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.

ICYMI, here's my latest round-up of new and recent book covers and design trends: www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/06...

Here are this month's book covers of note!

Here's Spine's latest Book Covers We Love update: spinemagazine.co/book-covers-...

The power of juxtaposition -- classical painting + poppy type (gift link): www.nytimes.com/2025/06/21/b...

Protection. #grickledoodle #books #reading #cartoon #art #drawing #funny

Because I don;'t appreciate her out here often enough, shoutout Diana Wynne Jones, nonpareil

I had a couple of minutes to talk to CIBA members yesterday about titles coming out this fall so of course I choose two books in translation that are both really difficult to describe and do justice to, but I like a lot anyway...

This month's book covers post is up on the @casualoptimist.bsky.social blog 🐿️ www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/05...

I'm scarily behind on this month's book covers post so just enjoy these lovely Chrisoph Niemann covers for the New Yorker until I'm done...

Nancy By Ernie Bushmiller May 25,1959

I didn’t realize that *every* literary arts grantee, all 51, were terminated by the NEA. lareviewofbooks.org/article/we-d...

“Fewer books are going to be published. Some literary organizations won’t survive this.” For the LARB, I spoke with book publishers and lit mags impacted by Trump and DOGE's coup at the NEA. lareviewofbooks.org/article/we-d...

If your literary organization lost an NEA grant this week, I'd like to hear from you for a story I'm writing for the LARB. DMs are open, email is [email protected].

Craig Mod writes about NYC’s wonderful Three Lives bookstore and seeing his recent book in the window. “It’s not about seeing it in every window, just the windows of places I respect the most.” [kottke.org]

Brutal.

‘“Classic” may not be quite the right word for this scary, messy film – it’s about forms of rage that don’t add up to hatred, or indeed to anything – but this may reflect a deficiency in the word rather than the film.’ Michael Wood watches ‘La Haine’: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

If you need a little distraction, this month's book covers post is up on the blog...

Cover by Morris Gollub.

Really enjoyed this @covermeetingpod.bsky.social conversation with designer + @roughtradebooks.bsky.social AD Craig Oldham. It touches on so many interesting topics around creativity, personal projects, careers in design / publishing, and finding work-life balance covermeeting.com/podcast/cove...

This is a really great profile of designer and art director Rodrigo Corral by Zachary Petit for Fast Company: archive.today/2025.04.09-1...

⌛Solvej Balle on Time, Wonder, & Writing the Impossible⏳ On this week's podcast Solvej Balle returns to the bookshop she once called home to discuss her monumental "On the Calculation of Volume". 🎧: pod.fo/e/2c6094 @thebookerprizes.bsky.social @faberbooks.bsky.social @ndbooks.bsky.social #BookSky

Presenting the #InternationalBooker2025 shortlist. Find out more about all the books, authors and translators: thebookerprizes.com/ibp2025

I hope someone is working on an in-depth obituary of Robert McGinnis. Surely he deserves one... RIP.

If you're interested in book cover design, print production, or a career in the publishing industry, Cover Meeting is such a great podcast. I'm looking forward to listening to the new episode...

This month's book covers round-up is up on the blog! www.casualoptimist.com/blog/2025/03...

Betteridge's Law hitting hard this morning... www.thecut.com/article/simo...

Bookfolk, this thread is a must-read 👇

Corita Kent: The Pop Art Nun

Cover Meeting season two is here with a new conversation with book cover designer Jack Smyth