Missed these? New books for cooks, creatives and more to gift + A giveaway!

I received the books in this post for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

I love giving books any time of the year, but Christmas can be especially fun because the crop of new books that come out in the fall is always so, so good. Today I’ve got some ones you might not have seen that would make great gifts for the fashionista, the interior design and decor lover, the entrepreneur (especially those in creative fields) and the cook in your life.

Fashionistas

Aimee Song: World of Style is the follow up to millennial blogger-turned-fashion-icon Aimee Song’s bestseller Capture Your Style, this one a beautiful hardcover that feels much more luxe. World of Style shares 500 of Aimee’s favourite looks from her travels from Anguilla to Venice and everywhere in between, along with some back story on how she got each shot, who she met along the way, and her favourite restaurants, museums and other hot spots. A chunky-but-compact picture book for street style inspiration.

Creative entrepreneurs

Good Company Issue #2: The Fear(less) Issue is a modern magazine printed on thick, high-quality paper that feels wonderfully weighty in the hand like a book. Its aim is to provide useful advice, inspiration and a sense of community for women and non-binary people who work in creative fields. This second issue is about fear and failure and how the diversity of contributors have experienced and worked with (and through) both. Favourite articles: “How To Collaborate with Friends On Creative Projects Without Making It Weird” and “What Tools And Resources Have Helped You Face and Overcome Your Fears?” (a group Q&A with a film critic, a tattoo artist, a home goods designer, a bartender and other creatives).

The Eye: How the World’s Most Influential Creative Directors Develop Their Vision is the latest book by Kinfolk magazine founder and creative director, Nathan Williams. Here he (“he” understood as the head of a considerable team) profiles 90 creative directors from fashion, publishing and entertainment, both present and past, all beautifully photographed in black and white. Think Thom Browne and Coco Chanel; Grace Coddington and Diana Vreeland; Alonzo King and Martha Graham. We learn what drives them, who and what inspires them, and how they see the future of their industry evolving. “Creative directors, whether building the pyramids or conceptualizing a logo, deciding on the look of a handbag or directions the music video of a pop star, are the heart of any project. They establish and develop a company’s personality, perspective and reason for being. They construct the DNA for a brand, using whatever means necessary, whether it’s their childlike instincts or their robust Rolodex … these creative directors [profiled in the book] possess that elusive asset, an eye for their niche and trade– and an eye for the zeitgeist before it arrives.” An eye-conic coffee table book and conversation piece for pop and high culture enthusiasts and those looking to make a mark in their creative fields.

Cooks

Let’s Eat France! 1,250 Specialty Foods, 375 Iconic Recipes, 350 Topics, and 260 Personalities by François-Régis Gaudry is a hefty treasure for any home cook, chef or lover of French cuisine. It’s like an encyclopedia with photographs, infographics and illustrations that leap off the page with a certain joie de vivre and a vast plethora of subjects that make it endlessly entertaining to read and recite aloud to anyone who will listen. We have a region-by-region index of each area’s famed cheeses, charcuterie and recipes; poster-size guides to the breads, wines and oysters of France; profiles of celebrated chefs (including signature recipes) and so much more. Gift it with a bottle of Bordeaux and watch the recipient pore over it with delight. C’est merveilleux!

Interior design and decor lovers

Be Bold: Interiors for the Brave of Heart by Emily Henson might be just the antidote for a long, grey winter with the riot of colour, pattern and whimsy in its pages. “Incurable maximalist” Henson says our homes should reflect who we are and things that make us feel good. More is more! Allow yourself to be bold! Say who you are loud and proud! She takes us through a Parisian townhouse drenched in deep blues and greens, a bohemian English cottage with pattern at every turn and a psychedelic British townhouse where pale pink, leopard and tropical print couches live with a huge graffitied canvas and bright coral walls. (Which, like the cover of the book, happen to be Pantone’s colour for 2019.) All are meant to inspire readers to take risks with their decor, make confident, colourful choices and express their true selves. A fun book for to add to a friend’s interior design library or display for a pop of on-trend colour.

Giveaway!

Thanks to Thomas Allen & Son, I’ve got a copy of Be Bold: Interiors for the Brave of Heart to give away. To enter to win, tell me what colours surround you at home in the comments below. Does your decor reflect who you are? (This entry is mandatory.)

For another entry, follow try small things on Facebook (LIKE YOU WEREN’T ALREADY, AS IF!) and like (or love!) this post and leave a comment, then tell me you did so and your name on Facebook in the comments below. (You don’t have to share, BUT THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING AND YOU-KNOW-WHO IS WATCHING!)  

And feel free to tweet the following once per day and leave the url for your tweet in the comments below (one entry per tweet). Make sure you’re following try small things and Thomas Allen & Son on Twitter for your entry to count.

Great books to gift & #win “Be Bold! Interiors for the Brave of Heart” from @trysmallthings! https://wp.me/p4xBed-6US  CAN 12/30

The contest is open to Canadian (excluding Quebec) residents 18+ and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on December 30, 2018. The potential winner (chosen at random) must respond to prize notification within 48 hours and provide the correct answer to a skill-testing question, otherwise another winner will be selected.

Good luck everybody!