Welcome to Litsy!

A tiny little book about an author‘s feelings about book covers. Such an interesting take. Also finished my Goodreads Challenge- 80 books!

I often cover-shop for books. Litsy has helped me get past that some, since there are some Littens that I know I have similar tastes to.

This tiny little book is about the author‘s relationship to book covers, both her own and in general. I hadn‘t thought about this topic in any real depth before. It makes me want to spend even more time reading blurbs of books at random to see if I find treasures behind covers I would otherwise have walked by.

#AugustAuthors

This really short audiobook as an extended essay talks about book jackets and books covers. Lahiri compares covers to clothes while Lao talking about her own childhood, trips to Calcutta, the exotic sin of India, commercialization of books in forms of reviews and blurbs, and just the experiment of reading. This was a very brief listen but very relatable. #NFNov #booksaboutbooks

Very short, this 70-page book was barely there at all, but I found the essays about book design thought-provoking and well written. I‘ve always been a bit mystified by people being in love with and concerned about books as physical objects - not that I don‘t like pretty books if I think about it but the text is the thing for me - so it was nice getting the perspective of someone who‘s thought so much about an issue I never think about.

Super fast little read. Was too slight of an essay collection for me. It did make me want to read more from the author. I loved The Namesake.

The Clothing of Books was a lovely short piece about book cover design, from the writer‘s perspective. It‘s a really short and quick read, great for any book lover.

#Gratitude30 Day 15: Iphigene‘s review: Lahiri begins her story with the idea of #clothing. Having been raised in two cultures—Bengali and American—the idea of identity has a strong influence on her. Dressing like any American teen while her mother insisting on dressing her like most Bengali girls. It is this exteriority—expression of what is inside—that she ruminates over in discussing book covers. Her full review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-goc

Finished a book and checking in on my #24in48 time. This was short and not what I was expecting. I love books and about books so my hopes were high. I'm not sure it was memorable enough for me 😕.

A short inspiration about books and their covers, from the author‘s perspective. Interesting!

This book was a lovely little insight into Jhumpa Lahiri's perspectives, meditations and opinions on book covers. It was thought-provoking and made me curious how other authors feel about their book covers.

March was another good reading month! #marchwrapup

This slim meditation on book covers was just lovely. Jhumpa Lahiri‘s consideration of her mixed feelings about her books‘ covers and the way the they reflect her life is thought provoking and vulnerable.

This short essay is about the physical covers of books and the act/art of covering/clothing them. It makes one evaluate ones own visual preferences/prejudices when choosing a book. What impact does the cover truly have? And as I‘m posting this, the physical cover in my photo does not match the edition featured on Litsy, which inexplicably irks me. The content is unchanged, and yet...

The book I'm reading now, Four Seasons in Rome, just missed being able to fit this prompt. Instead here are a few other books #Under200Pages #MarchinBooks @maich

A forbidden photo of Jhumpa Lahiri.

Interesting, quick essay on book covers. Let's just say Lahiri has an opinion on this matter!

What a letdown.

1️⃣The book has no answers and there are little to no insightful questions asked. It's just a cursory pondering about book covers.
2️⃣Her writing in Italian then translated to English reads NOTHING like her writing that's originally in English.
3️⃣The book is 80 pages with giant font & it's double spaced. Why did I pay $8 for a boring magazine piece?!

I LOVE Lahiri's fiction, but damn, this was a disappointment. 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼

This book is cleansing; it is grace and simplicity. For book lovers, it is a joy to read.

I have been super busy this week, I've had zero time to read! I'm attending the Poetry Institute for Educstors at Boston University, led by Robert Pinsky, an incredibly brilliant man and former Poet Laureate who created the Favorite Poem Project. I encourage all teachers to attend this Institute! It runs every July and is an unforgettable week. Also, there's this awesome Barnes and Noble that I snuck away to to read this little volume 😊

Originally presented as a lecture that is also personal essay, The Clothing of Books is a thoughtful look by Lahiri on the topic of book covers. Easily read in one sitting and will be adding to my books about books section. Also, see the "book jacket " visual pun with the inside flaps. #LitsyAtoZ (letter L author)

"I did not own many books as a girl. I would go to the library, where books were often undressed: without jackets or any images."

Also:

"They had an anonymous quality, secretive. They gave nothing away in advance. To understand them, you had to read them."

(Note: these former library books have been gained honestly over the years ?)

I have a section on my bookshelf devoted to books I've borrowed from @lacythebookworm, including The Clothing of Books that I'm about to start reading! #currentlyreading

Hoping to polish off this tiny gem before bed tonight.

All book lovers should read this tiny book! If you've ever given any thought to book covers, you'll definitely enjoy Lahiri's reflections! 📚😊

Entirely unnecessary but perfectly delicious essay about book covers from an insider's perspective. at this point, I would probably read Ms. Lahiri's shopping list (in Italian, lots of smoky cheeses, perhaps some new type of muesli), but this contained enough identifiable moments for any book nerd.

Forgot to update from this afternoon! Book 2 of the #pantlessreadathon, this short book about covers was fascinating. It was interesting to hear both her ideas about book covers as some who has published books, and then to also hear about the publishing side, making decisions and so on. Really interesting!

Vacation book shopping in New Orleans #BookHaul #NOLA

A quick little book/essay about book covers and what they mean to us, and to authors, well to Miss Lahiri. And spoiler, they mean a lot! I do wish her little book got a better cover.

Some snuggling kitties while I'm reading this rainy eve. 😻 #caturday #catsoflitsy

Originally written and delivered in Italian as the keynote for the Festival degli Scrittori in 2015 after Lahiri moved to Rome to focus studying Italian. In this essay, Lahiri interrogates the tension between form and content using the book cover, both from her early perspective as a reader, and her later experience as a writer. A fascinating, if brief, meditation on the role of the jacket in the life of a book.

Full review: https://goo.gl/aTTNOA

Robinson's essays include the interview between her and President Obama. Looking forward to taking my time with this one. Also had to pick up this tiny one by Lahiri. Books about books - gimme gimme gimme! 😊📚❤

Books come to stand for various episodes on our lives, for certain idealisms, follies of belief, moments of love. Along the way they accumulate our marks, our stains, our innocent abuses..

Reading Lahiri's short meditation on book covers, a Valentines gift from @WanderingBookaneer 💜💜💜

Despite having read only one book since moving to Dallas five weeks ago, I spent my Christmas Amazon Gift card this weekend (after hearing Amy Jill Levine speak). Picked up a few from the wish list that seem popular right now.

Opinions seem divided on this, but I loved this short, sweet essay on book covers. I love to read anything about books and found her musings in the purpose and creation of book covers interesting and informative. I didn't realize that authors mostly have little if any input into their cover design. This was, for me, a delightful read.

My heart swelled when reading this. So much thought and meaning in this small gem.

About the relationship between a book and it's cover. I was fascinated by the look behind the scenes at how a cover is chosen and Lahiri's feelings about her book covers and what they say about her and her books.

A wide-ranging essay, translated from Italian. What clothing - & book jacket - choices say about the person - & text - inside. The pros & cons of uniformity vs individuality. The ways readers are influenced by things beyond an author's control, including blurbs, cover art & jacket copy. What it's like for an author to release her work to readers. This is a beautifully-packaged little gem.

A cover is a sort of translation, that is, an interpretation of my words in another language - a visual one. It represents the text, but isn't part of it. It can't be too literal. It has to have its own take on the book.

This short meditation on book jackets and covers is self-indulgent, but also very interesting. I especially appreciated Lahiri's commentary on stereotypical Indian book covers (henna hands, the Taj Mahal) that sometimes have nothing to do with the book's content.

"The right cover is like a beautiful coat, elegant and warm, wrapping my words as they travel through the world, on their way to keep an appointment with my readers. The wrong cover is cumbersome, suffocating. Or it is like a too-tight sweater: inadequate."

Look what was waiting for me when I got back from my travels! A delightful gift of books from @shawnmooney . Thank you so much, you generous man! I look forward to reading every one of these. 😀

I'm frankly baffled over the negative reviews this has received. Some have faulted the lack of depth, but it's an adapted essay based off of a speech Lahiri delivered in Italy in 2009. I found it to be an interesting essay on book covers, the clothing of books. Lahiri criticizes the distractions often found on covers, ie blurbs & prizes, & praises editorial series. Is this a detailed study of book covers? No, but it is a worthwhile personal essay.

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