Shelf Esteem

Our review of three recent titles

Thursday, 25 Oct 2012

Daily reader or pretend book collector – we’ve done the work on the latest releases and what your bookshelf needs.

Coffee Table Keeper

Who isn’t a fan of Scott Schuman, the man behind The Sartorialist? If you’re into fashion, style, or even just photography, we cannot recommend Closer (Scott’s second book) more.

It’s a hefty 500 page picture book of streetstyle photographs from around the world, of which 40 are exclusive to the book.

What we love most: Scott’s personal anecdotes on his subjects or places he’s visited. Everyone knows that his girlfriend, Garance, is the more personable one, but this book gives you an insight to how Scott works and his appreciation for all sorts of inspiring streetstyle.

Best for: Anyone who appreciates beautiful things. Fashion addicts, you can learn a lot about mixing patterns, proportion play, as well as the art of accessorizing from the book. Makes a great Christmas gift for the girlfriends!

Closer is available at all major bookstores for $46.50.

Handy Kitchen Helper

Okay, 15 minute meals are not a luxury – they’re a necessity. If you haven’t laid hands on Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals (released just a month ago), don’t waste any more time.

Some of you might already be familiar with Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals, but with 15 Minute Meals the pressure is on. The recipes are easy to follow, the ingredients are widely available, and most of the recipes are in Jamie’s signature style – rustic, casual, and deliciously uncomplicated, though inspired by food from around the world. To cook within the 15 minute mark you do need some basic kitchen equipment (Jamie outlines it all for you), so if you’re lacking a food processor and a stick blender, pick those up when you get the book.

Best for: all kinds of cooks, but especially those who don’t cook.

Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals (hardcover) is available at all major bookstores for $65.

Lifestyle Changer

First up, let us say that we don’t read diet books. We believe in eating in moderation, exercising regularly, and really, just indulging every once in a while.

So we were skeptical when we eyed this highly controversial diet book but yowza, Venice Fulton is full of surprises! Six Weeks to OMG: Get skinnier than all your friends is all about nutritional secrets and some unusual exercise tips (like blowing balloons to work those transverse abs). There are no recipes here but there are chapters on how to choose the right food and how to nix the wrong ones (goodbye, low fat anything). The book starts slow with the basic building blocks of nutrition and exercise, so if you’ve done your homework on the topic, you can afford to skip the first few chapters. But it picks up about a third through – we definitely learnt a couple of tricks that we’ve been testing out ourselves.

Best for: nutritional junkies. Chronic dieters – this book could take you dangerously close to an eating disorder, so keep yourself in check.

Six Weeks to OMG: Get skinner than all your friends is available at all major bookstores for $32.50.