Monday, December 12, 2011
The gift of library signage
One last gift idea:  I totally covet this vintage-style wooden "Library" sign from Three Potato Four. The sign was inspired by public library signage from the 1950s, and costs a (relatively) reasonable $38. If I hadn't already given my nearest and dearest an insanely detailed Christmas wish list, I'd ask for this... although my birthday is in January, and we may be revisiting the issue. Labels: Gifts, Holiday
Friday, December 02, 2011
Wordcandy's Holiday Gift List: 2011 Edition
It's December, and that means it's time for Wordcandy to release our annual Holiday Gift Guide! We've chosen a variety of deeply awesome potential gifts for the bibliophiles on your shopping list, any (or all) of which we would be delighted to receive ourselves. 1. Chatty Nora posters (approximately $20)  These pen-drawn posters feature quotes from authors ranging from Mark Twain (above) to Dr. Seuss. 2. Coralie Bickford-Smith's F. Scott Fitzgerald "Hardcover Classics" editions ($25, but seemingly difficult to find)  Bickford-Smith is the designer responsible for Penguin's gorgeous line of Hardcover Classics, but these Art Deco-inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald editions might be her best work yet. 3. Caroline Hadilaksono's Harry Potter prints ($50)  We've geeked out over these prints before, so we were straight-up thrilled when Ms. Hadilaksono released a third image (above). 4. Book Rest Lamp (between $80 and $50, if you can catch it on sale)  Pretty snazzy, huh? It's unclear if this book lamp provides enough light to actually, y'know, read by, but it looks great. 5. Scout Books' "Good Inks" editions ($4)  The fine people at Scout Books have released a limited collection of short stories, each written by a classic American author and illustrated by a contemporary artist. They're eye-catching, and you can't beat that price. 6. White's Books "Fine Editions" (approximately $17)  How have I missed these? This UK publisher hasn't released many books in this line, but I need to own this edition of of Pride and Prejudice. Like, yesterday. 7. Library Candles ($25)  Of course, we're hoping these scents are inspired by the authors' work, rather than the authors themselves... because we suspect Edgar Allan Poe didn't actually smell that great. 8. Penguin's "Classics Deluxe" editions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach ($15)   Yes, I need to own these, too. And it's a good thing I'm stopping here, because the "buy one gift for someone else; buy one gift for myself" formula is sounding more and more attractive right now... Labels: Gifts, Holiday, lists
Monday, December 13, 2010
Travel in style to fictional locations
Okay, I'm adding an addendum to our Holiday Gift List. Check out these "Comic Travel Location" posters from artist Justin Van Genderen:    Are they not awesome? There are more on Mr. Van Genderen's website, and the prices are actually pretty reasonable. If you have any comic geeks to shop for, this could make a serious dent in your holiday to-do list. [Via Wired] Labels: Art, Comics, Holiday, Shopping
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wordcandy's Holiday Gift List: 2010 Edition
It's that time of year again, dear readers—time for our annual list of Wordcandy-friendly gift suggestions! Behold ten of our favorite book-related goods ranging in price from $10 to $100: 1. Jonathan Adler Bookends for Barnes and Noble, $39.99 We usually find Mr. Adler's mod-art sculptures adorable but overpriced, so we were delighted when he teamed up with Barnes and Noble to produce several items in the forty dollar range. We're particularly coveting these Dachshund bookends. Cute, huh?  * Please note that between now and December 2nd, B&N is running a buy one, get one 50% off promotion for all their "Home and Gift" items. See? We are all about saving you money.2. Penguin Classic Editions for Anthropologie, $16.99 These beautifully embossed editions of five classic children's books will be widely available next spring, but for now you can only buy them at Anthropologie stores (which means, sadly, there's almost no chance of them going on sale):  3. The Little Prince: The Deluxe Pop-Up Edition, $35.00 Don't waste this gorgeous pop-up book on any little kids on your list (they'll just ruin it), but it would make a lovely gift for any grown-up art fans:  4. Book Safes by Pommes Frites, $20.00 to $40.00 As longtime readers of the site know, we usually disapprove of destroying books (even books we dislike). However, the proprietor of the Pommes Frites Etsy Shop states that all of their book safes are made from "ethically sourced" books—neither new nor rare, but books at the end of their life spans:  5. Hallmark Dr. Seuss ornaments Hallmark produced a line of Dr. Suess-inspired ornaments between 1999 and 2006. Hunting these suckers down can be a challenge (search online, and be sure to compare prices!), but the end product is colorful and sturdy, making it a great kid gift:  6. It's a Book by Lane Smith, $12.99 Okay, we think this book is utterly awesome, but if you're giving it to a small child, warn their parents that they might want to substitute the word "donkey" for "jackass" when they read it aloud. We don't want to be even indirectly responsible for some kid getting kicked out of preschool for quoting the soon-to-be-classic line "It's a book, jackass!":  7. Sense and Sensibility: the Graphic Novel, $19.99 Sadly, the text for this Marvel adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel was contributed by Nancy Butler (who also penned their mediocre-at-best Pride and Prejudice series), but the artwork is by Wordcandy favorite Sonny Liew, making it a must-buy for any Austen/comic book fan.  8. Ode to Julia Child in towel form, $10 Elloh's Etsy Shop offers several literature-friendly towels, and while we lean towards this Julia Child-inspired option, you could be drying your dishes with a Mr. Darcy-themed towel as well.  9. The Thomas Keller Boxed Gift Set: French Laundry Cookbook + Ad Hoc at Home, $100.00 Normally we would scoff at paying this much for a cookbook (and even online, this sucker is expensive), but Mr. Keller's chocolate chip cookie recipe—which we found on Baking Bites, much to our eternal gratitude—has made us believers. Those cookies are practically worth a hundred dollars by themselves.  10. Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts, $70.00 With a forward by Art Spiegelman, this box set offers all six of the gorgeous, wordless novels of wood engraver and illustrator Lynd Ward (1905-85), one of America's first and finest graphic novelists.  Good luck, happy shopping, and we hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! Labels: Gifts, Holiday, lists, Shopping
Monday, October 25, 2010
Decoratin' for the holidays
 At $24 per four-foot-long strand, I'm not quite sure what one would do with this Retro Art Deco Bibliophile Garland, but I like it. Maybe if you had a very small, very oddly shaped Christmas tree...? Labels: Holiday, Shopping
Friday, February 12, 2010
Valentine's Day Reading
Hello, darling readers! In honor of Valentine's Day, we'll be featuring two reviews on the site this morning. And because we understand that this is the kind of holiday that inspires mixed emotions, our book choices come from two very different places on the literary spectrum: Cartoon Marriage: Adventures in Love and Matrimony by The New Yorker's Cartooning Couple, by Liza Donnelly and Michael Maslin If the mere thought of Valentine's Day fills your heart with sunshine and joy, we suggest picking up a copy of Liza Donnelly and Michael Maslin's Cartoon Marriage. Donnelly and Maslin are both contract cartoonists for The New Yorker, and their book is a lighthearted collection of more than 200 single-panel cartoons about love and marriage, tied together by a handful of multi-panel original cartoons about their lives together. Touching on everything from sex to child-rearing to the perils of family camping trips, Cartoon Marriage skips merrily along, finding humor even in darker subjects like infidelity and divorce. (Just skip those if you prefer your Valentine's Day to be 100% sweetness and light.) Both artists stick to The New Yorker's tried-and-true formula of simple lines and a black and white palette, but their affection for their subject manner—as well as each other—is evident in every panel. [ Review copy provided by publisher.] Hush, by Kate White If, on the other hand, the idea of Valentine's Day makes you downright queasy, you might be better off pre-ordering your copy of Hush, the first standalone novel from Kate White. Sure, there's a heart on the cover, but trust us: the mushiness stops there. White's heroine is Lake Warren, a recently divorced woman struggling to retain primary custody of her children. Ignoring her lawyer's suggestion that she avoid any hint of impropriety that might jeopardize her case, Lake tumbles into bed with a handsome doctor—but when her paramour ends up with his throat cut within twelve hours of their liaison, Lake realizes that she may have risked more than a nasty court battle with her ex. Hush offers a fast, adrenaline-packed take on the “woman in peril” genre, giving readers a healthy dose of drama and suspense. White's book frequently strains credulity—despite belonging to a pack of wealthy New Yorkers, none of the apartments in her book seem to have effective video security in their entrances, for instance—and it features a scene involving a shaved cat that is, like, super disturbing, but readers who don't mind a little mindless nail-biting are sure to enjoy themselves. [ Review copy provided by publicity agent.] Labels: Book Reviews, Holiday
Friday, December 11, 2009
Literary gifts for our fellow procrastinators...
It's that time of year again, dear readers: time for us to post our list of Wordcandy-approved holiday gifts! Most of these presents are inexpensive, available online, and (should y'all get your acts in gear) should be deliverable well before December 25th: 1. Sherlock Holmes ticketsI read somewhere that studios are all excited about this movie because it's likely to appeal to all four primary demographics (men over 25, men under 25, women over 25, and women under 25). Give a movie gift certificate, wipe the sweat from your brow, and done.
 2. Yotsuba&!It's been a while, but we're fairly confident that this superb, all-ages-friendly manga is safely back in print. Yotsuba&! is modern equivalent to Calvin and Hobbes, so buy this series for anyone who appreciates awesomeness.  3. Charley Harper coloring bookWell, *I* totally covet this. If you give it to an adult, you might want to include a box of crayons.  4. D-I-Y book clocks Feeling crafty? (Naturally, we only recommend doing this to books we dislike.)  5. The Bloom County Complete Library: Vol 1Another item that would have featured heavily on my personal letter to Santa, had I sent one.  6. Baking Bites cookbookBuy this excellent cookbook through the Baking Bites website for a slightly better price.  7. Cloth-bound Penguin classicsAnthropologie has been selling these elegant editions of assorted classic novels for $20 apiece, making them a good choice for someone who goes for that whole "serious library" look.  8. Pictorial Webster's DictionaryThis glorious picture-dictionary-for-adults features over 1,500 engravings originally found in 19th century editions of Webster's dictionaries.  9. Kindle coversAt $42 apiece, these Kindle Covers are the most expensive items we're featuring this year, but they'd make an awesome gift for any hardcore techies on your list.  10. Book Re-MarksThese bookmarks/8-page mini-notebooks cute, perfect for book-club people, and a mere $2.50. (They'd make great stocking stuffers, too.)  [Links to previous years' lists can be found here and here.] Labels: Holiday, lists, Shopping
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Holiday cheer on tap
 The fine people at Bookreporter.com have kicked off their second annual " Author Holiday Blogs" feature--a collection of holiday-themed posts by authors ranging from Stephen Coonts to Barbara Delinsky to Lisa Scottoline. They'll be updating this feature through Christmas Day, so check it out if you're in the market for some literary holiday inspiration! Labels: Holiday, other websites
Monday, October 26, 2009
Strolling with Lovecraft
 ApartmentTherapy recently did a very Halloween-friendly post about a H.P. Lovecraft-themed walking tour in Providence’s College Hill, which includes many of the houses featured in his horror stories. Frankly, a single visit to the house above (the Arts and Crafts Fleur-de-Lys Artist Studios, a building described in Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu) would be more than sufficient for me to consider my Halloween appropriately celebrated. Labels: Holiday, Horror
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Fat (and lazy) Tuesday
 In honor of Mardi Gras, we'll be taking the day off from book blogging and stuffing ourselves with donuts instead. See y'all tomorrow, okay? Labels: Holiday
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Birthday gifts
Today's my birthday, and I feel like the universe is totally celebrating it. All kinds of Julia-approved stuff seems to be coming out this week--a brand-spanking-new president, confirmed(!!!) news of a Veronica Mars movie, new albums from A.C. Newman and Andrew Bird, the third volume of Black Jack, even another Underworld movie! It's like a perfect storm of my favorite stuff! And now this:  Yes, dear readers, what you see before you is the cover of a new monthly Japanese magazine of manga-style Harlequin romances. The first issue, released today, is 56 pages long, features four standalone stories, and looks hilariously, deliciously ridiculous. Seriously, wouldn't you take it as a birthday present from Fate? Labels: Holiday, manga
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy New Year.
 Happy New Year's Eve, guys! The Wordcandy staff will be back on Monday with a full week's worth of reviews, book news, and new contest information. In the meantime, have fun, be careful, and don't do anything we wouldn't do.... Labels: Holiday, Vacation
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Be back on Monday, folks.
 The Wordcandy staff is taking a short vacation, dear readers. We'll be back on Monday, December 29th, and we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday! Labels: Holiday
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Wordcandy handles your holiday shopping!
The holidays are here, dear readers, and once again, the brave Wordcandy staff has been on the lookout for the coolest literature-inspired gifts... and, keeping in mind the current financial atmosphere, everything we chose is $25 and under. Happy holidays, and we really hope these suggestions help:  For manga fans: Manga plushies are cute, you can usually find them for specific series, and they're relatively cheap—this xxxHolic plushie is $12 full price, and currently on sale for $8.99.  For crafty types:These " Sexy Librarian" embroidery patterns are a mere three dollars, and totally adorable.  For collectors:Why not look for a vintage copy of one of their favorite titles online? I've always wanted a first edition Georgette Heyer hardcover, and you can usually find those for well under $10 on sites like AbeBooks.com.  For people willing to wear their book-geek-ness in their ears:You can find anything on etsy—these Nancy Drew earrings are only $6.  For pop fiction fans:Check out big-box retailers' bargain-priced books. Right now, Barnes and Noble's online discount section is offering Meg Cabot’s How To Be Popular, Marta Acosta’s Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, and Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, all for less than $6.  For kids:The Klutz series of how-to books are fun, easy to understand, and most retail for under $25.  For fans of the classics:This elegant $14 paperback combines two of the earliest versions of The Nutcracker, both in new translations: E.T.A. Hoffmann's 1826 story Nutcracker and Mouse King, and Alexandre Dumas's 1845 retelling of Hoffmann's story, The Tale of the Nutcracker.  For general fairytale fans:Jim Henson's delightfully creepy series The Storyteller is currently available on Overstock.com for a trifling $15.  For fairytale purists:More than 200 stories are combined in this gorgeous paperback reissue of The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales, currently available for $18.  For readers with, uh, lively senses of humor:Chris Onstad's twisted-yet-awesome Achewood collections (as well as assorted Achewood-themed shirts, art, etc.) are available at his online store for $14 apiece. Labels: Holiday, lists, Shopping
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