[Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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[Monday, August 30, 2010
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September's shaping up to be a big month for book adaptations. And it looks like there's a fantastic lineup planned - I see humor, romance, drama, crime; a little something for everyone. Good stuff.
It's Kind of a Funny Story, starring Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts and Lauren Graham, based on the 2006 novel
by Ned Vizzini
. In theaters Sept. 24.
[Friday, August 27, 2010
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*Last week, the Guardian tested your knowledge of obscure vocabulary (you might remember that I fared poorly - very poorly). This week, the newspaper wants to know what you know about Ray Bradbury, who blew out 90 candles on his birthday cake this week. (I did a little better on this one, getting 4 out of 10. I admit, though, I haven't read a lot of his work.)
*AbeBooks wants to know - how do you read in bed?
*Investigators speculate that the trunk in which two mummified babies were found in a Los Angeles apartment building last week was the property of a relative of Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie.
*In movie news I'm sure you've already heard, it was announced that Rooney Mara is to be The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In movie news you may not have already heard, it was announced that Jim Carrey has signed on to star in an adaption of 1939 Newbery Honor book Mr. Popper's Penguins
.
*Forbes just released its list of the top 10 highest-paid authors for the past year. They're pretty much who you'd expect. And with J.K. Rowling holding the bottom spot with $10 million in income, there are no starving artists in this crowd.
[Thursday, August 26, 2010
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Now this is what you call food for the soul.
[Wednesday, August 25, 2010
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Hello, beautiful!
Wouldn't you just kill for ceilings this high? I'm a sucker for ladders, so as soon as I spotted this I was a goner, even though the width of the shelving doesn't allow a great deal of swinging. But I think the whole thing is still pretty ahh-inspiring, no?
[Tuesday, August 24, 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.
*Let me change the ribbon in your typewriter. Robert Mitchum seeks Lauren Bacall. American man, 46 desires thoughtful overseas correspondence for an affair of the mind. Personal reflections, romantic exchanges and creative musings encouraged. Political pundits and email aficionados discouraged. Reply in kind to: JBS, PO Box 268364, Chicago, IL 60626
*I am stuck on a rock in the middle of the ocean. No-one else reads these fancy magazines. F 45.
email: humanbarnacle@gmail.com
*I've just been on holiday to Brighton. Played crazy golf, ate fish’n’chips, went to the Catalyst Club. Now back in London with a light tan. Men! Write quickly, before it fades. M, 46.
*Tawny maiden looking to unearth that unique yet illusive combination of Atticus Finch and Nino Quincampoix; brave, quirky & cultivates a taste for small pleasures.
email: bsusanl@bellsouth.net
[Tuesday, August 24, 2010
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Yesterday, I read about a guy who's using Twitter as a dieting tool. Every day, he publicly posts his weight to keep himself accountable. It seems to be working - he set out to lose 25 pounds, and he's nearly reached 75. Those 140-character posts offer so much opportunity, and the ways to harness them are seemingly endless.
Take crime writer R.N. Morris. When he first set up shop on Twitter, he ran a serialization of his 2007 novel, The Gentle Axe
. Three years later, he calls it an insane endeavor and admits he's not sure why he did it. He then turned to more traditional tweets - his lunch, shoutouts, replies to other tweets. But the storyteller in him reared its head once again, and Morris turned that blank box into his new writing outlet. But instead of being limited by the 140-character limit, he embraced it, and began composing 140-character mysteries, which he calls Twisteries. Here's his latest:
His wife was next door when he was killed. A blow to the head; bloody marble bust nearby. Neighbours heard Mahler 8.
His followers then try to solve the Twistery, the solution to which Morris later posts. (The solution to the above Twistery is here.) Since the solution isn't limited to 140 characters, it allows Morris to flesh out a proper story complete with characters, which is exactly what he does best. So clever.
You can keep up with his Twisteries at his Twitter here.
[Friday, August 20, 2010
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*Looks like we just can't get enough of Betty White. The octogenarian just signed a deal for two upcoming books - a memoir entitled Listen Up! and a tome called The Zoo and I: Betty White and Her Friends. And no, the latter is not about her time on SNL.
*You should take the Guardian's incredible quiz on obscure words. And when I say it's incredible, I mean it's incredibly hard. I scored an impressive 1 out of 10 - don't I feel well-read!
*Rumor has it that Apple is to release a 7-inch iPad this Christmas. The Chinese newspaper that broke the story was the first to announce that the original iPad would be a tablet, not a netbook, so it's got a good track history.
*Speaking of e-readers, the Washington Post published a thoughtful article about what the devices will do to the personal library. I have a feeling they'll be just fine...what about you?
*And, because this blog doesn't have near enough bathroom humor, here's a tidbit to start your weekend off right. J.D. Salinger's toilet is allegedly up for grabs on eBay. Yes, you read that right, and it can be yours for the measly sum of $1 million. Not convinced it's worth the price? Prepare to be compelled by the seller's persuasive words: When [Salinger] died, his wife inherited all of his manuscripts with plans to eventually release some of them! Who knows how many of these stories were thought up and written while Salinger sat on this throne! This vintage toilet is from 1962 and is dated under the lid. It will come to you uncleaned and in it's original condition when it was removed from Salinger's old home! What are you waiting for? Get bidding!
[Thursday, August 19, 2010
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Looks like the book wallpaper craze has made its way around the room and to the door. I like this version a bit better than the wallpapers, though, since this is actually part of a collection of artfully imagined door designs and this graphic seems a lot less pretentious than the wallpapers I ran across (I guess it helps that you can't display books on a door ordinarily, but you can on a wall). Called Messy Stacks, this particular design is part of Koziel's Trompe-L'Oeil set, a collection of images for doors that, well, work as a trompe l'oeil. I won't go in depth about the rest of the images, but if you're interested, you can view them here.
[Wednesday, August 18, 2010
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Ever wish your vertical bookcases didn't hog so much wall space? Maybe you should think about going horizontal. Designer Aïssa Logerot has created an intriguing piece that puts a literal spin on the traditional concept of a bookcase. I like its flexibility - you could use it as a coffee table, a bench, even a media stand (I myself use an EXPEDIT bookcase I flipped and added legs to as a media console - it's perfect). Provided the bookcases were strong enough, you could even stack several on top of each other if you began running out of floor space (although that does start to nullify the point of the bookcase, I suppose). Anyway, I like it. It's simple, modern, versatile. Storing books on their sides isn't the best method, but at least it looks like the shelves wouldn't allow more than two or three books to be stacked on top of each other. Logerot has more clever creations on his website here - though, alas, no other book-related projects.
[via Yanko Design]
[Tuesday, August 17, 2010
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I've written about the fabulousness (fabulosity?) of BookBook before - one of the most elegant solutions I've seen for carrying and protecting a MacBook Pro. And now the hardback leather case has been redesigned to fit the iPad, resulting in a steampunk-esque combination of old and new. It's still available in either the black or the brown and will run you $69.99, with shipping free for a limited time. A new feature for this edition of the BookBook is that the case also functions as a display stand, allowing you to watch video on your iPad hands-free, which is pretty darn useful. You can read more about it and order it here.
[Tuesday, August 17, 2010
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Designer Peter Jensen drew from an unlikely source of inspiration for his autumn/winter 2010-2011 collection - Muriel Spark's 1961 book The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
. Drawing from the novel's setting, the pieces feature 1930s style with setting-appropriate knits and tartans. All in all, a very classic collection that does its inspiration proud. You can view more photos here and a video of the show here.
[Monday, August 16, 2010
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[Clockwise from top: thank you cards $11.99; bookends $79; laptop sleeve $50; bookmark $13; buttons £3.50; throw pillow $80; tea towels $20]
[Underwood 5]
[clockwise from top: cufflinks $40; tote bag $8; tie $30; T-shirt $39.95; keyboard stickers £14.95; typewriter ribbon tins here, here, here]
[Friday, August 13, 2010
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*Looking for a few new recipes? The Observer's put together a list of the 50 best cookbooks.
*The oldest known written version of the ballad of Molly Malone has found a new home. The tiny 18th century book featuring "the tart with a cart" has been bought by Dublin's tourism authority and given to the Dublin Writers Museum.
*Since he technically did retire a while back (his comeback notwithstanding), I suppose it's somewhat appropriate for Jay-Z to release a memoir, since in career years he's probably in his 70s now. His 336-page book, Decoded
, hits shelves Nov. 16.
*As the retail industry has deemed it the holiday season already, it makes sense to start planning your gift list. So, what do you get the person who has everything? Why, artisanal pencil sharpening, of course!
*Anis Shivani over at the Huffington Post made quite a stir this week with his article about the 15 most overrated contemporary American writers. The piece has racked up more than 1,500 comments thus far and promises to garner more as Shivani gets ready to announce a global list, a 20th century list and an underrated writers list. Who'd be your picks?
[Friday, August 13, 2010
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To all the single males out there who read this blog: BUY THIS. IT WILL WORK.
$5 from powerandlight
[Thursday, August 12, 2010
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Edgar Allan Poe was one consistent guy. Although he was destined for posthumous literary greatness, during his lifetime he was seemingly best at being the Lindsay Lohan of his day. (But she's going to have to exert herself if she wants to surpass his dying-in-the-gutter stunt.) One of the many opportunities Poe thumbed his tipsy nose at was post-secondary education at the University of Virginia. Despite inheriting $750,000 in 1825, Poe was forced to drop out of the college in 1826 due to lack of funds. Apparently, he was one atrocious card player.
But although Poe spent only one year studying at UVA, his time at the college has been memorialized by way of his former dorm room. The room has been restored twice and is currently maintained by members of UVA's Raven Society, which recognizes academic excellence at the school and was named for Poe's most famous creation. Every year, the group selects one member to act as the sole caretaker of Poe's old room, which is numbered, fittingly enough, 13. The room houses period-appropriate furniture, stacks of Poe's works and, of course, a stuffed raven. (And check out that mattress - I think today's dorm beds are actually an improvement.)
You can learn more about the room and its upkeep, as well as the lucky guy who was in charge of dusting this year here.
[via Apartment Therapy]
[Thursday, August 12, 2010
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Gilt has really outdone itself this time. Starting today, the site will feature a massive collection of discounted books from Random House, Assouline, teNeues, Abrams, Black Dog and Leventhal, Clarkson Potter Books, Artisan Books and Glitterati. The titles cover everything from travel, cooking, home decor to fashion, architecture and history. There's even a little Dr. Seuss thrown in there. The sale ends this Sunday at 11 p.m. CST, but I doubt a lot of the books will last that long.
If you're a Gilt member, you know what to do; if not, you can sign up here.
[Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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Today, I tease you (or maybe just myself) with another quirky bookcase that has yet to be produced en masse. Yes, unfortunately Bookshelf Annotation by LAUDesign remains in the concept stage and is not currently available for purchase.
I'd love to see a company pick up this shelf; it'd be pretty cheap to manufacture seeing as it's small, simple and constructed out of what looks to be MDF. C'mon, corporate America - book lovers always need more reasonably priced, non-hideous shelving, and you need a serious influx of cash. Let's work something out.
[Tuesday, August 10, 2010
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I love art. Unfortunately, I am both artistically challenged and poor, so my collection is a very slow-growing one. So when I discovered Tiny Showcase, I literally shrieked with joy. Created back in 2004, the project is the brainchild of Jon Buonaccorsi and Shea'la Finch. As they explain,
We are lucky enough to be surrounded by a group of friends who are amazing and talented people.
We started thinking that it would be really nice if we could create a forum and community where all of this incredible talent could be showcased. Pricing was an issue - most of our friends aren't exactly rich, so we began exploring a smaller medium where the artist could make some money on smaller pieces of artwork. The art enthusiast, on the other hand, gets to take home their piece of artwork for around the same price as a CD, book or record...
And this is where you and I come in. Each week, Tiny Showcase picks a piece of art to feature and turn into a limited-edition print run. They print on archival Hahnemühle German Printmaking Paper and treat the archival ink so that it will have a lifespan of more than 60 years. The art may be inexpensive, but it certainly isn't cheap. And not only does the artist receive cash from the sale, but a portion also goes to a charity of the artist's choice. Could it get any better?
Actually, for us book lovers, yes. Because one of the items still available is Ten Bookplates by Ray Fenwick.
Fantastic, no? Here's a closeup:
Wonderful. The bookplates come in a set of (duh) 10 and measure 3" by 4". You ready for the price tag?
$5.
No, I'm not kidding. I told you Tiny Showcase is worth shrieking about. You can ogle Ray's bookplates here, see the rest of Tiny Showcase's offerings here.
[Monday, August 09, 2010
|
I find pulp lit incredibly fascinating. Every time I pop into Half Price Books, I spin through its rack of pulp titles, looking for standout titles or covers. There are always new gems - apparently the turnover there is pretty high? - and I'm frequently tempted to buy a couple, but the last thing I need is to start collecting another genre.
But Thomas Allen takes pulp to a whole new level. He cuts out cover elements from selected titles and then positions them together to create individual vignettes, resulting in a context even more deliciously pulpy than the originals.
You can browse his hilarious setups at the Joseph Bellows Gallery here and the Foley Gallery here.
$5.99; tote $17; Nancy Drew movie mystery collection
$19.49]
$24.95]
$11; graphic novels vols. 1-4
$21.56; mystery party game
$39.99; address book
$11]
Yesterday, I read about a guy who's using Twitter as a dieting tool. Every day, he publicly posts his weight to keep himself accountable. It seems to be working - he set out to lose 25 pounds, and he's nearly reached 75. Those 140-character posts offer so much opportunity, and the ways to harness them are seemingly endless. 
But although Poe spent only one year studying at UVA, his time at the college has been memorialized by way of his former dorm room. The room has been restored twice and is currently maintained by members of UVA's Raven Society, which recognizes academic excellence at the school and was named for Poe's most famous creation. Every year, the group selects one member to act as the sole caretaker of Poe's old room, which is numbered, fittingly enough, 13. The room houses period-appropriate furniture, stacks of Poe's works and, of course, a stuffed raven. (And check out that mattress - I think today's dorm beds are actually an improvement.)
Today, I tease you (or maybe just myself) with another quirky bookcase that has yet to be produced en masse. Yes, unfortunately Bookshelf Annotation by LAUDesign remains in the concept stage and is not currently available for purchase.
$249.99]
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