If you love a small press, check out these 100 notable small press books from 2025!

End of year lists are hard.

On the subject of best of the year lists, here's a gift link for the NYT's 100 Notable Books of 2025 too... www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/b...

Here's a gift link to the Globe 100 for the Canadian book folks: www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/b287550...

More publishers should do this!

And here are Lit Hub's November cover picks: lithub.com/the-15-best-...

Here are SPINE's November book cover picks! spinemagazine.co/book-covers-...

Bridget Riley and the pleasure of looking. With her mesmeric, geometric work, now on show at Turner Contemporary, the British artist hopes the “eye can travel over the surface” like it “moves over nature”. https://bit.ly/4rq9h5A

I'm a total sucker for the maps on the backs of old Dell books.

My review of the third part of Solvej Balle’s On the Calculation of Volume - one of the most exciting things happening in fiction right now observer.co.uk/culture/book...

This phone in Barry's Bay, Ontario is on the highway where the payphone madness began over four years ago. I've been past this grocery store many times since but somehow only spotted the phone in August. A friendly watchman was proud of it (Chamonix57N1, Schneider 180mmf5.6 APO Symmar, Kodak TXP320)

Monocle on 3 independent publishers with distinctive cover designs monocle.com/culture/char...

When you think 'I should probably post more from my sketchbook' and then you look at the sketchbook and realise that since you got a dog two years ago your brain has turned into 90% dog

My latest @newscientist.com cartoon. p.s. my new book of science cartoons 'Physics for Cats' is out now! Order from your local bookshop or online: www.tomgauld.com

From 1973, Ed Emberley’s Little Drawing Book of Weirdos. www.presentandcorrect.com/blogs/blog/e...

A halloween cartoon for @newscientist.com

New post: Updating Albertus for the City of London wemadethis.co.uk/blog/2025/10...

Here's the last of my monthly cover round-ups for the year...

Opens tomorrow!

Today is Robert Rauschenberg's centenary; a wildly inventive & influential artist, he was born on this day in 1925. To mark the occasion, a thread celebrating his love of animals. First up, Rauschenberg working in the studio with his dog Laika, in about 1968. Laika looking really chill here

“Books need to have someone loudly clamoring behind the scenes to rise above the general masses" The NYT talks to founders Naomi Huffman and Julia Ringo about their indie press Hagfish (Gift link) : www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/s...

László Krasznahorkai covers by the Office of Paul Sahre for @ndbooks.bsky.social

the absolutely terrific @ndbooks.bsky.social is responsible for every happy english speaking nerd (on this continent) right now

Lászlóóóóóóóóóóóóóó!

I love this book...

This is of niche industry interest, but here goes: The digital catalog platform most independent bookstores use to peruse and order new books for their stores (called Edelweiss) has jacked up their prices on publishers to catalog new titles 200-300%. Why does this matter?

RIP Patricia Routledge one of the best ever to do it.

Here is my late look at some of September's more interesting book covers: www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/09...

My book covers post is late again. It should be done by the end of the day but it does feel a little redundant after SPINE and LitHub have already posted 30 or so covers for the month between them...

These new illustrated covers by Neasden Control Centre for the Vintage Classics editions of Julio Cortázar are great! Art direction by Suzanne Dean. www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/09...

My latest cartoon for @theguardian.com books p.s. My new book of science cartoons is here: www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2

RESTORATION is a "masterful - a ghost story where the ghost is capitalism’s oldest accomplice: patriarchy." morningstaronline.co.uk/article/lett...

Vintage Classics Julio Cortázar covers by Neasden Control Centre

Delighted to contribute to this article. I got to talk about CROWN, but honestly this is a very good list in and of itself. The readalikes are particularly choice. Well done, Slate! slate.com/culture/2025...

My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com p.s. this week I am on a USA/Canada tour with my new book. Details and preorder links at tomgauld.com

On the NBA Longlist for Translated Literature-- WE ARE GREEN AND TREMBLING by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated by Robin Myers ON THE CALCULATION OF VOLUME (Book III) by Solvej Balle, translated by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell

“Her essential insight is that people and things are completely insane, and she speaks from inside the whale.” What a life. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/b...

I don't have lots to say this month, but there are lots of great book covers all the same...

It is so damn bleak.

Just about the best thing about being a teacher is watching kids delight in stationery. That's right, Olivia. Four-colour ballpoints ARE fucking awesome. You'll lose all interest in about two years.

One might say it's a bit half-arsed...

Check out SPINE's July Book Covers We Love: spinemagazine.co/book-covers-...

ICYMI, here's this month's look at some new and recent book covers: www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/07...

Something for the weekend?

Crowdfunder to buy and restore Womersley by National Trust Scotland, Klein Foundation and Scottish Historic Buildings Trust. Please consider a donation -- and share.

Today at The Reveal: The Laser Age, a new podcast about science fiction films from the second half of the 20th century. I was thrilled to have the great @hodgman.bsky.social join me to discuss SILENT RUNNING, a 1972 film about ecology, robots, cantaloupes, and... murder.

You authors will have to realize that we small publishers can print you but can’t humor you. —James Laughlin, letter to William Saroyan, October 11, 1937

‘Useful phrases for the murder mystery writer abroad’ (my cartoon for this week’s Guardian Books)

This month's post has now been updated to include additional credit info for the cover of Valencia by Michelle Tea designed by Megan Grace ( @profilebooks.bsky.social / June 2025). The photo is from Chloe Sherman's series Renegades: San Francisco, the 1990s www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/06...

🚨The asher Tote is here🚨 We went though seven different materials and two printers to make sure we got it right. Simply put, there has never been a better bag to carry your book all day. asher tested, Eugene approved.