Shelf Candy Saturday 271: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!

This is my weekly feature

showcasing beautiful covers!

It also provides information, 
if available, on their 
very talented creators!

Here's my choice for this week!

A Christmas Carol
 Charles Dickens
Christmas Fiction, Classics,
Fantasy, Paranormal Fiction

My Thoughts About This Cover

This has got to be one of the most LUSCIOUS, STUNNING editions of this timeless classic I've EVER seen! The design is influenced by that most beautiful of 19th-century design movements, Art Nouveau, which has been an obsession of mine ever since I first encountered it, as an Art Major in college. Heck, if I had the money I would live in a house -- it wouldn't have to be a mansion, though -- totally surrounded by furniture, posters (especially those by Alphonse Mucha), lamps, and, of course, books, done in this style!

Although my favorite color is, and will always be, blue, it is at Christmastime that I gain a new appreciation for the color red, especially in a rich, velvety, wine shade. The background of this cover is done in this precise shade. (Interestingly, however, when I tilt my laptop screen at a certain angle, the background color looks brown.... Whatever shade it is, I LOVE it!!) Then there are those GORGEOUS, golden roses..... I can't get over the effect of this combination! The roses really stand out against this beautiful background, and the way they interlace is just.....sheer genius, not to mention exquisite.

In short, I'm in "Book Heaven" just now!!! BLISS!!! Beautiful things have also always attracted me, but when I see a beautiful BOOK, the visual delight I get is like a total.....RUSH. It's not necessary to be on drugs to feel such a thing, either. I get this feeling when something touches me deeply, especially in an aesthetic sense. This book certainly does that!

In addition to all of the above, this book cover totally exemplifies the beauty of the Christmas season. Although the font is a classic one, it's perfect for this cover. It's simple, yet, with the wine-colored background and those interlacing golden roses, it conveys the elegance of this, the loveliest time of year.

And now for my bibliophile's dilemma..... I COVET this book. I WANT this book. It HAS to be mine. You might have noticed, though, that I have not posted any information about this particular edition. I came across this cover on Pinterest, but have absolutely NO idea what publisher it's from, or who the BRILLIANT cover designer is, or how much it costs.... NOTHING. 

What to do?! Well, maybe this book is a rare edition. It certainly looks that way, unfortunately..... I need to check out Alibris and Abebooks. I REALLY need to find this book!!!!

Meanwhile.... I am pining away for this book..... Santa, can you hear me? I'm DESPERATE here!! LOL.  

What do you think of 
this week's cover?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!

Book Blogger Hop No. 153: Time Travel for a First Edition!!

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

If you could travel back in time

to purchase the first printing

of a specific novel, what

book would that be?

(Submitted  by Billy  @ 

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer)

My Answer

This one is a total no-brainer for me, as my FAVORITE CLASSIC OF ALL TIME is Jane Eyre, that immortal novel by Charlotte Brontë!!

This first edition, first printing is available in our time, but for the hefty price of $45,000!! It's actually for sale on Ebay, too! You can view the listing right HERE! The photo you see above is of the actual book, or rather, books, as this edition was printed in three volumes, in the year 1847. If you look closely (you can also zoom in when you view this photo in the listing), you will notice that the binding is a dark green, and not a dark brown, as it appears to be at a short distance.

This edition was published by Smith, Elder, and Company. I had not expected the three volumes; I had always thought that this novel had been published as one book, even from the time it was first released. Well, live and learn, lol.

The three books look new, but that's because they've actually been "rebound in 20th-century, dark green, crushed morocco, by Bayntun (Riviere)". This is an actual quote from this Ebay listing. 

The original title of this novel is Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, edited by Currer Bell in Three Volumes. (The author was using a masculine pen name to hide her gender, as women were "not supposed" to be novelists in her time. That, of course, is VERY laughable now!!)

This listing probably won't be available for very long, as Ebay listings are temporary. I'm sure some wealthy collector will come along pretty soon, and pick up these books!

I know there must be more of these scattered throughout the Internet. However, they must all be extremely expensive, due to the age of this first edition.

This novel totally captivated me when I first read it in high school, in a small, paperback edition. It captivated me again, when I read it for the second time, in 2014. That was during a read-along co-hosted by Brian @ Babbling Books and myself. We GREATLY enjoyed it!! We asked each other questions, and answered them, as well. Although it was supposed to be a read-along, by the end of it, there was only one other blogger also answering the questions -- Jim @ The Frugal Chariot. Nevertheless, I think this was a truly memorable experience! You can read my review, as well as access the read-along links, HERE.

This novel details the unforgettable story of Jane Eyre, an English orphan whose passionate love for her wealthy employer is just as passionate as her struggle to remain true to herself, even at the cost of great sacrifice. This is a novel to treasure and re-read again and again, especially for women, as it is a true feminist novel. 

Naturally, I would MUCH prefer to be able to travel back in Time, so that I could buy this edition without paying so much money! Lol. I might also possibly be able to purchase a copy signed by the author herself!! Alas, if only I had a Time Machine..... Hey, H.G., where did you hide those blueprints?

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

Please leave a comment! 

If you're participating in this meme,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!! 

Book Blogger Hop No. 135: ONE Favorite Book on a Deserted Island?! Seriously?!

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

This Week's Question

If you were stranded on a 

deserted island, which ONE book

could you not live without? 

(Submitted  by Megan @

Kindle Mom & the Kindle Quest)

My Answer

Some time back, Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews asked whether choosing one's favorite book would be like choosing one's favorite child. And yeah, it certainly would be, for me. In fact, I would have a VERY hard time choosing ONE favorite book, under any circumstances! 

Of course, a deserted island does present a rather desperate situation..... Some people might choose the Bible, and I would not quibble with that choice, as I've dipped into the Bible myself -- especially some of the Psalms -- in tough situations. So I would concur with that choice, BUT.... I would NOT be able to stop there. No, absolutely NOT.

Of course, it would all depend on what circumstances led to my being stranded on that deserted island. 

One thing for sure, folks! Kindle books are OUT. Because, on a deserted island, WHERE THE HECK would you even find an electrical outlet? LOL. So here's where good ol' fashioned PRINTED BOOKS reign supreme!! Hahahaha!!!

So yes, I would want more than just ONE, PRINTED, book. For SURE!!!  (Unfortunately, it would depend on whether I got stranded by parachuting out of a plane, or getting to that deserted island on a lifeboat.....)

Since I carry at least ONE printed book with me everywhere I go, I guess it would very well have to be whatever book I happened to be reading at the moment of my unfortunate stranding. On the other hand, it could be my "security book blanket" of the moment! Lol. This could then be a Bible, or a devotional book, such as Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young, or Mornings with the Lord, by Doreen Virtue. Or it could be Daily Guidance from your Angels, by the same author. 

OR, it could be Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, OR Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, OR Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J. K. Rowling!

Here's the point, as well as the bottom line: there's no such thing as ONE FAVORITE book a dedicated bookworm would want to be with on a deserted island. 

Therefore.....

I hereby recommend that ALL bookworms be well prepared with a small arsenal of FAVORITE books, in the event that stranding on a deserted island occurs! And just what IS "a small arsenal", pray tell? Well, I will tell! It should consist of no more (or perhaps more?) of at least TEN of your ALL-TIME FAVORITE books!! Uhhhh.....how about TWENTY? Surely just TEN is not nearly enough? Well, okay, then, TWENTY. But wait a minute.....there are all of those TERRIFIC novels I read last year, and want to reread.....and being stranded on a deserted island, I would SURELY be able to get to all of them....well, in between fending off mosquitoes, and the occasional irate native.... AND, there might even be PIRATES lurking about! Oh, but the island IS deserted, right? ISN'T IT?! GULP. Better get to the last page of this book quick, before I'm DEVOURED, or made to walk the PLANK!!!

All kidding aside, I think it's TRULY IMPOSSIBLE to answer this question. So, I'm sharing my list of my TOP TEN! (And, I just might keep adding to it, so BE ADVISED!)

Okay, you know the drill! Click on the covers for the Goodreads pages!

 

This set is, I must admit, a bit heavy.....
they could easily become 
water-logged. Of course, you can always encase them 
in a protective plastic bag! 

Okay, the above are just for starters. There are indeed ten books on this list, if you count The Lord of the Rings in separate volumes. You get the picture! Lol. 

The BEST solution, in my very honest opinion, is simply this: AVOID getting stranded on a deserted island!! That way, you won't have to choose what books you can comfortably get stranded with, right? LOL.

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

If you're participating in this hop,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!!  
 

Shelf Candy Saturday No. 236: A Christmas Treasury, Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!

***Late Edition***

This is my weekly feature

showcasing beautiful covers!

It also provides information, 
if available, on their 
very talented creators!

Here's my choice for this week!

A Christmas Treasury
(Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions)
Leather Bound Hardcover, 368 pages
Barnes & Noble
September 29 , 2017
   Anthologies, Christmas Fiction,
Classics, Literary Fiction,
Poetry

My Thoughts About This Cover

Well, it's almost Christmas! So today I'm presenting one of the most BEAUTIFUL -- if not THE most beautiful -- Christmas book I've ever laid eyes on! This treasure, aptly titled, A Christmas Treasury, is a collection of great Christmas fiction and poetry, which are suitably shown off in the traditional Christmas colors. 

Barnes & Noble began issuing these lovely collectible editions some time back. I really can't recall when. Anyway, they are designed so as to hark back to the grand old days of beautiful book bindings, in the 19th-century. Barnes & Noble has produced many of these volumes, and they're not only classics such as Moby Dick, a collection of seven Jane Austen novels, the King James Bible, and others, but also of modern classics such as collections of Star Wars and Star Trek stories. And they also have this GORGEOUS Christmas volume, which I purchased around the middle of November, and featured in one of my Book Blogger Hop posts, on December 1st. You can access that post HERE. 

This volume, which has exquisite, gilt-edged pages, contains that timeless Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol, in its entirety. It also contains the equally classic, and touching, O. Henry story, "The Gift of the Magi", as well as L. Frank Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, the favorite Christmas poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas", and stories by such luminaries as Louisa May Alcott, Harriet Beecher Stowe, L. M. Montgomery, and William Dean Howells.

This is the full, exquisite cover!

The illustration on the front cover, which shows a whimsical Christmas tree, is totally delightful, as well, while the gold designs framing it, and carrying over into the back cover, are beautifully set off against a rich red background. The entire book design definitely evokes the joy and beauty of the Christmas season, as it includes several traditional Christmas motifs.

The font used for the title is ornate, elegant, and, of course, beautiful, as well, going perfectly with the entire cover!

Inside, there are many illustrations by the beloved, brilliant artists of the 19th-century Golden Age of Illustration, such as Arthur Rackham, Mary Cowles Clark, Alice Ercle Hunt, and others. So the book is just as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. I know I will certainly treasure it for many years to come!

See the wonderfully detailed YouTube video below for a very thorough look at both the outside and inside of this bookish treat!

The front cover Christmas tree is the work of Laurel Long, an American book illustrator. She has created illustrations for such children's books as Hans Brinker, by Bruce Coville, The Magic Nesting Doll, by Jacqueline K. Ogburn, and a Grimm story titled "The Lady and the Lion". She has also illustrated a picture book, titled The Mightiest Heart, by Lynn Cullen. This book was awarded the Gold Medal by the Society of Illustrators. 

Another picture book illustrated by Long is titled The Twelve Days of Christmas, which was featured in The New York Times Book Review.

Long is also a Professor in the Art Department at California State University, Northridge.

She has illustrated books for several publishers, among them Houghton Mifflin, Scholastic, Inc., Harper Collins, and Guideposts Magazine.

Patrice Kaplan is Designer/Art Director at Sterling Publishing, where she has worked since 2005. She's in charge of the art direction and design of the Barnes & Noble leather-bound books, as well as the Signature Edition books. So we bibliophiles have her to thank for all of the GLORIOUS covers that are part of the Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions series!! KUDOS to her!!!

Before that, she was the Senior Designer at Pocket Books, a Simon and Schuster imprint. There she designed not only books for young adults, but for adults, as well. 

Previous to that, she was the Promotion Designer at Harper Collins.

She received her BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Graphic Design at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. 

Kaplan has won awards for two of her B&N leather-bound designs at the New York Book Show. In 2012, she won First Place for the Children's Picture Book Series, while in 2010, she won Third Place for her Arabian Nights book cover design.

For some reason, I couldn't find as many links for Kaplan as I did for Long. All of the biographical information on Kaplan came from her LinkedIn profile.

So here are two more names for my ever-growing list of favorite book illustrators and designers!

Online Links

Laurel Long

Website

Blog

YouTube

Amazon

Patrice Kaplan

LinkedIn

Pinterest

What do you think of 
this week's cover?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!

Merry Christmas to Everyone!!