Ahhh, the holidays! Here they come, are you ready? I'm sure that between basting the turkey, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and polishing silverware, you'll be far too busy to take in some holiday reading. However, I bet that as soon as your cousin's husband's daughter from his first marriage starts running around the room on a sugar high, you'll want nothing more than to retreat to a comfy guest bedroom with a glass of wine bottle of bourbon and a good book. Enter, moi. I've compiled a list of the best coffee-table books on the market today, all for you. Enjoy. Oh, and try not to slip into a tryptophan coma. PS. Stay tuned at the end of this broadcast for a contest that is sure to rock your bookshelf-in-need-of-decor life!
Geometric: Graphic Art and Pattern; Nicole and Petra Kapitza; available at Kapitza; images via creative review
If a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a rough paraphrase of what each of the images in this book are screaming: "I am insane hand-made patterns. I am beautiful. Put me on your walls. I will rock your world"
If, for some insane reason, sexy geometric patterns aren't you're thing, perhaps you'd rather see who's on the other end of the line when you make your 1-900# calls:
phonesex by Phillip Toledano
Intimate portraits of phone sex operators in their homes. Be careful! One of them might be you!
Finished already? No? Need decor porn instead (that is what you're here for, right)? Try these:
Japanese decor books (I have no idea what they're called) available here: Yvestown Shop
The lovely thing about these books - yes, I've actually touched their goodness first hand - is that they profile wacky interiors and exteriors of REAL people. They are not always as glamorous as the shelter mag pictures we've become accustomed to, but, gosh dangit, those homes are in my budget.
Once you're done reading Japanese decor trends, how about you make some Japanese clothes?
Guess what? I don't know what this is called either, but I found it here: Clementine's flickr
Ahhh, yes, the perfect coffee table book. It's pretty, it looks like high-art, and your guests will never understand a word. Love love love.
Ready to get back to decor?
How they work by 010 Publishers (image via yatzer)
A perfect opportunity to watch people more talented and productive than you while lounging on your sofa. Bonus if you read this while eating a bag of chips.
If you need to feel better about yourself again, how about this little gem that profiles the interiors of brothels in Alemanha:
via Coisas de Maria
I know, I know, I could have done an entire post about this book alone. Seriously, how rad are those rooms? You bitches know that I would live in any one of them. Especially bottom left, swoon..
Ut-Oh, I smell a fascist regime coming through to break up all our fun-time:
Faces of Evil : Faces of a Terrifying Dictatorship via cyanatrendland
Artist Hans Weishaupul created the faces of dictators over the past 100 years by compiling countless tiny, specially shot portraits of the citizens of the country the dictator ruled over. Now, how's that for Dictator Chic? This would be the perfect companion to my panther coffee table
And finally, because we are not living under a totalitarian regime, as promised, I give you, la contest:
In honor of her 35th birthday (she doesn't look a day over 29!) My good friend, Vickie Howell, is hosting a contest on her site. Hooray! She's giving away THIRTY FIVE BOOKS in honor of the big occasion. Does this beat the 80's party she threw for her 30th? I don't know, but I think it's pretty darned awesome none-the-less. You cats have until the 25th to score big, then it's light's out.
PS. I call 500 chairs!
