Link to shop Dinner Diaries

Books are always one of my favorite gifts to give—and also to get. My friend Jenn and I have given each other so many cookbooks through the years, we could start our own store. But I still get excited everytime she sends me a new one! She recently gave me Ottolenghi’s Simple, and I’m obsessed. It’s my number one pick on this list, because it takes his extremely ambitious concepts, and makes them easy to make in 30 minutes. And if you’re not using your coffee table books as decoration, you are missing out on every designer’s favorite prop! Stack them up on shelves and tables to create interest, height, and most of all, conversation. From cocktail books to travel books to celebrity memoirs, there’s something here for everyone.