Book review

I am going to review "Book Art Studio Handbook" by Stacie Dolin and Amy Lapidow.

First off this is a new book. A very new book. The publication date is 2013. We just recently started to carry it at Daniel Smith's Seattle SODO location.

This is the first new book binding book that I bought that I think is good. Most of the other books I have read that are recent (with in the last 10 years) are more geared towards creating what I consider crafty books.

The Book Art Studio Handbook has some really great projects in it. Such as the french box, book in a box, slip cases and travel journals. That is just a few of the projects in the book.

One of the things I dislike about this book that I feel its not good for the beginner. I feel like it is meant more for the bookbinder that knows what they are doing and is looking for some new projects, even though in the introduction it they state the book is to get people started bookbinding using the minimum equipment. It falls short in explaining how to build signatures and sew them together. Its not bad, but its just not excellent. It more or less glances over them. Plus the book calls signatures, text blocks instead of signatures. They do mention that text blocks can be called signatures but I feel that it can be confusing since they are not using what I consider a industry term.

What I do like about it, is that it explains a lot of things and makes it very easy for the beginner to understand. The explanation of the materials is great such as modifying your bone folder. They even tell you how to create a punch trough. However, like I mentioned before, I feel the part on sewing the signatures falls just a little bit flat.

Over all I would rate Book Art Studio Handbook, 4 out of 5 stars or a solid B+.

Today I got some other books from the Seattle Public Library. I plan on reviewing them too. some of them are older books and some pretty recent.

1. Bookbinding: A Step By Step Guide by Kathy Abbott (2010)
2. Bookbinding Techniques and Projects by Josep Cambras (2007)
3. Basic Bookbinding by A.W. Lewisv (1957)
4. Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Instruction by Aldren A. Watson
5. A Pictoral Manual of Book Binding by Manly Banister (1958)

I also want to start trying to make my own marbled paper. So I got a book about it.

1. Making Your Own Marbled and Decorated Papers by Jane H. Reese