Picador 40th Anniversary Editions

I often use the camera on my phone as a little notebook. I see something in a shop window and take a quick photo and carry on with my day. If you searched through the photos on my phone you'd basically find cocktails, cats and pictures of shoes through windows.

Amongst all the usual snaps, there was a photo of the new designs for Picador's 40th birthday, which I spotted in Amsterdam and had totally forgotten taking until this afternoon.

They've redesigned 12 of their classic books for their birthday, all in black and white, with a touch of navy here and there.

I love the covers, and I love a lot of the books they've chosen to reissue.

I also like that they're paperbacks. So many birthday redesigns are fancy hardbacks and I never buy them - I can't carry a hardback in my bag with all of my stuff.

It was actually Picador's birthday earlier this month, so this range is in the shops now. They're certainly eye-catching enough to start conversations on the train (I'm always happy to have book conversations on the train, FYI).

Since it's Yorkshire week, I had a bit of a search for some independent bookshops in the north east. The Castle Bookshop looks like a very happy shop and Guisborough is a very special place indeed. It's the biggest bookshop in the north east, and they'll source any out of print copy you ask for - that's some dedicated service. If you're after something a little more arty, head to the bookshop in Salts Mill for graphic novels and huge tomes that you'll want to show off on your coffee table.