Saturday, April 3, 2010

Kindling the flame of passion (for real books)

While the convenience of carrying your entire home library with you in one digital volume is indeed enticing, many old-school bibliophiles (myself included) are hestitant to succomb to this seduction.

Why? Well, in exchange for the convenience offered by digital readers, real, actual books contain the full-sensory experience of delving into a good novel/biography/self-help tome (hrm-hrrrm). The textured feel of the pages of a vintage dime-store paperback, the musty smell of a hand-me-down volume, the dog-eared corners that allude to the journeys of all the readers who came before you... these experiences are lost when the work is delivered via Kindle...


Tech-curious bibliophiles: all is not lost!







Long Live Books is the brainchild of a Minnesota artist who recognized that while the Kindle and other e-book devices may be here to stay, they don't have to render your future reading experiences cold, streamlined, and impersonal.

These "book" covers are handmade in his studio out of real wool felt, and offer customizable titles, such as This is not a book. So for those who have already made the leap into the future... you can take a little bit of the present (past?) with you, and reconnect to the inimitable pleasure of cuddling up with a good book.

Happy reading!
Gillian