Book Review: Bookbinding and How to Bring Old Books Back to Life
Bookbinding and How to Bring Old Books Back to Life by Aimee Spillman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’ve always been a crafter, and a reader, so finding a book that promises to teach me bookbinding just naturally draws my interest. We start off with a brief but informative history of both books and the words used by book aficionados. From there, we are given a glossary of bookbinder’s industry terms (including my favorite, the bone folder) and a list of tools and materials suppliers. Armed with this valuable information, you’ll find yourself eager and ready to become a bookbinding student.
The first project is creating a hardcover book. The author walks us slowly and patiently through the entire process. Lots of advice and encouragement is offered along the way, and pictures are included so you won’t have to guess at what’s being described. If you pay attention, work carefully, and follow the instructions to the letter, you will produce a lovely book that’s all your own, and you will have gained a good understanding of the process.
Further in, you’ll learn variations in page stitching and book cover design, You’ll create thicker books with more elaborate covers and decorative bookmark ribbons. Finally, you’ll learn how to bring new life to old books by repairing, cleaning, and reattaching pages. You can even replace a worn-out cover with a handcrafted new one. I can’t wait to give some of my own tattered books a facelift! I highly recommend this inspiring, practical book.
My thanks to author Aimee Spillman, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Lori Alden Holuta
Lori Alden Holuta lives between the cornfields of Mid-Michigan, where she grows vegetables and herbs when she’s not writing, editing, or playing games with a cat named Chives.
