Books. The Gifts That Keep On Giving.

You know what I really love at Christmas time? New Books! I love books. It's an illness, an infatuation, really. If I go into a book shop I can't just buy one. Oh no, three's always the average number of choice. And I go into bookshops a lot. So, as you might imagine, I've got quite a little library going on here, thus the idea of buying more books is fairly asinine as I have plenty to read, right here, right now. Tough beans, I'm not quiting my books! I love getting them and I love giving them.

Anyhow, in a season that can be quite the throw-away, gift-wise, I think giving and receiving books is keen. They're one gift that is not disposable and that's a nice thing, and in these days, also an important thing. Give books, people. Give books. Here's some good ones I'm fond of.


Velocity Art & Design has always got some good coffee table books from Taschen: LeRoy Grannis, Surf Photography of the 1960s and 1970s and Bunker Spreckels: Surfing's Divine Prince of Decadence are two of them. I dig old surfing images tossed up with some beachy babe and bachelor sordid tales.


Some fine bits of architecture (that's an understatement!) from Taschen, as well: Some Space Age Lautner and Neutra, the quintessential California Modernist.


Chronicle always has some great gift books. Tartine is the book I'm giving this year. And I love the City Walk series. One never tires of pastries, or a nice walk around Barcelona, does one?


Autumn de Wilde's Elliott Smith looks fascinating; and the Listography Journal just looks like good plain fun. For me, anyhow...it's the OCD, kids. I can't help myself. I'm gonna go write these down.