Celebrate The Haul-idays With Chronicle Books!

The ever-amazing Chronicle Books is having a Celebrate The Haul-idays contest: post a wish-list for up to $500 dollars of their books, and if I’m randomly selected, I could win the whole list.  I’m SO there!

It gets better – if you post a comment here, YOU could also win the list.  So go ahead and give a shout-out . . . you never know, you could take home $500 worth of Chronicle Books, too!

Here’s my Chronicle Books Wish List:

for myself

The Exquisite Book by Julia Rothman, Jenny Volvovski, and Matt Lamothe / $30 / I’ve heard so much about this book through their blog tour and Brooklyn event announcements, so I can’t wait to see the collaborations created by 100 artists for this epic version of the Exquisite Corpse!

This Is NPR by Cokie Roberts, Susan Stamberg, Noah Adams, John Ydstie, Renee Montagne, Ari Shapiro, and David Folkenflik / $30 / On quiet days of scanning and typesetting in the office, I’m addicted to getting my news and “didja know?” info from NPR.  Plus, who can live without This American Life and Radiolab?  And Diane Rehm?  My personal experts.

All My Friends Are Dead – by Avery Monsen and Jory John / $10 / Preview here.  Bahahahahaha.

The Little Book Of Letterpress by Charlotte Rivers / $25 / My mild obsession with letterpress has already been discussed.

Creative, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho / $17 / This self-proclaimed “Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business” sounds like a perfect refresher course to all the tidbits I learned in art school.

Let’s Bring Back by Lesley M. M. Blume, illustrated by Grady McFerrin / $20 / I first became enamored with Ms. Blume’s blog when she published her Mad-Men edition, and as a sucker for everything vintage, I’m sure I’ll be a sucker for this, too.

Shadow by Suzy Lee / $16 / I think Suzy Lee’s first book, Wave, is one of the most thoughtfully-designed contemporary picture books out there.  Shadow, her follow-up wordless book, is just as playful, and I’d be super excited to own it.

Doodles: A Really Giant Coloring Book by Taro Gomi / $20 / This is one of those books that I already purchased as a gift, and, um . . . I kind of wish I kept it for myself!

How To Cook Like A Top Chef / $30 / Before I even attempted to cook, Top Chef had me inspired.  Well, at least to eat, anyway.

Fanzines by Teal Triggs / $40 / Maybe the most hipster thing about me is the fact that I really love zines.  Love ’em.  Even took a class on making them.

Tiny Art Director by Bill Zeman / $15 / This little girl would be the scariest boss imaginable, but I can’t stop laughing at her critiques!

for gifts

Antipasti: Fabulous Appetizers and Small Plates by Joyce Goldstein, photographs by Paolo Nobile / $20 / Known in our family as “grazing”, small plates is my favorite way to eat, and I’m sure my mom and Aunt Beth could work wonders with this cookbook.

The Book Of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks by Bethany Keeley / $15 / A little bit of humor for Grammar Nazis writers like my mama.

Lobel’s Meat Bible / $40 / Because now that he’s out in Minnesota farm country, my dad can grill with the best of ’em.

Photobooth Dogs by Cameron Woo / $15 / I’m not sure that JaXOn, our Great Pyrenees, would actually be able to fit in a photobooth, but this looks appropriate for my dog-loving family nonetheless.

Craft, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco / $17 / This one’s for Deb, my super-talented stepmom who has mastered every craft from beading to scrap-booking, and I’m sure would love to make a little extra change doing it!

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Jen Corace / $15 / As the self-designated aunt who gives only books for holidays, this’d be first on my list for my own “little peas”, niece Alexis and nephew Thadd.

Simms Taback’s Safari Animals by Simms Taback / $13 / Simms Taback is one of my very favorite illustrators whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with at Putnam, and I’d be first to pass along any of his Chronicle titles to Alexis and Thadd as well.

Look!  It’s Jesus! by Harry and Sandra Choron  / $13 / What to get for a 19-year-old guy like my god-brother, Ryan?  Oh, maybe a humorous book, about “Amazing Holy Visions In Everyday Life”.  Why not?

Funnily enough, I would also get this for my Aunt Mary.

Ernie: A Photographer’s Memoir by Tony Mendoza / $13 / Before there was Maru, there was Ernie – this 1985 bestselling story of a photographer and his cat.  I bet it would crack up my Aunt Beth and Uncle Chris, perpetual owners of cats with large personalities. 

Like I Give A Frock by Michi, illustrated by Kat McLeod / $19 / Irreverent style tidbits of wisdom – this goes straight to my favorite critic-thinker-fashionista, Rebecca, and my hetero-life partner, Abby.

I ❤ Macaroons by Hisako Ogita / $15 / There are two people in this world who would appreciate this elegant book on the “real” macaroons – Rebecca and my world-traveling soulmate, Janelle.

Roomies by Kathryn Williams, illustrated by Jason Snyder / $13 / My roommates are my BFFs, but let’s be real – we need all the help we can get!

The Small Object Labels and Stickers by Sarah Neuberger / $11 / I can just picture Paula going to town on various first passes, expense reports, contracts . . . the sky’s the limit!