Since the Holidays are right around the corner (how is today the last day of November?), I decided that this month's Variations on a Theme will be all about great gift books. These are books that are either pretty to look at, fantastic reads, or collectibles. Mainly, however, they're pretty to look at.
America Again: Re-Becoming The Greatness We Never Weren't
Stephen Colbert
Book store nation, in the history of mankind there has never been a greater country than America. You could say we're the #1 nation at being the best at greatness. But as perfect as America is in every single way, America is broken! And we can't exchange it because we're 236 years past the 30-day return window. Look around—we don't make anything anymore, we've mortgaged our future to China, and the Apologist-in-Chief goes on world tours just to bow before foreign leaders. Worse, the L.A. Four Seasons Hotel doesn't even have a dedicated phone button for the Spa. You have to dial an extension! Where did we lose our way?! It's high time we restored America to the greatness it never lost! Luckily, AMERICA AGAIN will singlebookedly pull this country back from the brink. It features everything from chapters, to page numbers, to fonts. Covering subject's ranging from healthcare ("I shudder to think where we'd be without the wide variety of prescription drugs to treat our maladies, such as think-shuddering") to the economy ("Life is giving us lemons, and we're shipping them to the Chinese to make our lemon-flavored leadonade") to food ("Feel free to deep fry this book-it's a rich source of fiber"), Stephen gives America the dose of truth it needs to get back on track.
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Deb Perlmen
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook is all about approachable, uncompromised home cooking. Here you’ll find better uses for your favorite vegetables: asparagus blanketing a pizza; ratatouille dressing up a sandwich; cauliflower masquerading as pesto. These are recipes you’ll bookmark and use so often they become your own, recipes you’ll slip to a friend who wants to impress her new in-laws, and recipes with simple ingredients that yield amazing results in a minimum amount of time. Deb tells you her favorite summer cocktail; how to lose your fear of cooking for a crowd; and the essential items you need for your own kitchen. From salads and slaws that make perfect side dishes (or a full meal) to savory tarts and galettes; from Mushroom Bourguignon to Chocolate Hazelnut Crepe Cake, Deb knows just the thing for a Tuesday night, or your most special occasion.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Brian Selznik
Orphan, Clock Keeper, and Thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your Home Some Love
Sherry and John Petersik
Stephen Colbert
Book store nation, in the history of mankind there has never been a greater country than America. You could say we're the #1 nation at being the best at greatness. But as perfect as America is in every single way, America is broken! And we can't exchange it because we're 236 years past the 30-day return window. Look around—we don't make anything anymore, we've mortgaged our future to China, and the Apologist-in-Chief goes on world tours just to bow before foreign leaders. Worse, the L.A. Four Seasons Hotel doesn't even have a dedicated phone button for the Spa. You have to dial an extension! Where did we lose our way?! It's high time we restored America to the greatness it never lost! Luckily, AMERICA AGAIN will singlebookedly pull this country back from the brink. It features everything from chapters, to page numbers, to fonts. Covering subject's ranging from healthcare ("I shudder to think where we'd be without the wide variety of prescription drugs to treat our maladies, such as think-shuddering") to the economy ("Life is giving us lemons, and we're shipping them to the Chinese to make our lemon-flavored leadonade") to food ("Feel free to deep fry this book-it's a rich source of fiber"), Stephen gives America the dose of truth it needs to get back on track.
Deb Perlmen
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook is all about approachable, uncompromised home cooking. Here you’ll find better uses for your favorite vegetables: asparagus blanketing a pizza; ratatouille dressing up a sandwich; cauliflower masquerading as pesto. These are recipes you’ll bookmark and use so often they become your own, recipes you’ll slip to a friend who wants to impress her new in-laws, and recipes with simple ingredients that yield amazing results in a minimum amount of time. Deb tells you her favorite summer cocktail; how to lose your fear of cooking for a crowd; and the essential items you need for your own kitchen. From salads and slaws that make perfect side dishes (or a full meal) to savory tarts and galettes; from Mushroom Bourguignon to Chocolate Hazelnut Crepe Cake, Deb knows just the thing for a Tuesday night, or your most special occasion.
Brian Selznik
Orphan, Clock Keeper, and Thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
Sherry and John Petersik
This debut book by bloggers Sherry
and John Petersik is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple,
budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up a home. With two home renovations
under their (tool) belts, 5 million blog hits per month, and an
ever-growing audience since the launch of Young House Love in
2007, Sherry and John are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on
a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all
levels. Whether an experienced decorator or a total novice, on a tight
budget or with money to spend, any homeowner or apartment dweller will
find ideas for his or her own home makeovers here. Learn to trick out a
thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea
table to create three distinct looks, and so much more. Packed with 243 tips and
ideas—both classic and unexpected—every project pictured was exclusively
executed for the book. With more than 400 photographs and
illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and
again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the
relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Adding a little wow factor
to your home has never been more fun!
Annie Giffiths
Life in Color is arranged by color in a rainbow of beauty. Each
chapter, devoted to a color, begins with a short, inspiring essay that
explores the qualities, meaning, and symbolism of that color, written in
the same warm and lovely voice that guided the reader through Visions of Earth.
Color chapters include photographs that are predominantly blue, orange,
green, yellow, purple and red. Smaller sections present images in
silver, brown, black, gold, white, and "unseen color"—not seen with the
naked eye, such as laser, the universe, and microscopic images.
Throughout, interesting quotes and surprising short insights in the
captions give the reader an entirely new look at the color in the world
around us. Chock full of beautiful, amazing, fun images, this
eye-pleasing volume is sure to appeal to a wide variety of people, most
especially to women.
Alice Feiring and Samantha Nestor
America’s love of wine has spurred a collecting and entertaining phenomenon. Some of America’s most passionate oenophiles have re-invented the wine cellar as an inviting and beautiful part of the home. True collectors love to share
their passion, and this book offers a tour of their distinctive cellars.
Created with the help of some of the best designers in the field, these
rooms blend luxurious design aesthetics with ingenious storage
solutions. The thirty stunning spaces featured include a traditional
wood cellar finished with rich paneling and ornate lighting; a
cathedral-like space that showcases ironwork inspired by the French
Quarter of New Orleans (and has a secret entry from a library inside the
house); an inviting living room lined with temperature-controlled wood
alcoves behind insulated glass; and an Old World terra-cotta
cellar–within a sprawling entertainment center that includes a wet bar, a
billiards table, and a tasting room. Living with Wine reveals
the details that make the cellars a welcoming place to return–from the
materials, artwork, lighting, and cutting-edge preservation technology
to the way the space harmonizes with the rest of the house. From the Bay
Area to Boston, Napa to New York, homeowners such as Nancy and John
Lasseter, the founder of Pixar Studios; American Idol host and TV
and radio personality Ryan Seacrest; and entrepreneur Rick Ryan share
insights into what they collect, why they started collecting, and how
they designed their spaces to fit their passion.
Other Great Gift Books
Alexander McQueen: Evolution - Katherine Gleason
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes - Bill Watterson
Design*Sponge at Home - Grace Bonney
A Game of Thrones 4-Book Boxed Set (A Song of Ice and Fire Series) - George R.R. Martin
How to Be a Woman - Caitlin Moran
Let's Pretend this Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) - Jenny Lawson
Modernist Cuisine at Home - Nathan Myhrvold and Maxime Bilet
National Geographic: The Photographs - Leah Bendavid-Val
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Provence: Lasting Impressions - Joel Meyerowitz and Maggie Barrett
Smithsonian Fashion - Dorling Kindersley Publishing Staff
Smithsonian Universe - Carole Stott
Waves - Steve Hawk
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