Bookworm

Go for the Gold » Brass Takes the Cake

Oji Masanori Brass Paperweights


Although brass is not a traditional medalling metal – and although paperweights belong to the class of less-than-necessary desktop equipment – we’re awarding gold to these exceptional objects by Japanese designer Oji Masanori. The solid brass polyhedra will oxidize over time, building up a gorgeous patina. They come in three different shapes, each with a satisfying heft and unfussy integrity. These paperweights are clearly made for more than holding down a stack of bills: they’re meant to be admired and held in the hand and set down on the top page of your finished novel, for example, by the window on a breezy day. Buy the set from one of our favorite shops for all things home, Toronto-based Mjölk.

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In the Bag » Lir’s First Backpack!

Skip*Hop Owl Backpack

Yesterday we bid a very sad farewell to little Lir who, with her parents, jetted off to visit her Safta in Tel Aviv for 2 long months! I needed to be sure she had all the superfluous doodads she might want during her stay so, I packed her a sweet little owl backpack from Skip*Hop full of fun things from her Doda and Dodo.

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Top Ten » Thank You Santa!

Alexander Wang Rocco DuffleBarney's SocksMaison Scotch Toggle Poncho
Mariage Fréres Lapsang Souchong TeaRestoration Hardware Cashmere HandwarmersLili's Truffles
Tretorn Snow JoggerShel Silverstein's Falling UpKanoodles

Oh Santa! I almost forgive you for that flu you plagued YZ and I with this Xmas, what with all the juicy gifts you lugged down our chimney along with it. All in all, the 25th was a veritable indulge-fest, with everything on my list neatly wrapped in recycled paper under the tree…

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Gift Guide » Buy the Best for Your Bookworm!

Established & Sons Landmark Table LampCampomaggi Leather Messenger BagTarget's Fish Bowl Bookends
Knock Knock Personal Library KitCustom Embossed Monogram SealMontblanc Fountain Pens
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David MitchelliBride Junior Polar Bear BookshelfOut of Print Tees The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

For some of us, the holiday season is about one thing and one thing only. Ok, two things. Ok, a bunch of things—all nicely wrapped and book-related. Because there is nothing more satisfying than winter reading, whether it’s the classic you know almost by heart, the novel everybody else already read six months ago, or the thriller you’ll never admit you couldn’t put down.

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T-Shirt Tuesdays » Out of Print? Not Anymore!


We’ve been big fans of the Out of Print tee series ever since we first stumbled upon the site. Then, about a month ago we saw this book design gem over on Mikey Burton’s Flickr stream. Thus, when we saw that Out of Print and Mikey hooked up to make the tees above, well, it was like a fairy godmother had read our diary!

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Bookworm » It’s Never Too Late…


It’s never too late to have a happy childhood, as our dad likes to say—and indeed, having discovered Joëlle Jolivet’s lusciously illustrated children’s books, we’re about ready for a second helping. We’ve been aware of Jolivet’s work for some time now: while browsing our favorite librairies…

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Second Look » Bruna’s Maigret


Dutch author and illustrator Dick Bruna is probably best known as the creator of MiffyNijntje in Dutch — the cute but inscrutable rabbit dressed like a toddler and pictured, in bold lines and primary colors, at the zoo, in the snow, at the seaside, etc…

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Bookworm » Boys’ Adventure

With the summer reading season in full swing and just when we had tired of this year’s Swedish crime wave, we were delighted when a friend sent us the new boxed set of the Penguin Books’ Boys’ Adventures series…

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World Cup Fever » Arkitip + Chinatown Soccer Club


Starting to worry about how you’ll fill your days once the Cup is over? With just two games left to enjoy, you might be wondering: “how will I live without my daily dose of soccer?!”. Well, to help you transition back to the real world, order a copy of Arkitip’s Issue №0055 (the World Cup special edition), done in collaboration with Chinatown Soccer Club. It’s 100% football meets design — cover to cover.

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World Cup Fever » African Arenas

All photos from African Arenas © Thomas Hoeffgen

At this stage of the tournament, with so many favored teams crashing out (see yesterday’s Brazil v. Holland shock) and with the hopes of entire continents dashed by the sporting fates (poor Ghana! perfidious Suárez!) it may be time for a reminder that the World Cup is, after all, about football. At the heart of the carefully managed fanfare of this four-yearly feast is a simple game, played with no more than a ball and a set of posts. A new book by photographer Thomas Hoeffgen, African Arenas, captures just that pared-down beauty of the game…

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Papercuts » Is Your Office Present & Correct?

Present & Correct Over the Rainbow BookPresent & Correct Correctional Facility Eraser Set
Present & Correct Dutch Beetroot Stamp Block 1971Present & Correct Italian Staplers

I am so embarrassingly addicted to office supplies. From the run-of-the-mill manila interoffice folder to every kind of stickie page marker, I love it all — perhaps it’s a residual childhood librarian/teacher obsession… Thus, it was with childish glee that I scoured the Present & Correct online shop: discovering a cornucopia of office must-haves. The company’s collection of workroom thingamabobs spans from vintage melamine desk trays to quirky notebooks and writing utensils…

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Bookworm » Q&A with Infographics Whiz David McCandless

Lo's List /// The Visual Miscellaneum Calories In vs. Out

Copyright David McCandless, Courtesy of HarperCollins, from The Visual Miscellaneum

A few months back, while splashing around in the happy bookstore mud that is Amazon, I came across David McCandless’ infographics atlas, The Visual Miscellaneum (also titled Information is Beautiful for the UK hardcover edition). As a total graph & data junkie I immediately sleuthed up some details around the author/designer, and found that, aside from the two books under his belt, the writer has contributed visual information & great writing to the likes of The Guardian, Tank, and one of my all-time favorites, Wired. Well, lucky for me, I got the chance to dissect The Visual Miscellaneum / Information is Beautiful page by page and ask David some questions about his approach to visualizing data in a world of rather staggering & bleak stats…

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Bookworm » Fuzzy Felted Book Box

Lo's List /// Etcetera's Book Box in Orange /// Available at Supermarket

Etcetera's Book Box in Orange available at Supermarket

What’s not to love? Perfectly simple concept + simply perfect execution = irresistible. These felted Book Boxes by Etcetera are constructed with naturally water-resistant felt and Danish wool by textile bigwig Kvadrat…

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Geekology » WantWant! BookBook!

Twelve South's BookBook - Hardback Leather Case for the Macbook

Twelve South’s BookBook Macbook Cover

While we wait for the iPad (ugh… I can barely say the name without wincing) to get with the times (no flash? really?) we’re happy to stick to our trusty Macbook Pro as a primary portable computing device. So, in honor of the good old dog, get yourself a BookBook, the stellar invisibility cloaks laptop covers by Twelve South.

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Bookworm » Have Some Modesty! Cover that Book Up!

Book City Jackets Artist's Edition No.2

The second set in Book City Jackets Artists Edition series featuring the work of Cheeming Boey, Michael Hsiung and Nishat Akhtar.

I just loved Back-to-School when I was a kid. Pacing the aisles of Staples, I made sure not to let a single thumbtack’s worth of office supplies slip past my scrutinizing eye. One of my favorite things to do was to wrap my textbook covers…

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