This post is sponsored by Moon Travel Guides.
When it comes to gift-giving, there’s nothing better than finding something that makes the recipient smile immediately and then continues bringing them a little joy for years to come.
One of my favorite gift options (for both giving and receiving) is coffee table books. It doesn’t sound that exciting on the surface, but the right book provides decor AND entertainment.
Plus, you can give something personalized to the interests of the recipient without being concerned about sizing or specific tastes.
If that wasn’t enough, you can find the perfect book for anyone from car fanatics to theater lovers. AND there’s something available for all ages.
I could look at books all day, so I did some research and went through our collection to put together a gift guide for you covering lots of different topics.
There’s one that I’m most excited about that I want to show you first, and then I’ve got a ton more in a list below! I received Wanderlust: A Travelers Guide to the Globe from Moon Travel Guides, but the rest we’ve either purchased or have on our wish lists.
If any of your friends or family are interested in travel, Wanderlust is a fabulous gift option. I expected it to be much more expensive based on the size, all the pretty photos, and the valuable information inside.
It’s PERFECT for anyone with a travel bucket list. The 300+ pages cover everything from the most beautiful waterfalls to the best street art and murals. There’s even a fabulous guide breaking down the best places to travel by month tucked in the back of the book.
Another fun section lists different wildlife and tells you the best place to find each animal in their natural habitat. I had no idea Borneo has orangutans!
Wanderlust is designed in an easy to read format with lots of pictures and illustrations, making it perfect to pick up from the coffee table and read a little at a time.
While the inside is fabulous, it also looks great sitting on our coffee table/ottoman!
The final reason I love our coffee table books is that they tend to spur conversation and keep people off of their phones. I get excited when someone sits down and starts flipping through one of our books and then wants to talk about whatever they’ve seen.
I can’t wait for everyone to see Wanderlust over Christmas and share which destinations they’d most love to visit! You can grab a copy via Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Now that we’ve covered travel lovers, I’ve got some more ideas for you below!
This is a fun option for anyone interested in history, illustration/art, or even general trivia lovers. Know someone obsessed with Hamilton? We have this book and it's an amazing behind the scenes look at everything that went into the musical launching on Broadway. This is another favorite to grab and read during commercials. Each page stands alone and has a fascinating story. It's a fun gift for any amazing woman in your life. Know someone interested in graphic design or art? Corey's had this book for a few years and it's still one of his favorites. Is your friend or sister interested in decorating and a bit snarky? This will be a hit! It has a mix of solid interior design advice mixed in with humor...but Orlando has an edge that people will either love or hate. For a less controversial interior design pick, you can't go wrong with this new classic. Styled by Emily Henderson is gorgeous inside and out. Everyone knows a Beatles fan, and every Beatles fan needs a copy of this book! It tells the stories behind each of their songs. If anyone on your list is obsessed with cars, this book looks like a bit hit. It's the first one on the list that I don't own, but Smithsonian always does a great job with their coffee table books and I wouldn't hesitate to buy this one. This option is a bit of a splurge compared to the others, but it's on my personal wish list this year so I wanted to include it. Bill Cunningham has been taking fashion photos on the streets of New York City for 50 years and this book is a collection of his photos. It's perfect for the fashionista or NYC-lover in your life. How can you go wrong with a book of 1000 adorable dog photos? Craft beer is having a MAJOR moment and I'm sure you can think of SOMEONE who is always excited about the latest brewery. Whoever that is in your life, they need this National Geographic coffee table book of beer! I just stumbled on this book of Peonies on a best seller list and immediately added it to my own Christmas list. It will look SO GOOD in the living room this spring and the pictures inside are gorgeous. It's great for the master gardener or green-thumb wannabe in your life. I thought I'd circle back to add Wanderlust in the same format as the others for easy shopping! It would be a great gift to a whole family to help them create their family travel bucket list. Coffee Table Book Gift Guide
The Who, the What, and the When: 65 Artists Illustrate the Secret Sidekicks of History
Hamilton: The Revolution
Bad Girls Throughout History
House Industries: The Process Is the Inspiration
Get It Together!: An Interior Designer's Guide to Creating Your Best Life
Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves
All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release
Drive: The Definitive History of Driving
Bill Cunningham: On the Street: Five Decades of Iconic Photography
The Dogist: Photographic Encounters with 1,000 Dogs
National Geographic Atlas of Beer: A Globe-Trotting Journey Through the World of Beer
Peonies: Beautiful Varieties for Home & Garden
Wanderlust: A Traveler's Guide to the Globe
If you saw something close, but not exactly perfect, I’d recommend clicking through and then looking at the Frequently Bought Together and Customers Who Viewed This Also View sections under the listing.
I have found some of the coolest books that I wouldn’t have seen before in those sections.
Now that I’ve shared my favorites, I’d love to hear yours in the comments below. And if you’re stuck and need a book idea for a topic I haven’t covered, add that to the comments as well. I’ll help you research!
Happy Shopping!
Arabella Davies says
Hi Melissa, thanks for all your suggestions. There are some gems in here!