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Good Tidings: 13 Coffee Table Books for Gift Giving
These gorgeous tomes will look good in any living room, but their stunning visuals and intriguing texts will please everyone on your list / BY Nathalie Atkinson / December 9th, 2022
We’d be thrilled to unwrap any of these deluxe coffee-table tomes this season.
Obsessive Book Buyers: Zoomer editors have carefully curated our book coverage to ensure you find the perfect read. We may earn a commission on books you buy by clicking on the cover image.
1The Philosophy of Modern Song“Like any other piece of art, songs are not seeking to be understood,” Bob Dylan, 81, writes in The Philosophy of Modern Song ($55), his first new book of writing since he published his impressionistic reminiscences in 2004’s Chronicles: Volume One and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. The voice of a generation offers incisive and witty personal reflections on ideas contained in songs by artists like The Who, the Eagles, Bing Crosby, Hank Williams, Perry Como and Nina Simone. Each of the 66 chapters hinges on a particular recording of a song (only four from female artists) and mirror Dylan’s eclectic taste as he explores the art and craft of songwriting through freeform riffs, thematic analysis and digressions about performance and the nature of authorship. A third of the print edition is made up of musician photographs, while the audiobook essays are narrated by Dylan and an all-star cast that includes Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Jeff Bridges and Alfre Woodard. Be sure to ask Santa for
both editions.
“Like any other piece of art, songs are not seeking to be understood,” Bob Dylan, 81, writes in The Philosophy of Modern Song ($55), his first new book of writing since he published his impressionistic reminiscences in 2004’s Chronicles: Volume One and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. The voice of a generation offers incisive and witty personal reflections on ideas contained in songs by artists like The Who, the Eagles, Bing Crosby, Hank Williams, Perry Como and Nina Simone. Each of the 66 chapters hinges on a particular recording of a song (only four from female artists) and mirror Dylan’s eclectic taste as he explores the art and craft of songwriting through freeform riffs, thematic analysis and digressions about performance and the nature of authorship. A third of the print edition is made up of musician photographs, while the audiobook essays are narrated by Dylan and an all-star cast that includes Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Jeff Bridges and Alfre Woodard. Be sure to ask Santa for
both editions.
2Pattie Boyd: My Life in PicturesEnglish model and photographer icon Pattie Boyd, 78, embodied the spirit of Swinging London, and was the muse for some of the greatest musicians of her generation — including her adulterous first husband, Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Later, she married Harrison’s best friend, Eric Clapton, and inspired both “Wonderful Tonight” and the unrequited love song “Layla,” one of the legendary classic rocker’s biggest hits. In Pattie Boyd: My Life in Pictures ($64.95), she shares her personal visual archive for the first time; from honeymoon snaps to letters and diary entries, it’s a sumptuous record of ’60s and ’70s counterculture, where she opens up about her memories of lovers and friends like Twiggy, Billy Preston and David Bailey.
English model and photographer icon Pattie Boyd, 78, embodied the spirit of Swinging London, and was the muse for some of the greatest musicians of her generation — including her adulterous first husband, Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Later, she married Harrison’s best friend, Eric Clapton, and inspired both “Wonderful Tonight” and the unrequited love song “Layla,” one of the legendary classic rocker’s biggest hits. In Pattie Boyd: My Life in Pictures ($64.95), she shares her personal visual archive for the first time; from honeymoon snaps to letters and diary entries, it’s a sumptuous record of ’60s and ’70s counterculture, where she opens up about her memories of lovers and friends like Twiggy, Billy Preston and David Bailey.
3 Echoes of the Supernatural A carver of masks and totem poles, as well as a performer and teacher of traditional songs and dances, Robert Davidson is a prominent figure in the renaissance of Haida art and culture, and one of the most acclaimed and influential artists in Canada. Echoes of the Supernatural ($60) celebrates this driving force in the resurgence of Haida culture in the aftermath of colonization. Written with Gary Wyatt, a leading dealer in First Nations art, this is the first comprehensive retrospective of Davidson’s half-century career and multidisciplinary practice, which addresses urgent contemporary political and social issues.
A carver of masks and totem poles, as well as a performer and teacher of traditional songs and dances, Robert Davidson is a prominent figure in the renaissance of Haida art and culture, and one of the most acclaimed and influential artists in Canada. Echoes of the Supernatural ($60) celebrates this driving force in the resurgence of Haida culture in the aftermath of colonization. Written with Gary Wyatt, a leading dealer in First Nations art, this is the first comprehensive retrospective of Davidson’s half-century career and multidisciplinary practice, which addresses urgent contemporary political and social issues.
4 Karl Lagerfeld Unseen: The Chanel YearsBritish fashion photographer and industry insider Robert Fairer has given the “unseen” treatment to designers Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and John Galliano over the years. InKarl Lagerfeld Unseen: The Chanel Years($107), his lens reveals the inner workings of one of the most influential designers of the modern era, who died in 2019 after 36 years as the head of Chanel and 54 years at Fendi. Behind-the-scenes photographs chosen from tens of thousands of images from the mid-1990s to 2006 immortalize not only Lagerfeld’s voracious curiosity and vast range, but also the supermodel and celebrity-fuelled golden era of fashion. Consider it your cheat sheet for next year’s Met Gala theme, “Paradise Now: The Extraordinary Life of Karl Lagerfeld.”
British fashion photographer and industry insider Robert Fairer has given the “unseen” treatment to designers Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and John Galliano over the years. InKarl Lagerfeld Unseen: The Chanel Years($107), his lens reveals the inner workings of one of the most influential designers of the modern era, who died in 2019 after 36 years as the head of Chanel and 54 years at Fendi. Behind-the-scenes photographs chosen from tens of thousands of images from the mid-1990s to 2006 immortalize not only Lagerfeld’s voracious curiosity and vast range, but also the supermodel and celebrity-fuelled golden era of fashion. Consider it your cheat sheet for next year’s Met Gala theme, “Paradise Now: The Extraordinary Life of Karl Lagerfeld.”
5The Writers: PortraitsDust-jacket author photos tend to drain their subjects of personality, but acclaimed Dallas-based photographer Laura Wilson immerses herself in a writer’s setting to restore their character for clients like the New Yorker and Vanity Fair. The 38 dynamic portraits featured in The Writers ($58.50) take a cue from LIFE magazine’s signature photo essays, and reveal noted authors like Zadie Smith and Edwidge Danticat at their most relaxed, Richard Ford kayaking in Maine, Michael Ondaatje hiking in the Petaluma woods in California and Margaret Atwood doing yard work around her Toronto home.
Dust-jacket author photos tend to drain their subjects of personality, but acclaimed Dallas-based photographer Laura Wilson immerses herself in a writer’s setting to restore their character for clients like the New Yorker and Vanity Fair. The 38 dynamic portraits featured in The Writers ($58.50) take a cue from LIFE magazine’s signature photo essays, and reveal noted authors like Zadie Smith and Edwidge Danticat at their most relaxed, Richard Ford kayaking in Maine, Michael Ondaatje hiking in the Petaluma woods in California and Margaret Atwood doing yard work around her Toronto home.
6Bob Willoughby: A Cinematic LifeWidely credited with inventing the photojournalistic genre of film stills, American photographer Bob Willoughby’s on-set images document the making of more than a hundred epochal movies, from Ocean’s Eleven and The Graduate to Rosemary’s Baby and Klute. The 200 black-and-white candid shots in Bob Willoughby: A Cinematic Life ($88) artfully chronicle off-duty Hollywood: a doe-eyed Audrey Hepburn, a lifelong friend, and informal yet glamorous shots of stars James Dean, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, many of them accompanied by Willoughby’s personal anecdotes.
Widely credited with inventing the photojournalistic genre of film stills, American photographer Bob Willoughby’s on-set images document the making of more than a hundred epochal movies, from Ocean’s Eleven and The Graduate to Rosemary’s Baby and Klute. The 200 black-and-white candid shots in Bob Willoughby: A Cinematic Life ($88) artfully chronicle off-duty Hollywood: a doe-eyed Audrey Hepburn, a lifelong friend, and informal yet glamorous shots of stars James Dean, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, many of them accompanied by Willoughby’s personal anecdotes.
7Amy Sherald: The World We MakeThe long-awaited monograph from African American artist Amy Sherald – best known for her official 2018 portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama for the National Portrait Gallery – explores how her work addresses issues of race and injustice in America. In Amy Sherald: The World We Make($76), she paints skin tones in grey scale as a way of challenging the concept, assumptions and constructs of identity, and the book includes a salient conversation between the artist and award-winning cultural critic Ta-Nehisi Coates.
The long-awaited monograph from African American artist Amy Sherald – best known for her official 2018 portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama for the National Portrait Gallery – explores how her work addresses issues of race and injustice in America. In Amy Sherald: The World We Make($76), she paints skin tones in grey scale as a way of challenging the concept, assumptions and constructs of identity, and the book includes a salient conversation between the artist and award-winning cultural critic Ta-Nehisi Coates.
8 Apollo RemasteredNASA’s latest James Webb Space Telescope delivers the deepest and sharpest infrared images of the distant universe to date. Thanks to the Apollo Remastered($95) project, we can now look back on the space race with newfound awe. Science writer Andy Saunders, an acknowledged expert on NASA digital restoration, spent years digitally remastering all 35,000 still photographs taken during the Apollo missions. His curation is the definitive record to mark the 50th anniversary of humankind’s last steps on the moon – all so stunningly crystal clear, it’s as if they were taken yesterday.
NASA’s latest James Webb Space Telescope delivers the deepest and sharpest infrared images of the distant universe to date. Thanks to the Apollo Remastered($95) project, we can now look back on the space race with newfound awe. Science writer Andy Saunders, an acknowledged expert on NASA digital restoration, spent years digitally remastering all 35,000 still photographs taken during the Apollo missions. His curation is the definitive record to mark the 50th anniversary of humankind’s last steps on the moon – all so stunningly crystal clear, it’s as if they were taken yesterday.
9Cocktails, A Still Life“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful,” designer William Morris said. Cocktails, A Still Life ($30) is both. Authors James Waller and Canadian drinks expert and historian Christine Sismondo combine recipes with the engrossing lore behind 60 cocktails, each illustrated by Todd M. Casey with evocative oil paintings.
“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful,” designer William Morris said. Cocktails, A Still Life ($30) is both. Authors James Waller and Canadian drinks expert and historian Christine Sismondo combine recipes with the engrossing lore behind 60 cocktails, each illustrated by Todd M. Casey with evocative oil paintings.
10Saved: My Picture World It’s not The Godfather, The First Wives Club or even Annie Hall that have made actress Diane Keaton the celebrity queen of a new social media generation. The 76-year-old icon has recently been the inspiration for TikTok’s viral coastal grandmother, based on her character in Nancy Meyer’s Something’s Gotta Give. Beyond her idiosyncratic taste in interiors and hats shared in video posts, Keaton’s magpie tendencies are on full display in Saved: My Picture World ($75), her follow-up design book to 2017’s The House that Pinterest Built. Told through collages, collected graphics and a lifetime of her own photographs — ranging from the passersby on Hollywood Boulevard to the pigeons in London’s Trafalgar Square (a regular haunt while filming Warren Beatty’s Reds) – it’s a visual autobiography as quirky as its author.
It’s not The Godfather, The First Wives Club or even Annie Hall that have made actress Diane Keaton the celebrity queen of a new social media generation. The 76-year-old icon has recently been the inspiration for TikTok’s viral coastal grandmother, based on her character in Nancy Meyer’s Something’s Gotta Give. Beyond her idiosyncratic taste in interiors and hats shared in video posts, Keaton’s magpie tendencies are on full display in Saved: My Picture World ($75), her follow-up design book to 2017’s The House that Pinterest Built. Told through collages, collected graphics and a lifetime of her own photographs — ranging from the passersby on Hollywood Boulevard to the pigeons in London’s Trafalgar Square (a regular haunt while filming Warren Beatty’s Reds) – it’s a visual autobiography as quirky as its author.
11Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971The elaborate tome Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 ($75) commemorates the landmark exhibition at the newly opened Academy of Motion Pictures Museum in Los Angeles. An exploration of seven decades of Black participation in the history of cinema, it’s both an education and a correction, and includes interviews with contemporary Black filmmakers such as Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins and Julie Dash, who give contemporary context to the filmography and chronology. It’s an essential resource that restores the legacy of pioneering Black filmmakers and performers during the Jim Crow era and after, with a foreword by Academy Award-winner Whoopi Goldberg.
The elaborate tome Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 ($75) commemorates the landmark exhibition at the newly opened Academy of Motion Pictures Museum in Los Angeles. An exploration of seven decades of Black participation in the history of cinema, it’s both an education and a correction, and includes interviews with contemporary Black filmmakers such as Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins and Julie Dash, who give contemporary context to the filmography and chronology. It’s an essential resource that restores the legacy of pioneering Black filmmakers and performers during the Jim Crow era and after, with a foreword by Academy Award-winner Whoopi Goldberg.
12 Love Brings Love: A Homage to Alber Elbaz During his stint as the creative director who rejuvenated storied French fashion house Lanvin, and later, with his namesake collection, Alber Elbaz was a red carpet favourite of Meryl Streep, Sarah Jessica Parker and Beyoncé. A lively runway tribute by dozens of international luminaries like Rick Owens, Valentino and Jean Paul Gaultier made for a unique memorial celebration of the Moroccan-born Israeli fashion designer, who died of COVID-19 last year at 59. Love Brings Love: A Homage to Alber Elbaz ($85) translates that heartfelt experience to the page with sketches that commemorate the universally beloved designer’s life and work, while also showcasing his musings and creativity.
During his stint as the creative director who rejuvenated storied French fashion house Lanvin, and later, with his namesake collection, Alber Elbaz was a red carpet favourite of Meryl Streep, Sarah Jessica Parker and Beyoncé. A lively runway tribute by dozens of international luminaries like Rick Owens, Valentino and Jean Paul Gaultier made for a unique memorial celebration of the Moroccan-born Israeli fashion designer, who died of COVID-19 last year at 59. Love Brings Love: A Homage to Alber Elbaz ($85) translates that heartfelt experience to the page with sketches that commemorate the universally beloved designer’s life and work, while also showcasing his musings and creativity.
13 The Complete Language of FoodS. Theresa Dietz, who has previously written comprehensively about flowers, brings her powers of observation to what we eat with The Complete Language of Food ($32.99). Organized alphabetically by scientific name, the handsome reference book includes fruit, vegetables, herbs and even medicinal plants. It’s an encyclopedic guide to the facts and folklore behind common foods — even their spiritual properties and symbolic meanings — and a thoughtful and mouth-watering exploration of the edible world.
S. Theresa Dietz, who has previously written comprehensively about flowers, brings her powers of observation to what we eat with The Complete Language of Food ($32.99). Organized alphabetically by scientific name, the handsome reference book includes fruit, vegetables, herbs and even medicinal plants. It’s an encyclopedic guide to the facts and folklore behind common foods — even their spiritual properties and symbolic meanings — and a thoughtful and mouth-watering exploration of the edible world.