired items irresistible.
[Wednesday, July 28, 2010
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It may look like a stealth bomber, but appearance is where the resemblance ends. Whereas the super-secret spy plane does all it can to go unnoticed, the Pyramid bookcase is pretty much clamoring for your attention. Pyramid is an aluminum bookcase created by Italian manufacturer Fitting, whose expertise is modular furniture. True to form, Fitting's bookcase can be stacked and switched and styled in whatever way you wish. There are four sizes of the bookcase - the regular Pyramid (165" by 287"), the Half Pyramid (90" by 287"), Pyramid 4 (90" by 144") and Pyramid 3 (72" by 108"). You can also insert panels in silver, black or red to add a little more pop to the shelving (because eye-catching appeal is something it's sorely lacking, you know).
[Half Pyramid]
[Pyramid 4]
[Pyramid 3]
I won't even discuss price - it's modern Italian design and you have to request a price list; enough said - but you can learn more about Pyramid at Fitting's very sleek site here.
[Tuesday, July 27, 2010
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It seems like everyone I know is planning a vacation. I've been seeing Facebook statuses about London, Morocco, Scotland, Oregon, Boston, China - my friends have got some pretty fabulous trips going on. So it seems only fitting that Gilt is throwing down with a Lonely Planet book sale today, to whet the appetites of those planning a holiday and bring a change of scenery to those who aren't.
The titles include Lonely Planet's On A Shoestring, Discover, and Experience series, as well as a host of general books - tomes on China, New Zealand, Hawaii, Buenos Aires and Japan are included. Everything's under $20, with some even less than $10.
If you're not a member of Gilt, you can sign up here.The sale ends this Friday, or when sold out.
[Tuesday, July 27, 2010
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But even I can appreciate the charm of Book Brew Coffee, a company that produces lit-themed roasts. There are currently seven varieties available, and one new blend coming soon. Fan of dark roasts? For you, they've got Reader's Choice, Editor's Select, Best Seller's Blend and Breakfast Preface. Need something lighter? Writer's Roast is their medium roast. They've also got Dictionary Decaf and Espresso Libro, as well as a host of organic options for all the varieties. Now, I'm sure this is where I'm supposed to say something like, "yummy!" but, well, you know.
They also sell coffee-making and coffee-drinking paraphernalia, as well as a range of teas and some delectable-looking baked goods (now I can say yummy.)
So if this is your bag, go check it out!
[Monday, July 26, 2010
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The summer streak of book-to-movie adaptations is set to continue, with August offering book+movie lovers everything from a comic book adaptation to an intellectual crime thriller to an anime-styled fantasy. And, of course, Julia Roberts' marketing behemoth, Eat, Pray, Love. Here's a roundup of some of the movies vying for your attention.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, starring Michael Cera and based on the comic book series
. In theaters August 13.
[Thursday, July 22, 2010
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{ A SARAH MILNER REVIEW }
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
by Aimee Bender (Doubleday, 2010) is a novel of, as the title implies, sadness, but also of personal growth and family. The story centers on Rose, who as a young child discovers she has the ability to taste the feelings of the person who has cooked her food – whether this be at home, at school or in a restaurant. Within the culinary delights she samples, Rose is forced to taste the loss, frustration and pain of those who prepared the food, but also their love, joy, and satisfaction – the love the chef feels for those around him or even just his love of cooking. She makes a game of trying to identify the origin of the ingredients in the food she must savor or barely endure.
[Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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Hollywood icon Joan Fontaine lived in this Brentwood home with her second husband, William Dozier, and her two daughters, Deborah and Martita. A fire in 1961 destroyed the house, but photos of the interior remain. This photo isn't the best, but the reason I wanted to post about Fontaine today was because of a comment she made in her 1978 autobiography, No Bed of Roses
, about losing her her book collection in that house fire.
"My mind’s eye swept every room in the house. The three rooms filled with bookshelves. First editions, signed copies by author friends, reference books now out of print. I realized that I’d started life anew.”
Three ROOMS of books. That's an incredible collection - to lose it all in an instant must have been heartbreaking.
You can browse more photos of Fontaine's Brentwood home at Architectural Digest.
[Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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On this date in 1899, Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Ill., so here's a post in honor of this great writer and polydactyl-cat lover.
I don't know many people - or perhaps any, come to think of it - who'd want to slip into Ernest Hemingway's shoes. But evidently some businessman thought there would be a market for it. And so, I present to you the Ernest Hemingway Footwear Collection.
Because if there is one thing Hemingway is known for more than his writing, it's his shoes. Right? (Also, I'd like to meet the marketing genius responsible for the collection's tagline - Good enough to last forever. That is the result of either a breathtaking amount of balls or a breathtaking amount of stupidity.)
From the website:
Ernest Hemingway Footwear Co. is a premium brand of men's classic hand crafted casual footwear, inspired by Ernest Hemingway's colorful life, writings and travels. In following his footsteps through Spain, Paris, Cuba, Africa, Key West, Canada, and of course, Sun Valley, we've collected styles that pay tribute to his experiences.
Carefully held and hand sewn by artisan craftsman in South America, these shoes are made of the finest leathers, including American bison. We work to offer an elegant refinement to the hand crafted casual footwear for the man who appreciates authentic American quality and style.
The discerning, literary-minded shopper can choose from 12 pairs of shoes from three categories: Sportsman, Literary or Angler. (All the shoes appear to be a kind of deck/boat shoe/loafer, no matter which category you select.)
Shoes made from American bison not your thing? Don't worry; there's also the Ernest Hemingway Furniture Collection, the Ernest Hemingway Pillow Collection and, coming soon, Hemingway Hotels and Resorts. i really, really wish I were kidding.
[Tuesday, July 20, 2010
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Michael Popek runs Popek's Used and Rare Books in Oneonta, N.Y. As you can imagine, he comes across quite a few interesting papers and bookmarks while sorting through the books he acquires. He started posting a few of the more memorable ones online for his friends, and word of his blog quickly spread. I'm definitely a fan; his site, Forgotten Bookmarks, is a treasure trove of the humorous, the poignant and the downright perplexing.
Here are a few of my favorites:
The tie reads: "To my loving father. Happy Fathers Day! I hope you have a nice Fathers Day I will try to be good." Found in The Continental Tales of Longfellow, published by The Story Classics, 1948.
[Tuesday, July 20, 2010
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Le Petit Prince is one of those books that I think could make anyone happy. You could give it to Oscar the Grouch, and he'd be enchanted. If Naomi Campbell had been given it as a child, I think a lot of lawsuits could have been averted. Heck, maybe someone should send Lindsay Lohan a copy with which to while away her upcoming prison time. Anyway, it's a charming little book, and if you haven't read it, you really should.
Last month marked the 110th anniversary of its author's birth, and Google paid tribute by creating a celebratory doodle for Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. (Lovely!) Fred Flare is keeping the festivities going with the oh-so-cute Little Prince mini notebook.
It's 3.5" by 5", with 28 ruled pages bound with yellow string. The inscription on the front reads, "You, you alone, will have the stars as no one else has them." Le petit sigh.
Buy it for $6 from Fred Flare here.
[Monday, July 19, 2010
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This week (thankfully) is a slow one at work, and I'm not going to lie - I've been filling quite a few of my down minutes with an addictive new site. I Write Like is the sophisticated version of those ghastly "Which cartoon character/pinup/Disney Princess are you?" quizzes that plagued Facebook a while back. You feed the site a chunk of your writing - it can be part of an essay, an email, a blog entry, anything a couple of paragraphs long - and it analyzes it and spits out the name of the writer your text most resembles.
For kicks, I started entering, well, pretty much anything. The copy on the back of our Weetabix box was deemed Raymond Chandler-esque. Our Watkins hand soap is apparently reminiscent of Nabokov. And this blog entry resulted in a verdict of David Foster Wallace. (Somewhere out there, a couple of weary copywriters are not being paid enough.)
You should give it a whirl - it's a hoot. You can read a Q&A with the site's creator, Dmitry Chestnykh, here. (His writing was also called David Foster Wallace-like, just in case you were curious.)
(The image at the top of this post was what resulted after I entered the first half of David Granger's Letter from the Editor in this month's issue of Esquire. I doubt it was the effect he was going for.)
[Monday, July 19, 2010
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My father recently returned from a trip to Europe - look what he brought back for me:
Lovelovelove. I moved from Britain before the Potter phenomenon took off, so my introduction to the series was via the American editions. It's not that I think they're inferior, but being British, I wanted to read the original British editions. Plus, LOOK AT THOSE COVERS. Pure, unadulterated gorgeousness. Aaaaaaahhhh....
[Friday, July 16, 2010
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*Hey, you guys know that great Western classic, Arabian Nights? Yeah, neither do I.
*Good news, Twihards! Looks like you'll be treated to that Breaking Dawn childbirth scene after all. No word yet on the rough honeymoon sex.
*Old Spice is trying really hard to ditch its scent-of-an-old-man reputation. I think this hot shirtless guy talking about libraries should do the trick.
*Move over wizards, vampires and angels - nannies are the hot new trend. Again.
*Karl Rove wants you to join his book club. No, really.
*I really want someone to go to this spelling bee for cheaters and report back - it sounds all kinds of amazing and hilarious. Also, the show organizers need to mass-produce that poster. It's also all kinds of amazing and hilarious.
[Thursday, July 15, 2010
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Have you ever looked at your book collection the way you've stared at your closet of clothes - with an expression of despair and a cry of "But I've got nothing to reeeeaaddd!"? If that sounds familiar, then I've got a couple of websites that may well be the cheapest remedy for your problem.
Point your browser to BookMooch.com and PaperBackSwap.com, two sites that enable people to swap books they don't want for ones they do. It's a brilliantly simple premise. On PaperBackSwap, users receive credits - the currency of the site - for listing books. When a member requests one of your books, you pay the postage, print a mailing label and ship the book to that member. When you request a book, you pay only a credit. You receive one credit for each book you list, and PaperBackSwap gives you two free credits when you list your first 10 books.
On BookMooch, you receive 1/10th of a point for each book you list, and 1/10th of a point for leaving feedback about a book you received from another member. When you send a book to a member within the same country, you receive one point; you receive three if the member lives outside your country. It costs you one credit to request a book; two if requesting a book from another country. Also, you are required to send out at least one book for every two receive; sending a book internationally counts as sending three books.
My friend Matt gives PaperBackSwap a thumbs up - if any of you have used BookMooch, let the rest of us know what you think of it.
[Thursday, July 15, 2010
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One of Woot's deals today is a Still Waiting for Godot T-shirt by illustrator Joshua Kemble. Sizes range from a kiddie small to a 3X. If you're interested, you'd better snatch one up before they sell out! Check out the shirt here, Joshua's website here.
[Wednesday, July 14, 2010
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Staggering, isn't it? Called Ark, this bookshelf apartment houses about 6,000 books on three stories. The creation of Rintala Eggertson Architects, this space is actually part of the Architects Build Small Spaces exhibit in London's Victoria & Albert Museum. If you're lucky enough to be in the neighborhood, it'll be on display through August - if you're not, you can take a video tour of it after the jump.
From the V&A's website:
"This free-standing wooden tower re-evaluates the concept of the 'archive'. ...The project investigates how small spaces can focus our energies and thoughts in moments of study, meditation and self-reflection. Accessed via a spiral staircase, the tower invites visitors to explore the structure, have a leisurely browse through the books, and select a private reading chamber in which to enjoy their selection."
You can read more about the entire exhibit here.
[Tuesday, July 13, 2010
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Inspired by the number of people on my Facebook feed acquiring tattoos, I decided to do some Googling and see if I could find any literary specimens to feature here. And because the blogosphere is incredible like that, there is, of course, an entire site devoted to the topic (as well as oodles of articles on the subject and a healthy LiveJournal forum). Contrariwise posts photos of tattoos inspired by books, poems, quotations, lyrics etc., and the variety is really quite extraordinary. There is also, inevitably, repetition, which may be disheartening to some who get a tattoo they think is unique, or perhaps it could actually create a sense of community among people with the same source of inspiration. (Since I'm too fickle to get a tattoo, I guess it's a situation I'll never face!)
Alice in Wonderland seems to be a frequent theme. (As an aside, I love the cat in the top photo - I can just see him thinking, "I know that's a bird...")
[Monday, July 12, 2010
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In a remarkable coincidence, I included a link to the Guardian's slideshow of Faber & Faber's book covers in last week's Friday Bookmarks, and on Saturday stumbled on Design*Sponge's post on Faber's new poetry collections. The books are so handsome that I had to let you all know about them.
Miriam Rosenbloom, senior designer for the publisher, was charged with coming up with a design concept for the series that referenced Faber's earlier editions. After finding her initial inspiration, Miriam put together a list of six artists who would each create a print for each book of the collection. She and one of Faber's poetry editors determined which artist suited which author best, as well as what the dominant color for each book would be. Judging from the results, I'd say everyone involved did a heck of a job.
The artists designed both the covers and the endpapers for the books.
The volumes are: Kid by Simon Armitage; Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis by Wendy Cope; The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin; Dart by Alice Oswald, Nil, Nil by Don Paterson; and Ariel by Sylvia Plath. You can read more about the design process here, and the books are available for purchase from Faber here.
[Monday, July 12, 2010
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...is Jenna Guenther from Madison! Congrats, Jenna - you've won yourself a copy of Vern's Yippee Ki-Yay Moviegoer. What a great way to start a Monday!
[Friday, July 09, 2010
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*In the worst news segment of the year, Fox News asked if libraries were worth the expense. Naturally, people got a little upset.
*Book trailer+James Franco? Yes please.
*Can you believe it's July already? Me neither! I guess that means it's actually time to look at the best books of the year thus far.
*Mmm, book cover porn.
*In a head-to-head study, the good old printed book emerged as the fastest-to-read medium, triumphing over the iPad, Kindle and PC.
*Got a few dollars left over from your paycheck this period? You may want to check out The Great Harlan Rare Book Purge #3.
[Thursday, July 08, 2010
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The London Review of Books is Britain's most esteemed literary magazine. Published fortnightly, it features essays, reviews and the most outrageous personal ads ever set in type. The following is a selection from the latest issue.
*My dream dinner party would feature Jaroslav Hasek, Churchill and Robert Walser. I would get drunk and abusive and retreat to my room to fix the carriage return on my vintage Imperial Good Companion. You would come to placate me, only to be hectored about Erik Satie's umbrella collection. Male, 31, no lover of dinner parties.
box no: 12/02
box no: 13/01
*More Helvetica Neue than Times New Roman. Coolly passionate, bookish, stylish F academic, 40, seeks M who’s sorted yet edgy for art, film, books, politics, typography. London.
email: badlydrawngirl88@gmail.com
*Cynical is the new sexy. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm not buying that. Seeking like-minded, 60ish m, kind, smart, funny, for friendship/romance. Supple upper lip welcome. Must love classical music and dogs.
email: bsusanl@bellsouth.net
*Jack seeks Lemon
email: evan78@rocketmail.com
[Wednesday, July 07, 2010
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When I came across this bookcase, I was immediately reminded of Shawn Soh's charming tree bookcase, which I covered back in the early days of this blog. This bookcase, by AL2698, takes the tree motif in a more industrial direction, however, and I can see it fitting in perfectly in a minimalist loft or open-plan apartment. I love that you could have several of them in order to create your own "leafy" forest of bookcases, as pictured. Italian design studio AL2698 describes the Fagus bookshelf as "a traditional symbol of sturdiness and resistance, with firm and robust roots." I'm not sure what the price or ordering process for the piece is, but you can browse more information and slick innovations at AL2698's website here.
[Tuesday, July 06, 2010
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If you entered the Yippee Ki-Yay Moviegoer giveaway we had back in April but didn't win, then here's some good news - we're having another one! Because Titan Books is all kinds of generous, we have one more copy of the book to put into your sweaty little movie-loving mitts.
To enter, email giveaways [at] bookliciousblog [dot] com, with Vern in the subject line. Include your name and address in the body of the email. This contest is limited to residents of the U.S. and Canada. You have through this Friday to enter, and the winners will be announced next Monday. You can read Michael's review of the book here.
[Tuesday, July 06, 2010
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Cincinnati readers, listen up! Today's Groupon for your city is $10 for $20 worth of books at Blue Manatee! If you're interested, head on over to Groupon and snag this awesome deal. (If you aren't automatically redirected to the Cincinnati deal, simply select Cincinnati from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.)
If you're not familiar with Groupon, here's a nuts-and-bolts summary:
[*Disclaimer - I am related to someone who works for Groupon, but they will never write content for the site regarding Groupon, and I will only cover Groupon when I feel it's relevant to the blog, such as when they run book-related deals, like today.]
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