Nerd Out with These Books about Books
AKA Yo Dawg I Heard You Like Books So I Got You Some Books about Books
Hi, friend.
Welcome to another edition of Crooked Reads, a monthly(ish) collection of bite-sized reviews about books on a theme. The newsletter will always be free to read, but it ain’t free to write. Consider becoming a paid subscriber or sending me a book from my wishlist to support my work!
Happy weird week between holidays, book nerds.
Now that I’ve burrowed into my house after attending and hosting what feels like too many Christmas events (four and one, respectively), I’m ready to crush my reading goal for the year. Only four more books to crank out! CAN SHE DO IT?! Who knows!
I hope you’re on the road to finishing the year out strong, too, if that’s your goal.
This month’s picks are fun for those of you who love to geek out about books. We’ve got an explainer of book design, a manifesto on the importance of divesting from Amazon to save independent bookstores, and a history of book publishing.
The books
The Design of Books: An Explainer for Authors, Editors, Agents, and Other Curious Readers by Debbie Berne
A must-read for anyone who likes books and/or is curious about the creation of the book as a physical object. Debbie Berne has been a book designer for decades, so she knows what she’s talking about. The Design of Books walks through the basics of typography and book design, with sections on covers, interiors, and ebooks. There’s even a guide at the end for self-publishing, if you think you can hack the design work! As a book designer myself, reading this was an absolute delight. She makes sure everyone knows the extreme care that goes into every aspect of a book’s creation.
How to Protect Bookstores and Why: The Present and Future of Bookselling by Danny Caine
Telling tales of 12 bookstores around the country, focusing on one aspect of independent bookselling—community, community, and community, among other things—this is a really moving book that got me to divest a little bit from Amazon.
The Untold Story of Books: A Writer’s History of Publishing by Michael Castleman1
From Gutenberg to present day, The Untold Story of Books is a compact yet sweeping history of the industry we know and love. With tons of tidbits on why publishing is the way it is—there are two seasons because when the Erie Canal froze in the winter, books couldn’t ship from New York to the Midwest!—this book is a fun romp through publishing history.
The links
A few months ago, inspired by these reads, I quit Goodreads cold turkey and moved over to Storygraph. If you’re there, let’s be friends!
For even more books about books—particularly ones about design and typography—check out this list by Nathaniel Roy over at
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The nightstand
With Love, From Cold World is a perfect book if you need something soft and sweet and just a little bit spicy. Otherwise, I’ll be over here in a pile of wintry romances until, like, February. If you have any recommendations, send them my way!
The backlist
In case you missed ’em, or want to peep the archives:
xoxo
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I received a free copy of this book from the author.
I really liked The Untold Story of Books!
Great list. I had not heard of these. Another one out now you might like is The Bookshop by Evan Friss. It’s a history of American bookselling. I’m listening to it on my walks these days.