Welcome back, paper lovers! Our annual Holiday Gift Guide continues with Part 2 — this time dedicated entirely to beautifully crafted books and inspiring magazines. If you haven’t yet explored Part 1 of our Paper Lovers Gift Guide, where we rounded up notepads, calendars, and all kinds of delightful paper goods, make sure to check it out so you don’t miss any gems.
Today’s selection is all about the joy of turning pages — whether you’re shopping for a design aficionado, a devoted reader, or someone who simply loves the feel and smell of fresh print. These thoughtfully chosen titles are perfect for gifting or savoring yourself. So grab a cozy seat, settle in with a warm drink, and discover the literary treasures waiting to be unwrapped. Let’s dive into our favorites!
Books & Magazines
Marvel Comics Library. Avengers. Vol. 2. 1965–1967
The perfect gift for every superhero enthusiast: Marvel’s dynamic superhero team is back! The second Avengers volume of the Marvel Comics Library revives the glorious years of Marvel legends Stan Lee and Don Heck. Twenty issues have been faithfully reproduced in large format, featuring epic battles, new characters and the expansion of the Marvel universe.
Available in English.
Shake once for snow. A Winter Book from Vienna (orig. Für Schnee einmal schütteln)
This is a book about winter in Vienna. And about how people draw, paint, photograph it, what they like to do at this time of year or how they warm themselves. The weather has been measured in Vienna for a very long time. Therefore, we know how much winter has changed. How? Let’s explore this together! The stories are arranged by year, and there are many pictures and objects from the Wien Museum to discover. A book to read aloud, to read for yourself, to ask the grandparents, to let stories tell.
Available in German.
Flora - Plant Card Set & Book. Edition 3
A loving guide through the plant world: Flora connects you with the power and wisdom of 33 native plant creatures.
More than a set of cards, Flora is an invitation to ask yourself the question: Quo vadis – where does your path lead? Each of the delicately illustrated plant cards carries its own quality and helps you to feel your direction more clearly. In the accompanying book you will learn where you can meet these plants, how you can bring their power into your life and what messages they want to give you. In this way, Flora becomes a gentle compass – your personal Ikigai – that inner sense that carries you and makes you alive. Playfully, Flora guides you through her wisdom along the way and reminds you of the knowledge that is deeply rooted within you. Draw a card, open the accompanying book and find inspiration, support and new energy.
Civa – Contemporary Immersive Virtual Art. |indeterminate⟩⟨apparatus|
A gift for your artistic, sophisticated friends. |indeterminate⟩⟨apparatus| – the exhibition as part of Civa 2025 and this catalog bring together artistic and theoretical perspectives on the potential, the indeterminate. On the occasion of the centenary of quantum science and technology, and inspired by concepts of quantum physics such as entanglement, superposition, and observation, artists such as Black Quantum Futurism, Alice Bucknell, Libby Heaney, Natalie Paneng, and Mike Rijnierse explore aesthetic, technological, and political dimensions of the indeterminate and non-binary.
Available in German and English.
Ashley Hans Scheirl. In & Out of Painting
The catalogue is published on the occasion of the major retrospective of Ashley Hans Scheirl at Belvedere 21 and traces a trajectory from the 1970s to the present, including newly produced works. With a twenty-year practice spanning film, performance, and sound, Scheirl is considered one of the pioneers of a queer-feminist and transgender counterculture. In the 1990s, painting moved to the forefront: Abstract Expressionism meets Photorealism, dark Romanticism, Pop Art, Bad Painting, and Surrealism. Key references include splatter films, Viennese Actionism, Donna Haraway, and Georges Bataille.
Available in German.
Cézanne, Monet, Renoir. French Impressionism from the Langmatt Museum
The Langmatt Museum in Baden, Switzerland, houses one of the most impressive private collections of French Impressionist art in Europe. The Art Nouveau villa Langmatt was not only the residence of Jenny and Sidney Brown, but also provided them with the freedom to indulge their passion for art. The Browns’ interest in French Impressionism began around 1907 with the acquisition of an oil painting by Paul Cézanne, of whom the couple collected a large group of works in the following years. Pierre-Auguste Renoir particularly inspired the Browns, and they eventually owned an extensive collection of 22 paintings by him.
Available in German.
Danube
In her latest book, award-winning food writer Irina Georgescu explores the food and culture of the Danube river’s path – from Serbia along the borders of Romania and Bulgaria to the Black Sea. It’s an utterly transporting book, as fine a read as it is to cook from. For the most part, the recipes are simple (for example curd cheese with watermelon and sesame seeds, and St Helena yeasted pancakes with poppy seeds), reflecting how people cook at home, with Georgescu combining flavours with an equal care to tradition and a flourish that felt natural to her.
Available in English.
Vincent van Duysen – Private Photography SPECIAL EDITIONS Zara Home
“If I hadn’t become an architect, I would have become a photographer,” says Vincent Van Duysen, explaining the creation of this special edition, which is presented in a slipcase of three volumes. These books contain a series of unpublished photographs chosen by the famous architect and designer to bring his personal memories to life and demonstrate his sensitivity to the visual. It is a very personal journey for Van Duysen, offering an intimate glimpse into his life over the past twenty years. This creative journey also includes his favorite pictures of his beloved dachshunds, who are among his most loyal companions. The special edition also includes a book about his two houses, sources of inspiration and true design laboratories, photographed by François Halard. Available in English.
Italy 1900. A Portrait in Color
The photochrome prints and hand-coloured black-and-white photographs in this volume depict a sunken world, an Italy that stands on the threshold of modernity and yet still seems to be dreaming a centuries-old dream. They lead to the origins of the photographic image of Italy and reveal narratives and myths that go far back into the past and continue to shape our collective imaginations today.
Available in English.
Knowledge for all. ISOTYPE – the visual language from Vienna (orig. Wissen für alle. ISOTYPE – die Bildsprache aus Wien)
In 1925, Otto Neurath (1882-1945) founded the Museum of Society and Economics in Red Vienna, where he and his team developed the Viennese method of image statistics. The aim was to provide knowledge for everyone in a simple form. Social and economic contexts should be presented in such an understandable way that people can raise their voices politically.
The World in Colours. Slovenian Painting 1848 -1918 (orig. Die Welt in Farben)
In the course of the 19th century, Ljubljana developed from a rural small town into the unofficial capital and cultural center of the Slovenian nation. Despite difficult conditions, a rich artistic and cultural activity unfolded during this period. The central characteristic of the painterly approaches was the intensive engagement with color. The study of its effect, symbolism, expressive power, and technical application was rarely as much at the forefront of artistic movements as it was in Slovenian painting around 1900. With works by Ivan Grohar, Rihard Jakopič, Matija Jama, Ivana Kobilca, Jožef Petkovšek, Matej Sternen, Jožef Tominc, among others.
Available in English & German (bilingual).
What I Mean to Say: Remaking Conversation in Our Time
A great gift for everyone which wants to disconnect from online. In contemporary society, much of our communication exists in a new dimension, the online space, and it’s changing how we regard each other and how we converse. In the digital realm, we can be anonymous, we can make false and hurtful comments yet evade consequences in a hurried scroll of clicks and swipes. But a good conversation takes time and patience, courage, even. We need to realize that one-half of our conversations is, in fact, listening. And aren’t the best conversationalists―like the best musicians―good listeners?
Available in English.
The Mountain Dreamer
20 stories about spiritual encounters on the path to the summit of the mountain of self-knowledge. Reading, reflecting and tracing the rootsof your own self. Breathe in and breathe out – take a moment of silence and connect with Mother Earth and Father Sky so that the energy of both can flow through you. Have you ever tried to love unconditionally? What is currently your heart’s dream in life?
Available in English, German and Dutch.
CHIHARU SHIOTA: THE UNSETTLED SOUL catalog
Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota (1972), known for her unique visual language encompassing drawing, performance, sculpture and installations, reflects on key themes of human existence in her work. With the help of fibers, he creates extensive networks into which he inserts everyday objects and personal memorabilia, creating impressive environments evoking nostalgia, personal history and collective memory.
Available in English.
A feast for vegetables (orig. Ein Fest für Gemüse)
Parvin Razavi celebrates vegetables! After all, no other food can be prepared in a more diverse way and we can enjoy the seasons so directly. In her new cookbook, the top chef with Persian roots shows how uncomplicated and refined in taste her modern vegetable-oriented cuisine is. In creative vegan and vegetarian recipes, she brings out the advantages of seasonal vegetables with oriental and Asian flavours and invites you to rediscover familiar vegetables again and again.
Available in German.
Don’t Talk Just Kiss
The second bestseller from PopMusicWisdom and a sequel to Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow. Filled with famous advice songs around the topic of love, this is the perfect gift for a partner or someone you love in general. With great advice from Aretha Franklin, Dean Martin, Bryan Adams, Amy Winehouse and many more!
Available in English.
Kastav
The Monograph of the Town of Kastav blends book design and art to tell the story of Kastav through time. Its cover features four hand-applied paper layers that form a symbolic gradient from past to future. Instead of using photographs or illustrations, the design takes on a minimalist, conceptual approach. Inside, three different paper types represent the past (matte yellow), present (white), and future (silver glossy). The layout gradually transitions from classic to modern, mirroring the passage of time. The book was hand-assembled using various materials and formats, with text by Davor Žic and design and production by regional experts.
Available in English and Croatian.
ECHO IN DELIRIUM
Have you ever felt like the past is here to stay? That the present is just an endless loop of everything that happened before, repeating over and over and over? Have you ever felt that there is no way to break out of that loop? Welcome to ECHO IN DELIRIUM.
In recent years, society has been rocked by crises: pandemics, wars in our neighborhood, skyrocketing inflation. To cope with existential insecurity and depression, many people have turned to music, films and objects they loved as children. What seemed outdated or ironic not so long ago, either in decoration or in clothing style, could now become a symbol of serenity, a familiar anchor in an estranged world.
Available in English.
THE ART OF LIFE
Such a great gift for art lovers! Thanks to research over recent decades, Hungarian Art Nouveau architecture, applied arts, and fine arts have been winning ever greater international recognition. This exhibition focuses on an art form that has been less thoroughly explored: Hungarian poster art and graphic design from the turn of the century. Thanks to the rich poster collection of the Hungarian National Gallery and the cooperation of our partners – the National Széchényi Library, the Museum of Applied Arts, and the Budapest History Museum – we can present Hungarian poster art in an international context, and in relation to the object culture of Art Nouveau.
Available in English and German.
Winter Drawings
A hauntingly beautiful, simple, yet powerful gift. Winter Drawings is the first joint publication by Csimota Publishing and ArchivorumxMegève, presenting the work of British artist Peter Liversidge. The images in the book were created in the winter of 2024 and 2025. The drawings are impressions of a tree or a detail of a tree, appearing as fragile, motionless shadows on translucent tracing paper, reminiscent of the world of Far Eastern shadow theater.
Available in English.
Place I always carry on, artist's book
“In my artistic journey, the idea of preserving my “inner child’s room” has become a focal point. This intimate space, my “inner home,” is a microcosm that accompanies me through the twists and turns of life, especially during the upheaval of immigration” Ana Saut, artist
Available in English.
Aftersun, we’re going to the river
“My family was always divided between people and homes. Love stretched somewhere in between. ‘Aftersun’ is a condition, when, for a brief moment, I can feel happy, even though it burns me” Maya Nesterenko artist
Available in English.
SUSHI – illustrated history roll by roll by Dávid Soboň (orig. SUSHI – ilustrované dejiny rolka za rolkou)
Illustrated book about history of sushi. Discover the story of Japan’s national dish soaked in aromas and follow its footsteps from mountain rice plantations through opulent banquets, chaotic and noisy fish markets, historic streets with the first sushi stalls to modern restaurants in contemporary Tokyo. This humorous illustrated guide will offer you not only a number of surprising stories that reach back to the ancient and recent past, but also an extraordinary portrait of a country that has always fascinated and inspired not only with its tastes.
Available in Slovak.
Klemen Rodman
This visually rich monograph offers a comprehensive overview of more than 40 years of creativity by renowned Slovenian designer Klemen Rodman. Spanning 450 pages, it showcases numerous works that have helped shape Slovenian cultural identity—alongside many projects previously unknown to the public.
Rodman’s work has always existed at the crossroads of industrial design, architecture and visual communication. In recent years, he has increasingly explored collage as a medium, creating deeply personal works that blend artistic inquiry with intimate self-expression.
Available in Slovenian.
The Fosil Sun (orig. Fosilno Sonce)
A great gift for astronomy lovers! The catalogue was published for the exhibition titled Fossil Sun. The exhibition supports photography as a process stretched between the depths of the Earth and the light of the Sun, our closest star. Through an intertwining of cabling, bitumen-coated screens, and video recordings, it explores the material origins and ecological legacy of the technologies that enable photography in its analogue and digital forms, while opening up reflection on the entanglement of the human and the non-human world.
Available in English and Slovenian (bilingual).
Adam Pendleton. Blackness, White, and Light
Blackness, White, and Light was the first extensive European solo exhibition of the New York-based artist Adam Pendleton (1984, Richmond, VA). His multifaceted work—which includes painting, drawing, sculpture, and film—recognizes the complicated sensorial experience of moving through the world in the twenty-first century. As an immersive work of art, his exhibition aimed to transform the museum into a space for conversation, creating a dialogue between artworks and viewers, and multiplying monophonic voices into a polyphony of ideas. Pendleton investigates Blackness as a color, an identity, a method, and a political subject—in short, as a multitude. He also poses urgent yet open questions about the legacy of modernism in the present day, reactivating ideas from historic avant-gardes across mediums and moments in time.
Available in English.
Hidden Stories (orig. Skryté příběhy)
The publication Jan Pištěk, Hidden Stories, is a reconstruction of the formative plots, conceptual and stylistic transformations that Pištěk’s work has undergone. At the same time, it is a selection of his key works – it includes some of his realizations from large state and private collections, but also new works from recent years, in which Pištěk returns to some themes lively. The book thus unfolds the story of the painter’s work from 1988 to the present.
Available in Czech language.
Roads to Jerusalem
The “Roads to Jerusalem” exhibition catalog explores the unique phenomenon of this unique city through essays and a comprehensive compilation of works on display. The authors adopt a multicultural perspective, presenting the role played by three monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Available only in Polish language.
Beyond the Frame: On Painting ( orig. Poza Ramami o malarstwie)
This album can serve as a way to organize the most important information about “what you should know” or be a constant source of admiration for the beauty of art history. I would like you to reach for this album not only in search of inspiration, but above all – that thanks to it you can stock up on a huge number of works and derive as much pleasure, knowledge and a lot of love for art history as possible.
This is not a textbook. This is not a catalog. This is not an encyclopedia.
It’s a story about art – made up of works that have delighted me for years. I get shivers when I look at these paintings. It’s an indescribable excitement. I would like a lot of people to be able to experience this emotion. 480 pages, divided into five eras: Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism and Romanticism, modern and contemporary art.
Available only in Polish language.
One shower a week
An ideal gift to anyone wanting to expand their horizons and commit to a simpler life. For three and a half years documentary photographer and cultural anthropologist Mariet Dingemans photographed the residents of intentional community De Brouwketel in Angeren (The Netherlands). Nine adults, five children, six sheep, lots of chickens and a dog.
The ‘Brouwketelaars’ try to live a self-sufficient and sustainable life. They grow their own fruit and vegetables, make yoghurt themselves and bake their own bread. They consume as little water, electricity and plastic possible, while heating their house with firewood from their land. The Brouwketelaars’ sustainable and ‘slow’ way of living, their relaxed attitude towards hygiene and unconcernedness with outward appearances, touched the photographer. And made her look at her own life differently.
Available in Dutch and English (bilingual).
Elsewhere Here (orig. Nekje drugje Tukaj)
Klavdij Sluban is one of the world’s most renowned photographers of Slovenian origin. The largest ever mid-career retrospective exhibition of Klavdij Sluban’s “Nekje drugje Tukaj / Elsewhere Here” at the Jakopič Gallery is accompanied by an extensive photomonography, printed at Luart Ribnica. The new revised and expanded international edition is introduced by the curator Dr Marija Skočir’s text in four languages (Slovenian, English, French and German), followed by a selection of photographs, printed over 200 pages that highlight more than three decades of Sluban’s work.
Available in Slovenian.
An Introspective (orig. Introspektiva)
The book Introspektiva is authored by Alen Ožbolt, the current Dean of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design. Primarily, however, he is an artist, spatial designer and innovator. Over the past three years he has been preparing a retrospective showcasing his most significant works, including paintings, exhibitions and various art installations. He is particularly known for his use of unconventional materials such as sand, wax, paper, and even a million tolar coins.
Available in Polish.
Felwa by Jap Sam Books
The photo-book Felwa is a chronicle of transitions that explore an essential paradox of nature, namely that change is the only constant. Structured like ripples in a pool, the book begins with references to the past examining our ancient emotional relationship with the world in terms of mythology and belief and ends with the scientific data based view we have today. Within these parameters we explore relationships to place ranging from the 10,000 years of human habitation to one summer during which everything changed.