I found out about these books via
Melissa's blog - she recently stayed in Boston at the Copley and blogged about Catie. So cute!
Catie Copley
has a very special job - she is canine ambassador at a big, beautiful hotel in Boston. She lives with Jim, who also works at the hotel, and spends her days in the lobby sleeping, eating, greeting people, chasing balls, and sleeping some more.
People are always coming and going and sometimes they need her special skills - such as a really great sense of smell and a dog's-eye view of the hotel - to help them out. When Tess, a guest at the hotel, loses her favorite bear, Catie knows that her moment of canine glory has come. Not only must she cheer up Tess, but she also has to sneak away to find the bear, lost somewhere in the maze of back rooms, before Tess has to go home.
The adventures of Catie Copley are based on the real-life experiences of a small black labrador, originally trained as a guide dog. She had a career change and is now a member of the guest services team at the storied Fairmont Copley Plaza, where she shares her unique brand of hospitality daily. A portion of the proceeds from this book benefits the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind.
Catie Copley's Great Escape
Catie Copley is a black Labrador retriever who lives an unusual life as Canine Ambassador at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston. Her job includes welcoming guests, taking them for walks, and helping Jim at his job as the hotel's Chief Concierge. Santol, who trained as a guide dog, just like Catie, is her canine counterpart at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, Canada.
Catie, a very lady-like dog, is surprised when, one day, a large, furry, black-and-white intruder snatches her toy lobster and runs away with it. She is taken aback, but once she gets to know the rambunctious Santol they become firm friends. When Jim drives Santol back to Canada, Catie is very excited to go too.
This is Catie's first vacation and her first time in a strange city where they speak a different language. Santol introduces her to a famous goat, a friendly horse, a clumsy juggler, and intriguing new foods and smells. Catie finds that there is a lot of opportunity for adventure... maybe a little too much adventure.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book in America will be donated to NEADS / Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans, based in Princeton, Massachusetts. Since 1976, NEADS has trained more than 1,000 service dogs to assist deaf or physically disabled individuals. For more information, please visit the NEADs website. A portion of the Canadian proceeds will be donated to mira, based near Montreal, Canada. The mira Foundation trains more than 150 guide dogs each year to help people with visual, auditory, and physical disabilities.
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City
-- The title of the fifth book from Lebovitz, celebrated pastry chef and Chez Panisse alum, is a bit of a misnomer: this feisty memoir-with-recipes is just as tart as it is sweet. Writing with the same cheeky tone that has made his blog one of the most popular food sites on the Internet, Lebovitz presents an eclectic collection of vignettes illustrating his experiences living as an expatriate in Paris. After reading accounts of perpetually out-of-service public toilets and hospitals that require patients to BYOB (bring your own bandages), one begins to question what, exactly, Lebovitz finds so intoxicating about the City of Lights. It certainly isn't something in the water, but it just might be in le chocolat chaud. With this book, for the first time Lebovitz expands beyond his standard repertoire of desserts and includes a smattering of savory recipes. These range from such classic French dishes as a warm goat cheese salad to nostalgic American favorites like oven-roasted pork ribs with ketchup marinade. This is not to say Lebovitz's legions of sweet-toothed fans will be disappointed—many of the 50 recipes are made with plenty of butter and sugar; a flawless rendition of dulce de leche brownies is sure to become the home baker's equivalent of that très chic little black dress, returned to again and again.
She was irresistible. She inspired fiction, fantasy, legend, and art.
--- From the publisher: A vibrant story of female friendship and midlife sexual awakening from the acclaimed author of 
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@Amazon.com.
--"Images left behind are in the end stronger than truth and facts. Through Douglas Kirkland's images we can imagine what the famous Coco had been all about before she became the formidable Chanel," muses Karl Lagerfeld in Mademoiselle, a selection of photographs of Chanel taken by Douglas Kirkland in 1962 on assignment in Paris for the American magazine Look. Lagerfeld is the designer currently at the helm of the Parisian fashion house, made iconic by designer Coco Chanel during her long reign, from 1909-1971--and the designer of this handsome edition as well. Through his introduction and captions to these photographs, we understand how important Chanel's image has been to the success of the century-old French couture line. Kirkland, a Los Angeles-based photographer famous for his portrayals of Chanel and Marilyn Monroe, gives us a glimpse of the sympathetic character beneath the hard-working fashion doyenne's ever-impeccable exterior, with his elegant shots of Mademoiselle leaving her suite at the Ritz Hotel, in her apartment and studio at 31 rue Cambon and watching a runway show from the apartment's famous mirrored staircase. 
-- The circumstances of Molly Marx’s death may be suspicious, but she hasn’t lost her joie de vivre. Newly arrived in the hereafter, aka the Duration, Molly, thirty-five years old, is delighted to discover that she can still keep tabs on those she left behind: Annabel, her beloved four-year-old daughter; Lucy, her combustible twin sister; Kitty, her piece-of-work mother-in-law; Brie, her beautiful and steadfast best friend; and, of course, her husband, Barry, a plastic surgeon with more than a professional interest in many of his female patients. As a bonus, Molly quickly realizes that the afterlife comes with a finely tuned bullshit detector.
which is a great beach read! 
Coming October 1st - pre-order your 
explores fashion’s reciprocal relationship to iconic beauties that represent the evolution and changing face of the feminine ideal. Featuring a brief historical overview of the phenomenon of the supermodel, the book begins in the early 20th century and continues to the present day. Dorian Leigh and Lisa Fonssagrives in the 1940s are joined in the 1950s by Dovima, Sunny Harnett, and Suzy Parker. They are followed by Jean “The Shrimp” Shrimpton and Twiggy in the 1960s and Lauren Hutton in the 1970s. The 1980s witnessed such enduring personalities as Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, and Linda Evangelista, while the 1990s brought on Kate Moss, whose edgy, street-inflected style has inspired not only fashion designers, editors, stylists, and photographers, but artists such as Chuck Close and Lucien Freud.
encompasses seven decades of extraordinary images by Richard Avedon, the most influential fashion photographer of the 20th century. This comprehensive volume offers a definitive survey, from Avedon's groundbreaking early photographs for Harper's Bazaar through his constantly inventive contributions to Vogue, Egoïste, and The New Yorker. Each carefully selected image represents an artistic collaboration with significant models, stylists, and designers. Avedon Fashion accompanies the first major exhibition to survey this body of work, at the International Center of Photography in May 2009. With critical essays by Carol Squiers, curator at the ICP, and photography critic Vince Aletti, as well as an appreciation by photo-historian Philippe Garner, Avedon Fashion chronicles an astonishing record of photographic achievement.
is really fabulous but so are most of the Avedon books. They are beautifully produced and definitely worth the money.
-- If you love shoes—and who doesn't?—you know that nothing says as much about a woman’s style as her taste in footwear. Long before Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin, Beth Levine was designing shoes that were objects of desire and even lust. Levine, who introduced mules, stilettos, and fashion boots to the American market, was a visionary. Born a farmgirl, she took her design inspiration from nature—and everything else: auto racing, patchwork quilts, even the 1969 moon landing. Fashion-forward and exquisitely constructed, Levine’s shoes were worn by stars like Marilyn Monroe and Barbra Streisand, favored by designers like Halston, Oscar de la Renta, and Geoffrey Beene, and collected by Azzedine Alaïa and Manolo Blahnik. This book’s full-color photos of Levine’s creations—from vinyl cowboy boots to sublime black silk pumps—display her shoes as touchstones of glamour and, ultimately, works of art.
-- In this amazingly timely story about what the wealthy do when Wall Street lays an egg, the author of Gilding Lily once again delivers a witty and insightful treatment of today's woman, as she explores the sacrifices they make, the bargains they strike, the rules they follow, and what happens when it all starts to fall apart.
." In it, Serena, Blair, Nate, Chuck, Dan, Vanessa and Jenny return from college to their Upper East Side haunts to wreak havoc on each other. Publisher Cindy Eagan says, "The characters are tracked as they . . . figure out what it means to grow up -- or not. A lot can change over four years, but in the end some things never do."
-- Leamer (The Kennedy Women) reveals the secrets of the Palm Beach elite who reside behind the high walls and manicured hedges of this exclusive enclave. A winter resident since 1994, the author gains the trust of his subjects, playing tennis with them and attending their parties. Such firsthand experience is supplemented by newspaper articles and interviews with scores of men and women who, although usually guarded, are unusually open to Leamer (the informant for the chapter Palm Beach Millionaire Seeks Playmate gave the author access to his personal papers, including unpublished memoirs). The book's highly visual vignettes—dominated by divorce, infidelity, excessive drinking and violence—produce a depressing picture of sad, angry, insecure and frequently nasty people hiding behind empty smiles, luxury cars and socially invisible servants. Leamer reflects: Like [Henry] James, I found that few of the lives have the beauty of the surroundings, or the depths of the artistic vision that inspired this island. Some readers may find this book a penetrating portrayal of a privileged segment of the American population; others might regard it as a book-length gossip column.
-- This book is a must for all jewelry lovers and fans of Bruce Weber's photography - I fall under both categories! As the name implies, this book is a heartfelt love letter to a jewelry house without equal. Epitomizing luxury for over a century, Cartier’s devotees have included the global elite, as well as sirens of stage and screen. Originally a jeweler of kings, Cartier is often dubbed “the king of jewelers.” Renowned for its craftsmanship and exquisite materials, the marque is a byword for opulent innovation. Art directed and edited by Bruce Weber, this dazzling homage combines photographs created by Weber just for the book, original texts by Weber and Ingrid Sischy, along with a fascinating cornucopia of archival images and passages. The gold-bordered, distinctively red cover and case are designed to look like a Cartier jewelry box—-right down to the authentic Cartier ribbon sewn into each binding!
I saw this book in Paris (the one above is the European (UK/French) version and the one below is the jacket image for the forthcoming US version - it's amazing! Of course, it's not available here yet but it will be Sept. 2009. You can pre-order as always through Amazon.com.
Here is a short description: One of the most talented and influential couturiers of his time, Yves Saint Laurent began his career as Christian Dior’s protégé and went on to become a legendary arbiter of twentieth-century style. Saint Laurent’s extraordinary taste went well beyond the world of fashion, and in this lavish volume, the eight splendid homes he shared with friend and lifelong business partner Pierre Bergé are presented in immaculate detail. Notoriously shy, the designer and Bergé lived in luxury, surrounded by incomparable collections of furniture and art. From the serene interiors of their apartment on the Rue Babylone to the incandescent beauty of the Villa Majorelle in Marrakech, Bergé and Saint Laurent’s sensibilities come alive. Taken after Saint Laurent’s death in 2008, Ivan Terestchenko’s photographs capture these exquisite surroundings in full, showcasing nineteenth-century French décor, important paintings by modern and Romantic artists, and masterpieces of furniture, sculpture, and silver ranging from the Renaissance to the Art Deco era. Though the homes presented here are now empty, The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé is a testament to a rare union of passion, elegance, and supreme connoisseurship.
at W.H. Smith Bookstore in Paris. Thought it looked sort of interesting. I think I have another book by this author or maybe have just read articles authored by her.
-- The stroke of his brush is almost as sharp as his wit, but the result is always playful and droll. Jean-Philippe Delhomme is a prolific name in the world of illustration and often described as the Parisian answer to the smart cartoons that appear in the New Yorker. His instantly recognizable style is world-renowned in a range of media—from chic television ads for Saab to the boutique campaigns for Barneys and fashion advertising. The Cultivated Life, the first-ever English compilation of Delhomme’s work, is a celebration of his gently satiric musings of "first-world" problems. Drawing from the trials and tribulations of the contemporary lifestyle—the design addict cautiously circling the latest modern furniture piece in an upscale boutique, or finding the perfect outfit to convey one’s current philosophy—Delhomme chicly illustrates the humor in all that surrounds him. This monograph includes over 100 illustrations and an insightful essay about Delhomme’s work.
-- Life rarely works out exactly as we plan. Rejection by a cherished friend, the onset of an unexpected illness, struggle with body image and self-perception -- these experiences may challenge us, but our triumphs come to define us. We find comfort, joy, tears, and laughter in the wisdom, insight, and empathy we gain.