Best Coast(ers) -- Out of Print Introduces New Coaster Sets

 

 

Like any modern gal, I have a love-hate relationship with technology. I can't imagine riding the subway without my iPod tucked inside my pocket, delivering sweet tunes to my ears but, at the same time, I still haven't been able to chuck my extensive collection of CDs and mixtapes — even though I've imported many of them into my digital music library. Part of my desire to cling to these CDs stems from my fascination with their sleeves, with the composition of the photographs, the typography, and the illustrations adorning these glossy pamphlets, not to mention the careful annotations and acknowledgements typed on their pages. 

Whereas my feelings regarding technology and musical mediums waiver, when it comes to books, I'm still a traditionalist. I savor the smell of old books, the tranquility of libraries, the majestic stature of wooden bookshelves lined with rare titles, the rustling sound of turning pages, the creases left behind by dog-earing, the water and coffee stains on paper pages lovingly pored over by avid readers, and the yellowish tint of weathered paper. And, of course, there's the matter of book covers -- how they can capture the spirit of a novel, the aesthetic sensibilities of an era or genre, or even the author's spirit. 

With classic titles that have been reprinted over and over, sometimes the original book art fades into obscurity, replaced by more ordinary fare. Luckily, the founders of Out of Print, a clothing and accessories line, share my romanticism regarding classic literature. Since 2010, then, they've been designing tees and sweatshirts bearing the hard-to-find artwork that appeared on the first editions of such groundbreaking novels as Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Joseph Heller's Catch-22, Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, and many more.

Now, Out of Print is not only expanding its array of book cover art, but it's also finding new canvases on which to emblazon these historical works. Aside from clothing, then, Out of Print is now offering bibliophiles tote bags, phone cases, eReader jackets (for those of you who love the convenience of digital readers but still appreciate the magic of the printed word) and, as of this week, coasters.

The new Out of Print Coaster Set, available for $20 at OutofPrintClothing.com starting this week, contains eight waterproof coasters, each featuring the graphics of a classic book. Packed in a square, hardcover-style, cornflower blue case, the eight coasters in the set feature artwork from the following titles: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Heller's Catch-22, Alduous Huxley's Brave New World, Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, and Jack Kerouak's On the Road.

Whether you love the explosion of peacock feathers on the Pride and Prejudice coaster or the cryptic quality of the Invisible Man graphics, you can now gaze upon the artwork corresponding to some of your favorite reads while sipping a glass of wine or entertaining friends at home.