Book picks similar to
Romance Was Born by Plunkett, Anna


coffee-table-books
art-history
aussie-authors
fashion-textiles

The Sartorialist


Scott Schuman - 2009
    His now-famous and much-loved blog, thesartorialist.com, is his showcase for the wonderful and varied sartorial tastes of real people across the globe. This book is a beautiful anthology of Scott?s favorite images, accompanied by his insightful commentary. It includes photographs of well-known fashion figures alongside people encountered on the street whose personal style and taste demand a closer look. From the streets of New York to the parks of Florence, from Stockholm to Paris, from London to Moscow and Milan, these are the men and women who have inspired Scott and the many diverse and fashionable readers of his blog. After fifteen years in the fashion business, Scott Schuman felt a growing disconnect between what he saw on the runways and in magazines, and what real people were wearing. The Sartorialist was his attempt to redress the balance. Since its beginning, the blog has become hugely admired and influential in the fashion industry and beyond. Thesartorialist.com is consistently named one of the top blogs in the world. A self-taught photographer, Schuman shoots for publications including French Vogue, American GQ, Fantastic Man and Elle, and a growing list of advertising clients. Scott has also shown his work at the New York photo gallery The Danziger Projects and appeared in the GAP Style Icon campaign in the fall of 2008. He has been named the number one fashion photography trend by American Photo magazine, as well as one of Time magazine?s top 100 design influencers.

The Museum of Broken Relationships


Olinka Vistica - 2009
    A wedding dress sealed in a jar. A roll of undeveloped film. An axe used to chop an ex-lover's furniture in a fit of rage. A wind-up toy, a bar of bath soap, a tin of Love Potion with the simple caption "Doesn't work." These objects, and many more, make up the whimsical, imaginative, poignant population of the Museum of Broken Relationships. Started by two former lovers who wanted a way to commemorate their relationship even after it ended, who couldn't bear to simply throw away the objects that had once meant so much, the Museum of Broken Relationships has captured hearts and imaginations around the globe since its founding in 2010. Anonymous submissions have poured in by the thousands: objects with brief, compelling captions confessing to the story behind their meaning. The museum's Croatian exhibit quickly became a main draw for tourists from around the globe, and has garnered enthusiastic, glowing media attention from sources as disparate as the New York Times and the Chinese national news. Now, as the physical museum arrives for a permanent spot in Los Angeles, the authors have collected the best, funniest, most heartwarming and heartrending stories from their huge selection of submissions. Much like the bestselling Postsecret series, this beautiful oversized, four-color book will offer an irresistible glimpse inside other people's secret worlds, creating moments of deep human connection. It is a must read for anyone who has ever loved and lost.

David Bowie Is...


Victoria Broackes - 2013
    He continues to be cited as a major influence on contemporary artists and designers working across the creative arts.   This book, published to accompany the blockbuster international exhibition launched at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, is the only volume that grants access to Bowie’s personal archive of performance costumes, ephemera, and original design artwork by the artist, bringing it together to present a completely new perspective on his creative work and collaborations. The book traces his career from its beginnings in London, through the breakthroughs of  Space Oddity and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and on to his enormous impact on 20th-century avant-garde music and art. Essays by V&A curators on Bowie’s London, image, and influence on the fashion world are complemented by Howard Goodall on musicology; Camille Paglia on gender and decadence, and Jon Savage on Bowie’s relationship with William Burroughs and his fans. The more than 300 color illustrations include personal and performance photographs, album covers, costumes, original lyric sheets, and much more.   Praise for David Bowie Is: “Perusing David Bowie Is (V&A Publishing, distributed by Abrams), the exhibition’s catalog, with its procession of poses and costumes and weighty essays tracking the cross-references to pop culture and high art, you get a sense of how much hard work it took to be Mr. Bowie.” —The New York Times “The fans of 50 years or those making discoveries in retrospect will be intrigued by the accompanying book David Bowie Is that is far more than a fanzine.”—The New York Times “Lends context and picks away at Bowie with such insight that it’s a rare hagiography with soul.” —Chicago Tribune “Combining top-notch articles on the singer/actor’s life and work with official images and reproductions of his fashion and associated ephemera, the hefty, mango-colored book is nothing short of a treasure trove of all things Bowie; a one-stop smorgasbord for the eyes whose pictorials chronicle the groundbreaking star from Ziggy Stardust to Thin White Duke to Heathen and every personality in between.” —Examiner.com

Living in Style: Inspiration and Advice for Everyday Glamour


Rachel Zoe - 2014
    The designer, stylist, and editor is celebrated for shaping the images of Oscar-winning actresses and creating collections that embody her modern and sophisticated look. Now she wants to help you define your own personal style and incorporate it into all aspects of your life, from your wardrobe to your home to your next dinner party. In these sleek pages, Rachel offers trusted tips and advice-along with style insights from her fellow insiders, friends, and family members. You will find never-before-seen photographs from Rachel's private archives and learn about her personal icons, from Jane Birkin to Coco Chanel. Along the way, she also reminisces about her earliest influences and shares the story of her own style evolution. Whether you're accessorizing a chic black jumpsuit, entertaining friends, or perfecting your Friday night smoky eye, let Rachel Zoe be your guide to living in style.

GuRu


RuPaul - 2018
    GuRu is packed with more than 80 beautiful photographs that illustrate the concept of building the life you want from the outside in and the inside out."You’re born naked and the rest is drag."As someone who has deconstructed life’s hilarious facade, RuPaul has broken "the fourth wall" to expand on the concept of mind, body, and spirit. This unique perspective has allowed RuPaul to break the shackles of self-imposed limitations, but reader beware, this is a daily practice that requires diligence and touchstones to keep you walking in the sunshine of the spirit. Once you’re willing to look beyond the identity that was given to you, a hidden world of possibilities will open its doors.Throughout the history of humans on this planet, there’ve always been shaman, seers, and mediums who are able to interpret both high and low frequencies and remind humans to look beyond the surface for the truth of who we really are. And who we really are is an extension of the power that created the universe (aka: God in drag). FYI: most people are not willing to hear or accept that.That is RuPaul’s secret for success, not only in show business, but in all aspects of life, especially in navigating the emotional landmines that inhibit most sweet, sensitive souls.If you think this book is just about "doing drag," you are sorely mistaken because for RuPaul, drag is merely a device to deactivate the identity-based ego and allow space for the unlimited.

Linda McCartney. Life in Photographs


Linda McCartney - 2011
    On May 11, 1968, when her portrait of Eric Clapton was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, she entered the record books as the first woman to have that honor. During her tenure as the leading photographer of the late 1960s’ musical scene, she captured many of rock’s most important musicians on film, including Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who, The Doors, and the Grateful Dead. In 1967, Linda went to London to document the "Swinging Sixties," where she met Paul McCartney at the Bag ’o Nails club and subsequently photographed the Beatles during a launch event for the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Paul and Linda fell in love, and were married on March 12, 1969. For the next three decades, until her untimely death, she devoted herself to her family, vegetarianism, animal rights, and photography. From her early rock ’n’ roll portraits, through the final years of the Beatles, via touring with Wings to raising four children with Paul, Linda captured her whole world on film. Her shots range from spontaneous family pictures to studio sessions with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, as well as artists Willem de Kooning and Gilbert and George. Always unassuming and fresh, her work displays a warmth and feeling for the precise moment that captures the essence of any subject. Whether photographing her children, celebrities, animals, or a fleeting moment of everyday life, she did so without pretension or artifice.This retrospective volume—selected from her archive of over 200,000 images—is produced in close collaboration with Paul McCartney and their children. As such, it is a moving personal journal and a lasting testament to Linda’s talent.Additional to our limited and art editions, this book is also available as unlimited trade edition.

Vegan(ish): 100 simple, budget recipes that don't cost the earth


Jack Monroe - 2019
    This full-color collection of one hundred simple, affordable recipes is perfect for committed vegans or anyone who wants to give vegan cooking a try. Packed with inventive, easy and 100% vegan dishes, this gorgeous book is sure to appeal—whether you are looking to take the leap, want to be a little kinder to the planet, need ideas to cook for a vegan friend, or simply want to put some more plant power in your everyday cooking. From Breakfast Muckmuffins to Beet Wellington, and Kinda-Carbonara to Bakewell Tart, Jack's easy, vibrant home cooking is tasty, tempting, and surprisingly uncomplicated.

Tuffers' Cricket Tales


Phil Tufnell - 1994
    Phil Tufnell, aka 'Tuffers', is the much-loved English cricketer from the 1990s who has now become one of this country's favourite broadcasters. Not cast from the same mould as other players of his generation, Tufnell became a cult figure for his unorthodox approach to the game ... and to life in general. 'Tuffers' Cricket Tales' is a collection of the great man's favourite cricket stories that will amuse and inform in equal measure. Tufnell's unmistakably distinctive voice, as heard to such good effect on 'Test Match Special', steers fans through dozens and dozens of terrifically entertaining and insightful anecdotes, garnered from his 25-year playing and broadcasting career. He introduces a cast of genuinely colourful characters found in dressing-rooms and commentary boxes from around the world, and in the process offers a uniquely warm and quirky homage to his sport. A perfect Father's Day gift for all cricket fans.

The Mountain


Drusilla Modjeska - 2012
    Amidst the turmoil filmmaker Leonard arrives from England with his Dutch wife, Rika, to study and film an isolated village high in the mountains. The villagers' customs and art have been passed down through generations, and Rika is immediately struck by their paintings on a cloth made of bark. Rika and Leonard are also confronted with the new university in Moresby, where intellectual ambition and the idealism of youth are creating friction among locals such as Milton — a hot-headed young playwright — and visiting westerners, such as Martha, to whom Rika becomes close. But it is when Rika meets brothers Jacob and Aaron that all their lives are changed for ever. Drusilla Modjeska's sweeping novel takes us deep into this fascinating, complex country, whose culture and people cannot escape the march of modernity that threatens to overwhelm them. It is a riveting story of love, loss, grief, and betrayal.

Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business


Meg Mateo Ilasco - 2007
    Plus, get inspired by--and learn from the mistakes of--artists/business owners such as Jonathan Adler, Lotta Jansdotter, Denyse Schmidt, Jill Bliss, and many more.

Splendid Slippers: A Thousand Years of an Erotic Tradition


Beverley Jackson - 1998
    The author's vast collection of historical and contemporary photographs, plus 40 full-color -portraits- of her most prized slippers, creates a uniquely poignant and evocative panorama.

Breaking Out: The unbelievable, inspirational true story of a former Class A drug dealer who became a probation worker


Janice Nix - 2021
    We’re going to make you a new life.’ From petty shoplifter to gangland empress.From frightened runaway to proud mother.From drug dealer to probation worker.Janice Nix lived a life of crime. Groomed to work as a shoplifter in London’s West End, she entered a glamorous underworld of beautiful possessions – and drugs. As she rose to the top of her criminal empire, Janice achieved the money and status her family had never had. But one day, it had to come tumbling down.Several prison stretches later, Janice was reformed – and inspired to join the probation service. Using everything she learned in her years on the streets, she’s devoted her life to ensure girls like her don’t make the same mistakes.This is her story.

Kate Atkinson's Behind the Scenes at the Museum: A Reader's Guide


Emma Parker - 2002
    It features a biography of the author, a full-length analysis of the novel, and a great deal more. If you're studying this novel, reading it for your book club, or if you simply want to know more about it, you'll find this guide informative and helpful. Part of a new series of guides to contemporary novels. The aim of the series is to give readers accessible and informative introductions to some of the most popular, most acclaimed and most influential novels of recent years - from ‘The Remains of the Day' to ‘White Teeth'. A team of contemporary fiction scholars from both sides of the Atlantic has been assembled to provide a thorough and readable analysis of each of the novels in question.

A Brighter Dawn


Rosie Harris - 2011
    Keep well away from that Hadyn Jenkins.' In spite of her father's words of warning, Sharon Pritchard decides to give up everything to follow her heart. However, her new life with Hadyn is anything but easy. Although he is handsome and charming, he is feckless and unreliable. And they soon find themselves sinking ever faster into poverty. The birth of their son should be a joyous occasion, but Sharon fears for him amongst the filth and despair of Tiger Bay. And when Hadyn's errant ways catch up with him, Sharon is faced with a devastating truth. Can her love for Hadyn survive and will she be able to provide a better future for herself and her son...? From the Paperback edition.

Down on One Knead


Cressida McLaughlin - 2021
    Wedding planner Ellie Moon, is determined to give them a day to remember. After a tough year, she’s had to move out of her cosy cottage and in with her sister, while she rents her home out to a new tenant, the handsome mechanic Jago, who keeps popping up around the picture-postcard seaside village of Porthgolow.