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Richard Tuttle’s Incredible One-of-a-Kind Bindings for Classic Books

By Emily Temple on

Put away that e-reader and take a peek at the incredible book cover art of Richard Tuttle. Tuttle, whose work was recently featured at Book Patrol, creates one-of-a-kind bindings for classic novels, interpreting the stories as beautiful, often cheeky sculptures. Tuttle explains: “I make literary artifacts. They are designed to pull books down off the shelf and display them in the salon, gallery or home as if they were works of art, which, of course, they are. Whether binding books with leather, paper, paint, wood, and found artifacts or building sculptures to encase the volumes, I seek to find a perspective that shouts out a piece of the essence of the literary work. I try to put myself in the author’s or character’s mind to say something about the time it was written in; the attitude that is explored and expressed; the magic that makes it a work of art.” Most of these unique editions are available (for a pretty penny) at Franklin Books. Even if you don’t have the cash, you can ogle them to your heart’s content after the jump. … Read More

Books

10 Classic Books That Have Somehow Been Turned Into Ballets

By Emily Temple on

Next season, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet will be presenting an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s beloved novel, The Handmaid’s Tale. While there’s no denying the power of the book, it does seem somewhat strange fodder for a ballet — given that it’s a dystopic indictment of fundamentalism and gender norms and all. However, as it turns out, a number of surprising novels have been adapted for the stage as ballets or operas — check out a selection of these after the jump, and feel free to add to the list in the comments. … Read More

Books

The 10 Greatest Creepy Farm Books

By Emily Temple on

In Julie Sarkissian’s wonderful debut novel, Dear Lucy, which hits shelves today, a young woman with a peculiar way of perceiving the world finds herself exiled from her mother’s life, living on a farm where something — Lucy can’t quite figure out what — is wrong, just beneath the surface. Or maybe there’s more than one something. Lucy sets out on a quest to make things right, as well as she can, in a story that’s equal parts sweet and strange. To celebrate the book’s release, we asked Sarkissian to tell us about her favorite creepy farm books — a surprisingly lush category! We always knew something was awry with all those creaky barns. Check out her picks after the jump, and be sure to grab a copy of her book — extra points if you do it tonight at the book’s release party at Brooklyn’s BookCourt. … Read More

Books

The Questionable Fates of Famous Authors’ Birthplaces

By Emily Temple on

This week, we were surprised by the news that George Orwell’s Indian birthplace will be developed into a memorial. Why should that be so surprising, you ask? Well, because it’s not being turned into a memorial for George Orwell, but for the entirely deserving but somewhat more random Mahatma Gandhi. Though many authors’ birthplaces have been turned into museums or monuments to their lives, several have met with rather more questionable (and sometimes downright upsetting) fates. We investigate after the jump. … Read More

Books

The Most Ridiculous Claims Used to Challenge Classic Novels

By Emily Temple on

The American Library Association has released its study of the most frequently challenged books of 2012, a list that includes classics and YA touchstones alike. But books have been challenged, banned, and removed from school curricula for years, and sometimes for the silliest of reasons. At the ALA’s website, we found a list of the justifications behind some historical challenges of classic novels, and some are frankly absurd. We’ve culled a few of our outrageous favorites from the ALA’s list — scoff or agree, but read… Read More

Books

10 Redesigned Book Covers That Are Actually Better Than the Iconic Versions

By Emily Temple on

This week, we saw two alternate versions of Ray Bradbury’s classic novel Fahrenheit 451 pop up on the Internet: one meant to be burned, and one meant to withstand burning at all costs. Though the cover we all grew up with is undeniably great, we thought these ones raised the conceptual bar a little bit. Click through for ten redesigns of classic book jackets that are better, or at least more interesting, than the… Read More

Books

The 10 Greatest Dystopian Love Stories in Literature

By Emily Temple on

This week saw the release of the brilliant Ariel Djanikian‘s debut novel, The Office of Mercy. Djanikian’s book drops you into a deliciously paranoid world that we’re confident will go down in history with the best of them, so we asked her to put together a list of her favorite dystopian love stories (just be sure to mentally add The Office of Mercy to her list). Here’s what she told us: “Dystopian tales seem to go hand-in-hand with scintillating, high-octane love stories: perhaps because dire circumstances have a knack of drawing people together, perhaps because claustrophobic repression makes the highs and lows of love affairs that much more potent. These ten books boast plenty of heart-stopping love triangles, as well as romantic pairings with some changes: robots, clones, and cyborgs get in on the action. They are love affairs that question how much feeling we have to offer, and how much trust we can risk in the face of political pressures. Love is never the cure-all for these characters, but it can be an intervention, as Jeanette Winterson says, against powers of destruction.” … Read More

Books

Diagnosing Your Romantic Issues Based on Your Favorite Literary Couple

By Emily Temple on

Happy Valentine’s Day, literary lovers! Or literary loners, as the case may very well be. If you’ve been going through a rough patch this year, maybe your reading habits are to blame — or maybe they’re just clues to the source of your strife. After all, we can’t help but be influenced by our favorite love stories. After the jump, you’ll find our cheeky analysis of your romantic issues based on your favorite literary couple — whether you’re modeling yourself after them or just can’t get enough of their particular brand of crazy. See if you can find your favorite literary lovebirds below, and let us know if we’ve got you pegged in the comments. … Read More

Books

10 Literary Board Games for Book Nerds

By Emily Temple on

When it’s cold outside, book nerds tend to hibernate with their novels. But what about a bookish activity that’s also social (and indoors)? This week, the Paris Review pointed us towards Pride and Prejudice: The Board Game, which seems like just the ticket — if you’re a Jane Austen fan. However, what to do if you’re more of a Twainish persuasion? Never fear — we’ve collected a whole selection of board games based on novels, from fantasy to the classics, for your… Read More

Books

Elegant and Pithy Literary Posters for Readers

By Emily Temple on

When a particular line sings, sometimes underlining just isn’t enough. We’ve come across more than one quote or literary quip that we wanted to hang on our walls, but a postcard with a scribbled phrase doesn’t have quite the same impact as Evan Robertson’s elegant literary posters. We’ve already gushed about Robertson’s work, but when My Modern Met tipped us off that he had some new posters, we just had to share them with you again. So far, Robertson has created 32 posters, and aims to make the series an even 50. As he told My Modern Met, his aim for the series is to encourage “a reconnection with great thinking. It’s a call to action to pick up a great book. And the inspiration to slow down for a bit, I hope, to enjoy the luxury of thinking about something with no practical aim.” Sounds good to us. Click through to check out a few more of our favorite posters from Robertson’s series, and then head on over to his Etsy shop to buy a print for yourself or a book-lover you love. … Read More