Saturday, November 20, 2010

Happy Haul-idays from Chronicle Books and Your Neighborhood Librarian

Chronicle Books certainly goes out of its way to be ingratiating, don't you think? Chronicle includes the subversive little imprint that brought us Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Quirk Books), as well as Blue Apple Books, who put out the very highest quality kids' books. In addition, their books are well-bound, beautifully printed, and use nice paper. PLUS their editorial staff seems to really function as curators.

Now, in addition to providing me with eye candy whenever I hit the New Books cart in the librarians' office, they've got a contest going: pick $500 worth of merch from their catalog, post it as a blog post, and you may win your list. And one of your commenters wins the list too. They call it Happy Haul-idays from Chronicle Books.

Now, of course I've done this with their Children's catalog, but this list? This list is MY list. Stuff for my family, friends, for myself. Cocktails, art, urban design. Enjoy. Comment for a chance to win.



The Liberal Monument

The Liberal Monument

By Alexander D

Architect Alexander D'Hooghe believes urban design has lost its way. Once among the most articulate and avant-garde of disciplines, the field now lacks, he suggests, the confidence necessary to address its most critical challenge—sprawl. In ... MORE

Hot Type

Hot Type

By Brett MacFadden
and Scott Thorpe

Hot Type + cloth + an iron = DIY clothing design. It's instantly gratifying to customize T-shirts, bags, or any other piece of fabric with these bold type-driven designs and custom created alphabets. Simple instructions explain how to ... MORE

642 Things to Draw

642 Things to Draw

A rolling pin, a robot, a pickle, a water tower, a hammock, a wasp, a safety pin, a kiss. Budding artists and experienced sketchers alike will find themselves invigorated by this collection of offbeat, clever, and endlessly absorbing ... MORE

The Map as Art

The Map as Art

By Katharine Harmon

As seen in O: The Oprah Magazine, the New York Times Book Review, USA Today, Cool Hunting, and countless other media outlets, The Map as Art is available now in a paperback edition. This volume by ... MORE

Art of McSweeney's

Art of McSweeney's

By the Editors of McSweeney

A novel with each cover hand-illustrated by the author. Literary journals bound by magnets, or designed to look like junk mail. The sharp wit, gorgeous design, and playful why not invention of independent literary publisher McSweeney's ... MORE

The Pattern Sourcebook

The Pattern Sourcebook

By Drusilla Cole

This stunning picture book chronicles one hundred years of classic patterns, featuring designs in a wide variety of styles, art movements, and countries of origin to give an overview of surface design from the beginning of the last century to ... MORE

Pictorial Webster's

Pictorial Webster's

By John M. Carrera

Featuring over 1,500 engravings that originally graced the pages of Webster's dictionaries in the 19th century, this chunky volume is an irresistible treasure trove for art lovers, designers, and anyone with an interest in visual history. ... MORE

The Handy Book of Artistic Printing

The Handy Book of Artistic Printing

By Doug Clouse
and Angela Voulangas

During the late nineteenth century, letterpress printers, engravers, and lithographers boldly challenged the rational sobriety of traditional design by introducing intricate borders, corner embellishments, quirky typefaces, and ... MORE

Angaza Afrika

Angaza Afrika

By Chris Spring

The mission of this book is to illustrate Africa's immensely fertile artistic landscape. Africa has emerged from its colonial past and is asserting its own identity. African art is not only confined to the continent itself, but has spread ... MORE

Made in India

Made in India

By Kalim Winata
and Reed Darmon

Indian design and style is enjoying a boom in popularity as more and more people discover its diverse charm and graphic invention. Kalim Winata and Reed Darmon (author of the popular Made in Japan and Made in China) have ... MORE

Window Seat

Window Seat

By Gregory Dicum

Talk about a fresh perspective! Perched 35,000 feet in the air, Window Seat decodes the sights to be seen on any flight across North America. Broken down by region, this unusual guide features 70 aerial photographs; a fold-out map of North ... MORE

The Worst-Case Scenario Almanac: Great Outdoors

The Worst-Case Scenario Almanac: Great Outdoors

By David Borgenicht
and Trey Popp

Bears. Avalanches. Grill fires. The great outdoors is packed with perils, so be prepared from the moment you lace up your boots. With detailed instructions on how to get out of every kind of trouble in the wild, this new, dynamic almanac format in ... MORE

Nature's Pharmacy Deck

Nature's Pharmacy Deck

By The New York Botanical Garden

Culled from the Nature’s Pharmacy exhibit at The New York Botanical Garden, this illustrated deck explains the healthful properties and uses of 50 (both historical and modern-day) herbs and plants. ... MORE

Spice & Ice

Spice & Ice

By Kara Newman
Photographs by Antonis Achilleos

From New York City to Los Angeles, top bars are serving up cocktails spiced with chiles, wasabi, ginger, and other fiery flavors. Spice & Ice brings this trend to the home bar with recipes for 70 tongue-tingling drinks, including ... MORE

Bixology

Bixology

By Eve O'Neill
and Doug "Bix" Biederbeck
Photographs by Sheri Giblin

From San Francisco supper club Bix comes this stylish miscellany for cocktail lovers, foodies, and arts aficionados. Packed with fun facts, fascinating lists, and bon mots, it also includes recipes for classic drinks and the bar foods that ... MORE

Moleskine City Notebook New York

Moleskine City Notebook New York

The first guidebook you write yourself.

The Bronx is up, the Battery's down, and the Moleskine City Notebook New York has space for everything in between. The Key Map summarizes the overall city layout , showing the sequence and ... MORE

Sound Bingo

Sound Bingo

By Kindermusik

This sound-inspired game features 6 double-sided bingo cards, 100 vinyl game pieces, and a variety of sounds, from animals to musical instruments. Pop in the CD, identify the sounds, and find the corresponding picture on a card. The first to ... MORE

MoMA Modern Play House

MoMA Modern Play House

Create a delightfully modern house with this innovative set of modular nesting boxes! Aspiring architects and designers of all ages can create modern spaces, arrange furniture and accessories, and pack it all up to go with this distinctive ... MORE

Old Maid with Other Goose

Old Maid with Other Goose

By J.otto Seibold

It's the classic game of Old Maid featuring all the favorite Mother Goose characters from J.otto Seibold's Other Goose. Humpty Dumpty, Jack Be Nimble, Little Bo Peep, Miss Muffet, and Little Boy Blue all appear on 41 eye-popping ... MORE

(Pre Ordered)

Little Red Riding Hood/Caperucita Roja

Little Red Riding Hood/Caperucita Roja

By the Brothers Grimm
Illustrated by Pau Estrada
Translated by James Surges

Striking art accompanies this classic fairy tale that is now available in a Spanish/English dual-language edition. A beautiful addition to both home and classroom libraries. ... MORE

My Garden

My Garden

By Mimi Luebbermann
Photographs by Susie Cushner

In gardening, there's nothing more frustrating than making the same mistake twice. Essential for gardeners of every skill level, this guided horticultural diary helps track successes and lessons learned. The undated journaling pages ... MORE

Eat Me

Eat Me

Keep track of dining experiences, food memories, and all things culinary with this stylish and handy journal designed especially for the food-obsessed. A clear vinyl cover makes this durable enough to withstand both extreme culinary ... MORE

New York Notebook

New York Notebook

By Laurie Rosenwald

Part guidebook, journal, and sketchbook, this vibrantly illustrated notebook includes more than 200 fun tips from a New York native; plus it has plenty of room for you to add info of your own. Not as overwhelming or structured as most ...