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2012 Fine Books & Collections Book Lover’s Gift Guide
Booksi
It’s a fact of modern life that we need a seemingly endless array of chargers. Our laptops, cell phones, iPods, and e-readers all require their own plug-ins. The clutter of wires, however, can be replaced with a simple book, thanks to a new charging station design from Rich Neeley. He converts books (both new and old) into a charging station he calls Booksi, so you can maintain the pleasing aesthetic of your bookish home while remaining powered up. Check out Neeley’s Etsy shop for a variety of book choices, from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays to Stephen King’s thrillers. Custom requests considered. $48-80
www.etsy.com/shop/RichNeeleyDesigns
Full Text Novel
A whole book on a single (frameable) poster? That’s the quirky genius of Spineless Classics, the Denver-based company that reprints the unabridged text of classic works of literature onto one large sheet of paper, incorporating appropriate design elements as space allows. The four-point font size is legible to those of you with 20/20 vision, and the satin-finish paper shows sharp letters. Choose from children’s titles, adventure, romance—or send a suggestion, and they’ll see if they can do it. Some titles, such as The Complete Works of William Shakespeare or the King James Bible, require more than one sheet. The Moby Dick diptych showing a whale tail flipping up into the text is a personal favorite. Seen here is a pipe-smoking Sherlock Holmes silhouette containing the full text of The Hound of the Baskervilles. $70 and up
www.spinelessclassics.net
Shelf 2
This shelf makes a statement—it tells you exactly what it is! A sleek design destined for hip apartments in Brooklyn or Seattle, the so-named Typeshelf brings typography to the living room. Designed by Ufuk Keskin of Thirtyfive Creative Works in New York City, the shelf’s two-dimensional cut-out letters of stainless steel are bent along the perforations at the bottom to form the storage surface. It’s made to pack up and go easily. The powder-coated stainless steel comes in black, white, or red, and it measures 29-3/4" x 10." $165
www.36-1.com/typeshelf
Card Catalog Desk
Matthew Fairbank has transformed that classic symbol of the library, the card catalog, into an elegant desk. The card catalog drawers remain in place, a useful addition to any office, but the real treat here is the clean and refined appearance enhanced by the smooth and pleasing lines. Its formal name is the Barrett Writing Desk, and it’s available in twenty different wood finishes. Extra points if you fill it with 3" x 5" catalog cards indexing your personal library. Price Upon Request