Holiday Gift Guide: Things to Read
With the holiday clock ticking away, it’s time to figure out some quick picks for the hardest recipients on your gifting list. Books make the perfect present for folks who’ve got everything. Books spark our imagination. They help us to dream of the future and they ask us to remember our past. Can a department store scarf do that?
These books are meant to inspire your recipient to get crafty, get get cooking, or get nostalgic. I’ve picked up all of my books up at WORD, my local bookshop that just happens to be coolest bookstore in New York City. And you can pick yours up at your favorite independent bookstore or online retailer. The very best thing about gifting books? They’re easy to wrap!
KnitKnit: Profiles and Projects from Knitting’s New Wave by Sabrina Gschwandtner
KnitKnit is gorgeous and endlessly inspiring. Sabrina Gschwandtner profiles an eclectic group of artists and communities who are creating an electric new form of knitting. While most of the artists are avant-garde, the book feels completely accessible. Each artist has contributed a pattern for a knit garment or object, and the projects vary greatly in scope. Some of the knitters use their knitting to create political statements, while others are simply interested in exploring new methods and materials. The design of the book is beautiful, and the photographs by Kiriko Shirobayashi capture the personalities of the artists and their work. It’s a must-have for any knitter’s library.
Buy local: http://www.wordbrooklyn.com/book/9781584796312
Organic and Chic by Sarah Magid
Sarah’s approach to baking is to simple: use the best ingredients you can for the tastiest results. The recipes in this book are absolutely delicious, and her insistence on using everything from organic flour to the seeds in the vanilla bean elevate simple cakes to masterpieces. And her approach to decorating is after my own heart. She isn’t fussy and her frosting shows strokes where the spatula spread it on the cake. Instead, she embraces the use of fabulous food coloring, edible metallic powders, and beautiful floral designs that show the mark of their maker. And her takes on classic junk food treats are clever as can be. This cookbook is sure to be covered with cocoa powder and confectioner’s sugar immediately, because her recipes are impossible for the reader, and the eater, to resist.
Buy local: http://www.wordbrooklyn.com/book/9780061673580
Hand-Stitched Felt by Kata Golda
Whether you are an expert crafter or a new beginner, you will fall head-over-heels for Kata Golda’s gorgeous, gentle little felt creations. With projects that range in hands-on time from less than an hour to many more, there is something for everyone who wants to start creating with felt. The templates for her stuffed animal family are the perfect guide to making an heirloom that will be played with and treasured by any sweet child of yours. And Kata embraces the beauty of imperfection, which makes me love her even more.
Buy local: http://www.wordbrooklyn.com/book/9781584797982
Cassette From My Ex edited by Jason Bitner
This collection of stories that pull-on-your-heartstrings (and guitarstrings) has something for every reader and every sort of of music fan, most especially anyone who grew up in the 1980s. Edited by Jason Bitner, co-founder of Found Magazine, it’s also got a fantastic interior design that includes photos of loads of handwritten cassette tape covers. (For the sake of transparency, I should mention that I have an essay in the collection, and I’m damned proud to be a part of it.)
Buy local: http://www.wordbrooklyn.com/book/9780312565527
Crafternoon (duh) by me, Maura Madden
Sure, it’s more shameless self-promotion, but heck, an author’s got to sell books, right? Here’s part of my favorite review of Crafternoon courtesy of the lovely Rachel Hobson of Craftzine.com:
“CRAFTERNOON is a book that speaks directly to the heart and soul of what I love about crafting: connecting with other people while engaged in the creative process. Maura Madden’s new book, CRAFTERNOON: A Guide to Getting Artsy and Crafty With Your Friends All Year Long, lays out the tools, projects, tips and even snack recipes so readers can easily put together their own Crafternoon groups and get to makin’ stuff with friends and family in a relaxed, fun setting.
Initially, I just loved the idea of an actual guide that motivates people to craft together for the simple pleasure of having fun and connecting with one another. Creating community through crafting is one of my mantras. But as I started reading the book, I fell in love with Madden’s wit, her glowing stories of crafting with her mom, and – mostly – with her preaching of pressure-free crafting and an embrace of imperfection.”