Booklicious

Etsy Gems: DesignAtelierArticle's Minimalist Bookends

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Lena and Dmitry of Design Atelier Article make a damn fine pair of bookends. They make other things, too — hooks, candle holders, clocks — but their bookends are worthy of any design-focused home store: think CB2, West Elm, Z Gallerie. And this is what I love most about Etsy — sure, you're going to find the Regretsy-worthy there, but more often than not you'll find pieces that any home (or body) would be proud to display. It's an honest-to-goodness 21st-century treasure trove.

DesignAtelierArticle's bookends run from the angelic:

to the athletic: and everything in between: You can browse the rest of Lena and Dmitry's shop here.

Eva Sernin Pernas's Lit-Inspired Makeup

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Most days, my makeup routine consists of common, even boring, products like concealer, eyeshadow, and blush. I'd be the first to admit it's a snooze. But if Eva Sernin Pernas had to describe her look, she'd use words like orange slices, glitter, rhinestones, and sugar. It takes a lot more than a swipe of mascara and slash of lippy to make this girl happy.

That's because Eva really is a makeup artist. She uses her skills to transform her features into homages to movies, books, video games, even fruit. Check out her take on The Hunger Games, Alice in Wonderland, the Harry Potter series, and Breakfast at Tiffany's (above):


[The Hunger Games]

[Harry Potter]


[Alice in Wonderland]

[Alice in Wonderland]

You can view more of her incredible work here.

Getting Personal with the LRB

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000

[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.]

*Happy 37-year-old woman seeks sexy, reliable partner and father of her future children. China-based, can live anywhere. Literary, sociable, athletic, sings blues-rock, great cook, opera enthusiast, avid poetry reader (Christopher Reid! Billy Collins!), globe-trotter, theatre addict, museum-goer, stupendous smiler, fabulous lover, modest (obviously), knows nothing about wine and routinely picks whatever is from New Zealand. Totally into mindfulness meditation though can be sceptical about the Buddhism.
email: venus.ventus.temerarus@gmail.com

*Southwest Crusoe, 64, eclectic, languages, widower, yearns for female footprints in the sand – warm, witty, companionable, coeval, localish. Unearthing elusive culture, outings, innings, travel, LOL/LOL (horseless, textless), even fairweather boating, could occur. Break out and let rip, occidental bluestocking; sorry, MetroCantab gels.
email: fridayseeker@hotmail.co.uk

Lit-Inspired Baby Photo Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Does it get any cuter? This is Maddie, whose mother, Nicole Lepper of Monmouth, Ill., decided to forgo the usual Anne Geddes–style baby photos in favor of something a little more special. A fan of fairy tales, she worked with photographer Wendi Riggins to come up with a selection of scenes from her favorite stories, with Maddie dressed as a character from each. Called the Once Upon a Time series, the photos include scenes from Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood.

"The day of the session went better than we ever could have planned," Riggins posted on her blog. "Maddie didn’t mind the non-stop clothing changes, and seemed entertained by all the sets! She especially loved the “big bad wolf” and soap bubbles! And then, at the very end, she fell asleep, giving us one last shot to wrap up this perfect session, a shot we hadn’t even planned on and threw together very last minute!"

A similarly themed first-birthday shoot is scheduled for late March/early April, which Riggins also plans to post on her site. You can view more photos from the shoot here.

This Week's Bestsellers

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000

New York Times: Combined Print & Ebook Fiction
1. Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson
2. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. Wait for Me by Elisabeth Naughto
5. A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

New York Times: Combined Print & Ebook Nonfiction
1. American Sniper by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice
2. Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander
3. America the Beautiful by Ben C. Carson and Candy Carson
4. Drinking and Tweeting by Brandi Glanville with Leslie Bruce
5. Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Indie: Hardcover Fiction
1. Tenth of December by George Saunders
2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
3. The Dinner by Herman Koch
4. Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
5. A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

Indie: Hardcover Nonfiction
1. My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
2. Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott
3. I Could Pee on This by Francesco Marciuliano
4. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
5. The Future by Al Gore

Design Your Own Pulp Cover

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:30:00 +0000

Although most of us don't have the mental fortitude to bang out a full-length pulp story, author and illustrator Bradley W. Schneck's Pulp-O-Mizer means we can at least create our own pulp-fiction covers. With a huge array of backgrounds, images, text treatments, and copy options, the Pulp-O-Mizer has the potential to monopolize hours of your time — don't say I didn't warn you. You can download your design in a variety of sizes and add it to merchandise like cards, posters, mugs, and iPad covers sold on the site.

Jack Black, Goldilocks, Regina Spektor, and Curious George Made a Music Video

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 20:25:00 +0000

To raise support for its Book People Unite campaign, literacy nonprofit Reading is Fundamental rounded up literary icons like Captain Ahab and Humpty Dumpty and entertainers like Jack Black and Regina Spektor for a little music video.

In underserved communities in the U.S., there's only one book for every 300 kids. Learn how to change that number here.

David Paler Photographs the Books of the Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Photo: DavidPaler.com

I love finding treasure in trash reading. The other day, I was skimming an article about Kelly Ripa putting her apartment on the market for $24.5 million (!!) and idly clicked over to the website of the photographer who took photos of the property. David Paler specializes in architecture and interiors, which gives him poignant insight into a little-talked-about situation: photographing the possessions — in particular the library — of the recently deceased.

But it’s the bookcases and their contents that usually catch my attention. When you shoot enough apartments both living and dead, you can tell when someone buys books for show and when they actually read them. It’s fascinating to see literally acres of paper, literature they read in university and out, row upon row of history books and biographies, solemn legal or medical tomes utilized for a life’s work, or vast art book collections, many out of print. Generations of books. There were times where I found that the deceased owner was actually the author of several of the books, and I wondered how much knowledge and wisdom was lost.

You can read the rest of David's article here and view his portfolio here.

{blast from the past post} Darth Vader Reads Bedtime Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran February 2, 2012. Click here for the original post.}

James Earl Jones reading a children's story — does this not sound like the perfect way to drift off to sleep? I am so envious of today's kids, because not only do they get Darth Vader reading them bedtime stories, they also get Betty White, Ernest Borgnine, and Robert Guillaume (but only if they're well-behaved, obedient children — otherwise they get stuck with the likes of Amanda Bynes and Haylie Duff).

All this narrative magnificence comes to us via Storytime Online, a SAG-funded program whose selling point is essentially what I presented above: famous people reading children's books. Any book that is read by a famous Joe is also available for purchase (for you Victorians who actually prefer to read to your own children in the flesh — OMG).

This almost makes me wish I had kids.

{blast from the past post} The Great Gatsby, Nintendo-Style

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 18:00:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran February 17, 2011. Click here for the original post.}

When Michael forwarded me this link on Monday, exhorting me to feature it, I was initially dismissive. Fast forward to today, however, and suddenly I'm singing a different tune.

Here's the deal. Four guys combined their programming, art and lit skills to create an open-source version of a "lost" Nintendo game based on The Great Gatsby. It's pretty funny stuff — they've put together a back story, a manual and box art, as well as the pretty darn entertaining flash game itself. You can play it whenever you want, wherever you want — it's hosted here and playable in-browser. I predict a sizable drop in productivity this week...

{blast from the past post} Alan Rickman Reads Shakespeare

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 18:30:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran March 22, 2011. Click here for the original post.}

This popped up in my Tumblr feed recently, and all I can say is...PHWOAR.

{blast from the past post} The Paper Books of Flavio Demarchi

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran April 26, 2011. Click here for the original post.}

Photographer Flavio Demarchi has used his mad camera skills to create a series of works called Paper Books. They are utterly charming. Featuring elements of well-known books, his photos bring whimsy to old classics, with each one receiving a unique treatment. You can check out a couple more of my favorites after the jump.

View more of the series here and Flavio's website here.

{blast from the past post} Lewis Carroll Reads Jabberwocky

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 18:00:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran April 29, 2011. Click here for the original post.}

Happy Friday! In celebration of the end of the week (and the glorious weather that has finally deigned to grace Chicago), here's a fun video of Lewis Carroll reading Jabberwocky. If you like this, then you should check out the poetryreincarnations channel on YouTube.

{blast from the past post} Pick Up an Unputdownable

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:00:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran October 18, 2010. Click here for the original post.}

Once upon a time (sophomore and junior years of college), I wanted to be a copywriter for an ad agency (yes, it was pre-Mad Men, thank you very much). Then I interned at an agency, and by the end of the summer I'd promptly changed my mind. (I am just too square for that business — you have to be blessed with a generous dose of weird to be good at the job.) Despite my about-face, I'm still an ad junkie, and when campaigns like this one come along, well, then I'm just in media heaven.

This is the Unputdownable campaign, which Penguin Books commissioned for the Malaysian market. The ads feature the hands of readers transformed into various works of classic lit - The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Railway Children and Cannery Row. Lovelovelove.

[via The Book Cover Archive Blog]

{blast from the past post} A Pair of Converse for Your Seussy Side

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 17:30:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran May 5, 2010. Click here for the original post.}

Oh, the places you'll go...in Converse's new Dr. Seuss collection. There are 12 styles available, in sizes for babies to baby boomers. I really like the sneakers with the exaggerated sketch lines - they look as though they've jumped straight out of one of the books. The adult versions will run you $55 to $65, the kiddie versions (ages 3 to 12) $40 to $45, and the baby editions (0 to 3) $35 to $40. Cute! Check out the entire collection here.

{blast from the past post} Jacket+Bookmark

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:00:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran February 19, 2010. Click here for the original post.}

How neat are these? The work of Igor "Rogix" Udushlivy, these clever books incorporate a bookmark into their design, making the covers more than just pretty pictures. Check out my favorites after the jump; browse the whole collection at Igor's website here.

{blast from the past post} Bookish Body Art: Literary Tattoos

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:00:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran July 13, 2010. Click here for the original post.}

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...")

From Le Petit Prince: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

An illustration by John Alcorn from Books! by Murray McCain.

From The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis.

Want to see more? HarperCollins will release a book called The World Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide this autumn.

'Til 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Since Michael and I will be spending the holidays in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the last original post of 2012. I'll be running some 'vintage' posts in the meantime — dating all the way back to 2010! And however you choose to celebrate, I and the Dude wish you a very merry — and booklicious — holiday.

A Literary Christmas: Bookish Gingerbread Houses

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Forget the ubiquitous out-of-a-box gingerbread house — these holiday creations are on a whole different level. And no, I don't think there's a kit for these.

[Typewriter by Baked Ideas]

[The Nutcracker by Cake Power and Baked Ideas]

[Hogwarts by Britta]

[Hansel and Gretel by Lorrie Gauthier]

["There Was a Crooked House" via This Old House]

[The Wizard of Oz by Alane Johnson]

[Globe Theatre via This Old House]

[The Burrow by mezcraft via Instructables]

[Hogwarts via Blastr]

Booklicious Reviews: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 2

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:00:00 +0000

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 2 is a deceptive little tome. For one thing, it's actually less tiny than the first: although there are five fewer contributors this time around (62 vs. 67), Volume 2 is roughly 50% longer than Volume 1. For another, it's extremely hard to review without resorting to words like "cull" and "gamut," which sound like a good way to describe the submissions but don't really explain anything. There's also the artwork — it's contributor-generated, just like the text, but The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories and Artwork That's Roughly Postcard Sized just doesn't have the same ring to it.

This second installment preserves all the great elements of the first — it's digestible, but when you reread it you find lots of details you missed the first time. The artwork and the stories enrich each other and create whole worlds and entire lives, sometimes using less ink than a signature. The real genius behind hitRECord is the same, as well. The stories and artwork are uploaded to the hitRECord website by a thriving, positive, collaborative community of artists. Some of the stories and sketches are created by the same person, some are the result of writer and illustrator collaboration requests, and some are remixes or adaptations of work in the community database. The end result is as close as you can get to tangible zeitgeist — you can actually pick up the thoughts and feelings of an entire community and put them on your shelf.

The book itself boasts a higher expensive production value than the first, with slicker textures and debossed art and type. The two look comfortable sitting on a bookshelf together, though, with complementary color schemes and matching artwork, and they'll doubtlessly accompany their upcoming 2013 sibling prettily.

You can browse inside the book here and learn more via Joseph Gordon-Levitt below:

{ A MICHAEL NUHN REVIEW }

My Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:32:00 +0000

The subject of my first Bookcase Wednesday post was my own home. Michael and I were living in our teeny tiny first apartment, and we had so little room that we were still keeping half our collection at our parents' houses. It was not fun. But that was more than three years ago, so the time seems ripe for an update post.

Happily, we no longer have to farm out our book storage. When we moved to Chicago and upgraded to a two-bedroom apartment, one of our first decisions was to make the second bedroom a library. To the left of this photo (there's no good way to get a shot of this entire room — so aggravating) there's another of these Expedit 6'x6' bookcases. I love IKEA's Expedits — they're sturdy, attractive and affordable. My only regret is that the company recently released a glossy version, making me love my four matte-white models just a little less.

Although we can't fit all our books in this one room, it's where we keep our favorites and collectibles, such as the children's books I brought over from Scotland as a kid and Michael's uber-nerdy tomes on classical civilizations. Our library reveals a lot about both our personalities, and although it's often said the eyes are the windows to the soul, I think books have far more to say. If this room went up in flames, it'd be as devastating as losing a very dear, very old friend.

Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:54:00 +0000

I hadn't intended to make this a cat-themed post, but I discovered this brilliant milk-carton house for cats over at Design Sponge, and today's theme was set. So, today I present the CatCase, a kitty palace in which cats will permit your books to reside.

CatCase is one of Urban CatDesign's modern furniture pieces for cat owners (the company also makes the CatScratch and CatLedge). This bookcase keeps books and cats separated via walls behind each book section, and carpeted areas protect the surface from claws and prevent cats from slipping.

It can be yours, in a multitude of colors, for €1,125 (currently 10% off), with free shipping available within Europe. You can view more photos and info here.

A Literary Christmas: Paper Wreaths

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:00:00 +0000

It's been a couple of years, so the time seemed right for a reboot of 2010's paper-wreath roundup. I've included a few tutorials and a few buy-it-hang-it models for the less craft-inclined. And there's no reason you have to use actual book pages for these — the square wreath proves unadorned paper looks just as stunning, and I think tea staining would be another beautiful option.

[Giant paper flower, $45, by NodakMama]

[Sunflower wreath, $120, by Paper Productions]

[Wreath by Chiquita Moms; tutorial by See Kate Sew]

[Wreath by De Anna Welch]

[Wreath and tutorial by Bungalow Blue]

[Paper wings by Simple Joys Paperie]

[Wreath by Lucy Jane; tutorial by Better Homes and Gardens]

[Square wreath, $65, by weirdlittleworld]

[Paper curl wreath by Life Frosting; tutorial by Under the Table and Dreaming]

[Snowflake wreath, $36, by ookBW]

Friday Bookmarks

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 17:00:00 +0000

*Desperately trying to wrap up your NaNoWriMo manuscript but drained of creativity? Check out Hatch's Plot Bank for a boost. [via GalleyCat]

*It's got higher sales figures, a higher incidence of sex, and, allegedly, a higher standard of writing. This is apparently the new — and improved — Fifty Shades of Grey. [via the Daily Mail]

*There's now a Hobbit-themed airplane. I wish I were flying this airline on my trip to New Zealand this winter. [via LaineyGossip]

*Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins has a new book coming out. [via the Atlantic Wire]

*And so it begins (or maybe I'm just late) — the media has started churning out their 2012 lists earnestly detailing the year's best books. Here's one featuring writers' own favorites. [via the Guardian]

*The Internet geeked out this week over the discovery of The Calvin and Hobbes Search Engine — despite the fact that it has existed since 2010. [via The Atlantic Wire]

*New Yorkers! Did you know there's now a public-transit commuter book club? [via GalleyCat]

*And finally, start your weekend off on an adorable note by ogling these stinking cute photos of dogs frolicking underwater, from the book Underwater Dogs by Seth Casteel. [via everywhere]

Etsy Gems: Vicki Smith's Button Book

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Even though my husband is the chef of the household, I've somehow been infected with the cookbook bug (Nigella is my particular weakness). We've got so many at this point that they've taken over one of our shelving units and have staged an invasion of one of our prep surfaces. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, then, that these tiny button books have sparked my interest.

Painstakingly crafted by New Jersey–based illustrator Vicki Smith, this little accordion-folded book features a recipe for oatmeal pancakes. The book details the process via 14 tiny pages of watercolor illustrations, which are mounted between two 1.25-inch buttons. I only wish there were additional volumes to ogle.

You can buy the book for $12 here and learn more about Vicki and her work here.