The best coffee table books are fascinating literary creations—part objet d’art, part photographic ode, part textual reflection—that lend insight to the interests of the owners. Some people adorn their apartments with fashion chronologies, others choose artist anthologies, and some can’t stay away from pages upon pages of artfully arranged English gardens. While libraries and bookshelves are full of novels half-read or to-be-read-maybe-someday, these serve as personal statements.
There are a number of books that make perfect gifts for those looking to spruce up their space and pique their intellectual curiosity, especially as we all spend more time at home. Take the first published collection of Bill Cunningham’s street style photographs, or Taschen's ode to Peter Beard and his work on the American and African continents. Meanwhile, if it’s pop culture you seek, look no further than My Name is Prince, a visual ode to the late, great singer’s career, or Rihanna’s book with Phaidon.
