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Share The Best Designer Classics for Your Bookshelf
The Best Designer Classics for Your Bookshelf
By JULIANNA HAUBNER
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Julianna Haubner is an associate editor at the Simon & Schuster imprint, which she joined in September 2014 after completing the Columbia Publishing Course. She graduated from Colby College with a B.A. in English and history, and happily lives her life according to the three B's: Books, Baking, and Bravo. A lifelong reader, Julianna is a compulsive borrower, buyer, and collector of literary and historical fiction, biographies, and cultural history. She's on Twitter @jhaubner2, and is behind your favorite bookstagrams @offtheshelfofficial.
It's a common belief here at Off the Shelf that you can never have enough books—but what about multiple copies of the same one? (Spoiler: we don't believe you can have too many of those, either.) One of the best things about classics is their timelessness, and the many ways we can reinvent and reinterpret them. In recent years, publishers have come up with beautiful new designs to keep some of our favorite titles fresh, from ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND to Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. How many can you collect?
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Pantone Editions
Simple, clean, and—you guessed it—classic, these Puffin + Pantone editions feature THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER, THE WIZARD OF OZ, and TREASURE ISLAND. With each title perfectly paired to a color, the spines combine to create the pastel lineup of any book lover's dreams.
A post shared by Tasha 📚🇨🇦 (@tashasbookshelf) on Sep 26, 2017 at 5:29am PDT
Long John Silver was a frightening—but tremendously seductive—character for me as a boy; and for my part, being that active sort of reader, I really felt I was Jim Hawkins, pulled headlong into the wild Caribbean, afraid but of course wanting to go on in spite of myself. Silver's was the Siren song of true adventure—of that irresistible blend of fun spiked with danger—and Stevenson brings this out as few other writers can. —Kevin Costner
By Julianna Haubner | November 5, 2018
Kevin Costner and Friends Recommend 12 Good Old-Fashioned Adventure Stories
By Kevin Costner, Jon Baird, & Rick Ross | December 18, 2015
These interactive editions from English design house MinaLima are distributed in the States by Harper and prove that reading time can also be play time. Each one is not only gorgeous on the outside, but on the inside too, with pop-up illustrations, fold-out maps, and more to tell the beloved stories of PETER PAN, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LITTLE MERMAID, and THE JUNGLE BOOK.
A post shared by ScrapNoms (@scrapnoms) on Mar 18, 2018 at 7:45am PDT
Happy Chinese New Year: 12 Books to Kick Off the Year of the Pig
By Elizabeth Breeden | February 5, 2019
Bestselling Novelist Lisa See's 13 Favorite Books
By Lisa See | March 28, 2017
While the Cat's Away: 13 Books About Our Favorite Felines
By Off the Shelf Staff | January 28, 2016
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Juniper Books specializes in distributing custom jackets and decorative editions for past and contemporary classics alike. This trilogy set features THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE TWO TOWERS, and THE RETURN OF THE KING. Published by Houghton Mifflin, they also feature a gorgeous fold-out map of Middle Earth.
A post shared by Bluestocking Bookshelf | Jen (@bluestockingbookshelf) on Jan 20, 2017 at 6:17am PST
"Fly, you fools!" —Gandalf the Grey
Tis' The Season: The Best Books You Received As Gifts
By Off the Shelf Staff | December 17, 2019
Your Fave "Game of Thrones" Actors Have Also Starred in These Adaptations
By Amy Cardoza | May 10, 2019
5 Books to Read if You Love READY PLAYER ONE
By Meagan Harris | April 4, 2018
Famous Last Words: Parting Lines From Our Favorite Characters
By Sarah Jane Abbott | May 21, 2015
10 Incredible Literary Parties
The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Penguin Drop Caps
There's a book for every mood, every season, and every letter. For the Penguin Drop Caps editions, each letter is assigned a title and a thematic design that's sure to stick out on your shelf, no matter what message you're trying to spell out.
A post shared by Penguin Classics (@penguinclassics) on Jul 7, 2017 at 9:37am PDT
As Barcelona slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer's son, finds solace in what he finds in the "Cemetery of Forgotten Books": a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author's other works, his seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets—an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.
8 Books I Will Never Forget
By Hannah Schaffer | July 18, 2019
Readers' Choice: The Top 25 Most Shelved Books of All Time
By Off the Shelf Staff | March 29, 2019
7 Books That Give Us Library Envy
By Elizabeth Breeden | March 16, 2017
13 Books About Books for Big Book Nerds
By Kerry Fiallo | September 13, 2016
A Boy, a Writer, and a Book That Changes Everything
By Kara O'Rourke | May 23, 2016
by George Eliot
Penguin Clothbound Classics
Each covered in linen and decorated with a single symbol (like chandeliers for GREAT EXPECTATIONS and cameos for MIDDLEMARCH), these cloth Penguin clothbound editions have a vintage, lightweight feel and look beautiful together or separately.
A post shared by Melissa Haber (@readme_writeme) on May 12, 2018 at 2:47pm PDT
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Jazz Age Classics
If there's one thing we love, it's when a jacket perfectly fits the book it covers. These F. Scott Fitzgerald classics—which include THIS SIDE OF PARADISE, THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED, and THE LAST TYCOON—evoke the glitz and glamour of the jazz's golden age with foil and pops of metallic.
A post shared by Ariana - Solaire (@solaire_writing) on May 10, 2018 at 10:10pm PDT
Puffin in Bloom
With bright colors and beautiful florals, these children's classics—LITTLE WOMEN, HEIDI, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, and ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND—will make it look like spring has sprung on your shelf. Designed by the founder of Rifle Paper Co., these editions also feature a story and character guide for easy reading.
A post shared by Penguin Teen (@penguinteen) on Mar 4, 2018 at 8:28am PST
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her. Suggested by @Kling62
7 Favorite Children's Classics from Off the Shelf Readers
By Off the Shelf Staff | November 13, 2014
The Folio Society Jane Austen Collection
These six books are produced—where else?—in England but are available for purchase and shipping to the United States (Ah, the wonders of the Internet!). Gold and accented with white, silver, and black, these unjacketed hardcovers evoke the romance and old-world feel of Jane Austen's classics, perfect for an Austenite.
A post shared by A cup of Jane (@a_cup_of_austen) on Nov 8, 2017 at 3:33am PST
by Harper Lee
Barnes and Noble Classics
Is there anything better than seeing a full table or shelf of classics, all in one place? Barnes and Noble has been producing these editions for quite some time and has expanded their leather-bound selections beyond the usual suspects to include JURASSIC PARK, WICKED, and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
A post shared by Bluestocking Bookshelf | Jen (@bluestockingbookshelf) on Apr 19, 2018 at 10:08am PDT
Wendy's Fictional Dinner Party Guest: Atticus Finch
Perhaps it's a cliché to want to have dinner with Atticus Finch—lawyer, father, all-around good man. Atticus is known for his conscience, grace, compassion, and morality. I suspect that his words would be full of insight and wisdom, and challenge me to sit straighter in my chair.
The Mister Rogers TBR: 10 Books You'd Find in the Neighborhood Today
By Carrie Cabral | November 18, 2019
William Kent Krueger Shares His 10 Favorite Coming-of-Age Tales
By William Kent Krueger | September 25, 2019
7 Books That Are Completely Different Than Their Adaptations
By Leora Bernstein | May 22, 2019
9 Groundbreaking Women in Fiction
By Carrie Cabral | March 21, 2019
10 Fashion Icons from Novels We Love
By Kerry Fiallo | August 2, 2018
by Bram Stoker
Penguin English Library
Though these lovely covers are produced overseas, they're not too difficult to find stateside. Similar to the clothbound classics, each of these Penguin English Library editions feature a single symbol on the cover that embodies the story or its character, but instead of a hardcover, these are slightly more portable paperbacks with a matte feel.
A post shared by Zoë | 🇬🇧 | 23 (@readabilitea) on May 11, 2018 at 10:41pm PDT
During a business visit to Count Dracula's castle in Transylvania, a young English solicitor finds himself at the center of a series of horrifying incidents. Jonathan Harker is attacked by three phantom women, observes the Count's transformation from human to bat form, and discovers puncture wounds on his own neck that seem to have been made by teeth. Harker returns home upon his escape from Dracula's grim fortress, but a friend's strange malady — involving sleepwalking, inexplicable blood loss, and mysterious throat wounds — initiates a frantic vampire hunt.
13 Irish Writers to Read this St. Patrick's Day
By Sarah Jane Abbott | March 15, 2016
10 Frightening Recommendations from a Best-selling Horror Author
By Ania Ahlborn | January 22, 2016
13 Most Terrifying Books of All Time
By Off the Shelf Staff | October 31, 2014
by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter House Set
Another Juniper Books special, these jacketed sets represent each Hogwarts house and create a uniformed set for every Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, illuminating the colors and symbols of each. They come in a Hogwarts traveling trunk, making this the perfect gift for any HP fan.
A post shared by Juniper Books (@juniperbooks) on Sep 15, 2017 at 2:47pm PDT
Let yourself be enchanted by this international phenomenon of a series about an orphaned boy wizard who holds the fate of the magical world in his hands. Whether you're revisiting the world of witchcraft and wizardry or diving in for the first time, Harry's story lives up to the hype.
9 Remarkable Stories You Need to Read During Banned Books Week
By Off the Shelf Staff | September 23, 2019
The 5 Best Books That Got Me Into Reading
By Maddie Ehrenreich | May 8, 2019
The 5 Best Books to Get You in the Holiday Spirit
By Carrie Cabral | December 12, 2018
Double, Double Toil and Trouble: Fall Under the Spell of These 13 Bewitching Books
By Emma Volk | October 29, 2015
From Camelot to Hogwarts: 5 Books About Magic and Myth
8 Prize-winning Books to Read During Book Awards Season
BY Off the Shelf Staff
An Astonishing Novel That Continues to Inspire
BY Elizabeth Rosner
Love "This Is Us?" Here Are the 11 Books You Need to Read
11 Books We're Thankful to Have on Our Shelves
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