Winter Reading

As an artist and writer, I get inspired by reading. Reading is a simple form of escapism: with the flip of a page or the scan of a paragraph you can transport yourself to faraway cities or towering mountain ranges. I am a voracious reader and am always looking for new novels to add to my constantly expanding collection. Over the past couple of months I have read many books and wanted to share some of my favorites with you this week!!

If you’d like to see other books I have blogged about in the past you can view those posts here, here, and here.

Hippie by Paulo Coelho

“Hippie” is a slightly auto-biographical account of Coelho's life during the 1960s. The story follows Paulo as he travels from Amsterdam to Nepal on a magic bus. The story is mostly told from Paulo’s perspective, but the supporting characters provide a lot of depth. While the main focus of the novel is on getting from one destination to the next, the journey taught me a lot about love, introspection, and the importance of finding purpose. ​
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An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

​This book was a lot more intense than I had anticipated after reading the summary. “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” was a fast-paced, action-filled novel that touched on a lot of hard hitting truths our world currently faces. When 64 unusual sculptures pop up in every major city on Earth, the protagonist (April May) becomes famous overnight for filming a YouTube video. What happens from then on is insane.
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Fashion Forecasts by Yumi Sakugawa

Fashion Forecasts was a concept, turned into a zine, turned into a book. In Sakugawa’s signature illustration style she predicts outlandish fashion trends.
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Keep it Real by Lee Gutkind

I read this book for one of my classes at The New School and it is essentially a guidebook for researching and writing Creative Nonfiction. Each chapter is very succinct and it’s useful for gaining fast information on everything from acknowledgement of sources to writers’ responsibilities to their subjects.
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After The End Of Art by Arthur C. Danto

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I also read this book for school and found it incredibly interesting. Danto argues that art ended in the 1960s when Andy Warhol created the Brillo Box. His argument is built around the idea that once art could be anything, and anyone could be an artist, “art” had come to a philosophical end. In the beginning of the course, the majority of students disagreed with Danto, but weeks later it became easy to understand and respect his point of view.
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A Sloth’s Guide To Mindfulness by Ton Mak

This illustrated meditation guide is so aesthetically pleasing that just flipping through it is relaxing!! This book is a great reminder to breathe, admire the world, and slow down.
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The Pleasure Of My Company by Steve Martin

​Steve Martin has a quirky and exuberant voice. This story is full of unique idiosyncrasies and the characters are well developed and feel real. I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it. ​
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Pocket Frida Kahlo Wisdom by Hardie Grant

I love this mini book of wisdom full of quotes from Frida Kahlo. I keep this on my desk in my studio.
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Fashion Legends Alphabet by Beck Feiner

This picture book goes through the alphabet using the names of various famous designers and influential people from the industry. From Anna Wintour to Zuhair Murad, the minimalist graphics in this book are great. ​
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The Little Book of Life Hacks by Yumi Sakugawa

Yumi Sakugawa is one of my favorite illustrators. I’ve talked about some of her other work previously on my blog. My favorite book of hers is “Your Illustrated Guide To Becoming One With The Universe” which is all about self-discovery, meditation, and connecting with the world. In Sakugawa’s “The Little Book of Life Hacks” she offers advice on everything from DIY hair treatments to body language signals. All of these hacks are beautifully illustrated.
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​Make sure to comment down below any great books you’ve read recently!!

Happy reading babes.

​© Annie Fay Meitchik. All Rights Reserved. All content on anniefay.com is my own or credit is given when applicable, please do not use any of my images before contacting me above or @ anniefaymeitchik@gmail.com.