book pile: my current reading list

just look at that great pile of books, would you?! and these are just the big glossy picture books awaiting my loving attention. lets not even mention the threatening tower of novels teetering next to the bed, ready to brain me as i sleep! one of my new year's resolutions this year was to read more. i was doing well until a month ago. i got busy and a bit of a backlog (or should that be booklog) occurred. i've enjoyed a cursory flick through these, but its just not enough! each one of these beauties demands an hour or two, languishing in its pages and soaking up all the glossy, glossy images. so join me for a quick tour through the pile, and maybe my pile can inspire you to construct your own monument to the glory of not-having-enough-hours-in-the-day!


overspray: riding high with the kings of california airbrush art

airbrush is one of those mediums i think of as something akin to a guilty pleasure. i always think of it being used on bad car murals, or t-shirts you'd see at the wrong kind of market (you know, those markets that sell knock off band shirts and glow in the dark religious figurines - yeah, i love them too.) or the signage for adult bookstores. i know, i know - its incredibly labour intensive, and takes huge skill, but when it goes wrong, it goes uncanny valley wrong. but 'overspray' doesn't cover these crimes against good taste, its about the golden age of airbrush - 1970's LA. specifically, charles e. white III, peter palombi, dave willardson and peter lloyd who are considered the men at the centre of the scene and whose work was used for playboy, levi's, the rolling stones, rod stewart, american graffiti and tron. (incidently my childhood wasn't completely filled with terrible airbrush art, i also loved looking at my mum's copy of rock dreamsby guy peelaert)

british animation: the channel 4 factor

after enjoying the channel 4 UK retrospective that was part of the melbourne international animation festival this year, i was pretty excited to unwrap this book on my birthday (yes, i know, i'm a nerd). written by clare kitson, who was the commissioning editor at channel 4 from 1989 to 1999, this book promises a peek behind the scenes of an amazingly creative environment. thanks to my mum taking me along to (age inappropriate) animation festivals when i was small, i have a real obsession with animation, and i really look forward to learning more about the prime of british animation (they had an animator in residence at ch. 4! can you imagine that now?! no. sad, really.)


tales designed to thrizzle vol. 1

anyone who follows michael kupperman on twitter (@mkupperman) knows his sense of humour defies description. its silly, but clever and very absurd. mere words won't do it justice! if you don't know his work, watch this clip from adult swim's snake and bacon and either get it or don't. either way, i'll be over here giggling at the toad and his mistress, snake and bacon ("ssssss!" "crumble me over a salad!") & district attorney of 1000 faces.



late 60's fashion style and swinging 60's fashion style

pie books, please, stop it. you're sending me broke! (please don't stop!) these books are no words, all pictures. as soon as i'm done drooling on them i'll wipe 'em down and share some pics. you guys like pretty pics, right? yep! i thought so! brace yourselves. its gonna be "groovy, baby" (let's never mention that again)

1960s floral fashion print

from my brief peek at this book, i can tell you, its like all those ebay/etsy/thrift store fabrics you always wanted but never scored. and florals, so many florals. though i am particularly looking forward to reading this (and not just ogling the fabric porn) because (in case it wasn't already obvious enough) i'm fascinated with the 60's and what a departure it was from previous decades' styles, and how the counterculture crossed into mainstream culture resulting in one eye-searing, mind-freaking collection of fabrics, design, and decor.


boutique - a 60s cultural phenomenon

as with the previous book, boutique is written by marnie fogg (who clearly needs to adopt me and take me on her time traveling adventures) and contains a highly detailed account of the rise and impact of boutique culture in 60's london. all the names are here, mary quant, barbara hulanicki, paul smith etc and it is packed with photos and illustrations that i am dying to pour over! this one seems like a compulsory text for any vintage fashion enthusiast.


cartoon modern

yep. its more animations. but this time its mid-century animations! this style has seen such resurgence in the last few years, and its charming graphic simplicity is hard to resist. cartoon modern is filled with sketches, model boards, cels, and film stills of edgy, modern characters. if you like this kinda thing, check out Surogat/Ersatz by Dušan Vukotić

100 flowers to knit & crochet and beyond-the-square crochet motifs

thanks to pip and the meet me at mike's book, i am now a crochet artiste! i struggled and i cursed and by the end of the week i had made a (slightly wonky) granny square. some fine tuning of my skills with shelley at little sparrow and i am now an unstoppable crochet machine. i've made a tonne of squares for a blanket, 3 hats, 1/2 a scarf and 2 bunnies. but my insatiable lust for new challenges knows no bounds, and so i'm quickly emassing a library of crochet books. the downside to this is the crochet is cutting into my reading time, and so i have this big pile of books, and the big pile of books consists of more crochet times, and so... at this point in the circle, i leave you.

what's in your reading pile? and who can i write to about getting more hours in a day?