Betty Halbreich's Libertin Book-Print Coat at the Purim Ball 2016 in Honor of Isaac Mizrahi

The coat is by Libertine, and you can try to buy it here, if you happen to have $3000 and wear a size small.

(Avenue Magazine)

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Classic Literature Wallpaper by Murals Wallpaper

British wallpaper company Murals has created a small collection of wallpapers printed with the original illustrations from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (by John Tenniel), L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz, (by W.W. Denslow) and the novels of Charles Dickens (by Joseph Clayton Clarke, aka "Kyd").  

(Murals)

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Cover Envy: Sloane Crosley's The Clasp

Here's another (in my opinion) improved hardback to paperback cover design change.  Sloane Crosley's first novel, The Clasp, a comedic treasure hunt/mystery romp, comes out in paperback tomorrow (June 7), and the cover is quite different.  The hardback cover was well-designed, if a bit simplistic and flat (and slightly self-published looking) at first glance.  It was printed in three different bright colors, and the design was actually quite cool, with a gold chain snaking in and out of the letters.  The publisher clearly pulled out all of the stops for this first novel.  The paperback is more to my taste, and hugely different from the hardback cover.  I like the bold yellow and off-kilter font, and I love the background to the text, which is a close-up photograph of a traditional tapestry with bright embroidery added to it.  The background reminds me of the work of Richard Saja's Historically Inaccurate embroidered punk toile de jouy, which you can check out here. Edited: I just found an article on EW.com that says the background art was indeed designed by Richard Saja!  No wonder I love this cover so much!  Another small update (6/7/16): I just got a copy of the paperback, and the cover is embossed!  The text and all of the embroidery are actually raised, making this an even cooler cover.

Paperback cover

Hardback covers

Here's the Dutch cover that the EW article refers to.  Note the toile de jouy!

Cover Envy: Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell Series

Deanna Raybourn's latest mystery series stars a spunky lepidopterist named Veronica Speedwell defying gender conventions and solving crimes in Victorian English.  I haven't read the first book, A Curious Beginning, and the second book comes out in January 2017.  These books sound delightful, but I wanted to point out the newly designed cover for the paperback edition of A Curious Beginning, which comes out this July.  The hardback cover was fine, but nothing to write home about (you can see it below).  The paperback cover, however, made me, I confess, immediately preorder the book, because it is so cleverly designed.  It is meant to look like the elaborate and perhaps over-designed embossed leather covers of Victorian novels.  Barnes & Noble's Collectible Editions is based on the same type of design, an example of which you can see below.  Check out the Victoria Speedwell covers below. I love a trompe l'oeil cover design!

The hardback cover:

Here's an example of a late 19th-century embossed leather binding:

image source

Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics

(Deanna Raybourn)

Lily Nova by Marianna Sanvito for Elle Russia May 2016

(Fashion Mayhem)

Review: Hemsley and Hemsley Good and Simple by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley

The British Hemsley sisters' second cookbook, Hemsley and Hemsley Good and Simple, came out April 12.  This is the latest in the photogenic blogger book deal trend that has been going strong for the last few years.  The Hemsleys focus on fresh, healthy food that can help you (read: women) lose weight.  Note that they don't come right out and say that their book and food are about losing weight, but it's definitely what this book is about.  Their basic message is get rid of processed foods, refined sugars, gluten, and grains.  It's an attractive package, and it clearly tries to make the most of the photogenic nature of the two authors, who are clearly meant to be proof of the fact that their methods work.  Like many of the more recent cookbooks that are veiled diet books, this one shuns low-cal, low-fat recipes in favor of fresh ingredients and whole foods.  Some of the recipes are a bit rabbit-foody, but for the most part, the food looks and sounds tasty, in addition to being nutritious.  I also like how many of the recipes are directly followed by a list of "good and simple tips," which clarify the recipes and suggest ways that they can be changed and reused.  Overall, this is a nice cookbook aimed at 20- and 30-something women who want to lose weight without sacrificing flavor or calories.

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Review: Food with Friends: The Art of Simple Gatherings by Leela Cyd

The Kitchn contributor and stylist Leela Cyd's first book, Food with Friends, is now out from Penguin Random House.  This is a very pretty, and dare I say, feminine, book, chock full of pastels and flowers.  The food and styling are geared very much towards taking Instagram-worthy photos.  I think it's a very pretty book, although it's perhaps a bit too geared towards "girly" millennial get-togethers for my taste.  I think it plays a bit too much into a very narrow idea of entertaining and what women do and like (i.e. fussy and very girly).  Nevertheless, it's quite pretty, and the food is very attractive, as is the styling.  Every recipe has an interesting twist, and they often use fragrant and "exotic" additions, like rose, pistachio, and saffron.  The food is all very colorful and whimsical, without being in poor taste.  There are gorgeous pale smoky green Matcha Egg Creams, delicate pink ombré Orange Blossom Hagelslag (Dutch sprinkles that are meant to be sprinkled on buttered toast) on Toast, Purple Cauliflower Hummus, and perhaps my favorite: swirled pale pink and hot pink and white Think Pink Faloodas made of pearl tapioca, dry rice noodles, rosewater, pineapple, orange sherbet, grenadine, and rainbow sprinkles, in addition to only a couple of other mundane ingredients (heavy cream and whole milk).  It is a lovely and original book, and it is such fun to look at.  It provides plenty of inspiration for gently innovative treats.  All of the recipes are vegetarian, and they are all geared towards entertaining.  Think tea parties and baby showers.  

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.