Booklicious

Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:19:00 +0000

I've got no idea where this room is, who it belongs to, or how high the shelving goes, but damn, it's cool.

[thanks, Dan!]

Gatsby is Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Gripe 1: I do not believe that Leo's Gatsby could fall for Carey's Daisy. Maybe it's because he's such a modelizer in real life, maybe it's because he seems sorely out of practice in his on-screen roles, maybe the two just don't have chemistry.

Gripe 2: Daisy is noted for her "low thrilling" voice. And Carey Mulligan really does have a lovely voice, in timbre and tone. But she's gone and pitched it higher for this role, ruining all that wonderful depth — why???

But you can bet I'll see this. It's Luhrmann+classic lit. How could I resist?

Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

This is one of those designs you can't believe you hadn't thought of. A bookshelf with a built-in bookend? But of course!

This is the Hold Me Tight, a cute name for a cute shelf. It's basically as simple as it looks — a block bookend is mounted to a track and can be moved along the shelf and secured using the oversize wingnut underneath. Colleen & Eric, you're brilliant.

View more photos here.

Money: Not yet in mass production
Materials: 41"L x 11"H x 8"D
Measurements: Beech, walnut, or oak shelf; aluminum block and wingnut

Getting Personal with the LRB

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:00:00 +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.]

*Should you be a mature Renaissance lady who can appreciate the stimulation provided by expert strokes of genius, look for a senior Italian artist anticipating that you are no figment of his imagination.
email: info@vitadimilano.com

Second-Chance Albatros

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Do you guys remember these fab Albatros bookmarks I posted about back in March? Well, if you missed out on preordering them during the IndieGoGo campaign, get excited — the bookmarks are now available for general purchase! Grab some from Gizmine.

Booklicious Reviews: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

This is a tiny review for The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, "directed" by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. A postcard-size hardback digestible in a 5- to 10-minute sitting, The Tiny Book contains 50 or 60 itty bitty stories and accompanying illustrations, chosen by JGL himself from 8,569 contributions submitted to hitRECord.org. They span nearly the entire scope of literature despite being as short as a text. Some are maudlin, some are hilarious, some are prose, some are poetry. Each manages to pack an entire story into a few lines, giving readers a lasting impression of the inside of a paranoid mind, several unhappy relationships, a couple of philosophical riddles, and even the White Rabbit's take on the events of Alice in Wonderland in just six words (suck it, Hemingway). Although I had the press release and the book cover, I was still feeling a bit dense as I flipped through the list of contributors, trying to figure out who exactly authored the book and what exactly JGL had to do with it. Here's the answer: in 2005, he launched hitRECord, a collaborative online publishing company, which now has something like 10,000 contributors and produces work in every medium except microfilm. Also, unlike some other massive contributor-based publishing ventures you may have heard of, hitRECord actually shares its profits with its contributors. How refreshing.

{ A MICHAEL NUHN REVIEW }

Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 09 May 2012 23:19:00 +0000

So far, I've dedicated a Bookcase Wednesday to cat lovers and one to bull lovers (all three of you) — now here's one for all you dog lovers. This collection of pieces is Nel Studio's Pack of Dogs project. The collection consists of six teak pieces modeled roughly on a dog's shape, each with a different size and shape and each bearing the name of a Mexican wrestler (sadly, there's no backstory given about this). Nel Studio's designers see the pieces working in multiple ways — as bookshelves, bookends, side tables, even as benches. As you can see, though, placing the pieces together can produce a perhaps awkward image:

If you don't understand what I'm talking about — bless you. Your mind obviously steers clear of the gutter mine lives in.

You can learn about ordering info here, though the Kirk Gallery site is no longer active.

Roundup: Owl Bookends

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with owls. I had posters, books, ornaments — I even wanted to be a falconer so that I could spend all day with the birds. Looking back, I can see what an odd little fad it must have been — it predated Harry Potter, so nobody really shared my enthusiasm, and I was convinced it would be a lifelong passion. I still quite like owls, but I'm not exactly willing to live in near poverty just so I can hang out with them all day. But thanks to the recent owl trend, it's become quite easy to insert a wee touch of owl love into one's decor without going all Renaissance Faire about it. In fact, what with Jonathan Adler getting into the trend, you could even go high end with it.

White owl bookends; 5.75" x 5.75" x 8.5"; $29.95 from Z Gallerie

Cotton owl bookends; 8"H x 7"W x 5.5"D; $30 from Pottery Barn Kids

Jonathan Adler white owl bookend set; 8" x 4" x 4"; $195 from Jonathan Adler

Owl silhouette bookends by Streamline; 7"H; $24.24 from Amazon

Cast iron owl bookends; 6.75"H: $140 from YLiving

Who's Hoo owl bookends; 5.75"2 x 3.75"D x 5.5"H; $39 from Levenger

White resin owl bookends; 7.25" x 4"; $39.95 from Barnes and Noble

Skip Hop owl bookends; 8"H x 5.5"W; $34.99 from Target

Wide-eyed owl bookends; 7"H x 4.5"W x 4"D; $49.95 from Barnes and Noble

May 2012 Book-to-Film Trailers

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

May is one of those awkward movie months — it's too early for awards bait, but the kids are still in school, so the studios haven't fully unleashed the power of the summer blockbuster. Not that that seems to be hampering The Avengers, which has already opened overseas and has generated great reviews. At this point, the superhero movie has utterly eclipsed its comic-book roots, with its appeal stretching far beyond the stereotypical geeks and fanboys. It's been fascinating to watch it happen over the past decade. But the movies accompanying The Avengers this month could hardly be more different. For fans of young, leggy, damaged blondes and a tough-as-nails coming-of-age story, there's Hick, with Kick Ass' Chloe Moretz and Blake Lively in a role worlds away from Gossip Girl (no doubt a strategic move). Fans of timeless British actors should check out Judi Dench and Maggie Smith in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and women who weren't totally demoralized by Beyonce's pregnancy physique should bring their best bitch face to What to Expect When You're Expecting, starring Sports Illustrated model Brooklyn Decker and a prosthetic baby bump. Video after the jump!

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
A group of stressed British retirees decide to make a trip to India, lured by a brochure for an exotic and luxurious hotel. In reality, the hotel is a wreck, though the tourists find themselves falling in love with their environment nonetheless.
Starring Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, and Dev Patel
Based on These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach
In theaters starting May 4

The Avengers
Marvel's superheroes — Iron Man, Black Widow, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, and Hawkeye — join forces to battle Thor's brother, Loki.
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, and so many more actors that you know from their respective superhero movies
Based on the Marvel comic series
In theaters May 4

What to Expect When You're Expecting

Five interconnected couples go through the myriad emotions and experiences of impending parenthood.
Starring Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Matthew Morrison, and Dennis Quaid
Based on the book of the same name by Heidi Murkoff
In theaters May 18

Hick

Abandoned by her parents, a 13-year-old girl runs away to Las Vegas and gets intimately acquainted with life's seedy underbelly.

Starring Chloe Moretz, Blake Lively, and Rory Culkin

Based on Andrea Portes's novel of the same name

In theaters starting May 11

Getting Personal with the LRB

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

*Late 20s male, living north of London. Like all aspiring writers, would prefer Paris but have neither money nor mettle for relocation. Rather, have thus far settled for life of mundane pleasures and job stability. Less like Heathcliff, more Sancho Panza (sans corpulence). Seeking: female, close in age, willing to meet a man of no magnitude.
email: servuscallidus@gmail.com

*Adventurous intellectual couple, late twenties, seek similar female to turn their Bloomsbury square into a triangle. Is this you? Send us a paragraph about yourself.
email: squaretotriangle@gmail.com

*Co-driver(s) sought to tour the Alvar Aalto buildings in Europe. Two weeks, 2K, France, Germany, Denmark, Finland, late June early July? I am a woman just under 50, you can be whatever you like so long as you can drive and are solvent. Not an architect in case you're wondering.
email: aalto12@gmail.com

Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 03 May 2012 03:23:00 +0000

What do you think this bookcase is made of? Pine? Ash bentwood? The ever popular "engineered wood"?

How about cardboard? It's true. This is the Dickens bookshelf (pictured below with the Georgia sideboard), designed by Reinhard Dienes Studio. I haven't seen it in person, but in photographs it does a great job of exuding substance and robustness. I know that if I ever had one of these, though, the universe would ensure my clumsiness reached new heights. I'd somehow find myself tripping and sailing directly into this thing while carrying a giant pot of water, which would soak the thing from top to bottom. Why would I be carrying a giant pot of water through my apartment? No idea, but it sounds just ridiculous enough that it could actually happen, and my cool bookcase would be left soggier than a Seattle sandwich.

More photos here.

Materials: Cardboard and PVC color film; available in blue, black, red, green, purple, white, brown, and yellow
Measurements: 13.8"D x 21.7"W x 59.1"H
Money: £179/$290 from Fashion For Home

A Postcard from Hitler: The Man Before the Monster

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

What plagued Hitler before an obsessive hatred of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, the handicapped, Jehovah's Witnesses, and basically everyone lacking blue eyes and blond hair? Bad teeth, according to a 1916 postcard he sent to Karl Lanzhammer, a fellow officer. This poorly spelled postcard turned up in the 45,000-piece trove of memorabilia uploaded to Europeana, an online history archive open to the public. Though brief, the postcard is interesting because it is simply so mundane:

Dear Lanzhammer, I am now in Munich at the Ersatz Btl. Currently I am under dental treatment. By the way I will report voluntarily for the field immediately. Kind regards A. Hitler

View the original Europeana entry here.

These Are Your Kids on Books

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

I am so tickled by this poster. It's part of an ad campaign by nonprofit literacy group Burning Through Pages. Based in Denver, the group declares it has a single goal: To inspire a love of reading in today's youth by recommending, donating, and discussing books.

The working concept of Burning Through Pages is that the literature assigned by public and private schools, while important, contains dated prose and often antiquated ideals. While the classics are classics for a reason, they are not always easily relatable to the current generation reading them. That's where we come in. We are here to introduce new and updated literature to Denver's youth. We buy books, give them away, and take the time to talk about them.

You can learn more about Burning Through Pages here; If you'd like to donate to this worthy group, you can do so here.

[via GalleyCat]

The Art of Hemingway: The Old Man and the Sea in Four Minutes

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:00:00 +0000

This video produced on my face the kind of slow, stretching smile that you later realize is an ear-to-ear, utterly oblivious, dork-to-the-nth grin. It's great. You should press play and watch the sickeningly talented Marcel Schindler sketch out Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. It's like watching someone read your mind as you read a book (so, you know, a bit creepy, as well as fascinating).

[via 71 Blue]

Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:32:00 +0000

I know I featured an Umbra design only recently, but seeing as how many people love Umbra's Conceal shelf, I thought many of you might be interested in seeing the newest iteration. This is the new L Conceal shelf, a bentwood version of the original. I think a group of these shelves would look fab on a wall, and as each can hold 30 pounds, a cluster of three or four could provide storage for decent amount of books.

$35 from Umbra

Materials: Wood, with two metal brackets
Measurements: 18"x7"

Etsy Gems: Nancy Drew Clothespins

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

Gah, the cuteness! But I'll go ahead and warn you right now: the maker of these darling pegs doesn't recommend using them to hang wet clothes — she instead suggests using them to hold papers or to add a decorative touch around the house (poster clips?).

Etsy seller courtney added a twist to plain old clothespins using the first page from a 1960s edition of the first Nancy Drew mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock. The text is covered in a waterproof gloss, and the clothespins come packaged in a sweet little linen bag.

Eight pegs for $4 — snap them up here.

Why Old Books Smell So Good

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:04:00 +0000

I was already a huge fan of Abebooks.com, since it's about the only way I can track down old British editions on this side of the pond, but then a friend tipped me off about the site's series of YouTube videos. As soon as I saw they had dedicated a whole video to that heady, soul-hugging scent you can find only in aged books, I was hooked. (Amy, you know me so well.)

Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:12:00 +0000

Another month, another tree-inspired bookcase. Designed by Roberto Carrazzo, this one seems still to be in the concept — and nameless — stage but looks to have potential.

So far, Roberto envisions his design to be made from a single-cast plastic case in striking blue and red. He claims it could be fixed to the wall in a traditional style or placed in the center of a room for maximum effect, though I don't see any supporting pieces that would enable that sort of positioning. I'm also a bit concerned over the use of plastic — I'm not sure those non-central branches would be able to support a great deal of weight, which is of primary importance when selecting a bookcase. But hey, that's what the concept stage is for, right?

[via Yanko Design]

Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:11:00 +0000

Umbra is one of those design companies that knows how to have fun. Take this Biblioteca bookcase, for example. Designer Matt Carr, the brains behind the piece, produced the first iteration of this look when he created a bookrack for his own home using two vintage coffee tables. I love that he and Umbra (whose products are sold in Target, a middle-class company if there ever was one) weren't afraid to challenge their customers and mass-produce a bookcase that looks as though it stepped straight out of Wonderland.

Materials: Black lacquered wood legs, natural mahogany top
Measurements: 43.5"H x 56"W x 10"D
Money: $500 from Umbra

Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:43:00 +0000

Before moving to Chicago, I wasn't really cognizant of bike culture. In Kansas City, everyone's ass is pretty much glued to their car; in Southern California, if you don't have a car (preferably a luxury import) you're virtually a bum; and in New York, the only bikes noticeable in the solid mass that is traffic are ridden by messengers well-acquainted with their mortality. But biking has many supporters here in Chicago, and when I spotted BYografia's BookBike, I thought of my many biking coworkers who love both wheels and words.

From BYografia:

The symbiosis between CD's books, objects and bikes creates a powerful symbol inside a home, in a moment in which the search to express in one's home elements that speak of the personality and passions of those that live there is ever more frequent.

Available in chalk white or iron gray, the bookcase boasts quick assembly and features an adjustable hook that accommodates a range of bike sizes. You can read more about it and sigh over its $3,600 price tag here. The BookBike goes on sale in June.

Measurements: 205 cm x 85 cm x 40 cm

Getting Personal with the LRB

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000

*Stephen Fry is smart and funny; I am smart and funny and much better looking. Plus, I'm a doll, looking for a guy, 50+, to make me think and laugh.
email: biblio.susan@gmail.com

*Woman, 35. Large untapped reserves of buttock and frontal lobe.
email: largeuntappedreserves@gmx.co.uk

Birth of a Book: How a Hardcover Comes to Life

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

I know I'm supposed to be all, "Yay, the future—digital books! Lighter, more compact, capable of projecting smugness without my moving a muscle!" But I'm not yet fully seated, strapped in, and ready to rock my Kindle, replicator, and hoverboard on that bandwagon. Books engage nearly all my senses, and if I lost the touch of paper on my skin, the smell of aged pages or new ink, the vibrant visual of a stunning binding—well, I don't think I'd love books half as much. Fortunately for me, some bookbinders out there, such as Smith Settle, still cling to the craft and continue to produce lovely books that will be appreciated for a long time. Journalist and filmmaker Glen Milner visited Smith Settle and shot the above video, which demonstrates how one of the company's popular editions is brought to life.

From the Telegraph:

For this mesmerising exclusive video, Glen Milner visited Smith Settle bookbinders near Leeds, where the owners, Don Walters and Tracey Thorne, allowed him to film the making of the 17th Slightly Foxed book, Suzanne St Albans’s memoir Mango and Mimosa, from start to finish. ... Slightly Foxed is paradoxically innovative and old-school. While most books are now printed and bound overseas, their choice to collaborate with Smith Settle, traditional British binders who have made elaborate editions for the Folio Society among others, has meant that instead of struggling to keep up with the digital revolution, this small press is making a profit.

It's work like this that thrills my pro-print heart. Sure, there's a place for digital editions, but e-books are simply no match for the love and craftsmanship that go into delicate, gorgeous, deliciously dog-ear-unresistant paper copies. You will never pry them from my fingers, even if cold and dead my hands be.

{blast from the past post}Bacon Meets Bacon: A Tale of Candy Alchemy

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:00:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran January 25, 2011. Click here for the original post.}

The last thing I needed to come across in my bloggy travels was candy, as I'm currently trying to ditch the last few pounds' worth of my holiday gluttony. But clearly, the universe prefers to see me suffer and therefore took great delight in sending this lit-themed peanut brittle my way. (Cue some vigorous fist shaking.)

Temptation aside, this Sir Francis Bacon brittle is a scream. It's bang on trend with its bacon flavor, and you can't go wrong with a bit of crunchy, chewy, gets-stuck-in-your-teeth-all-night peanut brittle (unless you're deathly allergic, that is). They've even got a dark-chocolate toffee bacon bar if you're feeling especially naughty.

As for what Bacon himself would think of this, I can't help but think he'd approve. After all, he did write, "There is no excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness in the proportion." I think that sums up this peanut-bacon, Bacon-brittle combination perfectly.

{blast from the past post}Bookcase Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Evangeline) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000

{This is content that originally ran January 21, 2010. Click here for the original post.}

These wickedly cool baroque bookshelves by across-the-pond store Graham & Green are firmly established on my wish list. The metal shelves are open at both sides, which contributes to the floating/built-in effect. The exterior of the square/single shelf is about 12.5" by 12.5"; the interior is about 3.5" deep and about 8.25" wide.

The rectangular/double shelf is 12.5" by 26.5", 3.5" deep and 21.25" wide.

I'm not sure if they ship to the U.S. — their site says they can only send "small, non-fragile items" — but here's hoping. Continue to drool at their site here.

{blast from the past post}Words Create Worlds: A Bookish Ad Campaign

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

{This is content that originally ran June 7, 2010. Click here for the original post.}

These ads have been floating around for a few years now, but I just discovered them this weekend and was promptly enchanted. Created by ad agency Kaspen, the ads are for Anagram, a bookshop in Prague. Anagram's tagline is "Words create worlds" — pretty perfect. In lieu of visiting the actual shop, you can browse its website here.

[via Beautiful Life]