Holiday Book Gifting: Non-Fiction Suggestions 2022

What a great season to be shopping for books to give as gifts! Literati Bookstore is chock-full of 2022 releases — most are brand-new releases for the season — that are exciting, fascinating, thought-provoking, delicious, funny, inspiring, beautiful . . . good luck not feeling compelled to get some of these for yourself! The list is entirely non-fiction, featuring memoirs, biographies, cookbooks, as well as books about the natural world, the music and film industries, and books about fascinating people who have changed the world. I guaranteed you will find special and unique books to give to your special people. — vick

Books: 
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The Philosophy of Modern Song By Bob Dylan Cover Image
$45.00
ISBN: 9781451648706
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Simon & Schuster - November 1st, 2022

In 2020, with the release of his album Rough and Rowdy Ways, Dylan became the first artist to have an album hit the Billboard Top 40 in each decade since the 1960s. The Philosophy of Modern Song contains much of what he has learned about his craft in all those years, and like everything that Dylan does, it is a momentous artistic achievement.


The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times By Michelle Obama Cover Image
$32.50
ISBN: 9780593237465
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Crown - November 15th, 2022

The long-awaited new book by Michelle Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us.


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Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships By Nina Totenberg Cover Image
$27.99
ISBN: 9781982188085
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Simon & Schuster - September 13th, 2022

"A perfect gift and a perfect read for anyone on your list who listens to NPR. Nina Totenberg is an engaging storyteller with a fascinating story to tell." — Vick


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A Book of Days By Patti Smith Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9780593448540
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House - November 15th, 2022

With over 365 photographs taking you through a single year, Patti Smith's long-awaited A Book of Days is a new way to experience the expansive mind of the visionary poet, writer, and performer.


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Women Holding Things By Maira Kalman Cover Image
$32.50
ISBN: 9780062846679
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Harper - October 18th, 2022

From critically acclaimed artist, designer, and bestselling author comes a wondrous collection of words and paintings that is a moving meditation on the beauty and complexity of women’s lives and roles, revealed in the things they hold.


"Coffee table history and travel guide to the public and private spaces that Frederick Law Olmsted and his firm's successors designed, including work in over 30 states (and Ann Arbor, Michigan)" Carla


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One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World By Michael Frank, Maira Kalman (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Michael Frank, Maira Kalman (Illustrator)
$28.00
ISBN: 9781982167226
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster - September 6th, 2022

The remarkable story of ninety-nine-year-old Stella Levi whose conversations with the writer Michael Frank over the course of six years bring to life the vibrant world of Jewish Rhodes, the deportation to Auschwitz that extinguished ninety percent of her community, and the resilience and wisdom of the woman who lived to tell the tale.


Novelist as a Vocation By Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel (Translated by), Ted Goossen (Translated by) Cover Image
By Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel (Translated by), Ted Goossen (Translated by)
$28.00
ISBN: 9780451494641
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Knopf - November 8th, 2022

Best-selling author and famously private writer Haruki Murakami shares with readers his thoughts on the role of the novel in our society; his own origins as a writer; and his musings on the sparks of creativity that inspire other writers, artists, and musicians.


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Inciting Joy: Essays By Ross Gay Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9781643753041
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Algonquin Books - October 25th, 2022

Ross Gay’s latest book of essays reminds his readers that, though despair and hardship are inevitable parts of life, so is joy. “For the person in your life who’s had a hard year." — Shannon D


Herve Tullet's Art of Play: Images and Inspirations from a Life of Radical Creativity By Herve Tullet, Sophie Van der Linden, Leonard S. Marcus (Contributions by), Aaron Ott (Contributions by) Cover Image
By Herve Tullet, Sophie Van der Linden, Leonard S. Marcus (Contributions by), Aaron Ott (Contributions by)
$40.00
ISBN: 9781797206110
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Chronicle Books - November 1st, 2022

The definitive book for adults from an iconoclast of the children's book world. Each of Hervé Tullet's creations, whether the bestselling children's book Press Here or the internationally traveling Ideal Exhibition, breaks the boundaries of art.


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Musical Tables: Poems By Billy Collins Cover Image
$26.00
ISBN: 9780399589782
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House - November 15th, 2022

This collection is more than 125 small poems, all of them new, and each a thought or observation compressed to its emotional essence. "Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins newest collection is a true treat for poetry lovers." — Vick


What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions By Randall Munroe Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9780525537113
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Riverhead Books - September 13th, 2022

Before you go on a cosmic road trip, feed the residents of New York City to a T. rex, or fill every church with bananas, be sure to consult this practical guide for impractical ideas. Unfazed by absurdity, Munroe consults the latest research on everything from swing-set physics to airliner catapult–design to answer his readers’ questions, clearly and concisely, with illuminating and occasionally terrifying illustrations.


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Christmas Fairies for Ouma By Lindsey McDivitt, Katarzyna Bukiert (Illustrator) Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781641707343
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Familius - November 1st, 2022

"An American granddaughter's letter to her Grandmother in Cape Town is delivered despite "no name, no street, no real stamps"." — Carla


Marie Kondo's Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) By Marie Kondo Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781984860781
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Ten Speed Press - November 15th, 2022

Transform your home into a haven of calm and achieve your ideal lifestyle with this inspirational visual guide featuring more than 100 photographs, from the Netflix star and bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Your newfound clarity will inspire you to clear out the unneeded clutter so you can appreciate the inviting spaces, treasured belongings, and peaceful moments that remain.


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Number One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions By Steve Martin, Harry Bliss (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Steve Martin, Harry Bliss (Illustrator)
$30.00
ISBN: 9781250815293
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Celadon Books - November 15th, 2022

Steve Martin’s cinematic legacy is captured in this illustrated memoir of his legendary acting career, with stories from his most popular films, featuring artwork by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss.


Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life By Clare Mac Cumhaill, Rachael Wiseman Cover Image
$32.50
ISBN: 9780385545709
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Doubleday - May 10th, 2022

A vibrant portrait of four college friends — Iris Murdoch, Philippa Foot, Elizabeth Anscombe, and Mary Midgley — who formed a new philosophical tradition while Oxford's men were away fighting World War II.


The Island of Extraordinary Captives: A Painter, a Poet, an Heiress, and a Spy in a World War II British Internment Camp By Simon Parkin Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9781982178529
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Scribner - November 1st, 2022

The remarkable untold story of a Jewish orphan who fled Nazi Germany for London, only to be arrested there by the British government and sent to an internment camp for suspected foreign agents on the Isle of Man, alongside a renowned group of refugee musicians, intellectuals, artists, and possibly genuine spies.


Men in Blazers Present Gods of Soccer: The Pantheon of the 100 Greatest Soccer Players (According to Us) By Roger Bennett, Michael Davies, Miranda Davis, Nate Kitch (Illustrator) Cover Image
$40.00
ISBN: 9781797208015
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Chronicle Prism - October 11th, 2022

From the hosts of the popular podcast and tv show Men in Blazers, comes their completely scientific, 100% definitive, defend-to-the-death list of the greatest soccer players of all time.


Mr. B: George Balanchine's 20th Century By Jennifer Homans Cover Image
$40.00
ISBN: 9780812994308
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House - November 1st, 2022

“A fascinating read about a true genius and his unrelenting thirst for beauty in art and in life." — Mikhail Baryshnikov


The Wind at My Back: Resilience, Grace, and Other Gifts from My Mentor, Raven Wilkinson By Misty Copeland, Susan Fales-Hill (With) Cover Image
$29.00
ISBN: 9781538753859
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Grand Central Publishing - November 15th, 2022

The story of two unapologetically Black ballerinas, their friendship, and how they changed each other, and the dance world, forever. Misty Copeland shares her own struggles with racism and exclusion in her pursuit of her dream career and honors the women like Raven who paved the way for her. She celebrates the connection she made with her mentor, the only teacher who could truly understand the obstacles she faced, beyond the technical or artistic demands.


Martha Graham: When Dance Became Modern By Neil Baldwin Cover Image
$40.00
ISBN: 9780385352321
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Knopf - October 25th, 2022

A major biography — the first in three decades — of one of the most important artistic forces of the 20th Century, the legendary American dancer and choreographer who upended dance, propelling the art form into the modern age, and whose profound and pioneering influence is still being felt today.


The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir By Paul Newman, David Rosenthal (Editor), Melissa Newman (Foreword by), Clea Newman Soderlund (Afterword by) Cover Image
By Paul Newman, David Rosenthal (Editor), Melissa Newman (Foreword by), Clea Newman Soderlund (Afterword by)
$32.00
ISBN: 9780593534502
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Knopf - October 18th, 2022

The raw, candid, unvarnished memoir of an American icon: his traumatic childhood, his career, his drinking, his thoughts on Marlon Brando, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, John Huston, his greatest roles, acting, his intimate life with Joanne Woodward, his innermost fears and passions and joys.


Dying of Politeness: A Memoir By Geena Davis Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9780063119130
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: HarperOne - October 11th, 2022

From two-time Academy Award winner and screen icon Geena Davis, the surprising tale of her “journey to badassery” — from her epically polite childhood to roles that loaned her the strength to become a powerhouse in Hollywood.


Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story By Bono Cover Image
By Bono
$34.00
ISBN: 9780525521044
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Knopf - November 1st, 2022

Artist, activist, and the lead singer of Irish rock band U2 Bono's story of the remarkable life he’s lived, the challenges he’s faced, and the friends and family who have shaped and sustained him.


Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands By Linda Ronstadt, Lawrence Downes, Bill Steen (Photographer) Cover Image
$35.00
ISBN: 9781597145794
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Heyday Books - October 4th, 2022

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Linda Ronstadt takes readers on a journey to the place her soul calls home, the Sonoran Desert, in this candid new memoir. "The book is many things at once. It's a portrait of a place, the Sonoran Desert, and it's a genealogy of sorts, an archival romp through Ronstadt's family history." — Vogue


Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History By Kristina R. Gaddy, Rhiannon Giddens (Foreword by) Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9780393866803
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - October 4th, 2022

An illuminating history of the banjo, revealing its origins at the crossroads of slavery, religion, and music.


Word for Word By Rodney Crowell Cover Image
$75.00
ISBN: 9781947026957
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: BMG Books - September 13th, 2022

From growing up in Texas, to living in his car, to landing his first publishing deal, to writing fifteen #1 songs, Word for Word is a lavishly illustrated look at the lyrics of an icon among songwriting giants. In this intimate look at Crowell’s songs, he shares pages from his lyric notebooks, personal photographs, and scribbles that reveal the heart of one of this generation’s finest songwriters.


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This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You By Susan Rogers, Ogi Ogas Cover Image
$28.95
ISBN: 9780393541250
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - September 20th, 2022

A legendary record producer–turned–brain scientist explains why you fall in love with music.


It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror By Joe Vallese (Editor), Carmen Maria Machado (Contribution by), Bruce Owens Grimm (Contribution by) Cover Image
By Joe Vallese (Editor), Carmen Maria Machado (Contribution by), Bruce Owens Grimm (Contribution by)
$25.95
ISBN: 9781952177798
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Feminist Press - October 4th, 2022

Through the lens of horror — from Halloween to Hereditary — queer and trans writers consider the films that deepened, amplified, and illuminated their own experiences.


The LEGO Story: How a Little Toy Sparked the World's Imagination By Jens Andersen Cover Image
$32.50
ISBN: 9780063258020
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Mariner Books - November 15th, 2022

The definitive history of LEGO, based on unprecedented access to the company’s archives and rare interviews with the founding family that still owns the company.


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We Are the ARK: Returning Our Gardens to Their True Nature Through Acts of Restorative Kindness By Mary Reynolds, Ruth Evans (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Mary Reynolds, Ruth Evans (Illustrator)
$30.00
ISBN: 9781643261782
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Timber Press - October 25th, 2022

“Reynolds gives us a much-needed reason for hope. The gardener, the conservationist, the city planner, and the nature lover will all be inspired, for this wonderful book shows how thousands of even small wildlife friendly gardens can provide habitat for embattled wildlife around the world.” — Jane Goodall


American Wildflowers: A Literary Field Guide By Susan Barba (Editor), Leanne Shapton (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Susan Barba (Editor), Leanne Shapton (Illustrator)
$29.99
ISBN: 9781419760167
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Abrams - November 8th, 2022

Organized as a field guide, a literary anthology filled with classic and contemporary poems and essays inspired by wildflowers — perfect for writers, artists, and botanists alike. The book includes exquisite watercolors by Leanne Shapton and is organized by species and botanical family. Think of it as a field guide to the literary imagination.


Around the World in 80 Birds By Mike Unwin, Ryuto Miyake (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Mike Unwin, Ryuto Miyake (Illustrator)
$24.99
ISBN: 9780857828958
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Laurence King Publishing - August 23rd, 2022

This beautiful and inspiring book tells the stories of 80 birds around the world: from the Sociable Weaver Bird in Namibia which constructs huge, multi-nest 'apartment blocks' in the desert, to the Bar-headed Goose of China, one of the highest-flying migrants which crosses the Himalayas twice a year.


Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard  By Joan E. Strassmann Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780593329924
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: TarcherPerigee - October 25th, 2022

A one-of-a-kind guide to birding locally that encourages readers to slow down and notice the spectacular birds all around them. This is the perfect guide for the birder looking to appreciate the beauty of the birds right in their own backyard, observing keenly how their behaviors change from day to day and season to season.


An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us By Ed Yong Cover Image
By Ed Yong
$30.00
ISBN: 9780593133231
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Random House - June 21st, 2022

Coaxing us beyond the confines of our own senses, we are allowed to perceive the skeins of scent, waves of electromagnetism, and pulses of pressure that surround us. We encounter beetles that are drawn to fires, turtles that can track the Earth’s magnetic fields, fish that fill rivers with electrical messages, and even humans who wield sonar like bats.


How to Read a Rock: Our Planet's Hidden Stories By Jan Zalasiewicz Cover Image
$34.95
ISBN: 9781588347282
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Smithsonian Books - November 8th, 2022

Rocks are time machines and the keepers of our history. This guide is a geological field trip through Earth’s incredible rock formations and the stories they hold.


The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves By Alexandra Horowitz Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593298008
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Viking - September 20th, 2022

What is it like to be a puppy? Author of the classic Inside of a Dog, Alexandra Horowitz tries to find out, spending a year scrutinizing her puppy’s daily existence and poring over the science of early dog development.


Life Between the Tides By Adam Nicolson Cover Image
$30.00
Email info@literatibookstore.com or call for price
ISBN: 9780374251437
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux - February 22nd, 2022

Adam Nicolson explores the marine life inhabiting seashore rockpools with a scientist’s curiosity and a poet’s wonder in this beautifully illustrated book.


Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands By Kate Beaton Cover Image
$39.95
ISBN: 9781770462892
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Drawn and Quarterly - September 13th, 2022

Beaton’s natural cartooning prowess is on full display as she draws colossal machinery and mammoth vehicles set against a sublime Albertan backdrop of wildlife, northern lights, and boreal forest. Her first full length graphic narrative, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is an untold story of Canada: a country that prides itself on its egalitarian ethos and natural beauty while simultaneously exploiting both the riches of its land and the humanity of its people.


Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook By Ina Garten Cover Image
$35.00
ISBN: 9781984822789
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Clarkson Potter - October 25th, 2022

America’s favorite home cook presents delicious, crowd-pleasing, go-to recipes that you’ll want to make over and over again! "What better gift to give is there than a new Ina Garten cookbook?!"  —  Vick


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California Soul: An American Epic of Cooking and Survival By Keith Corbin, Kevin Alexander Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9780593243824
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House - August 16th, 2022

A sharply crafted and unflinchingly honest memoir about gangs, drugs, cooking, and living life on the line — both on the streets and in the kitchen — from one of the most exciting stars in the food world today.


The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family: A Cookbook By Bill Leung, Kaitlin Leung, Judy Leung, Sarah Leung Cover Image
$35.00
ISBN: 9780593233894
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Clarkson Potter - November 1st, 2022

Whether you’re new to Chinese cooking or if your pantry is always stocked with bean paste and chili oil, you’ll find lots of inspiration and trustworthy recipes that will become a part of your family story.


Jacques Pépin Art Of The Chicken: A Master Chef's Paintings, Stories, and Recipes of the Humble Bird By Jacques Pépin Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9780358654513
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Harvest - September 27th, 2022

From legendary chef Jacques Pepin, a book celebrating his lifelong love of chickens — featuring dozens of his celebrated paintings, a treasure trove of poignant and often humorous stories, and sprinkled with recipes throughout.


Ghetto Gastro Presents Black Power Kitchen By Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao, Lester Walker, Osayi Endolyn Cover Image
$40.00
ISBN: 9781648290169
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Artisan - October 25th, 2022

“Featuring vibrant recipes, interviews, art, and photography, this is a compelling culinary manifesto about the nature of Black food. . . . Ghetto Gastro offers an awakening of what Black food was, is, and can become while demonstrating the sheer joy and creativity Black communities generate. With waves of crunch, heat, flavor, and umami, this Bronx culinary collective also inspires discussions about race, history, and long-standing food inequality.” — Food & Wine


My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings By Zosia Mamet (Editor) Cover Image
By Zosia Mamet (Editor)
$26.00
ISBN: 9780143137290
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Books - November 1st, 2022

Zosia Mamet has curated some of the most prominent voices in art and culture to tackle the topic of food in its elegance, its profundity, and its incidental charm. My First Popsicle is as much an ode to food and emotion as it is to life.


The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook: 400 authentic everyday recipes for the home cook By Margarita Carrillo Arronte Cover Image
$54.95
ISBN: 9781838665265
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Phaidon Press - October 19th, 2022

Vegetarian food is deeply woven into Mexico's diverse culinary history. In this blockbuster recipe collection from the bestselling author of Mexico: The Cookbook, home cooks will discover delicious traditional and modern dishes made with corn, beans, spices, and the incredible bounty of fruit, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and edible flowers grown across Mexico.


Cook As You Are: Recipes for Real Life, Hungry Cooks, and Messy Kitchens: A Cookbook By Ruby Tandoh Cover Image
$35.00
ISBN: 9780593321546
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Knopf - November 8th, 2022

From last-minute inspiration for feeding an entire family to satisfying meals for just one person, easy one-pot dinners to no-chop recipes, in these pages Ruby Tandoh shares a feast of homey, globally inspired dishes.


Snow Food: Warming Winter Alpine Dishes By Lindor Wink Cover Image
$29.99
ISBN: 9781743798836
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Hardie Grant - November 1st, 2022

Inspired from the heart of snowy alpine winters, chef and skier Lindor's recipes are simple and easy for anyone to follow. These are winter warmers that are perfect to share with family and friends, or just for a cozy night in front of the fire.


Cocktail Botanica: 60+ Drinks Inspired by Nature By Elouise Anders Cover Image
$19.95
ISBN: 9781922417336
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Smith Street Books - September 6th, 2022

Featuring cocktails, punches, and botanical-infused spirits, this book uses herbs, fruits, flowers, and all things botanical that you can buy, forage, or grow.