Books as Shelves

Tired of reading Pride & Prejudice? Instead of placing the book on a shelf, the book can be turned into a shelf itself. The creatively designed bookshelves for sale only at the Park Slope art, accessories, and gift store Cog and Pearl and soon-to-be launched retailer Curiosity Shoppe Online, can hold approximately five pounds.

Have a favorite book you would like converted? As long as you provide the book that is a minimum of a half an inch think, designer Ezra Waltermaurer of Little Fish Furniture will create it. "The operation is non-reversible" he warns as he explains that he created the bookshelves while "living in the city in the late 90's, around the time that the NYC Public Library was being accused of secretly dumping thousands of old books."

His collection developed into horizontal and vertical bookshelves which sell for approximately thirty and eighty dollars respectively. Ezra told us, "The majority of the books I convert to shelves still come from otherwise trash-destined sources. I like the idea of allowing the books to live another, purposeful life [and] I like the idea of being able, finally, to really judge a book by its cover."