If I could pick any type of book to only buy for the rest of my life I honestly think it would be coffee table books. Since I was little i’ve always been obsessed with them and collecting ones about my favourite things.
Sometimes they are so beautiful I wish I could frame them on my walls. As a design lover, an art girl and an avid reader, something about coffee table books combining all three things together just makes me so happy.
I get so excited to see all the new ones that will be coming out soon for Christmas but until then, I wanted to share with you some of my all time favourites.
“Meet the everyday residents of New York. From acclaimed street photographer Brandon Stanton, Humans of New York is a celebration of individuality and a tribute to the spirit of New York City, filled with photographs of its residents and stories from their lives.
The Humans of New York project began when photographer Brandon Stanton set out on an ambitious task: to single-handedly create a photographic census of New York City. Armed with his camera, he began crisscrossing the city, capturing ordinary New Yorkers in the most extraordinary of moments. The result of these efforts was a vibrant, life-affirming blog featuring his photos alongside quotes from his subjects, and which has gathered millions of devoted followers.
Humans of New York expands on Stanton's project with exclusive portraits, over 400 colour photos, and a distinctive vellum jacket. A stunning addition to your coffee table, it is full of honest, heartwarming and fundamentally human stories of love, loss, success and failure.”
“Over the course of her popular podcast’s fifteen-year reign, Debbie Millman has interviewed more than 400 creative minds. In those conversations, she has not only explored what it means to design a creative life, but has, as Millman’s wife, Roxane Gay, assesses in her foreword, “created a gloriously interesting and ongoing conversation about what it means to live well, overcome trauma, face rejection, learn to love and be loved, and thrive both personally and professional.”
In this illustrated, curated anthology, Millman includes approximately 80 of her best interviews with visionaries from across diverse fields. Grouped by category—Legends, Truth Tellers, Culture Makers, Trendsetters, and Visionaries—these eye-opening, entertaining, and enlightening conversations—offer insights into new ways of being and living. “
“The Penguin Classics Book is a reader's companion to the largest library of classic literature in the world.
Spanning 4,000 years from the legends of Ancient Mesopotamia to the poetry of the First World War, with Greek tragedies, Icelandic sagas, Japanese epics and much more in between, it encompasses 500 authors and 1,200 books, bringing these to life with lively descriptions, literary connections and beautiful cover designs.”
“Letters of Note, the book based on the beloved website of the same name, became an instant classic on publication in 2013, selling hundreds of thousands of copies. This new edition sees the collection of the world's most entertaining, inspiring and unusual letters updated with fourteen riveting new missives and a new introduction from curator Shaun Usher.
From Virginia Woolf's heart-breaking letter to Queen Elizabeth II's recipe for drop scones sent to President Eisenhower; from the first recorded use of the expression 'OMG' in a letter to Winston Churchill, to Gandhi's appeal for calm to Hitler; and from Iggy Pop's beautiful letter of advice to a troubled young fan, to Leonardo da Vinci's remarkable job application letter, Letters of Note is a celebration of the power of written correspondence which captures the humour, seriousness, sadness and brilliance that make up all of our lives.”
“Explore the captivating world of 1970s California skateboarding through Hugh Holland's lens in Last Days of Summer. This complete archive, enriched with many never-before-seen images, an introduction by acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey, and extensive interviews, unveils the evolution of a legendary subculture and the photographer who documented it all.
From 1975 to 1978, Hugh Holland immortalized the burgeoning subculture of skateboarding in California, photographing young sidewalk surfers on the streets of Los Angeles, parts of the San Fernando Valley, Venice Beach, and as far away as San Francisco and Baja California. In four short years, he documented the rise of the sport before it became officially sanctioned and permanently changed by commercialization, brand sponsorships, and safety precautions like helmets and knee pads. In hindsight, this time period held a wild and free innocence that Holland captured beautifully.”