Judging a book by its cover

March 2nd, 2009 · 31 Comments

Last week proved to be busy but the icing on the cake was celebrating Jon’s 30th birthday at Bill Cosby’s performance in Austin over the weekend. I had tears rolling down my cheeks by the end of the show. If this legendary comedian ever stops by your city make sure you pay him a visit. It honestly felt like an old friend telling us stories about his life but in the most hilarious way possible.

Penguin books designed by David Pearson

Jon and I regularly visit Half Price Books on the weekends here in Houston but he always wants to make a stop at the Austin store just in case they carry something that we’ve missed. He makes his way through the old paperbacks, trying to score interesting reads at 50 cents a book. I’m quite the opposite as I tend to fall victim to judging a book by its cover. The prettier they are, the more likely I’ll pick them up and read the blurb. Sad but true. These Penguin Classics designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith are so pretty and would be a beautiful addition to a home library, even if you already read them in high school. Do you ever re-read books?

Penguin classic books

I also love these Penguin by Design books by David Pearson that Design Lovely showcased recently. The graphic patterns are beckoning me to at least pick them up and perhaps turn the pages — I’m a slow reader!

The Book Cover Archive

And I recently discovered The Book Cover Archive, established for the appreciation and categorization of excellence in book cover design. The graphic designer in me is drawn to the font selections and artistic compositions of these book covers. This same art lover could probably spend the next couple of hours just flipping through the archives.

The Book Cover Archive

Part of me wants to line a wall in a future study or living room with bookshelves. It creates such a cozy and casual atmosphere, ready for late nights under a blanket and a cup of hot tea by your side. Every now and then I’ll bookmark images of rooms filled with bookshelves but I’ll leave those for another post. However, I had to show you Chotda’s living room — now that takes some patience and a great eye for color!

PSMy Half Price Books purchase this weekend consisted of old issues of Donna Hay’s magazine. I allow myself to judge the magazine by its cover because it’s filled with beautiful photos and recipes both inside and out.

Image credits: Penguin Classics, David Pearson, The Book Cover Archive, and Chotda’s Flickr

Tags: Good Days

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