The Christmas Gift Guide for Book Lovers

Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari, £13.99

A lyrical, gorgeously illustrated look at the majesty of trees—and what humans can learn from them Stand tall. Stretch your branches to the sun. Be a tree! We are all like trees: our spines, trunks; our skin, bark; our hearts giving us strength and support, like heartwood. We are fueled by air and sun, and, like humans, trees are social. They “talk” to spread information; they share food and resources. They shelter and take care of one another. They are stronger together. In this gorgeous and poetic celebration of one of nature’s greatest creations, acclaimed author Maria Gianferrari and illustrator Felicita Sala both compare us to the beauty and majesty of trees—and gently share the ways in which trees can inspire us to be better people.

Available www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk

The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits: The Botanical Photography of Levon Biss by Levon Biss, £30

A highly original collection of high magnification photographs that unlock the hidden beauty of seeds and fruit, from the author of Microsculpture: The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits is a photographic study that celebrates the wonders of nature and science in mind-blowing magnification. Levon Biss’ striking photography captures the breathtaking and beautiful details of the world of carpology: the study of seeds and fruits. Each picture reveals minute features and textures that are normally invisible to the naked eye, providing the audience with an insight into strange and often bizarre adaptations that have evolved over thousands of years.

Available from www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk

The Black Leopard: My Quest to Photograph One of Africa’s Most Elusive Big Cats by Will Burrard-Lucas, £26

This inspiring book tells the story of a photographer’s journey to find the mysterious black leopard. There are few creatures as gorgeous and elusive as the black leopard. In Africa, these magnificent cats are so rare as to be the stuff of legend. Will Burrard-Lucas’s love for leopards began during his childhood in Tanzania and propelled him into a career as a wildlife photographer. In his quest to create intimate portraits of animals, he developed innovative technology, including a remotely controlled camera buggy and a high-quality camera trap system for photographing nocturnal creatures. Then, one day in 2018, he heard about sightings of a young African black leopard in Kenya and with the help of people from the local community, he succeeded in capturing a series of high-quality photographs of the elusive cat. In this compelling and visually stunning book, Burrard-Lucas tells his story of creativity, entrepreneurship, and passion for wild animals, alongside awe-inspiring images of lions, elephants, and the black leopard itself.

Available from www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk

Pajama Pilates: 40 Exercises for Stretching, Strengthening, and Toning at Home by Maria Mankin, £12.99

Brimming with engaging exercise tips and colorful illustrations, this fun-to-read guide makes it easy to do pilates in your pajamas. Improve your strength, tone your body, and increase your flexibility with these 40 easy-to-follow exercises that you can do at home. Written by certified Pilates instructor Maria Mankin, the exercises include step-by-step instructions, notes on their physical benefits, and modification options. Readers will discover how to improve posture and core strength using a kitchen counter, stretch out their legs using the dining table, and tone their arms using the edge of the bathtub, plus so much more. Each exercise is paired with a colorful illustration of a pajama-clad person demonstrating the pose. Simple to follow and with no special equipment required (beyond pj’s!), this accessible take on a popular exercise technique makes it easy to get fit without leaving the house.

Available from www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk

Home Stories: Design Ideas for Making a House a Home by Kim Leggett, £25

Learn how to create rooms filled with warmth, meaning, and your own unique story of home. Kim Leggett’s 1st book, City Farmhouse Style, was a big hit. Now Kim is back with the welcoming interiors her fans crave and a no-rules approach that is all about using what you love to create rooms that tell your personal story.

Available from www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk

Wild Rituals: 10 Lessons Animals Can Teach Us About Connection, Community, and Ourselves by Caitlin O’Connell, £19.99

Wild Rituals explores how embracing the rituals of the animal kingdom can make us more connected to ourselves, nature, and others. Behavioural ecologist and world-renowned elephant scientist, Caitlin O’Connell, dives into the rituals of elephants, apes, zebras, rhinos, lions, whales, flamingos and many more. This fascinating read helps us better understand how we are similar to wild animals and encourages us to find healing, self-awareness, community, and self-reinvention.

Available from www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk

Jungalow: Decorate Wild: The Life and Style Guide by Justina Blakeney, £30

From Justina Blakeney, the ultimate guide to designing wildly creative interiors that are free-spirited, layered, and deeply personal. Justina Blakeney’s new book is her biggest, boldest, and most beautiful volume yet, filled with irresistible style, original patterns, and artwork—lushly photographed by Dabito. In each chapter, Justina shares her distinctive point of view on everything design fans want to know—how to make bold choices with colour and pattern, how to take cues from nature, how to authentically glean inspiration from their heritage and travels, how to break rules, and all the other paths to truly begin to decorate wild. Along the way, Justina also shares personal narratives, practical advice, and nuanced insight into how she lives in her own space—how she reconnects with nature, how she plays and stays inspired, how she gives herself permission to feel free and wild, and how readers can do the same.

Available from www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk

The Humane Home: Easy Steps for Sustainable & Green Living by Sarah Lozanova, £19.99

Create your own unique sustainable home and life with tools, tips, and inspiration from The Humane Home. Sarah Lozanova shows us how to evaluate all the ways our lifestyle and living choices can be more sustainable, from powering our homes to the food we consume and the air we breathe. Small steps empower us to act immediately by starting a herb garden, reducing utility bills, and learning how to conduct a home energy audit. The fun, DIY activities and easy-to-follow, eco-friendly practices reshape how we think about our living spaces and help us create a blueprint for our own personal version of a humane home.

Available from www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk

Birds by Tim Flach, text by Richard Prum, £45

Birds of the world are portrayed in all their colourful glory by Tim Flach, the world’s leading animal photographer Radiating grace, intelligence, and humour, and always in motion, birds tantalize the human imagination. Working for years in his studio and the field, Tim Flach has portrayed nature’s most exquisite creatures alertly at rest or dramatically in flight, capturing intricate feather patterns and subtle colouration invisible to the naked eye.

Available from www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk

Working Hard, Hardly Working by Grace Beverley, £16.99

Grace Beverley’s Sunday Times bestselling book Working Hard Hardly Working is an insightful, refreshingly honest and curious book challenging the current life and work balance. Full of practical advice to help readers avoid burnout and focus when things are hard to work through, this is a fresh take on how to create your own balance, be more productive and fulfilled. For those trying to achieve, regardless of their chosen field, this book may just be the helping hand they need.

Available from www.waterstones.com, as well as an EBook and Audiobook.

 

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