Dear Ether,

Ahhhhh.  The joys of literature.  Of a good book.  I’m a self-confessed bibliophile.  I’m always caught with my nose in some sort of bound beauty that takes me away from the mundane drudgery of everyday life.  In the future I want to write a few reviews of some of my favorite titles that have stolen my heart (and breath). I’d also love to talk about the authors who have shown me the true art of being a writer.

However, today is about judging a book by its cover.  I wanted to recommend a beautiful set of books by Penguin Classics that have hit the shelves and revamped some of the most famous pieces of fiction in history.  These are amazing presents to give for the upcoming holiday. Not only are they great for collectors of books, but they’re a neat way to jazz up a tired bookshelf.  They’re also a fun way to get a novice reader excited about literature and maybe not see these great tales as just dusty, old relics.

Coralie Bickford-Smith, acclaimed designer, created splendid foil patterns stamped on linen cases with colored endpapers and a lovely touch of a ribbon marker. You’d think these would cost a lot of dosh, but they’re only $20 a piece and worth every cent.  The eight classics are: Cranford, by Elizabeth Gaskell, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.  My favorite covers are The Picture of Dorian Gray, with white peacock feathers adorning its delicious cover (the dandy author would be chuffed, I reckon!) and the ultra-feminine Sense and Sensibility in pink and blue with girlish flowers climbing all over the cover.

Now tell me you wouldn't mind flipping through these beauties?

Give all eight to a fellow book fiend.  Or, give a carefully chosen title and get a hungry collector started.  With me, I’m chomping at the bit to buy The Picture of Dorian Gray.  Even though I own several copies already, it’s one of my favorite novels of all time, and I couldn’t imagine not owning this oh-so-special edition.  The books are available EVERYWHERE and so easy to grab.  Hassle-free shopping!

Thanks for hanging out at my literary corner and instead of giving ANOTHER crummy holiday jumper or thoughtless gift certificate, give this a shot.  I promise you, it’ll make quite a statement and won’t cost you a bundle.

Dedicatedly yours,

—One of 365