The concept for taking what Juniper Books does and putting it into the beautiful book you hold in your hands had been an idea for a long time. However, as a busy entrepreneur and dad, I never had the time to sit down and start writing. Then in 2017, I was forced to slow down when I went through cancer treatment for lymphoma. On many of the days when I was too weak and ill to get to the office, I stayed home and wrote. I made a resolution during this time that when I emerged from cancer and chemotherapy, I wouldn’t just sell other people’s books; I was going to write some of my own. In the spring of 2018, just as I was getting back to work full-time, an email came in from Katie Killebrew at Gibbs Smith. Would I like to collaborate “on a home library book—part inspirational, part instructional?” Gibbs Smith wanted to publish such a book and as luck would have it, I had already started writing that book.
Thank you to the entire team at Gibbs Smith including Katie Killebrew, Shelby Kisgen, and Michelle Branson for seeing this book through from idea to reality. Thank you for believing in me, in Juniper Books, and for getting behind this creation 100 percent.
Before committing to writing the book, I asked my friend, long-time customer, and business advisor Elizabeth Lane to coauthor the book with me. I knew I couldn’t finish the book on my own; I was susceptible to getting too busy all over again! Thank you, Elizabeth, for keeping me on schedule, for bringing your love of books to every aspect of the production, and for all of your support and trust in Juniper Books.
Thank you to Jordan Singer, our longtime photographer at Juniper Books, for organizing and shooting such a great archive of our work over the years—many images from that archive appear on these pages. Thank you to Samantha Hahn for contributing such a fresh and beautiful perspective to this publication through your illustrations.
For the Love of Books reflects nearly two decades of collaborations with thousands of clients, helping them tell their stories through the books on their shelves. Juniper Books has too many clients to list and thank them all here, however I am truly grateful to every single person who has ever purchased a book, a set, or a complete library from Juniper Books.
An extra special thank you to all the clients who allowed us to photograph their bookshelves and their homes. For privacy reasons, we have not included your names but please know how grateful I am for allowing us this privilege.
Over the years we have had the pleasure of getting to know and work with some of the world’s top interior designers, architects, builders, visual merchandisers, and other design trade professionals. Many of our collaborations are reflected on these pages. Thank you for trusting us to elevate books and libraries together.
Thank you to all of the press and media who have written about us. You recognized that what we were doing was different and unusual in the digital era. I appreciate the space and time you dedicated to tell our story and truly believe we have contributed to the marvelous comeback of the printed book in recent years.
Dozens of team members have contributed to the creativity, attention to detail, and success of Juniper Books over the eighteen years we have been in business. I’d especially like to thank Sandra Greenway, Kirsten Herzig, Jenn Hyde, and Kaitlin Gilland for all of their hard work, their love of books, and their dedication to making our customers happy.
For the philosophy that appears on these pages, it could have remained in my head much longer had it not been for Virginia Santy, who helped me with my TED Talk in 2016 (“The Books We Keep, the Stories We Tell”) and with getting my ideas down on paper.
Back in 2001, when I was leaving the tech world, I followed my good friend Ryan McMillen around as he bought and sold books in New England. Ryan first showed me how to research rare books and tell their stories. I have gone in a lot of different directions since then, but it all comes back to books and the stories they tell. For that initial spark, I am very grateful.
From an early age, my parents showed me that anything is possible; there is no such thing as a bad idea, and that if some people think what you are doing is crazy, you just might be on to something. They owned and operated a legendary restaurant in New York City in the 1980s called The Quilted Giraffe. They took a concept (running a restaurant) that had been around a long time and reinvented every aspect of it. I’d like to think that I’m carrying on their legacy, but with books instead of food. My mother, Susan Wine, came to work for Juniper Books at a critical time in the company’s history, helping us to grow the business and for that I am very appreciative. My father, Barry Wine, has always been one of my biggest supporters and confidantes. I am extremely grateful for his creativity and counsel, and also for the amazing meals he cooks on my visits to New York.
—Thatcher Wine
First, a huge thank you to Thatcher Wine for inviting me to coauthor this book with him. A kindred spirit in all things books, this was an absolute delight to write (and it inspired me to look at my own bookshelves with a more discerning eye)!
To the most talented person I know, Samantha Hahn, my creative director at Quarterlane (QL), and true guide and friend for the past three years. I discovered your artwork in a stunning book by a mutual friend and working with you since has been the greatest gift. To have your illustrations in For the Love of Books brings me more joy than you could ever know. The most talented artist, the most indomitable person, you are an inspiration. Thank you for your friendship, dedication, and support through QL and beyond.
To Courtney Peterson Lindsey for helping me in the early stages of QL. Without your steadfast support, books in beautiful boxes would have remained a dream.
To my Quarterlane dream team of photographers: Christine Han, Nicki Sebastian, Nick Steever, Kimberly Murray, Michelle Drewes, Christine Lane, and Danlly Domingo. You first brought your magic to The QL Edit and The QL Kids Magazine, showcasing books and the people that love them. I’m incredibly honored to bring that magic to these pages. Thank you so very much.
Thank you, also, to the booklovers who shared their homes and their stories with me. I am so very grateful.
To Lydia Gollner and everyone with whom I work at Partners Village Store, my home away from home in Westport, Massachusetts. It’s a joy to go to work every day and I’m thankful to you all!
To my family, who supported QL from the beginning, and now have homes piled with fiction. Mom and Dad, Katherine Reay, Ross Blackburn, Sarah Kay, Rachel Towne, Meg Whalen, and Sally Soter—I love you and thank you for your unwavering support.
Finally, thank you to Gardner, Edie, and Emily, whom I love the most, even more than books.
—Elizabeth Lane
