Holiday Selections 2020
Our curated recommendations
for everyone on your list!
Hear more about these recommendations on the Just the Right Book Podcast Holiday Gift Guide episode! Click here to listen.
Purchase here on our website or by phone at (203) 245-3959. For further assistance, email us, we love to hear from our fellow book lovers!
HOLIDAY SELECTIONS
The Truth about Baked Beans: An Edible History of New England (Washington Mews Books #6) (Hardcover)
A fascinating exploration of New England's culinary myths (and truths!) and how the lore behind them grew. All the iconic foods of the region — lobster, maple syrup, browned breads, and more — are given historical context with intriguing details and anecdotes. The included historic and modern recipes make this an even more alluring book to read or gift!
— Kelly
Now that we have spent so much time at home, the need and urgency to refine/redo/reimagine is front and center. There is no better way to begin than turning these delicious pages for one idea after another — all practical yet inspiring. I am already rearranging!
— Roxanne
A little jewel box of a book. A sort of a memoir told through the plants and animals that surround the author’s life. The Catalpa Tree shades a young brown girl and her sister from the Kansas sun. She imagines herself a narwhal, brave and unique. Gorgeous illustrations accompany these essays. For fans of H Is for Hawk, poetry, memoir, or nature writing
— Andrew
Storey Publishing has been producing "how to" books for a long time and this is the culmination of that journey. Presenting over 200 skills you can actually learn: quick strawberry jam, carve a wooden spoon, darn socks, build a raised garden bed, navigate by the stars, fix a toilet, you name it! Been home a lot lately? This will help. Amazingly priced, fun, and practical for all ages.
— Andrew
Without question, the finest single volume book on American golf produced today. Now in its newest edition, this impressive tome highlights the best hidden gems, Golden Age masterpieces, and modern marvel courses our country has to offer. With text from the best designers in the business, the lush photography caps off the ultimate gift for a golf lover.
— Andrew
Even if you’re a “cat person,” I promise that by the time you’re done browsing through this beautiful book, you’ll be a “dog-person,” too. From Chaz, the white Puli, to Rory the English Setter, these portraits solidify the “unparalleled love we feel for our greatest companions.” The Index of Stories, which provides a bit of background on each pup, is the cherry on top. A portion of the book’s proceeds will be donated to Emancipet for low-cost vet clinics—two paws up! Happy Howlidays!
— Liz
This book provides the delightful opportunity to stop and think about how design influences our lives. “It’s often said that good design is invisible” may be the case, but this book clearly celebrates the importance of design in urban settings. From graffiti to traffic lights, road signage to city parks, marvel at these revealing city-scape stories.
— Liz
Classical Mythology A to Z is a magnificent comprehensive volume of all our favorites (Artemis! Medusa!) from the Greco Roman realms with many fascinating lesser known deities and creatures captivatingly described. This is better than any novel for firing the imagination. With its stunning cream and bronze cover, Hellenic endpapers, and gorgeous plates (see Aphrodite!), this is a must for any library.
— Julie
Author and photographer Matt Hranek has a passion for finely crafted things and the stories that surround them. He traveled the world to seek out the legendary rides for this book. But beyond the speed and celebrity owners, the stories behind these cars and Hranek’s dramatic photography is what truly distinguishes this book. This is the perfect gift for any car lover or someone who appreciates the individuality and craftsmanship of fine objects.
— Andrew
Author Larry Lederman has made a name for himself as a premiere landscape photographer with his highly lauded books over the past decade, but I think he made this one just for us. He visits 16 of the best private gardens in New York and Connecticut in all seasons, in all weather, dawn to dusk. More than just top-notch garden photography, Lederman examines these spaces again and again to know their soul, design, and character.
— Andrew
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Hardcover)
Braiding Sweetgrass is a modern classic of natural wisdom. Now available again in gorgeous hardcover, this truly special edition begs to handled and enjoyed. In it, Robin Wall Kimmerer shows us the hidden blessings that nature can give us. Writing from the viewpoint of an indigenous woman and a botanist, she teaches us the simple wisdom from plants and animals that is too easily ignored. An essential work for those who enjoy, nature, spiritualism, history, or science.
— Andrew
I have been a fan of New York Magazine since its inception. This is taking every best tidbit of history, armchair travel, essays, and fun about this city of unceasing fascination and assembling this fabulous book that will charm and thrill any NYC lover.
— Roxanne
The most exciting baking book release of the year! A brilliant selection of recipes — from breakfast treats to special occasions to savory items — and wonderfully comprehensive instructions. The recipes I've made were instant winners, and the list of recipes I'm dying to try grows each time I open the book!
— Kelly
This book is a literary event, gathering poetry from before our country was founded up to the present day. With over 250 contributors, we hear the voices of the enslaved, the newly freed, the Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights era, and the 21st century poet all in a gorgeous package worthy of its own gravity. A book to examine and digest over a lifetime and gift meant to impress the literature lover you know.
— Andrew
If you've always wanted to read Neil Gaiman but feel overwhelmed and/or not sure where to begin, this is the perfect book for you. If you've read Gaiman and know someone who would LOVE his work but has been resisting your suggestions, you've just found the perfect gift. Featuring excerpts from Gaiman's adult books, and a large selection of his short stories, The Neil Gaiman Reader is a wonderful entryway into the magical, delightful, and occasionally dark worlds of Neil Gaiman.
— Lindsey
Thomas Keller is one of the most celebrated chefs in the world and this is his most complete book to date. For serious chefs, both seasoned and raw, over 100 recipes guide you through his repertoire from the basic to the transcendent. A beautifully produced, authoritative text and one of the most important cookbooks in a decade. Signed copies available while supplies last!
— Andrew
Fine art and DIY might not seem like they can co-exist easily, but this book showcases the fascinating intersection between the two. With intimate looks into the studios and creative processes of the artists featured, and a wide variety of disciplines, this is a great book for any art lover looking to be inspired at home.
— Kelly
There are so many things I love about Christmas! Having a collection of stories all between two covers is as magical as the season gets. Get yourself in a cozy spot, grab your favorite festive drink, and settle in to read the best Christmas stories from around the world.
— Lori
Collections like this make me happy to be an American. The essay is a truly American form, and writers from Thomas Paine and John James Audubon to Zadie Smith and David Foster Wallace illustrate this democratic writing style through a beautiful, complete volume. Generally opinion pieces, essays give us an unfiltered view of writers that fiction and longer non-fiction pieces cannot. A perfect gift for fans of history, general non-fiction, and journalism. — Andrew
We should not dread the winter. We should prepare for it, accept it, adapt to it. May’s book provides solace for the dark days. She shows us that winter is an opportunity for rest and rejuvenation. Treat yourself to this beautiful book! Hunker down, retreat, and enjoy the quiet bounty that winter has to offer. — Tricia
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