One of my favorite books—by which I mean book as object—is A Drive into the Gap by Kevin Guilfoile, published by Field Notes Brand Books.
I re-read it every few months and it usually stays—whilst I’m reading it and in-between reading—in the pocket of my denim jacket. Whenever I wear that jacket and reach into the pocket, I’m reminded that I have something wonderful to read, or re-read, or just flick through.
It’s beaten-up, dog-eared, and the screen-printed title is rubbing off (I’ve started to scribble it back in). The spine has a kink in it, the cover has a crease from testing a bone folder, and there’s hastily scrawled marginalia using whatever pen I had with me at the time.
It’s a great book, a wonderful story, and an object that I just love so much. It’s the perfect size, the ideal number of pages, and it’s meant to be in a pocket. The rounded corners avoid snagging, the sturdy pages hold up to anything, and the cover only looks better with age.
There are so many books that I love for the content of the book, but so few where the form of the book itself brings me this much joy. Buy the book. Gift the book. Use the book (I mean really use it).