> Zed Book Club / Tomes For the Holidays: Coffee-Table Books For Gift-Giving
George Lazenby as James Bond in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service’, filmed outside the Royal College of Arms with St Paul's Cathedral in the background, November 2, 1969. Photo: Bela Zola/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
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Tomes For the Holidays: Coffee-Table Books For Gift-Giving
Everyone loves a beautiful book, and Zoomer's got 10 of the latest illustrated tomes for lovers of art, travel, fashion and design / BY Kisha Ferguson / December 14th, 2023
Whether you’re giving or receiving, everyone loves a coffee-table book. We’ve assembled the latest for lovers of shoes, art, travel, fashion and design.
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.
1SHOES A-Z If you’ve dreamed of a giant shoe closet in book form, Shoes A-Z won’t disappoint. It includes hundreds of sketches, ephemera and photos of more than 400 pairs – from the practical to the fantastical – which is just a smattering of the permanent collection at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Editor Daphne Guinness, the British socialite-turned-designer, has compiled a collection that illustrates how our relationship to footwear
has evolved.
If you’ve dreamed of a giant shoe closet in book form, Shoes A-Z won’t disappoint. It includes hundreds of sketches, ephemera and photos of more than 400 pairs – from the practical to the fantastical – which is just a smattering of the permanent collection at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Editor Daphne Guinness, the British socialite-turned-designer, has compiled a collection that illustrates how our relationship to footwear
has evolved.
2James Bond DestinationsThe locations in the 007 franchise are as important as any of the characters in the 27 Bond films made over 60 years. The globe-trotting secret agent has evaded enemies in more than 100 places, beginning with Jamaica in 1958’s Dr. No, up to a frozen Norwegian lake in the most recent movie, 2021’s No Time to Die. James Bond Destinations will delight with cinematic photographs of marble palaces in India, mosques in Istanbul and the Grand Canal of Venice.
The locations in the 007 franchise are as important as any of the characters in the 27 Bond films made over 60 years. The globe-trotting secret agent has evaded enemies in more than 100 places, beginning with Jamaica in 1958’s Dr. No, up to a frozen Norwegian lake in the most recent movie, 2021’s No Time to Die. James Bond Destinations will delight with cinematic photographs of marble palaces in India, mosques in Istanbul and the Grand Canal of Venice.
3Muse: Cicely Tyson and MeThis photographic memoir, a mix of studio shots, paparazzi photos and exclusive candids, pays homage to the decades-long personal and professional relationship between the fashion designer and legendary actress and activist. The book – which B Michael began writing in 2020 with Tyson’s blessing – details how they loved to break the rules about what women of a certain age should wear; and the celebrity-filled stories detail their adventurous collaborations from 2005, when they first met, until Tyson’s death in January 2021, at 96.
This photographic memoir, a mix of studio shots, paparazzi photos and exclusive candids, pays homage to the decades-long personal and professional relationship between the fashion designer and legendary actress and activist. The book – which B Michael began writing in 2020 with Tyson’s blessing – details how they loved to break the rules about what women of a certain age should wear; and the celebrity-filled stories detail their adventurous collaborations from 2005, when they first met, until Tyson’s death in January 2021, at 96.
470s House: A Bold Homage to the Most Daring Decade in Design70s House, described as “part living manual, part interiors guide,” is jammed with maximalist inspiration – including a million shades of orange and brown. More than just retro eye candy, it has practical advice on incorporating the aesthetic into your home without turning it into The Brady Bunch set.
70s House, described as “part living manual, part interiors guide,” is jammed with maximalist inspiration – including a million shades of orange and brown. More than just retro eye candy, it has practical advice on incorporating the aesthetic into your home without turning it into The Brady Bunch set.
5Joie: A Parisian’s Guide to Celebrating the Good LifeAjiri Aki, the Nigerian-American expat who founded the French lifestyle brand Madame de la Maison, relishes life as a Parisian, hunting for antiques at local markets, hosting the perfect cocktail hour and walking aimlessly along the Seine at sunset. With effortless chic, she espouses the benefits of la pause déjeuner (the lunch break), explains why showing up on time for a dinner party is just not done and why you should never iron your table linens.
Ajiri Aki, the Nigerian-American expat who founded the French lifestyle brand Madame de la Maison, relishes life as a Parisian, hunting for antiques at local markets, hosting the perfect cocktail hour and walking aimlessly along the Seine at sunset. With effortless chic, she espouses the benefits of la pause déjeuner (the lunch break), explains why showing up on time for a dinner party is just not done and why you should never iron your table linens.
6Winter Celebrations: A Modern Guide to a Handmade Christmas The Canadian multidisciplinary artist presents the ultimate guide to holiday crafting with 26 family-friendly projects, including decorative garlands and block-printed Christmas cards. She encourages sustainability, urging makers to use household objects or natural materials like twigs and pine cones. While some projects come with a pattern, the artist hopes readers will be inspired to create their own designs. Khounnoraj’s favourites are the star ornaments made of tissue paper and hand-painted, reusable wrapping cloth.
The Canadian multidisciplinary artist presents the ultimate guide to holiday crafting with 26 family-friendly projects, including decorative garlands and block-printed Christmas cards. She encourages sustainability, urging makers to use household objects or natural materials like twigs and pine cones. While some projects come with a pattern, the artist hopes readers will be inspired to create their own designs. Khounnoraj’s favourites are the star ornaments made of tissue paper and hand-painted, reusable wrapping cloth.
7Tom Thomson: North StarCurated by the McMichael Gallery’s chief curator and chief executive, this is the first book to focus on Tom Thomson’s small-scale, en plein air pieces. Canada’s best-known modern painter – whose 1917 death sparked the formation of the Group of Seven – is credited with changing the face of Canadian art, thanks to his avant-garde experimentation and unique interpretation of Ontario’s landscape. More than 150 reproductions of Thomson’s work are accompanied by interpretations of the painter’s legacy from artists, experts and historians.
Curated by the McMichael Gallery’s chief curator and chief executive, this is the first book to focus on Tom Thomson’s small-scale, en plein air pieces. Canada’s best-known modern painter – whose 1917 death sparked the formation of the Group of Seven – is credited with changing the face of Canadian art, thanks to his avant-garde experimentation and unique interpretation of Ontario’s landscape. More than 150 reproductions of Thomson’s work are accompanied by interpretations of the painter’s legacy from artists, experts and historians.
8Behind the Blue Door: A Maximalist MantraThe beauty-industry entrepreneur’s six-storey townhouse in Manhattan’s upper east side epitomizes his more-is-more aesthetic. The book is a visual tour of the former president of
Estée Lauder’s house, from the entryway behind the blue door to the roof. Demsey’s love of bold colours and penchant for beautiful things is reflected on every wall and surface, from his collection of unique objets d’art to photos of famous celebs like Grace Jones and Marilyn Monroe.
The beauty-industry entrepreneur’s six-storey townhouse in Manhattan’s upper east side epitomizes his more-is-more aesthetic. The book is a visual tour of the former president of
Estée Lauder’s house, from the entryway behind the blue door to the roof. Demsey’s love of bold colours and penchant for beautiful things is reflected on every wall and surface, from his collection of unique objets d’art to photos of famous celebs like Grace Jones and Marilyn Monroe.
9Cecil Beaton: The Royal Portraits No other photographer has captured the British monarchy like Cecil Beaton, whom the Queen Mother once credited with making the Royal Family into “real people.” This book draws from the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection of images taken of the House of Windsor between 1930 and 1970, but also contains contact sheets, test shots, sketches and accounts from the diary of Beaton, who died in 1980.
No other photographer has captured the British monarchy like Cecil Beaton, whom the Queen Mother once credited with making the Royal Family into “real people.” This book draws from the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection of images taken of the House of Windsor between 1930 and 1970, but also contains contact sheets, test shots, sketches and accounts from the diary of Beaton, who died in 1980.
10Hotel Kitsch: A Pretty Cool Tour of America’s Fantasy Getaways While some consider kitsch in poor taste, that’s exactly why people are flocking to the properties profiled in this book by a married American couple with the popular Instagram account A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour. They feature 60 over-the-top accommodations in the U.S., Mexico, Spain and the U.K., like Key Largo’s Undersea Lodge in Florida, where you need scuba gear to reach the suite and slumber in a clamshell-shaped bed that closes as you sleep.
While some consider kitsch in poor taste, that’s exactly why people are flocking to the properties profiled in this book by a married American couple with the popular Instagram account A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour. They feature 60 over-the-top accommodations in the U.S., Mexico, Spain and the U.K., like Key Largo’s Undersea Lodge in Florida, where you need scuba gear to reach the suite and slumber in a clamshell-shaped bed that closes as you sleep.