Read the Room

Everyone on your list wants the same thing this season: permission to get lost in a great book. These 10 recent releases—which run the gamut from buzzy memoirs to gorgeous cookbooks to singular works on identity—provide just that.

- Emily M. Keeler

The Art of the SNL Portrait by Mary Ellen Matthews, $69

For 25 years, Matthews has photographed the hosts and musical guests of Saturday Night Live under extremely tight deadlines. Known as bumpers, these striking photos are only displayed for seconds in between commercial breaks—until now. In this hefty coffee table book, her artistry gets the attention it deserves.

A Steady Brightness of Being: Truth, Wisdom and Love from Celebrated Indigenous Voices edited by Sara Sinclair and Stephanie Sinclair, $32

This anthology of letters from Indigenous writers, artists and activists across Turtle Island (including artist Ken Monkman and novelist Jessica John) is an intimate and polyphonic address to the history and future of Indigeneity.

Something From Nothing by Alison Roman, $51

The woman behind The Stew and The Cookies is back with a paean to the power of the pantry. Roman's latest contains over 100 cozy, highly cookable recipes destined to take over your Instagram feed, including Kimchi-Tomato Soup and Forever-Roasted Squash with Brown Buttered Dates.

Everything I Know About Love Fifth Anniversary Special Edition by Dolly Alderton, $37