♥ a home without books is like a body without a soul.

{source}

i'm not gonna lie, i'm pretty nerdy.

i keep a running list of "books that i would like to own and someday read"

in my purse at all times, so that should i ever find myself at a book store

with only a few minutes to shop (usually i am with someone

with a very low threshold for torturous book shopping)

i can maintain focus and not get lost in

a sea of beautiful books.

since coming to the realization that second hand book stores

are like treasure chests full of wonderous bounty and undiscovered gems,

i utterly refuse to pay full price for a book at some big chain store–

but if i had a borders giftcard with infinite money on it,

you can bet your bottom dollar i would own every last one

of these bad boys:

{images via penguin flickr set}

designed by senior cover designer at penguin,

coralie bickford smith, these hard covered beauties are eye candy

for the intellectual, book loving soul.

now available on amazon, these whimsically designed books

are a combination of traditional cloth bound covers with a

contemporary color palette and unpredictable patterns.

if they were clothing, i would be wearing them right now.

here are some pieces that are reminiscent of the

penguin hardcover classics:

this betsey johnson miami chic multi row clock necklace

mimics the repetitious use of antique watch faces on the cover

of oliver twist.

coralie uses mood boards and swatches to create her fabulous

book cover color combos that clash and flash.

this kate spade bag in red + hot pink also does just that.

these delicate little charms from sea unicorn on etsy

can be worn separately or layered together for a look that is

nostalgic and glamorous all at once.

like ms. bickford smith,

dvf is never afraid to choose bold color combos and patterns,

like this silk scarf.

reading any of these recovered classics would definitely

be a feather in your cap,

as would this peacock feather necklace!

this chandelier canvas tote bag is perfect

for carrying the whole penguin classic collection!