I feel incredibly fortunate to work with all of the people in my life, but I feel especially lucky to know and work with the incredible ALSO team: Matt Lamothe, Julia Rothman and Jenny Volvovski. Watching their work grow and change over the years (they designed the last two versions of D*S as well as…
I love to read. In middle school, I obsessively entered all the reading competitions in my school, winning such prizes as a ski map of Mammoth Mountain and a copy of Where the Red Fern Grows. As a teenager, I still loved to read but became more than a little self-conscious about the number of…
I always get excited when friends have a new project coming out, and today I am so thrilled for Joy Deangdeelert Cho and Meg Mateo Ilasco because Blog, Inc. (Chronicle Books, 2012) is out, and the new trailer is online! Joy put so much time and hard work into creating what will surely become a…
Now that I no longer work from a couch all day, my view has changed significantly. Rather than staring at a wall with a TV, I now stare at a wall full of art and design books. As much as I miss my daily movie fix (the best tool for getting through hours of research…
If anyone had walked into our office last week, they would have witnessed quite a sight. Max, Amy and I took turns wearing the geekiest 3D glasses while we stood over Barry Rothstein’s Phantograms from Nature book, oohing and aahing like crazy. I stumbled upon Rothstein’s book at Beautiful Dreamers in Brooklyn and ended up…
Please say hello to the new coffee table book that people will be clamoring to get in their homes. Ever since I got a sneak peek of Jen Altman’s Gem and Stone, I have been dying to see the finished piece. Last week it arrived, and it lived up to every (high) expectation I had…
Every now and then, you need a little pick me up that is all about sheer joy and happiness. For some people, romantic comedies serve that purpose; for others, a giant piece of cake does the trick (now I want both). Next month, Chronicle is releasing a book that is the printed version of a giant…
I’m fully in love with all of the creative ways artists and writers are embracing print these days. From hand-printed zines to well-crafted quarterlies, it’s really wonderful to have so many options to hold and admire in your hands. Matchbook Stories is a new project that presents a literary magazine in matchbook form. Each issue…
Drawn & Quarterly is putting out some of the most beautiful books these days. One of their newest is Idyll by Montreal artist Amber Albrecht. Idyll gathers some of Amber’s best drawings and silkscreens from the past few years and tucks them between a beautifully embossed cover. Idyll contains 96 pages of pure artwork (there’s no…
Image above: Classical columns on the front door drawn in chalkboard paint Living in a Nutshell (just released yesterday!) showed up in the office last week. We’re pretty picky about books here and can be particularly hard on craft books, but I literally found myself saying “wow” on nearly page. The book is packed with…
Oh, stripes. How can I stay away? This adorable stripe-themed copy of Shimashimajima at Tortoise in LA seems like a perfect start to the day. Colorful, upbeat and beautifully designed, it’s a great way to kick off summer weather. Click here to pick up a copy online at Tortoise for $35. xo, grace
The first time I visited SCAD in Savannah I got to visit a class making books by hand. I’d never stopped to think about how much goes into handmade books and those students’ efforts were a real eye-opener. These beautiful handmade books, agendas and diaries are by artist Serena Olivieri. She just started designing and…
One of my big goals this year is to spend less time in virtual life and more time in real life. Part of that commitment means watching fewer screens and cracking open more books. I finally started reading seriously again during the book tour, so I’m starting to build a little collection of favorites. As…
I can barely contain my excitement about all the amazing small-scale print publications debuting these days! As much as I love working online (and I do), I also love seeing people stretch themselves and put their all into making truly beautiful magazines and books. Two of my new favorites are The Hungry Girls’ Cookbooks and…
I love the publishing era we’re living in; there are so many exciting small-scale print zines and book series popping up everywhere. One of my favorites is the Communal Table, a self-published book series about food and the way it brings people together. Each series has a theme, and all the proceeds will be donated…
Last Friday I had the pleasure of sitting next to one of my favorite designers, Coralie Bickford-Smith. After asking her questions and watching as a rapt audience ate up every word (her accent is as delightful as her work), we discussed the importance of book covers in a market where printed books are often passed…
For years, I’ve embarrassed Amy by saying, “I’m not much of a reader” in posts. What was once a sad but honest admission is now happily a thing of the past due to our book tour. With so much time spent on planes and in cars, I’ve been tearing through books like I did when…
One of the highlights of last week’s book tour trip was getting to spend time in Athens, Georgia. Before our event, we had the pleasure of joining Rinne Allen for a quick tour around town, followed by a delicious dinner at The National with some amazing women. I’m constantly in awe of fantastic artists coming…
Whenever we feature work that involves altering books, it stirs up a storm of emotion and discussion. You would think that over the years, I’d have built a resistance to that sort of backlash, but it still makes me nervous, as I brace for impact each time. However, I can’t look at these beautiful pieces…
Sometimes, when I find a new designer or design source, it feels like falling into a rabbit hole. First I’m digging for any information I can find, and the next thing I know, I’m tumbling deeper and deeper into Google searches and blog links that can bring me any tiny shred of information on the…
