And now we are two. Our second birthday here at Dandelion Chandelier is August 1, and to mark the occasion, we’re sharing some of the top-performing posts in our short history. And also some posts that we’re just really proud of, or that were especially fun to write (and, we hope, to read). We’ve been focusing on one topic per day as we count down to our big day. We’ve shared top posts in Travel and Adventure; Food and Drink; Fashion and Shopping; Sports and Fitness; and Culture and the Arts. Next up? Books and literary luxuries.
If you’re just joining us, this series will get you up to speed on what we’ve been talking about. And if you’ve been along for the entire ride, remember these? Feels like just yesterday when they were first published, right?
Wherever you may be in your journey with Dandelion Chandelier, we hope you’ll enjoy perusing these. And thank you, dear reader. You can devote your valuable time to thousands of magazines and content sources. We really appreciate your spending some of it with us, and we’re thrilled to have you as part of Team Dandelion-C.
These posts about excellent books and other literary luxuries have resonated well within our community. We hope they’ll inspire you to crack open a new book, or re-read a well-loved favorite, or hit the road in a search of a charming literary hotel. Book worms of the world, unite!
Recommended Reads: what was the best book of the year? 2017 was an excellent year in the realm of books. We were provoked, entertained, educated and moved by so many things that we read this year. Not everything we read, of course — you have to take the bitter with the sweet when it comes to your reading list, and we’re staying mum on the reads that disappointed us. Instead, we’re celebrating the triumphs — and the authors who delivered pleasure, surprise, novelty and wit. These 10 books left us feeling smarter and more connected to the world, and we happily recommend them to you.
Its the perfect time to devour fantastic books about food. As voracious readers, sometimes we inexplicably start craving a book about food. We don’t spend all that much time in the kitchen – but reading a great recipe is like reading a well-told story. It’s transporting, and educational, and it leaves you feeling nourished. We also love reading novels set in restaurants. And chefs’ memoirs. And food histories. What follows is a curated list of great culinary reads. There are hundreds of additional books that could be added to this list: Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past; Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse; essays by M.F.K. Fisher and R.W. Apple; and of course, Tom Jones. Here are some of our favorite books about food and those who work to nourish us, body and soul.
Money is the true third rail of literature. Our Luminary David Roberts has spent his career in finance, and he’s also an avid reader and brilliant writer. He shares his take on the role of wealth, luxury, and finance in the realm of literature. He begins: I recently dipped back in to “Bonfire of the Vanities” as I was curious to measure Sherman’s financial success, circa 1987, against our current standards of what it means to be rich––our age of the TV show “Billions”, the Kardashians and the Trumps, and multi-million dollar birthday parties.
Love books? Stay at a luxury literary hotel this year. Book mavens and story lovers of world, heads up. If your favorite spaces in the world tend to involve towering shelves of books, if you personally collect books, or just like to hang around raconteurs, the luxury hospitality industry has several treats in store for you. We love nothing more than a great library or a charming bookstore, whether at home or abroad, so we went in search of luxury properties that share our bibliophilia. We found 12 luxury hotels that focus on books, reading and story-telling as their sine qua non.
Smart reads to celebrate St. Patrick’s day this year. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many locations – you know its a big deal in Ireland and America, but it’s also celebrated in Japan, Singapore and Russia, among other far-flung locales. So wherever you are in the world, you’re likely to find someone willing to shout Erin Go Bragh! with you. To mark the occasion, here’s our list of great books and plays written by authors of Irish heritage, plus some noteworthy poets whose collected works we should all make a habit of re-reading at least once a year.
Books on the origin of the chic costumes in Black Panther. We can’t stop thinking about the amazingly chic wardrobe created for the film Black Panther. Where did the inspiration for those looks come from? We admit, we’re kind of obsessed with this movie, in no small part because it’s so stylish. Costume designer Ruth E. Carter has achieved a first, at least for us: a super-hero movie wardrobe that makes us want to shop the outfits. Wakanda style rocks – but where exactly did it come from?
Best books on the dream of building a real-world Wakanda. We loved the New York Times piece on the delightful topic of what it would be like to take a vacation in Wakanda. The paper solicited suggestions from its readers, who responded with some absolutely enchanting ideas: they’d take trips to the Warrior Falls, listen to griots and poets in the marketplace, visit the rhino farm, and observe the young women training to serve in the Dora Milaje. The clear consensus was that it would be a dream journey to a peaceful, dynamic, cerebral society free of racial tension and filled with intelligent, self-governing black people who had no legacy of oppression. Others have tried (and largely failed) to create such societies. Here are their stories.
Books about the most influential black female artists. Ever since the unveiling of the official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama by Amy Sherald early this year, we’ve been reflecting on the role of black women artists in the contemporary art world. The current exhibitions of the works of Adrian Piper at the MoMA in New York and Lauren Halsey at the MOCA in LA gave us further impetus to get smarter on the subject. We went looking for books that would educate us about the path these women have taken, and demonstrate how their work has influenced the way we see the world.
The best books about luxurious wedding dresses. A wedding dress is so much more than an article of clothing: it’s a symbol of romance, purity, commitment and joy – a fantasy of what life will be and a timeless manifestation of childhood dreams coming true. Traditionally, at the end of every haute couture fashion show, the final look is a spectacular wedding gown. The bridal dress holds pride of place even at the highest levels of design – which makes understanding its history and evolution worth any fashion maven’s time and attention (even those who aren’t hopeless romantics).
The perfect books to read in the month of July. So many books, so little time! Reading can be one of life’s sweetest luxuries. But how to quickly find the next great volume to dive into? To lend a hand, every month we share our Dandelion Chandelier Recommended Reads: books that we’ve personally read and loved – some brand new, and some published long ago. Selected to suit the season, we think they deserve a place on your nightstand. Or your e-reader. In your backpack. Or your carry-on bag. You get the idea.
What are the best new books coming in august 2018? New month, new books! Book Light is our Dandelion Chandelier curated list of the titles we’re most excited about that are being published in the coming month. Our intrepid team has been exploring the most-anticipated new books scheduled to be released in August 2018 and here’s what we found.
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