If your basket is not yet quite full a few days before New Year's Eve, don't panic, here are ten favorites in the beautiful books section.
1. Dior scarves. Fashion Storiesfor fashion enthusiasts
A book… of 760 pages… devoted solely to scarvesone brand?! We admit, the bet is daring. And yet, it is also certainly successful. Produced under the direction of fashion historian Maria Luisa Frisa, accompanied throughout the pages by her sisters Claire Allen-Johnstone, Elda Danese and Émilie Hammen, the work, which combines photographs and illustrations, explores the sources of inspiration silk squares and their role within the House, from Christian Dior to Maria Grazia Chiuri. Published in spring 2024, the volume, which celebrates the infinitely small and the art of detail, deserves (literally and figuratively) the qualification of a beautiful book.
Dior Scarves. Fashion Storiesdirected by Maria Luisa Frisa, Thames Hudson editions, 85 euros.
2. Cult places of cinema and seriesfor traveling movie buffs
This Routard du 7e art guide would make even the least adventurous among us want to go on a pilgrimage to the filming sites. If this is not the first book on the subject, the work has the merit of precisely mapping the places to visit. “Going to the cinema is a way of exploring the world,” says journalist Laurent Delmas on France Inter, to present this work which he prefaces. We fly to small towns that are the settings of horror films. In New Mexico, you'll think you're a drug lord, like in Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul. Or, cooler, we'll stroll the streets of London with Paddington Bear. And, if we have delusions of grandeur, we will move from one continent to another in the deserts where Star Wars was filmed. Can we still dream?
Cult places of cinema and seriesLarousse, 28.15 euros.
3. Bring together, recipes and inspirationfor those who enjoy receiving
How to receive well? This is the challenge launched by Alice Roca, fashion stylist, author and cook. In this 368-page book, she describes the art of bringing together, using moodboards, materials, colors, all inspired by plants and the moments that make her vibrate. Beyond wonderfully decorated tables and well-established reception rituals, it offers 130 recipes. All are simple and delicious, but the author twists them into visual recipes to delight both the eyes and the appetites of her guests. Bring together, recipes and inspiration promises good feasts with friends or family. “I love bringing people together around a large, carefully arranged table. (…) It must be filled with beautiful and good things. The walnut cake from my garden is one of my favorite standards,” she confided to our colleagues at Monde.
Gather, recipes and inspirationsby Alice Roca, First editions, 32 euros.
4. 30 incredible trips to experience with childrenfor adventurous families
A few examples are worth more than a long speech: in this book, the change of scenery consists in particular of discovering the Pyrenees on the back of a donkey, of ziplining above the jungle in Costa Rica, of eating grilled scorpion in China , camping in Namibia or sleeping in a bunker in Albania… Plenty to satisfy your little ones and/or teenagers, whose curiosity will be more than satisfied on each page of this beautifully illustrated book. Travel forms youth, as the other said (for information, the other is Montaigne).
30 incredible trips to experience with childrenby Marie Faure-Ambroise, Voyages Gallimard, 25 euros.
5. The ruins of Paristo see the future
What will Paris look like when Man has deserted it? This is a question that no one can really answer, but the author of this book tried anyway… with the help of artificial intelligence. The result? A walk that is both mysterious and fascinating through the avenues, parks and emblematic buildings of the City of Lights. An album that is certainly imaginary but striking, as the “photos” manage to delve into the future by probing our current concerns. Curiously, a certain poetry emerges, even a form of romanticism. The words of philosopher Nathan Devers take care of the rest, transforming the journey into intelligent reflection… and not at all artificial.
The ruins of Parisby Natahan Devers, Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre, Albin Michel editions, 49 euros.
6. Rosefor girls and boys
The book could have been titled “Once Upon a Time there was Pink”. To immerse yourself in it is to offer yourself an escapade through eras, arts, cultures and of course gardens, to discover a color that we associate a little too quickly – and too simply – with the little girl who loves dolls and candy. Present in nature since the dawn of time, pink was not adopted by humans until very late: in Europe, it was only towards the end of the Middle Ages that it found a place among wardrobes. dresses using a dye imported from India and then the New World. The 18th century would then make it an absolute symbol of romanticism, femininity and sweetness… But has everything always been rosy for pink's sake? Turn the pages, and you will find out.
Roseby Michel Pastoureau, Seuil, 39.90 euros.
7. The Home Cook's Handbook, Volume 2 of Whoogy's
After making Instagram salivate over his gourmet creations, which he has already compiled in a first book as villainous as it is practical, Whoogy's returns, better than ever with a second volume of his famous “Handbook for the Amateur Cook”.
The lover of outrageous recipes (which he always sprinkles with a little Espelette pepper, his trademark) therefore continues to share his techniques and recipes in a manual that is as inspiring as it is informative (and above all delicious). Because among all the more elaborate recipes from the virtual chef, several step-by-step and other techniques are detailed to improve our culinary skills.
The amateur cook's manual, volume 2, not Whoogy's, Oak, 35 euros.
8. Comfort, de Yotam Ottolenghi
At the end of the year, while the mercury is falling, the winter blues are gradually setting in and morale is sometimes not particularly high, we could really use a bit of comfort.
And it is not Yotam Ottolenghi who needs to be repeated. The Israeli chef, a true culinary phenomenon with his previous culinary opuses (Simple, Flavour, Jerusalem and Plenty) released a new collection of recipes at the start of the school year: Comfort. Bringing together nearly 100 ideas for comforting meals, cooked in a casserole dish or in the oven, slightly nostalgic but above all ultra tasty, the opus reveals a new version of comfort food, revised and corrected.
Comfort, Yotam Ottolenghi, Hachette Pratique, 40.15 euros.
9. The New York Times. Cultured Traveler. 100 Trips for Curious Minds from Agadir to Yogyakarta
Going to savor the imposing silence of the Sahara by Paul Bowles, wandering through the libraries of the Italian Renaissance or even discovering the Paris of Josephine Baker, you are lacking ideas for your next trip or you are looking for a little inspiration for your future wanderings? This new collection from the New York Times is enough to give you some ideas.
Just published, it's still hot, barely out of the printers. Inside, the authors and photographers of the major American daily have compiled the crème de la crème of the “Cultured Traveler” column. The result? A highly inspiring collection that guides you through 100 fascinating destinations explored through the prism of history, literature and even gastronomy.
The New York Times. Cultured Traveler. 100 Trips for Curious Minds from Agadir to Yogyakartabags, 40 euros
10. Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Masterpieces de Dominic Bradbury
Lovers of beautiful buildings and design enthusiasts, we have found the book you need. A true ode to the Mid-Century Modern style of the interwar period which continues to reign supreme in our interiors, the Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Masterpieces by Dominic Bradbury compiles in an original way the most beautiful things the movement built .
Creations by Arne Jacobsen, Mies, Le Corbusier, Eero Saarinen, Alvar Aalto, Marcel Breuer, Frank Lloyd-Wright and Oscar Niemeyer, the book presents no less than 450 of the best works of modern architecture, through the world. And illustrates how architects of the time were able to take advantage of the post-war boom and increasing globalization to create avant-garde projects on a larger scale.
Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Masterpieces de Dominic Bradbury, Phaeton, 125 euros.
