Vintage Classics

This is a an interesting series of classic reprints at budget prices. I think they're designed in the UK. You can check out a bunch of them here:

http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/vintage/vintageclassics/catalogue.htm?id=new&from=1

Chip Kidd Promotional Video

Who knew he did impressions?

Gray 318: The Lodger Shakespeare

I love the image and font choice on this one - it totally reminds me of the rickety drawings in the shakespeare books I read in high school. It's like a 60s English look that I suppose borrows from the 1600s. I'm a little unsure about the letters being so tight inside the boxes, but as a whole, this cover stands out and looks entirely different than the others around it.

The book "...re-creates the physical and cultural circumstances of the two-year period of 1603–1605 when Shakespeare, around 40 and at the peak of his profession, was a lodger in the home of a sexually lax Huguenot family who provided raw material for All's Well That Ends Well and other works" (Amazon)

Roberto de Vicq vs. Brooke Shields

Wow. When I saw the book (top) at the bookstore, I thought I'd ask Ali who designed it. Little did I realize it was a reprint of the novel originally published in 1981 (?) that was the basis of the Brooke Shields film. OMG! Needless to say, we've come a long way since the 80s. Still, I totally LOVE the movie poster. Thing is, the book is about two teenagers in love. The guy is OBSESSED with the girl, to the point where his love is a disease and causes him to commit crimes. I love the way he's totally lost in fantasy, while Brooke's eyes are open, as if she's thinkinig "something's weird here...". Or maybe she's thinking "I wonder if I'll ever work with Kathy Griffin..."

What I love most about the cover is the endless kerning of the title.

Paul Buckley: Blood Kin

This scan sux - it looks better if you click on it. I believe this is case bound, and that the red is metallic. But I may be wrong. This is a well-received first novel about a military coup in an unnamed country, told from the POV of the president's barber, chef, and portraitist. I suppose the three heads on the throne represent these characters.

Rodrigo Corral: Ravens in the Storm

This is totally attention-grabbing at the bookstore. Interesting mesh of paintbrush font with newspaper-font. The dots in the background are a great touch - they make it feel newspaper-y and are cooler that a plain solid background. And who doesn't love a great-looking capital "R"?!