Free Press reviewers explore coffee-table books for the gift-giving season

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This article was published 19/12/2015 (3563 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting

By Eilon Paz
Penguin Random House, 440 pages, $64

BIG and heavy, man — like a dozen of your favourite LPs — Dust & Grooves is the fascinating product of freelance photographer and vinyl lover Eilon Paz’s five-year expedition into the usually cluttered, frequently kooky and more-often-than-not obsessive lives of determined record collectors around the world.

For some — Roots drummer Questlove, for instance — it’s undeniably about the music. But for many others — men, women, hipsters, geezers, wealthy and not — the tunes take a back seat to something else: the covers (unique, artistic or, in one case, a Parisian hunts for defaced and altered jackets); the curious (a medical panel discussing diabetes inside psychedelic packaging); the cute (a Philadelphia man working to complete the Sesame Street catalogue he began acquiring as a child); or the creepy (Music to Massage Your Mate By, with “explicitly illustrated instruction book enclosed” and ’70s porn-‘stached, leering lothario on the front).

These collections — on 45s, 78s, 10-inch EPs and space-swallowing LPs — require real estate… lots of it. Paz’s subjects range from happy-looking hobbyists in sort-of-tidy, kind-of-organized rooms with floor-to-ceiling shelves to desperate vinyl addicts living in Hoarders episodes surrounded by (and buried under) their treasures. “The record-hunting adventure continues even in my own home, where I often forget what I’ve bought and where I filed it,” says one.

A treat for anyone who has ever experienced the thrilling intoxication that comes with tearing the cellophane off a new record, putting it on the turntable, cranking up the volume and escaping into liner notes and lyrics.

— Jeff Slusky

 

The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray: A Critical Appreciation of the World’s Finest Actor

By Robert Schnakenberg
Quirk, 271 pages, $25

THIS compendium of facts, tidbits and anecdotes about beloved comic actor Bill Murray could probably be more accurately termed a bathroom read than a coffee-table book. Though it has plenty of colour photos, it’s chock full of bite-sized bits of info best consumed in spurts.

Arranged alphabetically, the work includes reviews of Murray’s movies from Ballhawks to Zombieland (with an overall star rating and a Murray star rating, based on whether his performance is canonical or merely a cameo), but the real fun is in the obscure trivia author Robert Schnakenberg has dug up. Under D, for example, is the fact that Murray’s title with the Charleston RiverDogs, the minor-league baseball team he co-owns, is Director of Fun.

Also included are notable quotes and Tales From Murrayland, which detail the deadpan actor’s many off-screen public exploits (for example, in 2010, he and Rza and Gza from the hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan took over a bar in Austin, Texas, serving up tequila shots — and nothing else — all evening).

Even though it lacks any input from the man himself, this would make a good gift for anyone who appreciates Bill Murray and his oeuvre. And really, who among us does not?

— Jill Wilson

 

Where’s Karl? A Fashion-Forward Parody

By Stacey Caldwell and Ajiri A. Aki
Illustrated by Michelle Baron
Potter Style, 48 pages, $21

ADULT colouring books may be all the rage right now, but if the ease and speed with which one gets lost in this fun, hilarious Where’s Waldo? knockoff is any indication, books like Where’s Karl? may be the next big thing.

In a variety of stylish settings around the globe — a Miami art show, an Indian yoga retreat, an Academy Awards after-party and so on — fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld and his entourage are sprinkled throughout jam-packed pages of miniaturized celebs, fashionistas and socialites expertly drawn by Michelle Baron. Given how small they’re drawn, it’s incredible how easy it is to recognize notables such as Kanye West, One Direction, Justin Bieber, Serena Williams, and hundreds of others.

But the goal, of course, is to find Karl on every page — always in his black suit, sunglasses and fingerless gloves, often with his cat, sketch pad or Diet Coke in hand, waiting patiently for you.

— Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson

 

The Hirschfeld Century: Portrait of an Artist and His Age

By David Leopold
Alfred A. Knopf, 322 pages, $51

IN 1996, artist Al Hirschfeld was dubbed “The Line King” in a documentary of the same name in honour of the elegant curves of his sumptuous, flamboyant caricatures. He was born in 1903, he died in 2003, and in the intervening years was primarily known for his coverage of the Broadway beat. (His third wife, Louise, described him as “the logo of the American theatre.”) Author David Leopold, who began documenting Hirschfeld’s body of work while he was alive, offers a more comprehensive portrait of the artist as a man whose subject matter cut a wider cultural swath, encompassing movies (one of his first jobs was for Selznick Pictures), sports, television, politics and music, all on view in this tome’s lavish 366 illustrations.

Hirschfeld’s simplicity of style belied a complex life, and Leopold fills in that blank space with stories that are by turns surprising, evocative and just plain dishy.

— Randall King

 

For Better or for Worse: The Comic Art of Lynn Johnston

By Lynn Johnston and Katherine Hadway
Goose Lane Books, 192 pages, $25

THIS book operates on two levels — it’s a great overview of Lynn Johnston’s evolving style as a cartoonist and graphic artist, and it’s an insightful look at Johnston’s life… for better or worse.

If you just want to enjoy the cartoons, there are plenty to read, evoking many wonderful memories of the comic adventures of the Patterson family. Colourful, timeless, classic — the cartoons will entertain any member of the family.

However, it’s the biography of Johnston that’s most captivating. She’s clearly a woman of great depth and strong opinions; her first-person narrative, supported by Hadway’s biography, suggest Johnston is aware of her weaknesses and strengths. Her personality is not sugar-coated and so, like her cartoons, the narrative is realistic and on point.

This book offers a glance at one of the few successful Canadian women cartoonists and allows us to enjoy her work at the same time.

— Shannon Sampert

 

The League of Regrettable Superheroes

By Jon Morris
Quirk Books, 255 pages, $27

IN cinemas, the comic-book superhero is having a bit of a renaissance, so this colourful compendium serves as a timely reminder that for every breakthrough hero such as Iron Man, there have been dozens of heroes toiling in three-colour obscurity such as, well, Bozo the Iron Man, a perpetually smiling killer robot who debuted in 1939.

Some of the weird heroes documented are very much the product of their times — see 1940’s Dr. Hormone, who uses the power of hormones to transform Boy Scouts into full-grown soldiers. Others are just plain weird: Speed Centaur! Rainbow Boy! Nightmare and Sleepy!

One hero isn’t regrettable at all. Canada’s own Nelvana of the Northern Lights was a pretty cool heroine from 1941, currently enjoying a reprint revival. Morris includes her here, but allows that the only reason to feel sorry about her is that she’s not better known south of the border.

— Randall King

 

Wish You Were Here!

By Stan Milosevic
Great Plains Publications, 119 pages, $25

THIS is a charming collection of hand-tinted postcards of from Winnipeg’s past, collected and annotated by photographer Stan Milosevic.

The backs of some of the postcards are included, with postmarks and handwritten messages, providing tiny windows into the lives of residents and tourists of the day. “Here I am in Winnipeg, see? It’s COLD here, and the prairies ARE flat. (I was always sceptical.)”

The images are lovely, and accompanying text provides bite-sized history lessons. A pleasure to page through and compare the Winnipeg of today with that of yesteryear.

— Wendy Sawatzky

 

Canada 365

By Historica Canada
HarperCollins, 416 pages, $30

CANADA 365 tells readers what happened on this day in our country — from monumental turning points to obscure stories of Canadians.

On this day (Dec. 19) in 2012, astronaut Chris Hadfield took off for the International Space Station on a mission that — thanks to the Canadian spaceman’s social-media wizardry — taught us what it’s like to make a peanut butter sandwich in space and what it’s like to wring out a washcloth in zero gravity.

Exactly 17 years earlier, an Alberta chicken producer by the name of Rod Chernos was honoured by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for letting his chickens roam free, because “a happy chicken is a tasty chicken,” he said.

Canada 365 — written by Historica Canada, an independent organization dedicated to Canadian history, identity and citizenship — isn’t exhaustive, but the topics range drastically. Open to any page of the photo-rich collection of events and the casual reader is treated to a morsel of history, be it from the world of politics, sports, entertainment or business.

— Graeme Bruce

 

Canada: Images of the Land

By J.A. Kraulis, introduction by Roy MacGregor
Firefly Books, 223 pages, $50

THERE are no fewer than 200 awe-inspiring images of our sweeping, wondrous country in this beautiful hardcover by Canadian landscape photographer J.A. Kraulis.

The collection of glossy, colourful images is of places seemingly untouched by modern conveniences. They include the breathtaking slopes of Mumm Peak in the southern Rockies, stunning illuminated boulders on Cape Enrage along the coast of the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, and a magnificent meltwater pond at the base of Mount Edith Cavell in Jasper National Park.

They’re all fantastic. But none are as wondrous as the peaceful image of Punk Island in Lake Winnipeg. Kraulis shot it from the West Quarry trail on Hecla Island and in doing so, truly captured the serenity of our province’s Interlake.

— Leesa Dahl

 

Atlas of Cursed Places: A Travel Guide to Dangerous and Frightful Destinations

By Olivier Le Carrer
Black Dog & Leventhal, 144 pages, $30

WITH snow back on the ground and cold back in the air, many Canadians will soon be seeking a welcome respite elsewhere. But not here: author Olivier Le Carrer instead serves up a list of 40 of the most unwelcoming places in the world.

To be considered “cursed,” a location must meet one of three criteria: boast a mystical hex or supernatural/paranormal phenomenon; possess a naturally occurring yet enduring dangerous hazard to the local population; or have been rendered uninhabitable by human activity.

From the ever-burning underground inferno below Jharia, India, to the ever-expanding garbage island of Thilafushi, Maldives, to the devil-haunted forbidden cemetery of Stull, Kansas, the story of each terrible place is accompanied by terrific vintage maps and illustrations. For the travel/history/supernatural/cartography buff on your list.

— Scott Emmerson

 

Cabin Porn

Edited by Zach Klein
Little, Brown, 317 pages, $36

AIMLESSLY jostling in a mall with a parka on for hours kindles some nasty urges — like homicide. Cabin Porn features characters who took another option, leaving it all behind for a hundred square feet of heaven in the woods.

This is a wilderness manual for the small-living crowd — the polar opposite of Rachel Carley’s 1998 book Cabin Fever, which documented backwoods extravagances built by the moneyed class over the ages.

Editor Zach Klein’s getaways pay homage to minimalism and will appeal to urbanites with a yen to adopt a lighter footprint: tree houses, boathouses, sugar shacks. Flip to the back for the most engaging section: photos of hovels and quirky redoubts built from salvage.

— Catherine Mitchell

 

My Couch is Your Couch: Exploring How People Live Around the World

By Gabriele Galimberti
Random House Canada, 175 pages, $27

FASCINATED by the concept of couch-surfing — the pre-AirBnb travel service that matches hosts with travelers seeking a comfy-ish place to crash — Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti chronicles his two-year couch-surfing journey in this fascinating look at life in all corners of the world. He made it through 58 countries on a laughably tiny budget, thanks to the hospitality of strangers who were willing to put him up and share their stories.

The short, intimate portraits of his various hosts — each story is less than a page, but the accompanying photos almost always tell a bigger story — capture such lovely slices of life from Bangkok to Mumbai, Zanzibar to Whitehorse and Austin, making this collection an easy read that’s hard to put down. Galimberti’s journey will make the eager traveller in you both insanely jealous and incredibly inspired.

My Couch is Your Couch is really a series of vignettes, often too short to run deep, but Galimberti still finds little moments in each person’s tale that stay with you. From his 61-year-old Toronto host, Barbara: “Couchsurfing bridges the age gap. Having a lot of young people coming and going makes me feel young.” Then she tells him she’s off to Burning Man with her son and plans to hitchhike home. Some people really know how to live.

— Sarah Lilleyman

 

Apartment Therapy

By Maxwell Ryan and Janel Laban, photos by Melanie Acevedo
Random House Canada, 320 pages, $45

SO you have a home or apartment with furniture you’re kind of happy with, but you still wonder if you could improve your space. Enter Apartment Therapy, a book full of calming living spaces and easy inspiration for making changes in your own spaces to really brighten up the look of your home.

The book has sections for every part of your home, and includes handy guides to things like which plants work well indoors, how to improve the flow of a room, and fixing squeaky doors and creaking floors.

Learn to rearrange your living room to better use the space, get those catalogue-worthy cosy bedrooms or convert your bathroom into a little spa retreat. Apartment Therapy is perfect for those restless weekends when you need a quick fix for a home-improvement itch.

— Inayat Singh

 

Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words

By Randall Munroe
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 64 pages, $34

NASA roboticist-turned-webcomic-artist Munroe employs the thousand most common words in the English language to explain everything from human physiology (“bags of stuff inside you”) to dishwashers (“box that cleans food holders”), all accompanied by comparatively sophisticated diagrams.

It makes for a refreshing primer on how stuff works, free of jargon. That said, it requires a little extra scrutiny to decipher what Munroe’s illustrating. Pencils and pens are “writing sticks,” a common lock is a “shape checker,” and a microwave oven is a “food-heating radio box.”

If Munroe’s mission of simplicity feels occasionally belaboured, the science is both solid and entertaining.

— Randall King

 

Leafs ’65: The Lost Toronto Maple Leafs Photographs

Text by Stephen Brunt, photos by Lewis Parker
Penguin Random House, 192 pages, $35

AN absolute treasure for Leafs Nation, with an added bonus for anyone aware of what a little gem Peterborough is.

An attic clean-out uncovered boxes of photo negatives from a cancelled magazine assignment of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ training camp in Peterborough in 1965. With none of the glamour or millions of the contemporary NHL, here’s a black-and-white time when hockey players were told to arrive in training camp no more than seven pounds overweight and able to do 20 pushups.

Smoking in small-town coffee shops, walking a mile to a rink whose dressing rooms make your kids’ community-centre arena look good, here are some of the best players ever to wear blue and white — Allan Stanley, Tim Horton, Johnny Bower, George Armstrong, Bobby Baun — sweating off the summer rust under the sometime-benevolent despot Punch Imlach. Brunt’s superb text reminds us that this was the camp in which Carl Brewer decided to just walk away from hockey.

— Nick Martin

 

Tiny Hats on Cats

By Adam Ellis
Grand Central Publishing, 242 pages, $18

FLIPPING through pages upon pages of wonderfully co-operative cats wearing tiny hats, you just have to wonder where the 29-year-old author’s life went so spectacularly right.

Ellis started off the tiny hats project on Instagram, where his two cats, Maxwell and Peppercorn, modelled his hat creations. After seeing the strong response — the Instagram account has more than 28,100 followers — he decided to convert it into a book.

But the book isn’t just filled with cute cats and hats, although, quite frankly, that alone would be enough. It also has detailed instructions on making the pretty hats, so your cat can feel fancy too. You too can make your cat wear the Pope hat, the Valkyrie hat, or, my favourite, the snapback, although you might get just a few seconds to snap that perfect photo of your stylish feline.

— Inayat Singh