Summer Reading and More 2025
Beautiful Touches has received these titles in exchange for sharing with our readers.
It’s ALWAYS Time for a GOOD BOOK!
Welcome to Summer Reading and More 2-25
PARIS SHOPFRONTS: Illustrations of the City’s Best-Loved Boutiques, Brasseries, Bars and More
Joel Holland, words by Vivian Song, foreword by Sarah Andelman
“The illustrator behind the highly-acclaimed books NYC Storefronts, London Shopfronts, and Brooklyn Storefronts turns his eye – and pen – to the City of Light.
Brimming with joie de vivre and delightful detail, this journey through Paris’s neighborhoods captures two hundred intriguing storefronts that help make the city a shopper’s and tourist’s paradise. As in his previous books illustrating the shops of New York City and London, Joel Holland offers the unique perspective of a traveler on foot. Paris-based journalist Vivian Song’s text provides an insider’s perspective as to why each location is worthy of a stop on any itinerary. There are plenty of iconic stores here: le Bon Le Bon Marché, France’s first department store; Shakespeare and Company, the most famous English-language bookshop in the city; the Moulin Rouge, where the can-can was born; and the Ladurée macaron shop. But there’s also a bounty of lesser-known places, like a Moroccan restaurant frequented by the city’s top chefs; a taxidermist’s mecca; a historic lingeree shop that birthed the predecessor of the modern-day brazier; and a beloved hole-in-the-wall that sells authentic Shanghai-style pan-fried buns. From the Marais to Montmartre, the Latin Quarter to the 1st Arrondissement, this delightful book offers a unique glimpse into what makes the city a magical and wonderfully diverse place to walk and shop.
Joel Holland is an illustrator who has lived in New York City for over twenty years. His work has graced the New York Times, the New Yorker, New York magazine, Apple store windows across the world, and numerous book covers. He is the author of NYC Storefronts, London Shopfronts and Brooklyn Storefronts (all published by Prestel).
Vivian Song is a Paris-based journalist who covers everything from food and travel to health, culture, and breaking news. Her byline has appeared in the New York Times, CNN, BBC, Vice, and Architectural Digest, among many others.
Sarah Andelman co-founded Colette in Paris in 1997. For over 20 years, the store was globally renowned for its creativity and vanguard curation at the intersection of style, design, art, and food. After closing Colette in 2017, Andelman launched JUST AN IDEA, a consulting and curating company focused on brand collaborations and retail experiences. In 2021, she created the publishing company JUST AN IDEA BOOKS.”
Provided by Smith Publicity
SOME BUNNIES
Illustrated b y Lydia Nichols
“An ode to the cute and hippity-hop characteristics of bunnies, this colorful, chunky board book is a work of art meant to be displayed face-out on nursery bookshelves.
No matter where they live or what they look like, to those who love them, all bunnies are just right. The bunnies in this bright, playful board book come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, and while each is special in their own way, they all have things in common like cute wiggly noses and feet that hippity hop. Every page turn reveals a new layer to Lydia Nichol’s adorable depiction of bunnies in their various homes of fields, barns, and houses. Perfect for bunny lovers of all ages, this rhyming story is a celebration of our long-eared hopping friends.
Some Bunnies is part of the LAYERED VIEW board book series celebrating the ways in which our differences make the world a diverse place. Whether examining the unique needs of every flower in a garden or the special qualities of every puppy in a dog park, every die-cut page of a LAYERED VIEW book adds a level to the story—all building to one gorgeous, multi-dimensional scene perfect for displaying on a bookshelf or a bedroom shelf. Rich with special effects like foil and embossing, LAYERED VIEW board books are a beautiful, playful way to introduce new perspectives to the little learners in your life.
Lydia Nichols is an illustrator who has worked with a number of clients, including Google, Girl Scouts, MoMA, Cricket magazine, Hasbro/Playskool, and more. She is the author of numerous children’s books, including Halloween Trick or Treat: A Colors Book by RP Kids. She lives in Philadelphia.”
Provided by Gibbs Smith
TABLE FOR 51: Lessions Learned from Sharing Meals Across America
Shari Leid, Forward by Mia Brabham Nolan
“As seen on PEOPLE.COM, US WEEKLY, NATIONAL ENQUIRER, POPSUGAR, BUSTLE, and MORE!
A Journey of Resilience, Reinvention, and Belonging—One Meal, One Story, One Connection at a Time.
Author Shari Leid—abandoned in a cardboard box with no identifying information in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted by Japanese American parents—embarks on a remarkable journey across the U.S. to challenge her father’s fears of being unwelcome because of their Asian faces.
In Table for 51, Shari meets strangers and reconnects with people from her own past, sharing a meal in every state. From bustling city cafés to peaceful countryside tables, each encounter reveals the power of human connection.
Through these fifty heartfelt conversations, Shari discovers the magic of belonging and the courage to embrace change, ultimately ending her turbulent twenty-six-year marriage.
Shari Leid is a former litigator turned reinvention coach, author and speaker. She is the driving force behind An Imperfectly Perfect Life, LLC.
As a recognized friendship expert and national speaker, Shari’s influence extends well beyond her coaching sessions. She has been featured on major media outlets, including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and CTV, and was profiled on the TODAY show in April 2023. Her expertise has been shared in leading publications such as HuffPost, Real Simple, PureWow, AARP, Woman’s World, TIME, and Shondaland.
Shari hosts the podcast An Imperfectly Perfect Life – Life Unscripted, where she inspires listeners with candid conversations about navigating life’s ups and downs.”
Provided by Pacific and Court
BRUSH PEN LETTERING and BRUSH PET LETTERING PRACTICE BOOK
Grace Song
“The first book dedicated entirely to the use and mastery of modern brush pens
Drawing gorgeous letters, words and phrases with a brush pen doesn’t have to be difficult! Brush Pen Lettering will show you how to create your own unique style. To help you on your lettering journey, this comprehensive how-to guide includes:
• DIY projects
• Tips and Tricks
• Color Photographs
• Inspiring Ideas
• Step-by-step instructions
• Practice sheets
“Practice til you’re perfect with expert drills, tips, and exercises!
If you want to take your hand lettering to the next level, you need to practice, practice, practice. But merely writing the same letter over and over often leads to repeating the same mistake instead of improving your skill.
Packed with expert drills, tips and exercises, Brush Pen Lettering Practice Book provides the smart coaching and blank work space to make your daily practice easier, more efficient and more fun. It’s the ideal way to speed you on your way to creating gorgeous lettering styles.
The perfect companion to author Grace Song’s Brush Pen Lettering, this handy workbook features helpful practice pages with guided lines, hints and even specific letter form combinations for many popular words, including:
• Congratulations
• Greetings
• Wedding
• Happy Birthday
Grace Song is a hand-letterer and brush calligraphy artist based in Toronto, Canada. As a young girl she was always drawn to beautiful script and experimented with her very own calligraphy kit. Flash forward many years later, her passion for all things hand-lettered had been reignited. Beginning with one letter a day, Grace now creates dynamic, hand-lettered pieces with a variety of tools including brush pens and paintbrushes. As an elementary school teacher by day, Grace combines her love of teaching with her passion for hand-lettering with this very book to model for her students and others that it is never too late to learn something new or make time for what makes you happy.”
Provided by Pacific and Court
HAND LETTERING FOR SELF-CARE
Lauren Fitzmaurice
“Letter from the heart with this first-ever calligraphy-meets-self-care guide packed with fun and easy projects each designed to soothe anxiety and decrease daily stress while creating beautiful art.
Learning calligraphy and hand lettering is not only a fun hobby, but also a calming self-care practice—no prior experience required! With simple and mindful practice, you’ll cut down on stress, make time for yourself, and learn a new skill. With an easy-to-follow guide on lettering, explanations of the common tools you’ll need, and tips on how to establish a routine for regular practice and creative time, you’ll be relaxing before you know it! From brush pen lettering to calligraphy, you’ll learn how to create your own unique style even if you’re a beginner. To help you along your self-love journey, Hand-Lettering for Self-Care includes:
- Fun and inspiring projects
- Exercise prompts
- Step-by-step instructions
- Practice sheets
- And so much more!
Lauren Fitzmaurice is a left-handed calligrapher, lettering artist, and founder of Renmade Calligraphy. Through Renmade Calligraphy she teaches lettering workshops, works with awesome brands, and has gotten to know people in the calligraphy community from all over the world.
An art minor in college, Lauren had always been creative and artsy, but it wasn’t until January of 2015 that she first tried calligraphy. It had been an especially difficult year with her youngest son undergoing open heart surgery at 5 days old. Lauren was exhausted and burnt out and looking for something to focus on for herself. Lauren’s mom purchased an online calligraphy class for her and the rest is history. Learning this new skill not only helped Lauren focus on self-care and reflection, but it also has enhanced every area of her life and helped her get through other difficult challenges.
When she’s not lettering, Lauren is “Mrs. Fitz” to her elementary school students; Mom to sons, Mac and Miles; and wife to her husband, Michael. A lover of color, believer in glitter, and word nerd, Lauren loves to create beautiful letters and make a mess in her creative space with a brush pen in hand. She lives in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Find more inspiration from Lauren at renmadecalligraphy.com and on Instagram at @renmadecalligraphy.”
Provided by Pacific and Court
FEARLESS FLOURISHING
Alissa Chojnacki
“Take your lettering to the next level with beautiful, stylish flourishes.
You’ve mastered every letter, from capital A to lowercase z. Now you want your hand-drawn projects to have the ornate and extravagant look that is only achieved through flourishing. Whether you go for a delicate, stately, whimsical, bold, funky or elegant look, flourishing is a wonderful way to develop a personal style and make your hand-lettering stand out. From basic theories and helpful practices to beautiful examples and complex compositions, this step-by-step workbook provides all the tools you need to flourish with confidence!
• Elegant Letter Embellishments
• Fanciful Flourishes & Filigree
• Decorative Borders & Frames
• Stylish Artistic Elements
As the creative behind Feist & Flourish Modern Calligraphy, Alissa Chojnacki is smitten with all things hand-lettering and lives to #makesomethingeveryday. From her scripty, illustrative, and floral-inspired works, which she posts daily on Instagram, to her lively Learn to Letter workshops, which she teaches locally in Vancouver, BC, Alissa’s delight in sharing the craft of lettering is palpable. With over a decade spent in the classroom, she draws on her skills as a professional educator; teaching others to letter is the highlight of her creative biz. As a wife and mother to two feisty littles, Alissa is inspired by family, faith, florals and flourishes, all of which figure prominently in her work.
Find out more at www.feistandflourish.com or follow along at www.instragram.com/feistandflourish”
Provided by Pacific and Court
COPPERPLATGE CALLIGRAPHY FROM A TO Z and COPPERPLATE CALLIGRAPHY PRACTICE BOOK
Sarah Richardson
Christen Turney
“Learn and perfect the classic, yet once again popular, script with this easy-to-use, full-color, and very modern guide.
With so many calligraphy artists creating beautiful work today, the dip pen is truly having a renaissance. This book will give you a good foundation to begin your study by providing information from the best tools to the correct way to form the foundational shapes of the letterforms.
You will be introduced to the Copperplate style, recognized by its fifty-five degree slant angle and the contrast between the thin up-strokes and shaded down-strokes. While calligraphy is an art in writing, it is not the same as handwriting. It is the art of drawing letters, so don’t worry if you don’t have perfect handwriting. This book will have you making amazing Copperplate in no time.
Sarah Richardson has been a calligrapher for 5 years. She first learned modern calligraphy from Lauren Essl, then learned copperplate calligraphy in a workshop taught by Nina Tran, and followed up by studying The Zanerian Manual and Dr. Joe Vitolo’s ebook Script in the Copperplate Style. Sarah graduated from Hendrix College with a degree in Art History, and recently graduated with her Certificate in Design Communication Arts from UCLA. Her work has been featured by Gwyneth Paltrow’s website Goop. She is a member of The International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH). Sarah is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, but now lives in Austin, TX.”
Practice and perfect copperplate handwriting with this perforated, easy-to-use beginner-friendly collection of exercises and drills for the modern calligrapher.
Taking your pointed pen calligraphy to the next level requires a lot of practice! Luckily, this all-in-one practice book provides templates, tips and tricks, and space to repeat your basic strokes, miniscule and majuscule letters, and more. Copperplate Calligraphy Practice Book also provides smart coaching paired with blank workspace to make your daily practice easier, more efficient, and more fun. It’s the ideal way to help you along in your calligraphy journey.
For fans of Sarah Richardson’s Copperplate Calligraphy from A to Z or those looking to practice their lettering skills, this handy workbook features easy-tear perforated practice pages with guided lines, helpful hints and even specific letterform combinations for several popular words and phrases.
From the moment the tines of her pointed pen nib split, Christen Allocco Turney was hooked on calligraphy and has not looked back. She is a member of the Washington Calligraphers Guild and the International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting. Christen is the co-host of The Calligraphy Podcast and teaches students all across the globe. She works in both broad edge and pointed pen calligraphy, but has a particular love for Copperplate and its variations.
Provided by Pacific and Court
CURSIVE HANDWRITING FOR ADULTS
John Neal
“Relearn the beautiful art of cursive handwriting!
In this type, tap and swipe world, you have few opportunities to write in cursive. As a result, your skills diminish. Then, when the critical moment arises and you need to personally write something in your own hand, the results are not very impressive. In fact, they’re embarrassingly bad.
Written and designed specifically for an adult audience, this book’s program for relearning cursive is guaranteed to take your penmanship to a new level. You will relearn the strokes and techniques and practice with the workbook pages. The instructions are easy to follow but designed for adults, so they present the information in a more compelling way.
Plus, there are no “a is for apple” practice pages in this book. The exercises and sample pages are geared specifically for an older audience to help them relearn and practice cursive handwriting in a fun and friendly way.”
Provided by Pacific and Court
SPENCERIAN HANDWRITING
Platt Rogers Spencer
“The first all-in-one edition of P.R. Spencer’s classic penmanship work including step-by-step lessons and blank pages for practicing
In the world of email, Facebook, and texts, nothing offers a more personal touch than a beautifully handwritten letter, invitation, or thank you note. Spencerian Handwriting offers the elegant, traditional techniques that transform handwritten notes—from wedding announcements to to-do lists—into works of art. This complete guide provides you with examples and instruction for vintage handwriting, as well as a series of step-by-step practice pages so you can master perfect cursive.
Spencerian penmanship was the standard for handwriting in the 1800s, used for all correspondence and taught to schoolchildren for more than a century. This combination primer and workbook is the first edition to include all of P.R. Spencer’s instruction and workbooks in one volume. It also includes a bonus penmanship text, Penmanship Made Easy by George Bickham, for readers who want to tackle more advanced lettering and calligraphy.”
Provided by Pacific and Court
FUN AND FRIENDLY CALLIGRAPHY FOR KIDS
Virginia Lucas Hart
“Everything a beginner calligrapher needs to know to get started with beautiful handwriting.
The art of calligraphy doesn’t teach you how to write words, but instead, how to draw them. With this book’s fun and playful approach, you will not only improve your handwriting skills, you’ll have an absolute blast while doing so! You’ll learn everything from A to Z, including how to make letterforms, mix inks and develop a unique lettering style.
Follow the clear and easy instructions with countless helpful tips. Before you know it, you’ll be creating beautiful projects, such as:
• Wonderful thank-you notes & properly addressed envelopes
• Flourished tags & cards for special occasions
• Unique signatures & autographs
• Personalized gifts & keepsakes
• Fun logos & monograms
Virginia Lucas Hart is a calligrapher, illustrator, and stationery designer based in Charlottesville, VA. She earned degrees in English and Studio Art from the University of Virginia, continued her education at Parsons School of Design and School of Visual Arts, and has received formal calligraphy training as a member of the International Association of Master Penman, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting. She lived in New York City for twelve years, five of which she worked as a full-time artist, before returning to Charlottesville with her husband and daughter in 2019. She works with brands and events worldwide, creating and adorning bespoke stationery for discerning clients. Virginia is one of six international calligraphers for Bella Figura, who offers one of the largest collection of letterpress wedding invitations in the world. She also teaches modern calligraphy to both adults and children, celebrating the beauty and importance of her students’ individual styles. Her work has been featured by The Knot, in BRIDES and Flutter magazines, on NBC’s The Today Show, and in several online publications including Oh So Beautiful Paper and VOGUE’S Over the Moon. To learn more about Virginia and her work, please visit her website, virginialucashart.com.”
Provided by Pacific and Court
These are some great books to add to your summer reading list, thank you so much for sharing! I am always adding to my home library since I homeschool.