Brave New World - Aldous Huxley, 1989

On a recent walk through Washington, DC, I stopped at a Little Free Library (and how could I not?) and picked up a worn paperback edition of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Having recently moved to the city, I've been desperate for a reason to pick up a bonefolder again - here was my reprieve! 

Both the front and back covers were badly chipped, and the toning inside suggested they weren't going to stronger with age...

...in fact, someone had already gone ahead and plastered clear packing tape inside both covers and across the spine, much to my chagrin.

Having limited tools in my new apartment, I attempted to remove the tape mechanically from the first and last pages of the textblock using my craft knife...

...and it worked out surprisingly well.

New endsheets and tissue flaps for board attachment.

Faux-red leather book cloth will hopefully catch the eye of some other passerby when this book re-enters the Little Free Library pool.

Post-move, this was a wonderful 2-day project to get my hands back to work. This is far from a masterpiece, but the cloth and board case will ensure the novel makes it into at least a few more hands before it's through. For me, that's what bookbinding is all about.