--- description: Discover 16 summery coffee table and cookbooks so gorgeous they're worth a reading staycation. title: These 16 Coffee Table Books Are All You Need for a Staycation image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Books](/tag/books/) ## Books Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # These 16 Coffee Table Books Are All You Need for a Staycation  by [Lucy Feldman](/author/lucy-feldman/)  ## Lucy Feldman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Editorial Director Jun 30, 2017 4:32 PM CUT  by [Lucy Feldman](/author/lucy-feldman/)  ## Lucy Feldman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Editorial Director Jun 30, 2017 4:32 PM CUT No plans to get away this summer? This year’s crop of coffee-table lit and cookbooks is so sumptuous it calls for a reading staycation. Settle into your home’s coziest nook with [_The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small_](https://www.amazon.com/Bucket-List-1000-Adventures-Small/dp/0789332698/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined") and take in a Moroccan sunrise in Aït-Benhaddou, a mud-brick town at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains. With [_Dronescapes: The New Aerial Photography from Dronestagram_](https://www.amazon.com/Dronescapes-New-Aerial-Photography-Dronestagram/dp/0500544727/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined"), zip to the top of the Maringá cathedral in Brazil to see its spire pierce the morning fog. For lunch, tuck into the storied Big Al burger from Fergburger in Queenstown, New Zealand, piled high with double patties, bacon, eggs, aioli and a “whole lotta” cheese, tantalizingly pictured in [_The World Is Your Burger: A Cultural History_](https://www.amazon.com/World-Your-Burger-Cultural-History/dp/0714873985/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined"). Work off the calories with a detour through serene European [_Woodlands_](https://www.amazon.com/Mat-Hennek-Woodlands/dp/3958291783/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined") alongside German photographer Mat Hennek, trekking deep into remote forests. When hunger hits, feast on Julia Sherman’s [_Salad for President: A Cookbook Inspired by Artists_](https://www.amazon.com/Salad-President-Cookbook-Inspired-Artists/dp/1419724118/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined"). (I recommend Japanese ceramicist Yui Tsujimura’s persimmon caprese.) At the end of the day, curl up with [_The Seaside House: Living on the Water_](https://www.amazon.com/Seaside-House-Living-Water/dp/0847858367/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined") and watch the sun set from the porch of a rustic, whimsical home in Provincetown, Mass.—with a slice of fresh-baked apple pie, courtesy [_BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts_](https://www.amazon.com/BraveTart-American-Desserts-Stella-Parks/dp/0393239861/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined"). _This appears in the July 10, 2017 issue of TIME._ ### THE POPTAIL MANUAL: OVER 90 DELICIOUS FROZEN COCKTAILS  By Kathy Kordalis Cocktails wed ice pops in this collection of boozy, fruit-filled, sparkling and spicy frozen treats. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Poptail-Manual-Delicious-Frozen-Cocktails/dp/1784880930/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### SALAD FOR PRESIDENT: A COOKBOOK INSPIRED BY ARTISTS  By Julia Sherman Never has lettuce looked so mouthwateringly appealing as in this ode to vegetable-forward artistry. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Salad-President-Cookbook-Inspired-Artists/dp/1419724118/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### ROSÉ ALL DAY: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO YOUR NEW FAVORITE WINE  By Katherine Cole Acquaint yourself with the finer points of the pink drink. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Rosé-All-Day-Essential-Favorite/dp/141972410X/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### ICE CREAM & FRIENDS: 60 RECIPES & RIFFS FOR SORBETS, SANDWICHES, NO-CHURN ICE CREAMS AND MORE  By Editors of Food52 The only thing friendlier than a scoop of ice cream served on a hot summer day is one loaded with fresh-picked figs and whipped up by hand. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Food52-Ice-Cream-Friends-Sandwiches/dp/0399578021/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### FEAST FOR THE EYES: THE STORY OF FOOD IN PHOTOGRAPHY  By Susan Bright The impulse to photograph food rose long before the days of Instagram, evidenced by these flashy vintage displays. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Feast-Eyes-Story-Food-Photography/dp/1597113611/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### BRAVETART: ICONIC AMERICAN DESSERTS  By Stella Parks Pack a summery picnic with “magic” key lime pie or fresh takes on such classic treats as Pop-Tarts and Twinkies. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/BraveTart-American-Desserts-Stella-Parks/dp/0393239861/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### THE WORLD IS YOUR BURGER: A CULTURAL HISTORY  By David Michaels Beef patties are just the basics of burgers–at joints around the world, you’ll find truffles, duck eggs and ginger between two buns. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/World-Your-Burger-Cultural-History/dp/0714873985/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### SMOKING HOT & COLD: TECHNIQUES AND RECIPES FOR SMOKED MEAT, SEAFOOD, DAIRY, AND VEGETABLES  By Charlotte Pike Mastered artisanal pickle making and looking for a new challenge? Smoking is the new canning. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Smoking-Hot-Cold-Techniques-Vegetables/dp/1909487686/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### THE BUCKET LIST: 1000 ADVENTURES BIG & SMALL  By Kath Stathers On this list of can’t-miss experiences: cycling up the Carpathian Mountains and hooking a big fish off Cuba in the Caribbean. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Bucket-List-1000-Adventures-Small/dp/0789332698/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### DRONESCAPES: THE NEW AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FROM DRONESTAGRAM  By Ayperi Karabuda Ecer Reach new heights and peer down on the turquoise waters of Jiyeh, Lebanon; the bustling markets of Bogotá; and the bright city lights of Marina Bay, Singapore. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Dronescapes-New-Aerial-Photography-Dronestagram/dp/0500544727/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### IN FULL FLOWER: INSPIRED DESIGNS BY FLORAL’S NEW CREATIVES  By Gemma and Andrew Ingalls Stroll through a garden of roses–plus amaryllises, lilies of the valley, peonies, poppies, daffodils and bleeding hearts. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Full-Flower-Inspired-Designs-Creatives/dp/0847858693/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### HARVEST: UNEXPECTED PROJECTS USING 47 EXTRAORDINARY GARDEN PLANTS  By Stefani Bittner and Alethea Harampolis Make fabric dye, salve and tea, all from your garden’s fruits, flowers, leaves and seeds. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Harvest-Unexpected-Projects-Extraordinary-Garden/dp/0399578331/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### THE SEASIDE HOUSE: LIVING ON THE WATER  By Nick Voulgaris III; photographs by Douglas Friedman Peek inside charming beach retreats from Nantucket to Malibu. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Seaside-House-Living-Water/dp/0847858367/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL: HIKING THE PEOPLE’S PATH  Photographs by Bart Smith Wave hello to a great blue heron, gaze over a rocky cliff and dip a toe in a waterfall during your journey along the trail spanning 14 states and more than 2,000 miles. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Appalachian-Trail-Hiking-Peoples-Path/dp/0847859177/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### WOODLANDS  By Mat Hennek Get lost in the woods with this collection of inviting forest photographs, gorgeously printed on thick, tactile paper. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Mat-Hennek-Woodlands/dp/3958291783/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ### THE NEW CAMP COOKBOOK: GOURMET GRUB FOR CAMPERS, ROAD TRIPPERS, AND ADVENTURERS  By Linda Ly; photographs by Will Taylor Pitch a tent by your favorite lake, light the campfire and grill yourself some polenta pizza bites. ([Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/New-Camp-Cookbook-Trippers-Adventurers/dp/0760352011/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined")) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4841602/summer-cookbooks-coffee-table-books/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4841602/summer-cookbooks-coffee-table-books/"},"headline":"These 16 Coffee Table Books Are All You Need for a Staycation","datePublished":"2017-06-30T16:32:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:58:42.691Z","description":"Travel from your favorite armchair with these summery picks","url":"https://time.com/4841602/summer-cookbooks-coffee-table-books/","keywords":["Books","home decor"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lucy Feldman","jobTitle":"Editorial Director","url":"https://time.com/author/lucy-feldman/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/books/","name":"Books"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4841602/summer-cookbooks-coffee-table-books/","name":"These 16 Coffee Table Books Are All You Need for a Staycation"}}]}] ```