I’m hesitant to call myself a book collector. I’m not obsessive, or excessively concerned with the things that many collectors are. Maybe I’m more of a librarian? I’ve always liked the idea of a personal library – growing, changing, aging with time.

Still, without intending to, I’ve begun to accumulate more books than I can possibly spend time with. They’ve moved around with me, from apartment to apartment, bookshelf to bookshelf, but over the years some of the books have been a bit neglected. It’s true. Sometimes I only look at a book once, and then it just sits there. I think about those shelves and feel a little heartache because of those books that I’ve only flipped through briefly. Yes, there are bigger things to be concerned with, I know, but the thought of a lonely book can be rather sad.

Before getting too somber, I decided to consider some of the recently published books that I’ve found myself excited about and have returned to more than once; the ones which have held my attention, that have been read, re-read, and in turn reminded me of what makes being a “librarian” so great.

Artist: Justin James Reed
Title: 2013
Publisher: Horses Think Press
Year: 2012

Artist: Alec Soth
Title: Looking for Love, 1996
Publisher: Kominek
Year: 2012
BUY

Artist: Rafal Milach
Title: In the Car with R
Publisher: TCB Press
Year: 2011
BUY

Artist: Asger Carlsen
Title: Hester
Publisher: Morel
Year: 2012
BUY

(photos courtesy of Photo Eye)

Artist: Raymond Meeks & Mark Steinmetz
Title: Orchard Volume 3: Idyll
Publisher: Silas Finch
Year: 2011
BUY

(photos courtesy of Photo Eye)

Artist: Hannah Whitaker
Title: Imaginary Landscape No. 1
Publisher: Blonde Art Books
Year: 2012
BUY

(photos courtesy of Shane Lavalette)

Artist: Gregory Halpern
Title: A
Publisher: J&L Books
Year: 2011
BUY

Artist: Sharon Harper
Title: From Above and Below
Publisher: Radius Books
Year: 2012
BUY

(photos courtesy of Photo Eye)

Artist: Melissa Catanese
Title: Dive Dark Dream Slow
Publisher: The Iceplant
Year: 2012
BUY

(photos courtesy of Ahorn Magazine)

Artist: J Carrier
Title: Elementary Calculus
Publisher: MACK
Year: 2012
BUY

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Shane Lavalette is an American photographer currently living in Upstate New York. Lavalette’s photographs have been shown widely and his editorial work has been published in various magazines, including The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Vice Magazine, The Wire and Pig Magazine, amongst others. Lavalette is the founding Publisher and Editor of Lay Flat as well as the Director of Light Work.

Published 22 July 2013