Evan Gaffney: A Mind of Its Own

A beautiful cover you can proudly show off in the subway, without anybody knowing what you're reading. Just perusing the Amazon description, I feel light years wiser. Did you know that many Greek statues had full-blown erections? And that Roman generals promoted soldiers based on penis length? The book then glides through the dark ages, where the penis was seen as a dark tool of the devil, to the Rennaissance, where it was lifted out of hell by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci. And on to psychoanalysis, with Freud placing the penis in the "fulcrum of society", all the way to feminism, and ending in Viagra. OMG, OMG, You Guys!

The Road: Movie Stills and Poster!!!!

OMFG, Gossip Girl!!!!

Frozen Tracks

A Swedish thriller about a detective hunting down a child-abductor in the "parched prairies of rural Sweden, whose inhabitants are every bit as bleak and desperate as the landscape." I think the cover conveys this and "...days of dwindling daylight" perfectly, cinematically, and the type rox.

Goodloe Byron: Suzy, Led Zeppelin and Me

This was a lovely surprise at the bookstore the other day. Totally refreshing in its simplicity and retro aesthetic. I'm not sure I love the author type, but this still gets high marks for sheer fun. As far as my googling goes, the designer, Goodloe Byron, might be a writer, the author of the novels The Abstract and i.

This book takes place in 1972, when the author, a 15 year-old nerd in love with the unattainable Suzy, gets to see a Led Zeppelin concert in Glasgow and learns that "love may break your heart, but Led Zeppelin will never let you down. "

Barbara de Wilde: Love Today

A collection of 27 short stories about love in the 21st century by a popular German writer. It's nice to see the word "Love" treated in a new iconic way. The "O" that's missing is located on the back cover - and contains all the back cover text. I am reminded of two other type-driven designs:

Darren Haggar? / Gray318: The Chess Machine

Top is the new paperback, bottom is Gray318's hardcover. I absolutely love the transformation. It reminds me of how movie posters start with what is called a "tease" where they release a poster for the film way in advance, that is generally abstract - like the very first graphic posters for The Spirit. Then as the drop date gets closer, they release "the payoff" which usually has the actors' faces. I think the payoff cover here is lovely - wish I knew who painted it. I'm assuming the paperback is Darren Haggar but I will find out for certain.

The book is about a midget who hides inside a machine that plays chess and always wins. It takes place in 1770 Europe. I believe the image is alluding to a masquerade taking place - nobody knows the secret of the machine!!!!!! And it's based on actual events.

Darren Haggar: House of Thieves

A collection of stories set in the author's home, the islands of Hawaii, where the characters "experience together the loneliness of feeling miserable in paradise". Photo by Greg Vaughn.

Evan Gaffney: Treason by the Book

Absolutely beautiful cover, an AIGA 50 books/50 covers winner. The triple typeface combination coupled with the Chinese characters is awesome. Here's the synopsis from PW:
"In 1728, Emperor Yongzheng of China received a message from a distant subordinate advising that treason, in the form of a letter denouncing his regime, was abroad in the land. This new book by Yale scholar Spence (The Death of Woman Wang; The Search for Modern China; etc.) traces the intricate and surprising consequences of that disclosure."

Debra Morton Hoyt: Porno

The sequel to Trainspotting - this time with the gang trying to direct and produce a local porn flic. Photo by Chris Fraser-Smith.

Megan Wilson: Appointment in Samarra

From the writer of Butterfield 8, comes this classic novel published in 1934. It concerns a circle of wealthy party animals and one man's "rapid descent toward self-destruction". I think the type here is absolutely incredible and harkens back to those glamorous social clubs you see in black and white movies.

Ben Gibson: Mine All Mine

Ben Gibson is a super-talented designer/illustrator. Check out his work here: http://www.ben-gibson.com/
This book sounds like a hoot. A top-notch security guard is flustered after invaluable works of art are stolen by a master thief right under his nose. He sets out to capture the thief. In a funny twist, the security guard is addicted to taking small doses of poison in pill form in order to develop an immunity.

And, incidentally, check out the blurb at the bottom of the cover.....it's by David Benioff!!!!! The hottest author of the year (check out City of Thieves a few posts ago). And guess what?? He just made another public appearance with his wife, actress Amanda Peet, at the LA premiere of Pineapple Express. Don't they look related?

Archie Ferguson: Thrumpton Hall

Ornate wonderland. This is the memoir of a woman who grew up in a fabulously gorgeous house in England, and of her capricious father, who "in his golden years, took to wearing black leather and riding powerful motorbikes around the countryside in the company of a young male friend." From Harper Collins.

Doubt Poster

Surprisingly spare treatment for a teaser poster. I like it, but I'm cocking my eyebrow at the redundant church on top of the cross. Like, maybe putting something that contrasts with the Church would have been more interesting. The little window is cool, though. Still, clean and pretty.

Paul Buckley: The 351 Books of Irma Arcuri

Is this gorgeous or what???? Photo is by Fredrik Broden. This is the story of a man who is looking for his mistress who has disappeared. She's left him 351 books with clues to her whereabouts, but the more he reads, the more it seems he has entered the stories and is living inside the books.

Amy C. King: Come on Shore...

Designer info to come. Though I love the images and desaturated color, the type here is awesome. The font is simple and looks like it belongs on the sign of highway diner far far away. I almost approve of the excessive tracking on the second and third lines - even though it looks a bit messy, it works with the rugged, dirty font and title.

This is a memoir of the author's marriage to a Maori man in New Zealand. It pits their relationship - that of a privileged white woman with a rural native - to the history of the colonists and the Maori.

The Fifth Vial

What can I say? I'm a sucker for type which is this married to the image. Possibly something else could have been added....but if I saw this in the store, the simple type through glass effect would have caused my hand to instantly lift up and grab this book. This is a medical thriller about illegal organ trading. Incidentally, it reminds me of Michael Ian Kaye's cover for Scott Heim's In Awe from 1998:

Brian Barth: Still Waters

Really striking cover, especially in person - the goth foliage illustration is really cool, for one - and it's sliced this way and that on the front and back cover. Also, the triangular slices are sometimes glossy, sometimes matte. The foliage and slices are explained in the plot summary (from Pantheon):

When the badly decayed body of an elderly woman is unearthed, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Lapslie and his sergeant, Emma Bradbury, are called in on the case. The body provides only two mysterious clues to the identity of the murderer: someone with a deadly knowledge of household plants used shears to clip the fingertips off the corpse's right hand...

Fritz Eichenberg: Jane Eyre & Wuthering Heights

Random House published these two volumes as a boxed set in 1943. I found out about them in the movie Definitely, Maybe, where this particular volume of Jane Eyre plays a role. There are no dust jackets, just the engravings on both front and back (flipped on the back) and the novel's name and author on the spine. If you click on the first image to enlarge, you'll spot Jane herself...but she'll creep up on you.

Greg Mollica & Shout: City of Thieves

During WWII in Russia, A teenager and a army deserter who've commited small crimes face execution. They are spared at the last minute by an army captain on the condition that they obtain 12 eggs for his daugher's wedding cake. Thus they set on a perilous adventure. This covers is structured beautifully - the huge type is actually rather thin in weight, which keeps it from heavy-ing up the top area. It also contrasts well with the solid expanse of snow - the snow is actually a vast white space, and yet it immediately attains a thick texture when contrasted with the thin type above.

But wait! There's a pleasant surprise inside the flap too. This guy gets my vote for hottest author of the year.

And here he is with his wife, actress Amanda Peet:

Mark Melnick: Twisted Head

The family in this memoir runs "Cappi's Pizza and Sangwheech Shoppe, whose motto was "We Don't Spel Good, Just Cook Nice."" Perfect cover. Actually, I'm really in the mood for some peppers, anchovies and mushrooms now. And I just had a peanut butter sandwich. Am I pregnant?

The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments

The spine is a spectrum! The book recounts "ten historic experiments whose elegant simplicity revealed key features of our bodies and our world." I wish I could say what the apparatus on the cover is...does anyone know? Included are chapters on Galileo, Newton, and Pavlov and his dogs. From Knopf - designer name to come.

Imaginary Forces: Definitely, Maybe Title Sequence

Check out the slick, almost retro (I'm thinking the original Thomas Crown Affair titles) sequence for Definitely, Maybe. Actually, a really cute film - especially if you find Ryan Reynolds delicious. And the song is by Sly and the Family Stone.

You can watch it here - click on the red link for Definitely_Maybe.mov: http://www.dexigner.com/design_news/imaginary-forces-creates-lyrical-opening-sequence-for-definitely.html

or, to see the bigger version, go to the Imaginary Forces website (click on Play Movie, but you'll have to wait about two minutes):
http://www.imaginaryforces.com/featured/5/454

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Carnival in Rio

(click to watch) I went to the Found Footage Festival last night and saw this early gem featuring the jaw-dropping antics of Governor Schwarzenegger. This is a promo film for Rio de Janeiro. I heartily recommend attending this hilarious performance - not sure when it's returning to New York, but it's touring other cities. DVDs of prior festivals are available. http://www.cine-magic.com/foundfootagefest.html

Happy Fourth! The Big Penis Book/Big Book of Breasts

From Taschen come this year's most anticipated catalogs. Truly mesmerizing stuff. And get this. The jacket is actually clear acetate with underwear/bra printed on it, so that when removed, the true glory of the anatomy is revealed. Back cover is the rear view of the man/woman, with acetate underwear theme continued. These on are display at the new Taschen store in SoHo. I have to say, congrats on the flip color choice. Boys usually get blue, and girls usually get pink.

http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/sex/all/05703/facts.the_big_penis_book.htm

http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/sex/all/03848/facts.the_big_book_of_breasts.htm

Lisa Fyfe: The Boys in the Trees

The story of a father's crime and its affect on a countryside community in late 19th-century Canada. I'm assuming the red birds are the family.

Justice League Shocker!!!

While trying to figure out how to hack an infernal computer, Aquaman, King of Atlantis, gets zapped from behind by his eeeevil brother. From Season 1, Episode 7, The Enemy Below - Part 2.

The Romantics

Note the torn flower print. And the scotch tape is glossy!

The story revolves around an amorous group of nine Yale friends as they reunite for a wedding six years after graduation.