#pleasantboat press

[pleasantboatpress]

Factory Settings by Anonymous

Crowley gets reinstated as an angel.

title/body text/page numbers: Ibarra Real Nova chapter headers/drop caps: Plain Black

106,998 words | 412 pages

SO. so. I was feeling some type of way about the good omens s2 finale and this fic. oh man. it did such a good job both filling the hole and in my heart, AND, ON TOP OF THAT, added such wonderful lore, with some of the best characterisations that I have enjoyed reading in the fandom. It was wonderful, and I honestly don't feel like I need anything else.

as for the design, I had some fun using space imagery for basically everything. honestly I just had lots of fun doing space things regardless. I tried my hand using gutermann thread for the first time for my endbands and dear god did that take ages. I also attempted to use my foil quill and haha. that did NOT go well. at all. regardless, it's such a beautiful fic that I really really wanted to make a beautiful book for it. if you haven't read it, please do!

[pleasantboatpress]

Our Place in Time series by inameitlater

Will remembers falling. He wakes up months before Jack got him to work for him. Months before he met Hannibal for the first time. Free from his past he decides to change events and meet Hannibal again.

titles/chapter headings/body text/headers/page numbers: EB Garamond

217,671 words | 583 pages

OK: what a series. I love this series so much and I was so excited that I got to bind it for boundtobebookbindery on insta for the Halloween Downunder Fic Exchange and make it into one of the largest books I have made to date. These fics are interesting and moving to read, and I loved having the opportunity to read them again while I was typesetting them. It made me want to rewatch the show which honestly doesn't take much these days, haha.

I had so much fun designing this - I wanted it to look like a classic binding that you would see in the show because honestly, what else fits for Hannibal? The cover design was inspired by various Cambridge panel bindings, done in Colibri copper coloured cloth, with a rectangle of Crepaldi marbled paper in the centre. I loved matching the endbands to the cover and the Florentine endpapers that I chose, as the colours gave a nice pop against the cover imo. For the typesetting, I completed it entirely in EB Garamond, and I found some truly wonderful images on rawpixel to use for the various title pages and chapter headings. Each fic had a different image used for the chapter headings to match the title page!

Thank you @belespe-bindery for running the exchange, and being so supportive and wonderful during this whole exchange. And finally, thank you so much to the author, Mara, for allowing me to pester you about making this book! I hope your copy arrives safely and soundly <3

[pleasantboatpress]

this is a reality that may not exist (but who is to say it doesn't) & the infinity in our (alternate) universes by @finalfrontierpublishing/charlietinpants

38,875 words & 31,907 words | 255 pages

I was honoured to do an exchange with @finalfrontierpublishing, because her books are so creative, and I honestly just wanted to get my hands on one!! so I decided to bind her a fic that she hadn't read yet, and then I was sneaky and bound two of her fics in a tête-bêche binding, which is this one! they are two lovely star trek fics, and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to bind these for her.

I had fun repeating design choices, and I was inspired by @excineribusbooks's design for "and i double dare me as well", which is absolutely stunning - the two copies work so well together!

thank you so much for doing this exchange with me nic, I was so grateful we got to do this together <3

[pleasantboatpress]

Two Solitudes by @emungere

After the fall, Will drags Hannibal out of the Atlantic and they find their way north to a remote part of Labrador, where they try to make a life together.

title/chapter headings/headers/page numbers/body text: EB Garamond

54,491 words | 221 pages

I had so much fun with this bind! this fic is one of my favourite hannibal fics, and I had to do justice to it. the prose is beautiful, I enjoy the plot, and I've just thought about it a lot since I first read it. @emungere if you would like a copy, I would love to make you one <3

I did this as an exchange with @celestial-sphere-press because I really wanted to trade books with her, EVEN THOUGH SHE DECEIVED ME AND GOT ME FOR THE RENEGADE EXCHANGE. SO now I guess I'll have two books by her and it'll be great! I wanted to do classical typesetting, to emulate a book I would imagine that Hannibal would have on his shelves, and I thought the cover would also be a great way to do that! I had fun using stencils on my foreedge painting, but I need to make sure that next time I sand the edges really well before I do it, haha. I had to live up to the beautiful copy of Royal Flush that she gifted me.

I'm sure many people who are into Hannibal have read this fic but if you haven't - please do!

[pleasantboatpress]

Jon's Moving Castle by @iceeckos12

Martin Blackwood may not have a perfect life, but he does have a good one. That is, until a series of magical encounters leave him with an unfortunate curse. Out of other options, he goes to the wizard who lives in the moving castle for aid.

Life never goes how he intends it to, though.

title/chapter headings/headers/page numbers: Old Cupboard body text: EB Garamond

Ohhhh I had a lot of fun binding this one! this was the fic requested by Jay, @blueskiesbooks, for the renegade bindery bound fic exchange, and I had a lot of fun binding it as a gift both them and the author. Jay's books have been incredibly inspiring to see, as they always have such great designs and it's so interesting seeing the though put into their books. Also: I haven't bound nearly enough TMA fic and I think I need to rectify that.

As for the design, I really wanted this to look kind of pretentious but also pretty to look at. Obviously I couldn't stop myself from using green and brown together, as they are colours I think are both lovely and work well together. I got to round and back this book as an opportunity to practice my backing, and I really had some fun with the splattered edges!

[pleasantboatpress]

Work of All Saints by @kaikamahine

Her mother sends her a letter, after. We cannot help you, Imelda, it says. You are the consequence of your actions.

"This is not my fault!" Imelda shouts.

-

Imelda Rivera (b. 1899 - d. 1969), a story that includes but is not limited to: the finest music school this side of the Santo Domingo, three traveling musicians and the mess they made of love, the twice-cursed assassination of Venustiano Carranza, all the patron saints, and ninety-six ways a man can try to cross a bridge.

title/chapter headings/page numbers: Bodoni 72 Oldstyle body text: Libre Baskerville

210,703 words | 667 pages

You know how fics can grab you and not let go of you? This is that fic. It is a fic for the Disney movie Coco, and it gives Imelda a wonderful, thoughtful back story that made me have a cathartic cry at the end of it. It also gives a well researched look at Mexico’s history, and has such beautiful, clean prose that is so refreshing to read. I have made 2 copies, one for me, and one for the author! As for the design, I used the design used in the film for the infamous guitar, painted in gold on turquoise book cloth that I dyed myself. Turquoise and gold are important colours that are repeated throughout the fic, and I thought it was fitting, binding the book in those. For the typesetting, I had fun emulating the styles used in historical works, as a way to show the historical nature of the fic and its setting. This book is also a springback binding, so it opens all nice and flat, and it feels extremely solid in my hands haha. They’re typically used for journals or visitor books, as they sit flat and are appealing to write in, but I wanted to try my hand at this construction, and such a wonderful fic deserves to have a solid presence.

[pleasantboatpress]

the cheapest room in the house by @skr0g/biggaybenny

what if instead of a very sincere and earnest love confession dean just found out cas was gay? no confession, no god-jack endgame. just post-s15 stupidity. just dean being deranged. the dean downloads grindr for cas fic

titles/headers/page numbers: Caslon Antique body text: Cardo

89,336 words | 336 pages

damn this fic kinda just reached into my chest and scooped something inside of me that was kinda vital. ever since i've read it, i've had scenes that have stuck with me and i have thought of often, so of course i had to bind this fic! @skr0g kindly let me send a copy!!! which has been very exciting and i am so glad i had that opportunity.

design thoughts were. mostly that i needed to make this book look as classy as possible, so that involved using old-ish fonts, for me! i wanted it to be simple but subtle, so using pops of red/burgundy that matched the suede spine was vital for me. it just made me happy doing that. the suede cloth was wonderful to use, and THE WHITE. was great!!! @finalfrontierpublishing kindly sent me some when we exchanged books earlier this year and i am very grateful <3

[pleasantboatpress]

Unconditional by @letteredlettered/lettered

title/page numbers: Goudy Trajan body text: Cardo

44,960 words | 372 pages

so this fic awakened something in me, hoo boy. I read so much fic in January and let me tell you, 95% of it was Star Trek. I'm feeling some type of way and that way is: very emotional. I did not realise I needed a character study of Spock's emotions and relationship with sexuality but I got it and I am very very grateful. when I got the notification that lettered had posted this one, I was like "oh I guess I'll try this" and then I sat there for 2 hours while I read the whole thing in one sitting. it was posted in June last year, and I have reread it 5 times since then. when I say that this fic is something special to me, it truly is. if you have any inkling whatsoever towards reading it, please do. as for the design, I wanted to keep it clean and classy, and I pulled elements from the fic to give it those design elements, like the colours of the discs used on the front, and the sequence of the colours for the endbands. Touch is a huge theme of the fic, and having the hand on the front was informed by the conversations I had with @a-gay-old-time about her lovely lovely hand designs on a lot of her fanbinds. ALL IN ALL: what a good fic, by a fantastic author.

[pleasantboatpress]

Talk Shows on Mute series by @avocadomooon/avocadomoon

Richie gets a divorce, spends a few weeks in the desert, and works through some shit. What that shit is, exactly, is between a man, his ex-wife, and his friend Mike's deck chair.

title: Athene headers/page numbers: Montserrat body text: Lora

31,740 words | 200 pages

ohhh so this is a role reversal, and it is BRILLIANT. I love the interactions between all the losers, they're all so... I have no words. they genuinely come across as friends in this, which is always wonderful to read. I enjoy how all of the losers are struggling with life after pennywise in this, they're trying so hard to make amends, it's enough to make me emotional.

as for design notes: I really love a good rectangle. I don't know why I seem to have this obsession with clean rectangular borders but oh my god I think I need to get a new thing to obsess over. Regardless, i loved the colours for this one, and I chose the cloth first, everything else came later, especially with those pops of green which i enjoyed putting in the endband.

[pleasantboatpress]

4311 S La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016 by avocadomoon, illustrated by Puckboum

Unlike any other apartment in Los Angeles, the Penthouse at 4311 S La Cienega Apartments is a spectacular combination of luxury and history. Sun-flooded in every direction, a barrel-vaulted ceiling in the living room opens into a fully updated kitchen with beautiful marble fixtures, and state of the art appliances. Two full bedrooms, one and a half baths, and a magnificent balcony terrace with open city views lined with the building’s signature landmarked parapets and turrets, designed to impressively and beautifully connect the terrace spaces. With its combination of outdoor space, private entries and elegant design that balances the bones of pre-war spaces with the finishes of new construction, this penthouse encapsulates exactly what the buyer in search of a one-of-a-kind home is seeking.

No detail has been overlooked in the restoration of this intimate West Hollywood landmark condominium. Locally famous, the building is a special part of Los Angeles history - secluded, with a doorman and security, you'll feel like you're part of the beating heart of the city without sacrificing your privacy! The complete offering terms are in an offering plan available from the sponsor, file #CD17-0364. Co-exclusive.

title: Engravers MT headers/page numbers: Rosario body text: Alegreya

45,972 words | 148 pages

Oohh so this fic I have enjoyed immensely, it’s got weird horrors, time loop shenanigans, and is also a really good character study? It’s great reading it trying to figure out the mystery as it’s all from Richie’s perspective and he’s as lost as we are.

I made 3 copies of this fic, one for the author, one for the artist, and one for me. I think it’s probably the limit on how many copies of the same fic I would make, but it was fun seeing how they all matched and their different variations. I had fun choosing a paper that would match the aesthetic of the apartment building as described in the fic. Endbands are my usual double core kind, and I had fun typesetting this one in indesign, when I still had it 😆

All in all, a great fic. You should definitely read if you have an interest in cool horror heh heh heh.

[pleasantboatpress]

the only proof the field existed series by @nonagethimus/morian

"So, this… look you're going for," Lucius starts, testing the waters. Blackbeard stares at him with vacant eyes. Jesus. Lucius is viscerally reminded of the man's dead-eyed look before he pushed him overboard. "Does it feel like the right choice for you? Are we happy with it?" "Do you have a fever?" Blackbeard asks, voice hoarse. Lucius cocks his head and says, "Don't think so. Do I look hot?" He winks. Blackbeard lifts his hand and presses his fingers roughly against Lucius' forehead. "What are you—" "No fever," Blackbeard grunts and draws back. "Good. Didn't want to cut off your fucking hand." Lucius drawls, "I'm touched." Or: Lucius survives. For better or for worse.

title/body text/page numbers: Libre Baskerville drop caps: Goudy Initialen

21,686 words | 216 pages

So! While watching Our Flag Means Death I wasn’t particularly interested in reading fic for it, however this author is brilliant and I have enjoyed a lot of his fics, so I had to read this series! Some wonderful character studies, the first fic focusses on Lucius and the next focusses on Edward. The voices of both characters were captured beautifully, and I am so grateful to be able to reread these fics in hardcover. It is an A6 size book with a cutout, and I was hugely inspired by bythecrow on instagram and their books. One day I will have the courage to do some embroidery! Today is not that day lol. Colours chosen because of the wonderful outfits contained within the show, and because they are just FUN. The cover design and the endpapers are a printed William Morris design, which I think was done in the century after the show is set, but with the way the characters talk in the show, I’m sure it’s fine!

[pleasantboatpress]

Spitfire by @mayakern

What do you do when you're a dragon and the prince you're in love with is getting married? Fuck his wife.

titles/chapter headings: Cinzel Decorative headers/page numbers: Organik body text: Cardo

What can I say about Spitfire? It’s truly an amazing piece of work that is a brilliant high fantasy, queer af and completely engrossing. It gave me everything I ever wanted out of a novel; plot, genderfluid characters, PINING like you wouldn’t believe, great sex scenes, DRAGONS, and just. Women. What more do you need out of a fantasy book?

The design on the covers and the spines are heat transfer foil, the bookcloth is duo, there is variegated thread that I used to sew the signatures together, 3 colour endbands and handmade marbled papers. Spitfire deserves nothing less.

If you’d like to read it, the first 30% is available on AO3, and you can purchase it on Amazon. Go get it!!

I can’t wait to see what happens in Firebrand ✨

[pleasantboatpress]

Shark Tank by @xzombiexkittenx

Will and Hannibal meet in prison. Hannibal is still the Ripper, Will is still a profiler who had encephalitis. Only now they're cell mates.

titles/chapter numbers: MADE Soulmaze headers/page numbers: Montserrat body text: Cardo

71,358 words | 249 pages

These two copies were completed for the 2021-2022 Renegade Bound Fic Exchange on the discord server, one was a copy for my recipient, @sherezades, and one for the author.

As you can see I really enjoyed designing different elements of this book. I tried my first splattered edges on this book, and I tried to make them look like blood as much as possible, to fit the grittiness of the fic. I also hope you enjoy the peep of red in the endband and the thread used to sew the book together!

[pleasantboatpress]

The Inevitable Desires of Edward Kaspbrak by bread_and_walls

This story is about sex. (But there are spaces between your fingers and there are times between sex.) Two and a half years after the events in Derry, Eddie is divorced, recovered (mostly) and he's free to do whatever (or whoever) he wants. That shouldn't be so hard, should it? (The spaces between your fingers might be sweeter when they're linked with someone else's)

titles/chapter numbers: Voga chapter headings/headers/page numbers: Neou Thin body text: Alegreya

172,112 words | 610 pages

This fic is such a great character study of Eddie. I enjoy the way that his internal monologue is written, how he navigates finding himself, how he interacts with all the Losers, the relationship he has with Richie. It’s all impeccably done and just. Wonderful!

After chatting with the author, I decided on pink bookcloth with this quartz-ish paper for the cover. It was my first time trying a 3 piece in-boards bradel binding, which I was inspired by the binding style used by @clovenhoofbindery for “Away Childish Things”. It was fiddly and you had to be precise with your measurements, but I really liked the end product. The endband is 5 colours, and I wanted to do a gradient of the colours that are in the cover paper. All in all I’m really proud of how this turned out!

[pleasantboatpress]

Away Childish Things by @letteredlettered

Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

titles/chapter headings: Medusa Gothic headers/page numbers: Montserrat body text: Cardo

153,881 words | 553 pages

there's nothing that I can say about this fic that hasn't already been said. it is a wonderful read with humour, heartbreak in just the right amount, and a good smattering of pining. it is top tier fic! it is a wonderful character study that I never would have thought would work with a de-ageing plot, but lettered really just made it work. she is a wonderful storyteller.

for typesetting notes, I just wanted to convey a style that was as elegant as lettered's writing, so I used some strong fonts with some images I thought suited the overall themes of the fic. initially, there is a fox for Draco's patronus, then a faun, then during the flashback chapters I chose a narcissus, and then there's a different fox to follow how Harry's patronus changed over the course of the story.

[pleasantboatpress]

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic

Harry Potter, of all people, knows that life isn’t always fair. And no one gets to be happy all of the time. But surely there’s something more—something better—than a rubbish Ministry job, and a lonely old house, and that feeling that everyone out there is doing a better job of living than Harry is.

And it really doesn’t seem fair that Draco Malfoy is back in Harry’s life, all of a sudden, and even though he’s wandless, and living with Muggles, and making his mother cry with his lifestyle choices, he’s happy. So what's he doing right, that Harry isn’t?

Because things don’t really change, do they? And if Harry can’t be happy, he’ll settle for a good night’s sleep, some posh antiques, and the opportunity to find out what Malfoy has been up to for all these years.

And that’s what starts it all.

titles/chapter headings: Brooke headers/page numbers: Quicksand body text: Baskerville

61,323 words | 200 pages

this fic is so so wonderful!! I love it to absolute bits, and it makes me feel a whole bunch. the original characters are wonderful, the politics depicted in this are intriguing, and the romance is just. chefs kiss! this was a gift for my dear friend @stargirltakingflight. I also ended up making a copy for myself because how could I not haha.

initially, when reading this fic, I was struck by Draco's relationship with his local church, and the way he has built a community and support network around him, and I wanted that to show in the typesetting! I've used wings on the title page and angels for the chapter headings, to try and emulate that, and I also used Baskerville as the body text as that was and is a font used in most hymn books.