Art, architecture, music or travel: Coffee table books can fill just the right gift niche, especially when the cost would be budget-busting if you bought one for yourself.
Offerings abound at holiday time.
Architectural Digest: AD at 100, a Century of Style, by Architectural Digest. In her foreword, Anna Wintour calls the book “quite the house tour.” It’s a centenary celebration of homes past and present. Marlene Dietrich lounges in Beverly Hills, circa the 1930s. Kylie Jenner stands atop a suede pouf next to a white grand piano at home in Los Angeles. The studios of famous artists and the homes of legendary architects are included. $100.
Cabin Porn: Inside, by Zach Klein. More than a decade ago, Klein – co-founder and designer of Vimeo – began collecting tales of cabin life on a blog as he and his family set up camp in upstate New York. After publishing Cabin Porn, about his unplugged return to nature, he’s back with a second volume filled with the interiors and small details of how lay builders went about making their dwellings all over the world. $32.
My Name is Prince, by Randee St. Nicholas, Amistad. A retrospective of the photographer’s 25 years working for Prince. Over 384 pages, St. Nichols sheds light on some of their most intriguing shoots. In the mid-1990s, she ran across the charred remains of an elegant building in Hollywood, hired a shiny grand piano and shot Prince bathed in red light amid the ruins. $90.
Guitar: The World’s Most Seductive Instrument, by David Schiller. Brief profiles of 24 guitar gods along with the instruments themselves, with detailed descriptions of why each is important. Accompanied by a researcher, Schiller traveled far and wide to study and photograph hundreds of guitars. This is a gift for the hardcore. $35.
Game of Thrones: The Costumes, costumes by Michele Clapton, written by Gina McIntyre. The costumes of the HBO series were integral in bringing George R.R. Martin’s world alive. Best jewelry? The dragon necklace of Daenerys. Best wedding gown? Sansa had two, one in gold with the Lannister lion embroidered at the back of the neck and another in spectral white with a fur collar and fish clasps influenced by her mother. $75.
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: A Visual History, by Fred Rogers Productions, Tim Lybarger, Melissa Wagner and Jenna McGuigan. With a new feature film starring Tom Hanks, the beloved children’s television host and his show remain hot commodities. The book offers a guide to characters, puppets and episodes. $35.
Worn on this Day: The Clothes that Made History, by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell. Space suits, Olympic uniforms, armor: Centuries of garments are revealed. The book time hops in a calendar format. On Oct. 13, 1970, Angela Davis was captured at a motel, almost unrecognizable with her “Black Power” afro straightened and pulled under a short wig. Starting Sept. 1, 1941, Jews in Germany were required to wear a yellow Star of David sewn to their clothes. $28.
Ballerina Project, photographs by Dane Shitagi. Shitagi has parlayed the popularity of his Instagram feed @ballerinaproject – into a book in more than 170 shots of accomplished dancers around the globe over 18 years. Katie Boren stands en pointe on a Wolford factory floor in Austria and Mikaela Kelly is draped over a fire hydrant in Bushwick, Brooklyn. $40.
Ansel Adams’ Yosemite, by Ansel Adams.The book includes images from Yosemite National Park selected by Adams before his death in 1984 and meticulously reproduced by his publisher of more than 40 years. Adams, an environmental activist, wanted to encourage park visitors to be the same when he selected eight photographs in the 1950s to offer exclusively as affordable souvenirs at Yosemite. He added to the eight over the years. $40.
1,000 Place to See Before You Die, by Patricia Schultz, Artisan Books. The veteran travel journalist has reimagined her 2003 bucket list bestseller into a showcase with more than 1,000 lush photos. Locations are the same, from Palau to Porto. $50.