This is a collection of amazing, and relevant to #2020 coffee table books. They are largely, a little bigger, like this beauty on Humans, and this beauty on Chess Masterpieces. Some are larger-than-life in their subject matter, like this tribute to The Notorious RBG, and this tribute to the International Space Station. They are mostly hardbound, except for where they are softbound, in a good way, like Dead Style, an ode to the intersection of tie dye and street style.
21 Inspirational Coffee Table Books To Gift (Or Get) This Year
They are all beautiful, even when their subject matter is hard — in a way that only art can balance truth. They are meant to be the books you leave in plain site, arranged just so, where you can both see them and reach them. They are meant to be collected forever, and also make lovely, meaningful gifts. And mostly, they are meant to be perused all cuddled-up with your own loves, under cozy blankets on a cold winter night, just appreciating the time together, shutting off all the noise, all the screens, the whole outside world. They are a chance to just page through the magic of their art and stories, count blessings, reflect on where we’ve been and remind ourselves that there’s plenty to look forward to in the New Year.
In remembrance, and celebration, these books — 21 of them to be exact. Twenty to say farewell to the year that was, and one to wish us collective love and luck in the year ahead.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21
1 | The Art Of The Brick
The year of fewer gallery visits, make your own art, stay-at-home, and watch where you step — #2020
2 | Chess Masterpieces
The year of binging all of Netflix, and falling in love with chess all over again through The Queen’s Gambit — #2020
3 | Notorious RBG
The year we said Rest In Power to the Notorious RBG — who by the way, seems to be well at work from above — #2020
4 | Unseen
The year we couldn’t unsee that Black Lives Matter and that we need to do better — #2020
5 | Humans
The year the whole world suffered a Pandemic, together/apart, as humans — #2020
6 | Star Wars The Visual Encyclopedia
The year Disney Plus brought us The Mandalorian and some of us needed a quick refresh on where we left off — #2020
7 | Complex Sneaker Of The Year
The year sports all but froze and when they unfroze, players walked-off, for good reason. The year of The Last Dance, of losing Kobe and Gigi, and learning not to hold our breath for our next tragedy, and that we’ll need to learn new ways of doing things — #2020
8 | The Secret Lives Of Color
The year we all learned to appreciate, love, or hate the color of our own walls in our own homes — #2020
9 | The Promised Land
The year we almost thought all hope was lost, that democracy was lost, and then reminded ourselves to bring it back. “That’s what we do,” BO – #2020
10 | Interior Space
The year we saw the first all-woman space walk (Jessica Meir and Christina Koch,) and the first Black astronaut, (Victor Glover) to arrive on the ISS for a long-term stay – #2020
11 | Vital Voices : 100 Women Using Their Power To Empower
The year #metoo turned two, moms said enough, and we hit the streets and the polls, and wore stilettos to smash the ceiling —#2020
12 | High On Design
The year that Cannibis culture, became even more mainstream, or at least the one where we continued to legalize it — #2020
13 | Rainbow Revolution
The year we fought to maintain the rights that had started a slow roll in and then became threatened again — #2020
14 | Mail
The first year in most of our lives when we questioned “neither snow, nor heat, nor gloom of night…” — #2020
15 | Hand Dryers
The year we all learned to WASH YOUR HANDS, ALL THE TIME — #2020
16 | In The Company Of Women
The year we elected our first female, Black Vice President of The United States, and then the appointments started a roll call that makes it seem as though we will in fact, be in the company of more women than any administration has seen, to date — #2020
17 | Dead Style
The year we learned that tie dye is not dead — #2020
18 | Art =
The year that we learned that art equals many new forms, especially via Zoom, FB Live, Instagram Live, and YouTube – #2020
19 | The Art Of Feminism
The year we defined this word, again, for the folks in the back – #2020
20 | Dogs
The year of the Pandemic Puppy. Get a dog, take it for a walk, wear a mask. – #2020
21 | Nest
The year we all learned how to nest, at home, together in quarantine, to appreciate the little things, one another, and silver linings, to use our patios and backyards and front porches for distance gathering, and to cozy up, clean up, and work and school from home, and to look ahead to 2021, with more open hearts and minds, behind masks and love – #2020
Here’s to remembering our recent past, and the long one too, and to looking ahead to the future with wiser eyes and fuller hearts. xoxo,
A
PS: Follow along with me on Pinterest for more Home Inspiration and other random distractions via pretty visuals.
PPS: This one’s for the Pinners:
LOVE your article!! Can’t wait to get allllll these books! Check mine out!
XOXO,
Hannah
https://hanzastephens.com/affordable-coffee-table-books/