Pierre Borhan, former director of photography for the French Ministry of Culture, presents a compelling anthology of maritime photography since 1843 in his beautiful new book, The Sea. The slipcased volume features 300 color and black and white images ranging from historical photos, documentary photos, and art photos to archival works and pictures taken in the present day. Images include striking seascapes and perspectives, including lonely lighthouses, bustling port towns, early explorations of Antarctica and the Arctic Circle, and abstract compositions of waves,
water, and light by some of the world's best-known photographers. It makes a perfect gift for lovers of all things related to water and the ocean.

Sometimes I find it challenging to get through an issue of Vanity Fair, with its overuse of the word "legendary" and its snobbiness. But I enjoy the back-page Proust Questionnaire, and VF is guessing the rest of the world does too. It just released a compilation of the monthly magazine's department -- which has been in VF since 1993 -- in a hardcover book, Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire: 101 Luminaries Ponder Love, Death, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life (Rodale Books, October 2009).

Edited by VF editor Graydon Carter with illustrations by Risko, who illustrates the department each issue, the 224-page book sells for $23.99.

Read Carter's take on his new book, and learn that neither Proust nor VF invented the questionnaire, in VF's November 2009 issue's Society section. And be sure to take the questionnaire yourself.

London is definitely one of the great literary cities of the world -- just check out this London Literary Trail map -- and now the bookish fun doesn't have to stop when you return to your hotel at night. The Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury Street Hotel , which completed renovations earlier this year, has launched a Book of the Month club -- read the book while you're in the hotel, or take it home with you.

September's book? The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Walker Classics Edition. All right, so it ain't Virgina Woolf but I've always been a sucker for rather twisted fairy tales. Book one of the hotel's suites, which come equipped with a bathtub at the foot of the bed for convenient reading, as well as an egg-shaped swing -- and float away in many ways.

It's not often that personal taste can be described as exquisite, it denotes a rare confluence of means and sensibility. But there's really no other word that describe the homes put together by late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé quite so well. A new book, The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé has come out from Vendome Press. The book by Robert Murphy with photography by Ivan Terestchenko is a sumptuous exploration of Saint Laurent and Bergé's multiple homes and expansive collections.

If you've seen some of pieces from the collection which were sold by Christie's for record-breaking sums earlier this year then this is a chance to view the items in situ as they were used by Saint Laurent and Bergé. This is the sort of gorgeous coffee table book (280 pages, 11" x 12 1/4") that inspires dreams. We can't all afford the items that they did but the style, the way or arranging things and of pulling in various objects from different time periods and styles is something anyone can adopt.

Vendome Press was kind enough to send me a copy and I'm giving it away to one lucky reader. To enter leave a comment describing one of your most prized objects.

Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before September 25, 2009 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive a copy of The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Bergé valued at $95.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete contest rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

The Fairmont Scottsdale has declared this "The Season of Personal Discovery", and happily for people who love books, much of the personal discovery comes from what amounts to a super-mega book club meeting: weekends centered around books in different genres, that include panel discussions, Q&As and several opportunities to rub elbows with the authors themselves over dinner and cocktails.

Pick your genre. If you're a self-help addict (and no one will judge you for that), try Living Your Best Life, September 25th-27th, which will make you likable, fit, sexy, and a music expert. Or the Ultimate Girls Getaway Weekend, October 9th-11th, which will help you lose weight, and develop an expertise in wine, social media, and your own soul. If fiction is where your heart lies, For the Love of Books,October 2nd-4th, features Anita Diamant, Lisa See and Debra Dean, while Literary Stew, brings in Ridley Pearson, Dave Barry and Scott Turow. Check out the rest of the schedule here.

In these days of fashion and shelter magazines either shrinking or folding and the book industry facing diminished sales could one spot be at the pinnacle of luxury publishing? The Guardian has an interesting piece that says that limited edition luxury photography books are still selling well. One of the biggest in the limited edition book business, Taschen, is still going strong even in this economy. Recently Taschen published MoonFire: The Epic Journey of Apollo 11 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the lunar landing. The book pairs Norman Mailer's work A Fire on the Moon along with photography from the archives of NASA, LIFE magazine and many other sources packaged in aresin case designed by Marc Newson. For $1,000 you get the book along with a Plexiglas-framed numbered photographic print of Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon signed by Aldrin himself. The Guardian says that Taschen sold 150 copies in the first week of release alone. There are an additional 12 copies of the book which will be sold with a piece of lunar meteorite for a price reported to be in the six figures.

Why do these books continue to sell? The magic words "limited edition" and "collectible" seem to have a lot to do with it. These are books meant to be more admired than read, designed to sit on a shelf or table and endure only an occasional flip-through. Benedikt Taschen says spending this much money on a book is an investment and that the prices for these go up over time in many cases. This isn't the case for all art books. I visit my favorite used book store frequently and the huge art books are priced below list unless they are signed or extremely rare. Many of Taschen's ultra-pricey books fall into that category but the bulk of their books in the $30-$200 range sit on the discounted shelf like the rest.

The estate of iconic Beat writer Jack Kerouac is in flux following the news that a Florida judge has ruled that his mother's will was a fake. Kerouac's mother Gabrielle died in 1973 just four years after her son who died in 1969 from complications of alcoholism. Gabrielle Kerouac left her son's assets to his third wife, Stella Sampas Kerouac and so for the last three decades the Sampas family has had control of Jack Kerouac's manuscripts, letters and personal belongings. When Stella Sampas Kerouac died in 1990 she left the estate to her siblings. The family has profited off the Kerouac legacy, selling Jack Kerouac's raincoat to Johnny Depp for $50,000 and selling the original manuscript scroll of "On the Road" to the owner of the Indianapolis Colts for $2.43 million in addition to authorizing various publications of letters and other documents.

Jack Kerouac's daughter, Jan, first challenged the will in 1994 but she died two years later. Paul Blake Jr., the writer's nephew, has carried on the litigation.Now that Sixth Judicial Circuit Court, Judge George W. Greer has ruled that the will was a forgery, a major change is certain to come. The future of the Kerouac estate and its current value remains uncertain. No one seems to know how many of Kerouac's belongings the Sampas family still has and what their potential value might be. While Jan Kerouac had wanted to see her father's works in a library, the Sampas family is said to have turned down offers from various universities in favor of selling off various items piecemeal. The estate should be worth millions which could change the life of Blake, Kerouac's closest relative, who has spent most of his life in poverty.

In the age of digital books, the Kindle, and, ahem, blogs, one unassailable argument for the survival of paper are beautiful, lavishly designed books. Books that are actually pleasing design objects, if not works of art.

Persephone Books is a small London book publisher on a wonderful shopping street called Lamb's Conduit, which I discovered on a retail tour led by Clare Dowdy, author of One Off, about unique retailers worldwide. (Arrange Dowdy's tour through the InterContinental Park Lane London.)

Persephone, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, publishes just 83 books, and ones you won't easily find elsewhere -- neglected classics by 20th century writers who are mostly women. Their books are bound in an elegant dove gray, and the endpapers are unique to each book, and are prints of antique fabric designs. (You can get a matching bookmark.) It's fun to visit the store and hard to buy just one -- I walked away with An Interrupted Life: The Diary of Etty Hillesum, and The Journal of Katherine Mansfield -- although you can also order online.

There's only just over a week left for easy access to one of Antwerp's more hidden treasures: the Nottebohm Room. This reading room is in what used to be the City Library, recently renamed the Hendrick Conscience Library (or Erfgoedbibliotheek Hendrik Conscience in Flemish), for its location on Conscienceplein in the city center.

The Nottebohm Room is everything you'd imagine a traditional reading room should be, all dark wood paneling, inviting desks, and two stories of books that will bring a respectful hush over any book lover. The library's collection dates back to 1481, and includes more than a million books, with 6,000 rare books, folios and other priceless book-related artifacts, including a delicately calligraphed and illuminated history of Rome written by Eutropius . In the early 20th century, the Nottebohm Room was the gathering place for Antwerp's literati -- you can see some more pictures of it here, although the page is in Flemish.

It's my understanding that the Nottebohm Room isn't open to the public regularly, but it's currently hosting an intimate exhibit of modern hand printed books called "Mooi Marginaal", and the contrast between these modern and often whimsical works, along with the nostalgic presence of the entire sweep of publishing history is a fine reason to fit this in when you visit this jewel of a city in Flanders. The exhibit is on until June 14th, Tuesday through Sunday, and admission is free.

You might want to check your bookshelves for old Harry Potter books. Heritage Auctions has an auction of a a softcover copy of the first Harry Potter book that has already hit $15,000 and the auction isn't over until March 6. The 1997 first edition of Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone with the original publisher's illustrated softcover wrapper and an illustrated card signed by the author, J. K. Rowling is one of 200 such copies issued by the London publisher, Bloomsbury. The previous auction record for one of these books was $10,750 according to James Gannon, Director of Rare Books at Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas. The seller, a book collector in England is quoted in a press release as saying: "It takes a lot to shock me, but this is probably as shocked as I have ever been regarding auction bidding. Has the world gone mad? We are in the deepest recession for 80 years and a Harry Potter children's paperback book is setting a record price."

Everyone knows someone who loves The Godfather. Here's a gift idea for the true fan: "The Godfather Family Album" is a pictorial book with never-before-seen photos from the sets of all three films, taken from photographer Steve Schapiro's archives. This edition is limited to 1,000 copies, each numbered and signed by Schapiro. Also included are background articles and interviews about the films. This lavish, leather-bound book allows fans a privileged peek behind the scenes in the making of film history. Edited by Paul Duncan; color and black/white; hardcover plus box; 29 x 44 cm (11.4 x 17.3 in.); 444 pages; $700.

[Thanks, Ben]

Everyone seems to be spending more time at home lately (a deflated stock market and plunging real estate don't help). So why not make the home you've got more beautiful. The folks behind House Beautiful have just come out with The Home Book, a weighty tome dedicated to all facets of interior design. It is 464 pages and has more than 500 photos as well as tips that include theme, color, furnishings, wall and floor covering and just about every aspect of decoration. The focus is on defining your personal style and expanding it into the home in a way that creates a harmonious environment. It can also keep you from making some of the design mistakes that hurt a home when it is time to sell.

We are giving away one copy of this essential guide to all things home. To enter please leave a comment below. This week's comment starter is one prompted by my curiosity, I'm wondering, has the housing slump caused you to put off any decorating plans or are you spending more time and money sprucing up your abode since you may be there a while.

Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before Friday, November 14, 2008 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the The Home Book valued at $39.95.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.

See complete contest rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Earth is a big subject and Australian publisher Millennium House has created a book big enough to cover it. Their new book "Earth" is the the biggest atlas ever to be published and is nearly 2 feet tall and over 65 pounds. The 576-page books is the sum total of eight months work by 100 photographers, cartographers, geographers and oceanographers and it has 154 maps and over 800 photographs. The print run will be just 3,000 copies, 2,000 of the standard blue version at right and 1000 "Gold Earth" editions with gold leather, gold gilding and gold plated corners. The regular version will cost over $3,000. The book had its world debut in Sydney on October 9, hit the Frankfurt Book Fair and is on its way to the Sharjah World Book Fair in Dubai n October 29.

Whether you are dreaming of a European vacation or something a little closer to home, Travel + Leisure's The World's Greatest Hotels, Resorts and Spas book offers fuel for all your vacation fantasies. The book covers everything from Casa Morada in Islamorada, Florida to Delta Nature Resort along the Danube in Romania. This year's edition includes the usual assortment of gorgeous pictures along with reviews and Travel + Leisure's rankings that include information on prices, service, decor and more. We're giving away two hardcover copies of this beautiful book to two winners at random who tell us about their favorite summer place.


Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling us about your favorite summer place.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before Friday, June 13 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* Two winners will be selected in a random drawing.
* Two winners will receive Travel+Leisure (value $34.95 each).
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.

See complete contest rules here.