- Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12: Getaway, by Jeff Kinney (hardcover)
- Theft by Finding Diaries 1977–2002, by David Sedaris (hardcover)
- The Case for Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny & Terror, by Nathan Sharansky (paperback)
- Artemis, by Andy Weir (hardcover)
- We were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, by Ta-Nehisi Coates (hardcover)
- Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders (hardcover)
- Leonardo Da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson (hardcover)
- All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr (paperback)
- Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi (hardcover)
- Turtles All the Way Down, by John Green (hardcover)
HOT BOOKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Obama: An Intimate Portrait, by Pete Souza
During Barack Obama’s two terms, Pete Souza was with the president during more crucial moments than anyone else — and he photographed them all. Souza captured nearly two million photographs of President Obama, in moments highly classified and disarmingly candid.
Obama: An Intimate Portrait reproduces more than 300 of Souza’s most iconic photographs with fine-art print quality in an oversize collectible format. Together they document the most consequential hours of the presidency — including the historic image of President Obama and his advisors in the White House Situation Room during the Bin Laden mission — alongside unguarded moments with the president’s family, his encounters with children, interactions with world leaders and cultural figures, and more.
Blitt, by Barry Blitt
A gorgeous, hilarious, and provocative compendium of the award-winning artist’s illustrations for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and more.
Barry Blitt’s cartoons have been lampooning American politics and culture for decades. His iconic New Yorker covers are defining images for our times, earning him adoration from critics and fans and piles of hate mail from everyone else. Featuring the author’s hand-scrawled annotations and self-deprecating witticisms, more than one hundred never-before-seen sketches and drafts, and essays from Blitt’s collaborators and peers, including Frank Rich, Francoise Mouly, and Steve Brodner, Blitt is a visual delight and a rollicking trip into the mind of an utterly original artist.
This Book is a Planetarium, by Kelli Anderson
Defying every expectation of what a book can be, this pop-up extravaganza transforms into six fully functional tools: a real working planetarium projecting the constellations, a musical instrument complete with strings for strumming, a geometric drawing generator, an infinite calendar, a message decoder, and even a speaker that amplifies sound. Artist Kelli Anderson contributes enlightening text alongside each pop-up, explaining the scientific principles at play in her constructions and creating an interactive experience that’s as educational as it is extraordinary.
San Francisco Noir, by Fred Lyon
In this latest offering from the photographer of San Francisco: Portrait of a City 1940–1960, Lyon presents a darker tone, exploring the hidden corners of his native city. Images taken in the foggy night are illuminated only by neon signs, classic car headlights, apartment windows, or streetlights. Sharply dressed couples stroll out for evening shows, drivers travel down steep hills, and sailors work through the night at the old Fisherman’s Wharf. Stylistically, many of the photographs are experimental; the noir tone is enhanced by double exposures, elements of collage, and blurred motion. These strikingly evocative duotone images expose a view of San Francisco as only Fred Lyon could capture.
