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Breakfast at Tiffany's
Truman Capote
In this seductive, wistful masterpiece, Truman Capote created a woman whose name has entered the American idiom and whose style is a part of the literary landscape. Holly Golightly knows that nothing bad can ever happen to you at Tiffany's; her poignancy, wit, and naivete continue to charm. - Vintage International
"Truman Capote is the most perfect writer of my generation. He write the best sentence word for word, rythem upon ryhtem." - Norman Mailer
I've read this book many times, but bought this edition while in Paris at the iconic Shekespeare & Co. bookstore becuase it was the 50th anniversary European edition and had the great cover photograph by Horst P. Horst. It is still one of my favorite books, I love Capote's writing. If you've only ever seen the movie version - which is great - read the book. It's different, espeically in its beginnings and endings.
Penguin by Design, a Cover story 1935-2005
Phil Baines
By looking back at seventy years of Penguin paperbacks, graphic designer Phil Baines charts the development of British publishing, the ever-changing currents of cover art and style, and the role of artists and designers in creating and designing the Penguin look. Rich with stunning illustrations and filled with details about individual titles, designers, and even the changing size and shape of the Penguin logo itself, Penguin by Design shows how covers become design classics.
An excellent resource for graphic designers looking for inspiration and examples of great typography. My favorites Penguin covers have always been the classic three bar grid - especially when in green - signifiying the book as a mystery.
DIY
Ellen Lupton
DIY is written by the Ellen Lupton, prolific author of design books in far ranging subjects.DIY is, as titled, a book of do-it-yourself design projects. From making your own invitations to creating graphically appealing Lost Cat signs, there are enough projects in this book to keep you busy during the long winter months. If you start now, you can have all of your next year's Christmas (or Hannakah) presents ready to go by Spring!
Btw, another excellent book by this author is Letters from the Avant Garde - a book filled to the brim with Bauhaus graphics.
Tony Duquette
Wendy Goodman, Hutton Wilkinson
American artist and design legend Tony Duquette (1914–1999) was known for his over-the-top style in interiors, jewelry, costumes, and set design. His clients included Elizabeth Arden, the Duchess of Windsor, and Herb Albert.
The multi-talented Duquette designed sets for MGM musicals with Arthur Freed and Vincente Minnelli, and designed Tony Award–winning costumes for the original Broadway production of “Camelot.” Duquette was the first American to exhibit a one-man show at the Louvre in Paris.
Tony Duquette is a lavishly illustrated book with many lost and never-before published photographs from the Duquette archives, including portraits and pictures taken by Man Ray, John Engstead, Fredrich Dapriche, Andre Ostier, George Platt Lynnes, as well as original sketches, designs, and texts by Duquette himself. With commentary, interviews, stories, and contributions from Liza Minnelli, Arlene Dahl, Steven Meisel, Bruce Weber, and others.- Amazon.com
See Art and Letter's interview with author and designer Hutton Wilkinson by clicking here
Death on the Nile
Agatha Christie
Linnett Ridgeway has almost everything: youth, beauty, brains, and money. Then her best friend Jackie brings her handsome fianc?, Simon Doyle, to visit and asks Linnett to give him a job. Now Linnett and Simon are on their honeymoon, a cruise up the Nile. When Linnett is killed, Jackie is the obvious suspect, but she couldn't have done it. It seems like an insolvable crime, until the famous detective Hercule Poirot starts to investigate. Death on the Nile deserves its reputation as one of Christie's best travel mysteries. - Library journal
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Death on the Nile
Agatha Christie
Linnett Ridgeway has almost everything: youth, beauty, brains, and money. Then her best friend Jackie brings her handsome fianc?, Simon Doyle, to visit and asks Linnett to give him a job. Now Linnett and Simon are on their honeymoon, a cruise up the Nile. When Linnett is killed, Jackie is the obvious suspect, but she couldn't have done it. It seems like an insolvable crime, until the famous detective Hercule Poirot starts to investigate. Death on the Nile deserves its reputation as one of Christie's best travel mysteries.
This book doesn't veer far from the typical action/adventure story, but it's fast paced and enjoyable with an interesting protagonist.
The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs
Alexander McCall Smith
In The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs, Professor Dr. Von Igelfeld is mistaken for a veterinarian and not wanting to call attention to the faux pas, begins practicing veterinary medicine without a license. He ends up operating on a friend’s dachshund to dramatic and unfortunate effect. He also transports relics for a schismatically challenged Coptic prelate, and is pursued by marriage-minded widows on board a Mediterranean cruise ship. -Amazon.com
Hilarious book with a mishap at every turn.
The Rottweiler
Ruth Rendell
The first victim had bite marks on her neck so the London papers nicknamed her killer, “the Rottweiler.” He has been stalking the small and diverse London community of Lisson Grove, where Inez Ferry runs an antique shop frequented by a motley collection of eccentric individuals. When the Rottweiler’s trinkets start showing up in the shop, suddenly, everyone Inez knows is a suspect, and the killer feels all too close. Enthralling and deeply unsettling, The Rottweiler alternates expertly between the mind of a psychopath and the daily affairs of those living in his shadow. It is a transfixing mystery that only Ruth Rendell could write. - BN
Excellent mystery with an intriguing cast of characters that weave in and out of eachother's lives. Ruth Rendell is a fantastic mystery writer!
Exile
Richard North Patterson
David Wolfe is a successful American lawyer being primed for a run for Congress. But when the phone rings and he hears the voice of Hana Arif—the Palestinian woman with whom he had a secret affair in law school—he begins a completely unexpected journey.
The next day, the prime minister of Israel is assassinated by a suicide bomber while visiting San Francisco. Soon, Hana is accused of being the mastermind behind the murder. Now David faces an agonizing choice: Will he, a Jew, represent her?
The most challenging case of David’s career requires that he delve deep into the lives of Hana and her militant Palestinian husband, all the way back to Israel and the West Bank. There he uncovers the couple’s dangerous connections…culminating in an explosive trial where the stakes are Hana’s life—and the future of two peoples. - Publisher
Overall a good book with the author exploriing both sides of the Israeli / Palestinian conflict. The ending is a bit predictable.
Her (Audio)
Laura Zigman
Zigman's novel features a cast of neurotic characters. Narrator Elise is paranoid about the presence of her fiancé's ex-fiancée, and fiancé Donald seems afraid to let his ex, Adrienne, go. Even super-beautiful Adrienne is insecure and clingy, and the waves of self-involved tension even radiate out to include Elise's friends. Ilana Levine gives a solid performance, clear and appropriately ironic, but it cannot detract from the fact that the 6-hour audiobook is about 3 hours too long. Elise's fearful rants become redundant and tiresome after the first chapter, and there seems to be no motivation for her grating behavior. What should be humorous scenes of pseudo-obsession--Elise's "drive-bys" past the competition's house, late night forays into Donald's desk drawers--just seem pathetic after the third time she does them. And she's only getting started.. - Audiofile
A for Awful. Bad from the beginning, but being trapped in the car with a long commute and nothing to do...I listened.
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