Rookcase: Recycled Books Transformed Into iPad & Kindle Cases

Photos: Rookcase

If you're an avid Kindle, iPad or Nook user but still love the feel of a real book, you may still be able to have your literary cake and eat it too. Merging a love of the old with the new-fangled -- and topped with a paradoxical element of surprise! -- the Rookcase is a protective case for those high-tech e-reader gadgets that is actually handcrafted from recycled books.

Created by Atlanta-based Etsy artisan Heather Schnelle, the Rookcase lets your e-reader go incognito with a "book style" case. There's a variety of cases offered: some are from actual old books, while others are new and modern. For these sleeker contemporary models, there's the possibility of selecting one of four outer cover colours and one of 14 interior cover colours available.

For the repurposed book covers, each case is unique, depending on which recycled book you prefer. Some are classic covers like this older edition of The Hobbit, while others are a little more eclectic (a 'wanted' poster of Harry Potter, anyone)?

The cases also come with a cushioned, custom one piece birch tray, and there's an elastic book strap, if heaven forbid, your e-reader should fall out. You can even add extras like a routered notch that will allow you to add a M-Edge reading light.

Of course, there's also the option of custom-made cases where you can choose your favourite title. So while it's difficult to say whether e-readers are greener in the long run (it depends on your reading habits), if you've already got one and would like to protect it with a handmade conversation-starter, check out the other Rookcases on Etsy.

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