Novel Living: Collecting, Decorating, and Crafting with Books

"Novel Living: Collecting, Decorating and Crafting with Books" is a treasure for anyone who loves books, both to read and as an artistic object. Lisa Occhipinti discusses collecting books, creating a library, preserving and conserving, and crafting with books. The accompanying illustrations add to the beauty of the text and will have any bibliophile smiling with delight.

I like that she advocates both keeping books and giving them away. "A book on your shelf is tangible, finite, and yours alone, and keeping it is the surest way to preserve its power." She acknowledges, however, that a personal library is a "living thing, always evolving, growing, and shedding, only to expand again. Thinning out is a necessary part of collecting books and maintaining a library.

I loved her various ideas on how to shelve and display books and while I don't have the energy to take on the book art projects she describes, I'm now eager to find some book art to liven up my home. Novel Living is very inspiring.



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