The holidays have a bit of magic in them, and the books in this list include some of it. We hope you enjoy reading some of these or giving them to others. Happy Holidays!
The holidays have a bit of magic in them, and the books below include some of it. We hope you enjoy reading some of these or giving them to others. Happy holidays!
Manet: Portraying Life by Maryanne Stevens, Stéphane Guégan, Carol M. Armstrong, Leah Lehmbeck, Colin B. Bailey and Lawrence W. Nichols
If you won’t have a chance to view the major exhibition of the work of the French painter Edouard Manet (1832-1883) — now on display at the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio before moving in January to the Royal Academy of Arts in London — then this book is for you. Lavishly illustrated, it features both the artist’s formal portraiture and his scenes of family and friends in the context of everyday life. A must for aficionados and anyone curious about the oeuvre of the “father” of Impressionism and a leading figure in the evolution of modern art.
Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version by Philip Pullman
This new English translation by Pullman, produced in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the first publication of Grimm’s fairy tales, is bound to rekindle our fondness for folktales. The 50 stories in this new edition include well known tales like “Cinderella” and “Little Red Riding Hood” along with lesser known pieces like “The Mouse, the Bird and the Sausage” and “The Golden Bird.” A great choice for readers young or young at heart, this wonderful book shows that romance and villainy continue to cast their spell on modern imagination.
The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book by Wendy Welch
Who hasn’t dreamed of owning a bookstore? The author and her husband did, and one day they decided to act on that dream. They bought an old Victorian house in a coal-mining town in the Appalachians and turned it into a bookstore (and home). This book, a memoir of how two bibliophiles defied the odds — economic and cultural — and created a “watering hole of like-minded souls, [a] gathering spot for the tribe,” is an inspiration.
Coloring for Grown-Ups: The Adult Activity Book by Ryan Hunter and Taige Jensen
This book by the creators behind the YouTube hit “Hipster Olympics” looks like a typical coloring book for children. But its content is a funny, zany and at times sarcastic commentary of modern adulthood. It offers activities, games and puzzles with titles like “Hipster or Homeless?” “Construct Your Online Dating Profile,” “Decoding Secret Messages of Real Estate (hint: “cozy” = “cramped”) and “Procrastination Station.” This book is for the kid inside each of us, the adult we’ve reluctantly become.
Patricia Bochi is a writer, Egyptologist and art historian. She is Features Editor at The Independent.
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