Beautiful Books of the Month: October

Now that the end of October is fast approaching, I've decided to make good on a posted promise made a few optimistic weeks back.  What happened you ask?  Did I run out of pretty books to post about already?  Never.  If anything, it's always a struggle to figure out which book to pick next.

I don't want the 'Beautiful Book of the Month' to be purely about special hardback editions of established books or reissued paperback cover designs.  There will be plenty of those anyway because I usually can't resist buying them, but this is meant to be a celebration and exploration of truly remarkable books from all genres and topics.  I have a wide variety of interests and I want that reflected in this blog and in these posts.  

I love books about everything and anything, so it'll be an interesting challenge to see if my eclectic tastes work well on this blog or if it'll just end up a confusing jumble of random stuff.  Much like how things are usually organized in my head. 

For the sharp-eyed readers that may have noticed the slight variation in this month's post title, that is not a typo.  One reason for delay, other than my tendency towards procrastination, was that I wanted to include a book that wasn't released quite yet and I couldn't post about the other two without including the third since they make such a lovely set.

Dolly, The Small Hand & The Woman in Black 

By Susan Hill

Published by Profile Books

Three fantastic hardback ghost stories just in time for Hallowe'en!

This is slightly shameful for me to admit to since I've been a bookseller for about 13 odd years now (both odd in the sense that I think it's about that long and odd that I'm even admitting to a fact that ages me quite a bit), but I haven't read any of Susan Hill's extensive back list before deciding to pick up The Woman in Black to read before seeing the film adaptation.  Like many other book lovers, I couldn't bring myself to watch the film before reading the book.  After all, the book is almost always better than the film.  What better excuse to buy the adorably small and exquisitely lush hardback edition I had my eye on for the last few months?  Better yet, why not also purchase the matching copy of The Small Hand that somehow I talked myself out of buying 2 years ago because my strong desire for it was based solely on the pretty cover?

While I would never fully endorse judging or choosing a book by its cover, since one of my favourite books has a rather horrific cover image, surprisingly enough over the past year I've been pleasantly surprised that buying some random books purely on their aesthetic appeal hasn't steered me wrong.  I've read some fantastic fiction this year thanks to clever eye-catching designs.  Because of the overwhelming competition between new releases, the constant threat of ebooks and the rapidly shrinking shelf space in bookshops, publishers have realized the importance of giving a bit of extra care and attention to titles that they truly believe in.  Customers do notice that extra effort whether they are conscious of it or not.  If you're presented with a table of similar looking objects that are basically built in the same fashion and there is a single object that stands out; one that seems to have been crafted differently, wouldn't you want to know why someone chose to do that?  What made that other object distinctive enough to warrant special attention?

October 2012 ISBN: 9781846685743	September 2010 ISBN:  9781846682360	September 2011 ISBN:  9781846685620

The above three do exactly that.  They inspire curiosity about their contents, lure you in with their beauty and fill you with desire for ownership.  All those feelings stirred before you even reach down to pick up the book to read the blurb on the back cover.  Oh those clever and crafty publishers get me with that all the time.

Not only are Susan Hill's charming miniature hardbacks a visual feast for the eyes, but they are a real treat to touch.  The book jackets are created using slightly heavier paper stock with the cover design embossed on top giving the novellas a pleasing tactile feel.

Detail of Woman in Black Cover

They also make a wonderful gift set for any book lover or horror enthusiast.  With Hallowe'en  and Christmas just around the corner, there isn't a better time to give a love one the grisly gift of chills, thrills and ghastly kills.  Just suggest reading with the lights on.  

This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers

Publisher: HarperCollins

General Edition ISBN: 9780007263875

Special Edition ISBN:  9780007492480
Format: Hardback

Pages: 32

Genre: Children's, Picture Book

Publication Date: August 30, 2012

SYNOPSIS

Wilfred owned a moose.  He hadn't always owned a moose. The moose came to him a while ago and he knew, just KNEW, that it was meant to be his.  He thought he would call him Marcel.

Most of the time Marcel is very obedient, abiding by the many rules of How to Be a Good Pet.  But imagine Wilfred's surprise when one dark day, while deep in the woods, someone else claims the moose as their own...

Is Marcel really Wilfred's pet after all?

REVIEW

Oliver Jeffers has been one of my favourite children's illustrators ever since I first came across his second picture book Lost and Found nearly 5 years ago.  If you've never read the book, I highly recommend reading it and also watching the 24 minute Bafta award winning animated adaptation created by Studio AKA.

What really impressed me about Jeffers' work was how much character expression he could convey with an uncomplicated wire frame body and two tiny dots for eyes.  The dots may be easy to create, but their positioning is crucial.  That's what I love about his work. It's simple, clean and minimal, but it's deceptively so.  It requires a lot of precision to accomplish something that appears that effortless.  That's why I would never say that creating a picture book is easy.

I had extremely high expectations for his latest picture book partly because being a Canadian comes with a strange instilled patriotic fondness for moose and my first glimpse of the cover design showed an impressively detailed mountain scene that was unlike anything I've seen in Jeffers' previous works.

This Moose Belongs to Me explores the mature themes of friendship, ownership, independence and acceptance, but presents it in a funny, inventive and addictive narrative that is both accessible and readable for younger and older viewers.  The clever choice of featuring an uncommon wild animal as a "pet" makes it easy for children to understand why Wilfred could never really truly own "Marcel" and make him abide by his long list of rules.  There's a lovely message about the compromises we sometimes have to make when we want to have certain people or animals in our lives.

My favourite 2 page spread

It's always refreshing to see an established illustrator evolving their signature style and trying something a little different.  It's easy to stick to the same formula that has a track record of proven commercial success, but I've always loved artists that attempt to branch out and experiment with their methods. What I love most about the artwork in This Moose Belongs to Me is the variety of textures and mediums used for the landscapes and backgrounds of every page.  There's a sense of richness and abundance that flows from the pages that mirror the vast open wilderness setting of the story.  With so much detail to admire and marvel over, words aren't even necessary.  The strength of the artwork not only drives the narrative along its intended path, but makes this book must own collector's item for admirers of illustration.  I have to admit that I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the standard hardback edition a week later from the publisher to review, but as soon as I snuck a peek at the special edition and read through the story, I fell completely in love with it.  I left work happy a few hours later albeit a few pounds lighter than I should have been.      

Special Edition slipcase and hardcover Book

Limited Edition numbered print included in Special Edition

Picture books are an underrated form of storytelling that deserve wider acclaim and appreciation. While many people see them as a quick distraction or as a means of simple entertainment, many provide pivotal life lessons ranging from learning to identify different colours or first words to difficult topics for parents to discuss like moving house or losing a love one.  The ability to pass on a strong message or moral in only a few images and words is an remarkable accomplishment for anyone, but the added ability to make it charming and engaging at the same time is one of the reasons why Oliver Jeffers continues to be an author whose work I not only respect and love, but believe should be an essential addition to every child's library.

Short and Sweet: The Twitter Review

An irresistibly charming story about a boy and his moose. Fair warning to all: one small peek between its pages and you'll be hard pressed to leave it behind in the shop.

Beautiful Book of the Month: August

It's a well known fact among my friends, family, colleagues and regular customers that I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with beautiful books.  I even implemented a book case full of them in the shop with a bay header proclaiming them as "Beautiful Books" for all to see.  

This is why I can never bring myself to buy an e-reader. I have nothing against the electronic format. I understand its place in our industry and its usefulness with regards to travelling, student textbooks and the practicality of it when it comes to lack of shelf space in homes, but I love the printed word on tangible paper.

There's something special about a well designed cover, beautiful illustrations, surprisingly uncommonplace end papers and unique title pages that give books an added splendour over their cold, soulless electronic counterparts.  Okay, I might be a little bit against e-books... but the absolute pleasure I get from gazing across my heaving bookshelves and running my fingers along their spines until I can no longer resist the pull from one of my beloved tomes and take it out to read. That's priceless. That's magic.  I've never felt the same thing scrolling through a list of titles on a screen or even flicking through rows and rows of book covers displayed on a virtual beige bookshelf.

I'm a bit off topic now. My Beautiful Book of the Month feature will be a celebration of the finely crafted literary treasures I've had the honour of purchasing or pining hopelessly over the years.

Sherlock Holmes By Arthur Conan Doyle

Published October 2009
ISBN:  9780955881879
White's Books LTD
http://www.whitesbooks.com/

Despite being one of the most recent additions to my book collection, this lovely series of books is one I've admired and coveted as a bookseller and book lover over the past few years.  Its my first purchase from this fantastic collection, but I'm sure it won't be my last.

This stunning clothbound edition of Sherlock Holmes is part of the 'Fine Edition' series of books created by a small publishing house called White's Books founded by former Penguin Books designer David Pearson.

Front Cover and Spine

Instead of the traditional dust jacket found on other hardbacks, the distinctive wrap around cloth cover is printed using brass printing blocks and the fantastic image is designed by celebrated illustrator, Michael Kirkham.  Combine that with decorative endpapers, elegant typesetting printed on thick luxurious acid-free paper and this is a something that must be held between your fingers to truly appreciate it.

Endpaper Design