RIP Maurice Sendak

If you're like me, you were dismayed to learn the news of children's book author Maurice Sendak's death earlier this month. He's best known for Where the Wild Things Are, of course, but the book I remember most relishing as a child was his highly enjoyable Chicken Soup with Rice. Sendak wrote and illustrated this book and - bonus! - it was even recorded as a song by the ever-so-cool Carole King (see below). Warning: it will be on repeat in your head all day long. Pierre, about a boy with terrible manners who gets eaten by a lion, is also one to read (I've given this to little ones in my life and I can attest that it was an absolute hit with them).

I've been celebrating Sendak's life by listening to some of his interviews with NPR's Terry Gross (the most recent of which is a real tearjerker, oh man!). I suggest you follow that up quickly with his interview with Stephen Colbert (I promise you'll laugh). Sendak is at once cantankerous and delightful; his candor is so refreshing and real and you can't help but fall in love with him. His warm rapport with Stephen is wonderful to watch. I highly recommend. 


Rest in peace, Maurice. You will be greatly missed.


{Images via here and here}

Book Porn

My life's ambition is to build myself a library akin to the one seen in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. This scene is straight up porn for a book nerd like myself. 

And it's even better when you see it in action. I still get chills every time I watch the magical unveiling of the wonder that is Beast's library. Chills!

{Photo and video via here and here}

Little Free Libraries

Wee little libraries such as this one above are being shared across the country as part of a new build-a-small-library-on-your-front-lawn movement. It first started as a way for one Wisconsin man to honor his late mother, who had been a teacher and book lover in life. The basic concept is take a book (it's free!) and leave a book (pay it forward). Now how lovely is that? 

{Photos via here}

Word

"The only way not to think about money is to have a great deal of it." -Edith Wharton (The House of Mirth, 1905)


Oh so true, Edith. Oh so true (says the girl who's been thinking a lot about money).


{Image via PBS}

Wild Thing

One of the many things I love about autumn is the ritual of dressing up on Halloween. While I personally refrain from the dressing up part, I can't help but fall for the adorable children's costumes that pop up around this time of year; I love the joy and sense of playfulness that a holiday like Halloween engenders. And if I had a kid, I would absolutely put him or her in this Max costume, as inspired by the beloved children's classic, Where the Wild Things Are. Though the cost is a wee prohibitive, I'd rationalize the purchase by letting the kid wear it year-round. I mean, how could a bookish mother resist?

Look at that tail! Incidentally, before stumbling upon the children's costume, I had read an interview with Wild Things author Maurice Sendak that has made the blog rounds in recent days due to Sendak's, uh, colorful opinions about some famous people. The webosphere likes to point out how crochety Sendak comes across in the interview, but I find his candor rather refreshing. So he's human after all! Who would have thought? A fascinating interview that is well worth the read.


{Images from katesy's Etsy, via A Cup of Jo}

Book Quote

"I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." -Jorge Luis Borges

{Image of Nigella Lawson at home in her library from House and Garden, via The Neo-Traditionalist}

Celebrating Roald Dahl

So this is where the magic happened. Where beloved author Roald Dahl imagined his beguiling stories for children and grownups alike (last Tuesday marked the 95th anniversary of his birth). I'd quite like to while away an afternoon in a holy place like this.

Oh, and how amazing is this cutout illustration from artist Jayme McGowan? James and the Giant Peach was my first and favorite of Dahl's books. You can view more of her brilliant artwork at Roadside Projects.


{Images via The New Yorker and Roadside Projects}

I am magical! (Yes, this is a Harry Potter-related post.)

If you're not a fan of Harry Potter, then please ignore this post....and if you are and don't mind a little gleeful bragging, then here goes: I just acquired early access into Pottermore! And it was on my very first try of The Magical Quill challenge, too (luckily I happened to be in front of a computer at the right time; yes, I know I am a raging dork; it's part of my quirky charm, or so I like to think). All this just means that I get early access into the website before it's unveiled to the entire world in October. How early remains to be determined. Apparently, welcome emails to enter the beta site will be sent any time between August 7-September 30 (they don't want to flood the site with a million people who gained access). And now, we wait.

Advice for Little Girls

Mark Twain, children's book author? In a word, yes. In 1865 his story Advice to Little Girls was published and appeared alongside other stories in a compilation called The 30,000 Dollar Bequest and Other Stories. The NY Books explains that:

"American children’s literature in those days was mostly didactic, addressed to some imaginary reader—an ideal girl or boy, upon reading the story, would immediately adopt its heroes as role models. Twain did not squat down to be heard and understood by children, but asked them to stand on their tiptoes—to absorb the kind of language and humor suitable for adults."

Twain's story is now re-published today alongside these charming, incredibly funny illustrations by artist and children's book author Vladimir Radunsky. The wry, subversive, decidedly very adult humor of Twain comes to life when juxtaposed with Radunsky's droll illustrations. Reading them makes me feel like I've stumbled upon something extraordinary; I think they might have to become a part of my permanent book collection. They're simply too delightful to pass up. Radunsky's work sort of reminds me of Maira Kalman's; I think both artists share a fierce intelligence and honesty in their work.

Any of these images can be enlarged on the NY Books website. More of Radunsky's work can be found on his own website.

{Photos via NY Books}

Book Nook

Cozy book nook*, anyone? I've covered ideal nook and crannies for reading before here and here (I'm a wee bit book obsessed).

*I think The Book Nook would be a fabulous name for a bookstore. I've always dreamed of owning my own some day and I still entertain fantasies of doing just that, perhaps at some future time when the book climate isn't so volatile as it is now. Will brick and mortar bookshops ever make a comeback? I certainly hope so! It depresses me too much to think of a life without a place to buy actual, physical books. The kind you can smell the pages and marvel at the front cover.

{Photo via Apartment Therapy}

The End is Near

I can hardly contain my excitement. Professors McGonagall and Snape are ready. Are you?

And can we talk about how freaking adorable Emma Watson is? Here she is at the last ever Harry Potter premiere (for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2), relishing her princess moment. She also gave a heartfelt goodbye speech and caused this blogger to tear up a bit (I'm human, people!). It all ends Friday. I cannot WAIT!

{Photos via EW and GFY and NY Mag}

Gone Swimmin'

If these pictures of literary greats Fitzgerald, Woolf, and Hemingway serve any purpose at all, it is as a reminder that it's ok to step outside every once in awhile and enjoy a little sun. Which admittedly is something this pale-skinned bookworm should indulge in a bit more often. But never, never without high protection sunscreen. Of course.

{Photos via Flavorwire}

The Owls Are Gathering: Pottermore

If you're a Potterfile like I am, then you've noticed that the internet has been abuzz recently with news of an "announcement" soon to be made from author J.K. Rowling. A new website, Pottermore, features a pair of owls bookending the cryptic message: "Coming Soon", along with what appears to be the author's signature. There is even a Youtube page counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until said announcement will be made.

We don't know much about the content of this news; all that has been revealed is that it's not in reference to a new book, but will be "something equally exciting", according to MuggleNet. My guess? Pottermore will be a sort of encyclopedia of information about the Harry Potter series, detailing the complete backstory of all the important characters who appear in the book, and maybe even some of the minor ones, as well. Rowling has intimated before that she would release something like this, so perhaps now is the time for her to do so. Either way, I think all Potterfiles will be in for a serious treat! Is my excitement transparent?

{Images via Pottermore and J.K. Rowlin's YouTube page}

Book Scenes

Book lovers rejoice! Now you can proudly display your favorite book, words and all, some place other than your bookshelf. Each design at Poster Text depicts a classic book by arranging its text in such a way that recalls a memorable scene from that book's pages. The above image is taken from Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.

Seen above are images from Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Stoker's Dracula, and Homer's Odyssey. Wouldn't any of these designs look fetching hanging from a wall? I particularly adore the Austen poster (who can resist Elizabeth and Darcy? Not this blogger).

{Images via Poster Text}

Photo of the Day

Does life get much better than a box full of bookish cupcakes? Yeah, I didn't think so either.

{Photo via Flickr}

Making a home with books

To say I'm a bibliophile is something of an understatement. My devotion to books is no secret--I've extolled the virtues of reading many a time here on this blog--so it’s no surprise that I look to books to help make my living space more cozy and homey.

When it comes to organizing a bookshelf, it’s important to keep in mind its purpose. For a more stylized look, you can try organizing books by color (spines of pink, red, orange, for example) or flipping the books around so that the pages face the room,

which creates a more uniform effect. If you’re a serious reader like I am and are constantly reaching for books, a more functional approach would be to simply organize by author or topic. Personally, I like to group my books into genres (or by publisher if it’s a niche house) for easy retrieval and reference. For example, I've grouped my Jane Austens together, and then further organized by publisher (I might, ahem, have more than one copy of Pride and Prejudice...don’t judge me).

Books by UK publisher Persephone (which reprints forgotten classics by 20th century women writers) are tidily stacked in front of a row of books by or about author Virginia Woolf. It's also important to keep some space on the shelves for future acquisitions (something I grapple with, but am getting better at doing). Purging shelves of books you don't see yourself re-reading or that no longer speak to you removes the clutter, both physical and mental.

Incorporating beloved knickknacks—especially if they are of a bookish nature—adds a bit of personal flair (see first picture above). No other creature is so synonymous with books and learning quite like the owl. In this photo, a bespectacled owl perches comfortably with a book.

Extending beyond the bookshelf, these postcards by Penguin feature vintage 20th century book covers, and when framed, make a charming visual display.

These night-themed book covers below are particularly appropriate for a bedroom and certainly play a part in conjuring a restful night's sleep.

Embroidered Classics

These Penguin Threads Deluxe Classics are so much fun. I have no doubt Jane Austen would most thoroughly approve of the cover design of Emma. I can just imagine Miss Woodhouse herself stitching up something similarly fetching for her dear old papa.

This cover of Black Beauty is just a wonder to behold, no? The detail involved is so intricately beautiful.

A look at the very talented artist Jillian Tamaki hard at work.

According to the artists's blog, the books can be

purchased later this year.

{Images via here}

A man after my own heart

Just when I thought I couldn't love Cary Grant more, I stumble upon this gem of a photo. I wonder what it is that they are discussing, don't you? Whatever it is looks terribly important and maybe even a little life-altering (ok, perhaps not, but it's fun to imagine).

{Image via Reading is Fashionable}

Magical Stamps

Reason #9994258 why it's cooler in the UK: the Royal Mail has unveiled a set of stamps inspired by magical literary characters from beloved stories such as Harry Potter and the tales of King Arthur. How rad (wonderfully creepy, is more like it, actually) would it be to receive a letter with Voldemort's visage staring back at you?

{Images via the here}

Book Quote

"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." -Sir Francis Bacon in his essay, "Of Studies"

{Image via here}