Tuesday, December 18

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.

11 comments:

amber {daisy chain} said...

that Leroy Grannis book is one of my favorites on the coffee table. I'ts the best to look at on a Sunday morning over coffee, it always leaves me wanting to go the beach.

Anonymous said...

I love books too!! Mine range from cookbooks to fiction, and hopefully will include more architecture books at some point. I've really enjoyed cataloging my books online. You might too:
www.librarything.com

Anonymous said...

Since I live very close to a library, I have been checking things out rather than purchasing lately. But, they don't have the Elliott Smith book in their collection, so I may have to buy that one. If anyone has read it already, I would love to hear what you thought.

Prêt à Voyager said...

I'm the same way! A complete book junkie...Listography is the book I'm giving all my friends this year.

Anne

Anonymous said...

What a fun entry, I too love books beyond common sense. I work in a library and the next book I have to catalog is the Bunker Spreckels one -- how funny.

Giovanna Borgh said...

So many cool stuff here

Katrina said...

fantastic list of books! i just bought the listography book for a friend this weekend, what fun indeed. (and i was just directed to your blog by another friend and i'm already hooked! as a newbie blogger, your blog is complete amazing inspiration! so so good.)

Anonymous said...

Love Listography! My friend Nat did the amazing
illustrations.

I'm sad they're all sold out! Was going to be my holiday gift giving choice.

Joanna Goddard said...

LOVE this! i just did a book round-up too. great picks. thank you!

Amanda Conley said...

I'm with you! I'm definitely a class-A bibliophile! Thanks for making that seem cool...

Whatever Dee-Dee wants said...

I have the Listography book, very fun. I cant wait to check out there website!