This is a feature I’ve wanted to add to the blog for a long time … as you may have gleaned, I love book covers. And, wonder of wonders, I also love books! In this first installment I’m going to focus on fiction. I’m not really going to do reviews per se, mainly because as a reader, the only kind of reviews I find helpful are the ones that say ‘this is like this other book by that author you like’ etc. But I can say that these are all books that I have read in the past year or so that have blown me away. Would I steer you wrong? No I would not.

The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

No one belongs here more than you by Miranda July

The Stories of Breece D’J Pancake

Actually I think I’ll leave it at just four for today. I’ll continue with more bookshelf posts next week, and maybe add a rotating bookshelf permanently to the sidebar … if any of you read these or have already read them I’d love to hear what you think. Or, tell me what’s on your book shelf these days!

Look at these beautiful notebooks by Studio Violet (a joint venture of Camilla Engman and Elisabeth Dunker) …

(photo: Studio Violet … see also their blog for more work)

I love this colour palette so much, it reminds me of my all-time favourite King Penguin book cover:

… so I had to get them. And a postcard set too.

A federal election is two days away here in Canada and I find myself thinking about … the American election. Anyone else?

Anyway, here are two of the many great fundraisers going on (with proceeds going to the Obama campaign): 

Census letterpress print, by Dan Funderburgh (via Kitsune Noir) 

 

Denyse Schmidt Yes We Can Quilt: 

  

Look at these beautiful buttons! I love the backing design. By village, via I Love Typography.

Commenter # 6, Cicada Studios! Thanks everyone for entering our first-ever giveaway … check back in a month for another one!

: update - contest is closed - check back on the first friday of each month for a new giveaway : Okay, this is the first ever installment of our Friday (first Friday of the month that is) giveaways! This week, all you need to do is leave a comment between now and midnight Sunday (eastern time) to be entered in a draw (I’ll use a random number generator) for this little veggie print. Good luck!

Okay this feature starts this Friday, but I thought I’d give a little heads-up to anyone who might be interested: starting in October, the first Friday of every month will be freebie day here at the Stockton notebook! Check back on Friday for details …

I painted some thrifted spice racks to use as displays for my cards at a craft show … here’s before (and oh yes, my deck needs painting too):

And after (please excuse the blurriness):

More craft show table pictures here, here, and here.

Hi - just a reminder that I will be at Hoopla tomorrow, with tons of prints & stationery in tow - see all the deets below. There will be lots of great artisans, door prizes, free coffee … so if you live in the Toronto area, stop by!

It’s Gocco-central around here as I get ready for the Hoopla show here in Toronto (more about that soon) so blogging will be light for the forseeable future … in the meantime here are somethings I’ve been enjoying lately:

• eraser with 28 corners, at Tokyo Mango
• lovely Japanese mail order catalog (corduroy flat club!), at Moving Hands
• new lorena barrezueta jewelry, (you might know her line of ceramics based on classic take-out/disposable dishes) via sub studio design blog
• conversation with Paul Rand, on Swiss Legacy