BIBLIOPHILE: READS FOR MARCH-MAY 2015

School is finally over. I survived my freshman year of college and honestly, it was more manageable than expected. In high school they use fear tactics to make you think that university is this big scary place where every assignment matters and if you miss class one day the university will kick you out. All those assumptions are false. To sum up my first year as a college student, I'd have to say it was challenging, but it was doable. I'm not saying that college is a walk in the park, but it's also not thermodynamic problem solving (unless you're majoring in thermodynamics, if so, disregard). There were many nights that as an art student I felt like my abilities were not good enough, but I persevered. I worked hard and I survived. The nights where I found myself stressed were spent of course, reading.

Another part of my Bibliophile series! You can find the last one I did, right over here. 

Throughout March and May, my classes became pretty hectic hence the stress, but I was pretty surprised I was able to read and absorb all these books I have down. 

Within those three months, I read five books. 

1. Soppy by: Philippa Rice

2. Hi, Konnichiwa by: Yayoi Kusama

3. Humans of New York by: Brandon Stanton

4. Grace's Guide by: Grace Helbig

5. Asian Street Fashion by: James Bent

First one up! Soppy

Philippa Rice is a UK based illustrator who compiled together various pieces she did reflecting her life with her boyfriend Luke. This book is probably one of my new favorites because not only is it very simple but it's also really aesthetically pleasing. I love the minimal usage of color she uses for all of her illustrations. This book is also really cute, lol. I had my friends Nikki and Tiffanie read it, and both fell in love with how cute Philippa and Luke's relationship is. 

Soppy is not a chapter book, but a collection of illustrations chronicling everyday adventures Philippa has with Luke. You can see what I mean by the minimal usage of colors. 

For more information on Philippa Rice and her illustrations, visit her website here! Or browse her tumblr over here. 

Next, Yayoi Kusama's art book, Hi, Konnichiwa.

I consider Yayoi Kusama to be one of my inspirations and imaginary eccentric grandmother, so when I saw that she had an art book that housed all her works, I immediately bought it. Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese avant-garde artist who specializes in these billions of polka dots she calls "Infinity Nets". All you fashion-folk out there might remember the collaboration she did was Louis Vuitton back in 2012. 

Ah yes, the famous Humans of New York book. Obviously if I were to do a book review post, this one could not get left behind! I actually got this book as a present from my sister but I didn't get around to fully reading it until recently. 

I'm sure many of you are familiar with HONY. New York based photographer Brandon Stanton compiled together photos he's taken of people in New York in this nifty little book. There are tiny captions in and around each page that describe the situation of each shot. 

For more information on Brandon Stanton and his work, check out the HONY website, here!

If there is one thing in particular I would not have expected to read at all, it would be Grace Helbig's Grace's Guide.

 

Grace's Guide is a self-help book and seeing as I'm not really a legitimate grown up yet, I had my doubts whether or not I could relate to what she had to say. Within the first five pages I was hooked instantly! I've been watching Grace Helbig on YouTube for quite some time now and reading her book made my fondness for her grow stronger. I know those stressful nights were relieved quite a bit when I was reading this. 

James Bent's Asian Street Fashion completes this list.

Think of this book as HONY's more fashionable younger sibling. Photographer James Bent went around cities in Asia such as Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, etc and photographed various people in fashionable clothing. The book is split up into sections that deal with the seasons, men's fashion, and women's fashion. I had a great time flipping through the pages, it's pretty inspiring actually! After looking through I felt like I needed to go shopping and give my closet an overhaul, haha. 

This book is actually a great resource when it comes to illustrating as well. I've been drawing some of the people featured in this book (will be posting about that another time). 

There you have it! My book reads for March-May. Have you all been reading lately? 

.s

Bibliophile: The Art and Fashion Edition

I've had this post up in my drafts for a while now, it only seemed fit to post it as soon as September is over. What I love the most about August and September is the amount of time I have for myself to read. Yes, school did start, but that didn't deter me from reading a few books. If you haven't already, you should go ahead and read the first installment of my Bibliophile series, that of which you can find right over (here).

The one main difference this time is that the majority of the books I've read for August and September deal with fashion and art. I am an art major after all, so I felt it was only appropriate to brush up on new techniques before heading off to university. 

One thing in common these books have also is that 2/5 of them were found in Japantown's Kinokuniya! I took a mental note of these books when I was there this past summer. Amazon seriously is a blessing when it comes to book hunting. Cheaper books+free shipping, what more can you want! 

I saw this among the other design books in Japantown, took a quick peak, and immediately fell in love. When Summer Vacation started as did my obsession with sketching inside my Moleskine notebook. I love looking into this book for various sources of inspiration. 

Each "chapter" of the book focuses on certain artists, their style, and over all aesthetic. I found that many of the artists love to focus on their line work and detail.

Next up is Vogue's very own, Grace Coddington. 

Grace Coddington is a former model and is currently American Vogue's Creative Director. I actually have only recently heard of Grace, and that's because of the September Issue. Once i saw the memoir, I knew I had to read it. 

I absolutely loved the personal photos she included, that and the doodles she drew in the book. 

Next up! I actually spotted this book also back in my trip to San Francisco. I'm not a fashion major, but something about the illustrations in this book made me want to buy it. As an illustrator myself, I absolutely drew inspiration from the minimal to avant garde designs. 

The book has various designs from many artists, it's quite interesting how many different fabrics are just collected to draw inspiration from. Texture is such an important factor to design, remember that! 

My favorite spreads in the book. I love the children/teenage wear spread Anna Kipper had compiled. The bursts of color along with the urban inspiration made the sketches a lot more impressive! If these designs were ever to come into fruition, I would definitely be seen wearing them. 

If there is a photographer I absolutely idolize, it is Todd Selby. I discovered Todd Selby way back in April when I spotted his new book, Fashionable Selby at my local Barnes & Noble. I was instantly hooked on how he photographs artists and fashion designers and their respectable workspaces. 

In The Selby is in Your Place, Selby takes it a step further and photographs even more artists in their own home. I loved seeing Karl Lagerfeld's personal studio and Jonathan Adler's home. 

I loved looking through the various photographs of different homes. It is so interesting seeing where a person lives, and their personality clearly reflects their surroundings. I loved reading all the interviews as well, it's all so candid! The pictures inspired me to plan out what my eventual first apartment would look like, hehe. 

I loved how Todd Selby photographed my favorite couple's home. Yoon and DJ Verbal, two of Japan's most fashionable and talented artists. I want to steal DJ Verbal's blazer!

Lastly, An Illustrated Life. Like Freehand, this book is another way for me to draw inspiration in times of creative blocks. 

I absolutely adored how the book is pages from various artists' private sketchbooks. The interviews on the side go on about their daily work flow and such. One day, I'm gonna be in a book like this. One day! *heroic anime pose* 

I loved how simple the work here is. Sometimes, you won't have to color your art to make it amazing. Simplicity is next to Godliness. 

I love the collage work this artist put into her work as well! I am mega inspired to do things like these. 

I suggest if you're interested in art and design, then go and pick up these books as fast as possible! All are available on Amazon. Trust me, they're pretty damn worth it. Thanks for reading!

.x

Bibliophile.

Bibliophile. Bibliophilia.

/biblēəˌfīl/

noun

 1. a person who collects or has a great love of books. 

Sounds about right. If you ask any of my friends, I'm pretty sure they'll tell you that I'm a bibliophile. I love books, and you should too. Ever since I was little, I loved burying myself in my novels and stories; I'd put myself in the character's place and imagine myself going on vast adventures. Fighting off dragons, warding off demons, and even casting a spell or two, my childhood was thronged with countless stories. What I lacked in athletics, I made up for in my academics. 

Every chance I get I'd go to my local bookstore and peruse through various sections. Be it art, fashion, culinary, and even romance, I normally never leave the bookstore empty handed. These past two months, I finished some books that have been sitting on my bookshelf, just waiting for it's pages to be turned. 

 The majority of the books I've read were ones that I've started but I haven't finished yet. 

Steal Like An Artist. Damn Good Advice. Eleanor & Park. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. Tokyo on Foot. Occasions.

The first one on this list is Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon. This was a fairly quick read, but it's one of those books that changed my perspective on the art world. As a growing artist, this book helped me sort out the majority of my ideas and realize that by "stealing" I only make myself look better by enhancing my style. The back of the book reads as follows:

1. Steal Like an Artist 

2. Don't wait until you know who you are to get started. 

3. Write the book you want to read. 

4. Use your hands. 

5. Side projects and hobbies are important.

6. THE SECRET: Do good work and share it with people. 

7. Geography is no longer our master. 

8. Be Nice. (The World is a Small Town). 

9. Be Boring. (it's the only way to get work done.)

10. Creativity is Subtraction. 

The biggest thing I got out of this book was to never lose myself in my art. I do suggest reading it. Regardless or not if you're an artist, it puts into perspective about creativity and how at the same time is beneficial and detrimental. 

What can I say about Eleanor & Park? I loved the fact that I could completely relate to this story in some aspect. Eleanor & Park weaves the tale of Eleanor Douglas and Park Sheridan, two misfits who live in 1986 Omaha, Nebraska. The book switches perspectives constantly so it was refreshing to see both character's stories fold out instead of seeing it through one view. I could relate to this book on a certain level, with Park being Asian-American and being really into comic books. 

Much praise goes to Rainbow Rowell for writing such raw and endearing characters. The issues faced in this book cover racial tensions, child abuse, and social exclusion, but how she presents these issues gives them much respect. Eleanor's struggles were completely realistic and as were Park's. 

This book is a quirky teen romance, but that shouldn't dissuade you from not reading it. The book is teeming with many 80s references, from music to comic books, to what teenagers did back in that time period. I actually started this book way back in December and finished it shortly after, but sometime in February I picked it up again and started it over, this time to absorb more of the symbolism and more of it's deeper meaning. 

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children falls into three categories: Nostalgic terror, Suspense, and Dark thoughts. Ransom Riggs, who has a pretty awesome name, did a fantastic job in creating an adventure that's really, one big giant metaphor. That metaphor, is up to you to figure out. 

I picked up this book a year ago and only now did I actually get to finish it! I backtracked a few chapters to refresh myself on what was going on. Miss Peregrine's follow the story of Jacob Portman, a 16 year old boy who flies to Wales after the murder of his grandfather by what he believes to be "imaginary creatures", to figure out more of his grandfather's past.

The entire story is told through various vernacular photography of rather peculiar children from the early 20th century along with the narrative. Through the usage of these photos, Jacob follows the clues hidden within them to figure out who or what exactly killed his grandfather. 

One of my newer favorites, Miss Peregrine's reminded me of the times in which I read the Harry Potter series, with the fact that the male protagonist is whisked away from mundane reality to a brand new world. The sequel, Hollow City came out recently, and I'm looking to get it within the next few weeks. 

The title is really self explanatory. Damn Good Advice in a nutshell is really Damn Good Advice! George Lois, one of the most celebrated graphic designers reveals all the trade secrets in this little novel of his. His advice regarding the art world and people's attitudes in and about it are completely refreshing. Completely, brutally, and honestly blunt, Lois lays down the do's-and-don'ts of working with clients and building a name for oneself. 

Many of his works are published in the book as well and I can really see why George Lois is such a celebrated designer. As an aspiring graphic designer myself, this along with Steal Like An Artist, not only gave me more insight into the workplace I want to be in, but also made me realize that I really do have potential and that, should never, ever be wasted. 

One of the most innovative travel journals I've ever read, Tokyo on Foot follows the real life adventures of Florent Chavouet, a French artist who moves to Tokyo for six months with his girl friend. The graphic memoir is a fresh look on how a foreigner, let alone an artistic foreigner would perceive a city as beautiful as Tokyo. 

Chavouet draws everything he sees, from the people, to the buildings, to even billboards across the city. This imaginative way of documenting his day to day activities put a brand new spin on the whole "journaling" movement. I only wish I had half Mr. Chavouet's talent. The fact that everything in the book is sketched on the spot and wonderfully coloured with coloured pencils, this book is sensory stimulation. 

I love the honesty Florent Chavouet has with what he sees. France and Japan are two very different cities, and two vastly different cultures so it was interesting to see his opinion about the food, where he lived, and how he was treated. My favorite tidbit is when Japanese cops had detained him because the bike he bought actually turned out to be stolen. Other tidbits of information he includes are his daily trips to convenience stores and how would never understand the appeal of red beans. 

Occasions by Kate Spade, the wonderful fashion designer, released this book quite a while back about how to throw the best gatherings and how to prepare for them. This is actually my mother's book and I can now see why my mother's parties are so well done. I'm a bit spoiled really. My mom's the hostess with the mostess and I can only wish to be just as great of a host as she is when I get older. 

Occasions is a guide on what and what not to do when throwing a party. The book offers many different pieces of advice on how to host a party, and how to be a guest. It covers many things as what to cook, what to decorate with, and who to invite. I think one of my favorite pieces of advice in this book are as follows. 

1. After accepting an invite, it is polite to send a bouquet of flowers in advance to show appreciation for the host/hostess, and to indicate that you are very well interested in going. 

2. If the hors d'oeuvres are still at the party when you arrive, then you aren't late. If however they are gone, then you are late. 

3. 15 minutes late, no questions asked. 30 minutes late, expect a raised eyebrow or two. 45 minutes late, you're fumbling at the goal line. 60 minutes late, consider yourself benched for the season and apologize profusely. 

I love Kate Spade's freshness when it comes to her writing. Not only do I find her clothing and designs completely adorable, but her technique in handing advice, along with the mini illustrations of food and other party related items throughout the novel upped my respect for her. To all those who are aspiring party hosts and to all those who may want to brush up their etiquette as party guests, do pick this book up. It is a must in becoming a fantastic host and a very dignified party guest. 

Here's to more books, and here's to more reading. Pick up a book!