stevendj: Accessorize my e-Book

Steven desJardins (

stevendj) wrote,
@ 2007-12-04 23:31:00

Accessorize my e-Book
I bought a Sony Reader Digital Book to take with me on long trips, so I don't have to carry a heavy bag full of books. I've read a couple of books on it and I'm reasonably satisfied.

The biggest problem is the cover, which is made of leather or a leather-like material. The pictures in the online store don't emphasize the cover, so I didn't realize this until I had it. I'm going on a vegetarian tour of India next month, and I'd rather not make a bad impression. Unfortunately, the replacement covers I can find are all either leather (and expensive), or amazingly ugly (and expensive). My idea is to make a sort of slipcover for it—get a piece of denim that's somewhat larger than the cover, fold it over (cutting out a notch where the brackets are), and staple the interior folds in place. (Sewing would be better, but I can't sew.) If the craft-y people reading this think this will/won't work, or have a better suggestion, I'd appreciate hearing from them.

I'd also appreciate suggestions for what books to load onto it. So far I've loaded it with public domain books by Frank Richard Stockton, Rafael Sabatini, Ernest Bramah, Alexandre Dumas, Anthony Trollope, Lord Dunsany, James Branch Cabell, Mór Jókai, and Sir Walter Scott. I also downloaded a travel book by Harry de Windt, and plan to look for more travel books in the PG catalog.

I also plan to get some in-copyright works as well, but I haven't found much that's available, that I want to read, and that I don't already own. A few books by Lawrence Watt-Evans, some Robert E. Howard, a John M. Ford Star Trek novel. Out-of-print s.f. is probably my best bet, but I'm not sure what's out there.

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cynesthesia
2007-12-05 11:01 am UTC (link)

If you don't want to mess around with fabric, you could maybe use some brown kraft paper (paper bag stuff). I've used it to cover things by taking a big chunk by repeatedly crumpling it up, smoothing it out, crumple, smooth, etc. Eventually it gets soft and supple like fabric, isn't inclined to tear as easily as paper usually does, but you can still work with it much the same way. Maybe with some cutting and folding (glueing?) you could have a cover. Don't know if this would work but it's a thought. I make art and I've even machine sewn paper that I've treated this way.

As for public domain books, A.C. Doyle's Brigadier Gerard stories are great fun as well as Maurice LeBlanc's Arsene Lupin stories. My all-time favorite PG download is James Hogg's Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. He was a contemporary of Scott's and wrote this incredible genre bending Gothic novel that's supposed to have been an influence on Stevenson's Jekyll & Hyde.

Have a great time on your trip!

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stevendj
2007-12-05 04:08 pm UTC (link)

Gluing! That's a great suggestion; I bet that would look nicer than staples. I still like the idea of denim, but if it's too difficult to work with I may go with your paper suggestion.

I've read the Brigadier Gerard stories, along with pretty much everything Doyle wrote. (My favorite of his lesser-known work is Rodney Stone.) Arsene Lupin is a good suggestion; I've read at least the first collection, but I think there are still several volumes that I haven't read.

I've read all of E. W. Hornung's Raffles short stories, but there's also a novel, which supposedly isn't as good; I might as well download it and see for myself. Anthony Hope and Baroness Orczy are also good possibilities.

And I'll check out the Hogg book. Thanks for the suggestion.

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selki
2007-12-05 10:59 pm UTC (link)

I'd be interested in what you think of Baroness Orczy in particular (I haven't read her yet).

I haven't made paper bag covers for books in a long time! :-) We just used paper grocery bags. You could also decorate your paper covers with stickers.

What about a thinner fabric than denim?

If cloth/denim, what about using (judiciously trimmed?) iron-on patches instead of tape/sewing?

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mindyklasky
2007-12-05 01:42 pm UTC (link)

Kudos to you for cultural sensitivity! I haven't seen a Sony reader in person, and the pictures I've pulled up online don't give me a clear idea of what you're grappling with. Could you buy one of the cheap elasticized-fabric book covers available at CVS (in the school supplies section) and stretch it to work for you? (They come in at least two sizes, and the slip over the traditional cover of a book. I'm thinking that you might be able to pin or take a couple of stitches to pull back the cover on the right, reading side.)

I'm not particularly handy with sewing (I quilt, but that's a whole different ballgame.) If you'd like to meet for coffee one afternoon, though, I'm happy to take a look at it, and see if I can come up with any ideas!

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stevendj
2007-12-05 04:12 pm UTC (link)

Well, it's not just cultural sensitivity; I also find leather kind of creepy.

I'm not familiar with the kind of covers you mentioned. When I was in school, we made our book covers by folding and taping newspaper. I'll check them out.

Meeting for coffee would be fun. I'm available Friday, or from next Wednesday on, and most of the time my schedule is pretty flexible.

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	mjlayman 2007-12-06 02:02 am UTC (link)
	Since you don't like the leather(ish) cover anyway, probably you should wait and see what mindyklasky comes up with. She may be able to replace the cover entirely. I'd have to see one to know if that's practical. (Reply to this)(Parent)

mindyklasky
2007-12-06 01:30 pm UTC (link)

We, too, did the paper thing for schoolbooks. I bought one of the CVS things a few years ago, when I was reading some hardcovers that I didn't want to destroy (but wasn't trying to preserve as pristine...)

How about coffee tomorrow (Friday)? 3:00? The Starbucks closest to my office is the one at 14th and K (McPherson Square metro), but we could meet between your place and my office...

You can email me at mindy@mindyklasky.com, if you'd like!

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	stevendj 2007-12-06 05:03 pm UTC (link)
	Okay, tomorrow at 3:00, at 14th and K. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mindyklasky 2007-12-07 01:07 pm UTC (link)
	At the north-east corner of 14th and K, there's a Hamilton Crown Plaza hotel. The Starbucks is the next storefront north, on 14th Street, on the east side of the street. I'll see you there at 3 - and I'll bring my CVS-elastic-fabric book cover! (Email me if your plans change - I can snag email from the office.) (Reply to this)(Parent)

kip_w
2007-12-05 04:32 pm UTC (link)

I've worked with denim. I just take a stout needle and thread and stitch away. It's not like I have to wear what I make -- I just use it for bags to protect a couple of comb-bound music collections. You could probably glue that, too, and it would wear better than paper.

As to PG books, I have picked up quantities of Shakespeare (I've found original spelling Shaxper online as well), Gilbert & Sullivan, Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Jerome K. Jerome, and "The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," which can usually be found in their list of top 100 downloads (which is a great place to look for ideas). Kipling and Wells are there, too. And Marlowe. And! (Manybooks.com has books in various formats, if any of those are helpful -- all PG stuff. There are also bartleby.com and blackmask.com, with free ebooks.)

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	porcinea 2007-12-05 07:31 pm UTC (link)
	You can glue the denim, too -- that might give the smoothest results. Also, there are now stretchy elastic book covers -- I just saw a rack in my local drugstore. But I like the denim idea. Sax Rohmer! Trashy out the wazoo and still fun after all these years. http://www3.shropshire-cc.gov.uk/rohmer.htm (Reply to this)

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