A Visual Feast

This week – favorite coffee table books of 2022, celebrities writing memoirs, and Michelle Obama and Mike Pence reflect. [View this email online]( [NPR Books]( December 3, 2022 by [Meghan Collins Sullivan]( This week – favorite coffee-table books of 2022, celebrities writing memoirs, and Michelle Obama and Mike Pence reflect. Noah Denmon for NPR It’s early December, which for many people means preparing for upcoming holidays. Last week we launched our twice-yearly, interactive reading guide [Books We Love](. It’s helpful for gift-giving ideas – and different from your run-of-the-mill, end-of-year book lists. It offers not only the chance to look broadly at book recommendations from our staff and critics – but you can also get really specific in what you want with our tagging system. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Meghan Collins Sullivan/NPR This week, we’re also bringing you a look at two sets of visual books that could make great gifts. Our critic Heller McAlpin shares her favorite coffee-table books of 2022 [here](. But she didn’t stop there. She also recommends [these]( three visual books, which feature female subjects doing the things that women have historically done – and also the things that men have historically done. She says they speak volumes with few words. Pilar Galvan/NPR The months leading up to this point have also been full of people telling their own tales. Celebrities, especially, have been busy writing memoirs lately. Some are uplifting, humorous, raw, some poetic and visual. Our attention has been drawn to a handful that, shall we say, [peel back the curtain and cut the cameras](. Which leads us to a couple memoirs that have been getting a LOT of attention – that were published, coincidentally, the same day. The Light We Carry, by former first lady Michelle Obama, and So Help Me God, by former Vice President Mike Pence. Next week on our [podcast, Book of the Day]( we'll have Pence talking about a variety of subjects, including how his faith guides him. You can hear a different part of his interview with Steve Inskeep focused on Jan 6. [here](. And you can listen to our interview with Michelle Obama [here](. She also gave some advice to a Like Kit listener wondering [how to get out of a pandemic rut](. Pilar Galvan/NPR You’ll find so many more NPR interviews with authors on our Book of the Day podcast, too. Next week, joining the former vice president in our lineup, we’ll have Maria Ressa (How to Stand Up to a Dictator), Meg Howrey (They’re Going to Love You), Sarah Thankam Mathews (All This Could Be Different) and Jeanette McCurdy (I’m Glad My Mom Died). So take a listen and let it inspire your next book pick! You can find us [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [books@npr.org](mailto:books@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! [They can sign up here.]( Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Pop Culture, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Books emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]