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Best Women in Art History & Criticism

The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait
The intimate life of artist Frida Kahlo is wonderfully revealed in the illustrated journal she kept during her last 10 years. Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1919- 1954) kept this haunting journal during the last decade of her life, preoccupied with death, beset by declining health, isolation and repeated surgical operations resulting from the bus accident that severely damaged her spine, pelvic bones, right leg and right foot at the age of 18.
Reviews
"I'm in love with this book's edition."
"I wanted to like this more because I am a bit enamored of Frida Kahlo, though I am not very educated about her."
"Such a well made, sturdy, book."
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Women of Abstract Expressionism
Lavishly illustrated with full-color plates emphasizing the expressive freedom of direct gesture and process at the core of the movement, this book features biographies of more than forty artists, offering insight into their lives and work. "A fine catalog that documents the artists exhibited and adds the names and biographies of many others who aren’t, setting the stage for sequels. It should inspire any reader to look askance at the traditional narratives of this era and encourage art historians to incorporate the women artists chronicled here in their scholarship and teaching. "Despite the advantages of access the internet provides, it’s only in a carefully prepared catalogue like Women of Abstract Expressionism that many of us will have the opportunity to view these works in an accurate representation.
Reviews
"The differences in work and sexual politics between East and West may have made a very strong photographic essay since it was referred to many times in the book."
"Yes, it arrived on time."
"Offers a good history of women abstract artists."
"This book accompanies an exhibit of the same name at the Denver Art Museum running through September 25, 2016."
"This is a wonderful overview of the Women of Abstract Expressionism."
"The book is set up to provide (usually) one page of information on each artist, including a bio and sample of her work."
"Each artist is featured in a 2 page spread that includes a photograph of the artist often shown in their studio or in front of their work."
"I wish I saw this show."
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Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney's Animation (Disney Editions Deluxe)
In her latest landmark book, Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney's Animation, author Mindy Johnson pulls back the celluloid curtain on the nearly vanished world of ink pens, paintbrushes, pigments, and tea. From the earliest black-and-white Alice Comedies to the advent of CAPS and digital animation, meet the pioneering women who brought handrendered animated stories to vibrant, multicolored life at Walt Disney Studios and beyond. A contributing writer for The Walt Disney Film Archives: The Animated Movies 1921 "1968 (Taschen Publishing) and the celebrated book Marc Davis: Walt Disney s Renaissance Man (Disney Editions), Mindy is a frequent speaker and writer on early cinema, animation, women s history, and creativity.
Reviews
"Mindy Johnson has done a masterful job of researching and compiling data about the unsung heroines of the world of Disney animation, the women of Ink & Paint as well as those who eventually managed to break the gender barrier and find positions in animation, editing, story, production, camera, writing, and research."
"An amazing book!"
"A huge feast of information about the days that women silently did amazing things at the Disney workbench."
"It's not only very informative, but the design and pictures are outstanding <3. Excellent work Mindy!"
"Excellent story."
"Every Disney Fan should have this book, Mindy is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about woman in the industry."
"A wonderful book that details so many of the women who worked for the Walt Disney company."
"A must for any Disney fan."
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Best African American Art History

Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross: (Updated and Expanded)
- Michael Eric Dyson. "Craig Seymour paints an intimate portrait of the man behind some of the most beautiful love songs of our time...Full of juicy anecdotes, fast-paced writing, and interesting analysis, the book reveals surprising new dimensions of this much-beloved balladeer." The book details Luther’s triumphs, as well as his struggles: his battle with weight; his feuds with Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, and En Vogue; the 1986 car accident that killed his best friend and nearly destroyed his career; and the rumors about his sexuality that followed him throughout his life. When he opened his eyes from his comatose state almost one month later, Vandross added yet one more page to the many chapters in his life: later in the year, his song "Dance with My Father" won a Grammy. Seymour recounts Vandross's lifelong love of music and the singer's early infatuations with girl groups, particularly Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles and Dionne Warwick. Vandross's fame as a composer and backup singer, which he preferred to the spotlight of a soloist, steadily grew until he was producing such acts as Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker and En Vogue.
Reviews
"The book is in perfect condition."
"I am not impressed with some of the "diva-like" behavior of Luther, but, I had no idea of the contributions he made to music, from his jingles, background singing and the passion that he wanted to express in his music."
"VERY well researched and written!"
"A very revealing look into Luther's life."
"It told a side of Luther Vandross's life that most people including myself would never have imagined."
"I couldn't put it down, so refreshing to read about his longing for Love, Life and Loving."
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Best Art Portraits

Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors
Growing out of President Bush’s own outreach and the ongoing work of the George W. Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative, Portraits of Courage brings together sixty-six full-color portraits and a four-panel mural painted by President Bush of members of the United States military who have served our nation with honor since 9/11—and whom he has come to know personally. President Bush will donate his net author proceeds from PORTRAITS OF COURAGE to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a non-profit organization whose Military Service Initiative works to ensure that post-9/11 veterans and their families make successful transitions to civilian life with a focus on gaining meaningful employment and overcoming the invisible wounds of war. It’s also a tale of life’s capacity to surprise, its ability to hand up new and unexpected lives not only to these veterans but also to their constitutional commander.” -Seth Lipsky, New York Post. After staring at the haunting close-up portraits of wounded warriors and reading the searing accounts of their suffering, I’m beginning to understand why this beautifully published book went to No. “Most of [the portraits] show the head and face full size, seemingly bursting out of the frame with genuine presence and considerable expressive energy . “[It’s] impossible to look at these 98 extraordinary images without thinking deeply about the artist who made them: A leader who sent troops off to the battlefield, and who, so many years later, spends his days channeling the damaged but determined warriors who came home .
Reviews
"I'm an artist and a Liberal."
"So while I don't want to cross the line into the contentious, I have to be perfectly honest and say I never would have expected myself purchasing one of President Bush's books. But I watched an interview with him from Jimmy Kimmel's show while he was promoting this book, and when he mentioned that all the proceeds to to supporting causes for veterans, I said “I'm in”. I read a piece a couple years back by some artists and critics who weren't very flattering in their assessments, so I imagine he's already been exposed to some of that. I took a drawing class in college and got a B on a project...the professor's only reason was she hated my subject matter, thought it wasn't mature enough, the thrust of her criticism was not about my technique."
"The love and honor is expressed in every brush stroke of the portraits."
"The president took on art (painting) after leaving the office, without any previous art background, but his desire to paint lead to this book; Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors. The title of the book is kind of self-explanatory, it deals with the courageous men and women who served in the military. It will make a great coffee table book and something special to keep in anyone's personal library. Lastly, the president did not just paint these men and women, but he has met with most of them personally multiple of times."
"These portraits seemed crude to me at first glance, but once I read each story and looked a bit longer at each portrait, I could see that the president managed to capture each person's character in the eyes or mouth, or some other aspect of that individual's personality."
"I was very Impressed and moved by President George W. Bush's paintings and the stories shared by the wounded Vets."
"Amazing!!!"
"The most beautifully portrayed emotionally moving book I have ever read."
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Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Art

The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts
T he Legend of Zelda™: Art and Artifacts contains over four hundred pages of fully realized illustrations from the entire thirty-year history of The Legend of Zelda™ including artwork from the upcoming The Legend of Zelda™: Breath of the Wild ! A few years later, the Gameboy and the Super Nintendo cemented Nintendo as one of the premier gaming companies in the world.
Reviews
"First of all, if you're a die hard Zelda fan, nothing in this book is new as this book is essentially a collection of promotional and concept art for the series. You do get art from the entire series from the original Legend of Zelda to Zelda Twilight Princess HD or Zelda Tri Force Heroes."
"This is a must own to learn the history of one of the greatest franchises is video game history."
"The only unique part to the book is the final 40 pages or so that are full of interview Q&A's which are pretty interesting."
"Gorgeous to look at, came safely packaged, no wear and tear, protective plastic sleeve fits perfectly with the cover illustration."
"I bought this book as a gift and it is beautiful!"
"That said, I am an obsessive Zelda image hunter and have sought out most of this art in the past."
"I'm pretty obsessed with everything Zelda, so when I saw this book I had to get it."
"It is surprisingly thick, has tons of artwork from all the games, Breath of the Wild has like a page or 2 dedicated to it but I did not see anything spoilers (BotW only) so that's good, unless I haven't looked through the book enough."
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Best Human Figure Art

Figure Drawing for All It's Worth
The illustrator Andrew Loomis (1892-1959) is revered among artists - including comics superstar Alex Ross - for his mastery of figure drawing and clean, Realist style. After studying art he moved to Chicago, eventually opening his own studio, working in editorial and advertising for most of the top clients at the time including Kellogg's, Coca Cola, Lucky Strike and more.
Reviews
"As stated in reviews of his other books, one can't go wrong reading and learning what Loomis had to say."
"Andrew Loomis is one of the most talented artists that ever lifted a pencil and this book was lovingly composed as a personal gift to those who might be inspired to follow in his footsteps."
"Although the figures are exaggerated a bit, this book is wonderful and beautiful."
"excellent quality well written a must have for any budding artist a great hand book ."
"Most artists can't draw well - this book will help eliminate that problem."
"I had started studying a low quality, crooked scanned version of this book I found online."
"I always had an issue drawing the human figure and now I have one of my favorite artists showing me the ropes in this educational book."
"If you want to learn how to draw, you can do no better than to use this book as a training manual."
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Best Plant & Animal Art

Draw 50 Animals: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Elephants, Tigers, Dogs, Fish, Birds, and Many More...
Draw 50 Animals is a step-by-step, easy-to-use drawing book that will help kids and adults alike develop their technical drawing skills and build a repertoire of animal subjects. Fifty furry, scaly and feathered friends are here for aspiring young artists to draw.
Reviews
"I bought this book for my special needs daughter in the hope that it would introduce her in the art of drawing and help her to easily understand each step in drawing animals."
"Got this for my little brother to get him off of the tablet and phone once in a while."
"Much less material than I expected."
"This book is great for beginning artists."
"It arrived quickly and, as described."
"This book was purchased for my 9 year old grandson who loves to draw, & was spending a week with us during the summer."
"Mailing issue: The book was torn and folded."
"Shipping was fast and good quality."
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Best Erotica Art

Tom of Finland (Multilingual Edition)
The work was gathered from collections across the United States and Europe with the help of the Tom of Finland Foundation, and features many drawings, paintings, and sketches never previously reproduced . The elegant oversized volume showed the full range of Tom’s talent, from sensitive portraits to frank sexual pleasure, to tender expressions of love, and haunting tributes to young men struck down by AIDS, and was completed by eight commissioned essays on Tom’s social and personal impact by Camille Paglia, John Waters, Armistead Maupin, Todd Oldham , and others, plus a scholarly analysis of individual drawings by art historian Edward Lucie-Smith . Dian Hanson produced a variety of men’s magazines from 1976 to 2001, including Juggs, Outlaw Biker, and Leg Show, before becoming TASCHEN’s Sexy Book editor.
Reviews
"This is the same calendar available from the Tom of Finland Foundation."
"A great collection of his works from early years to the latter ones we are more familiar with."
"Great Book and worth the price."
"Possibly the greatest purchase of my entire life."
"WAY beyond what I expected."
"It's waaaaay much more bigger and heavier than i expected."
"the book its perfect just i spected to be im in love with it."
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Best Religious Arts & Photography

Adult Coloring Book: Magic Christmas : for Relaxation Meditation Blessing (Volume 8)
This coloring book s Christmas theme will help you always access to the happy time. You will find the beautiful ball, bright bell, wonderful present, charming Christmas tree, snow flake and all the whole world of the Christmas time. Leave your stress life on the table and come with me to find the wonderful moment with coloring book.
Reviews
"You will find full page collages of Christmas bulbs, Mittens, Bells, Santa & reindeer riding across the night sky, plus pictures of Gifts piled high, Decorated Christmas trees and abstract Christmas trees, Santa and his sleigh, and many more all based on traditional Christmas items just waiting for you to add christmas colors to bring each to life."
"Complexity of the artworks range from beginner to more advanced level."
"One caution, though: I bought this book for my elderly aunt who has used some of the other books; she said that some of the images in the book are too intricate/close for her eyes and she thinks she may not be able to complete them."
"This is a fun book!"
"The adult coloring books are also great for my mother in law whose almost 89."
"The paper is thin and the designs are too simple, it would be difficult to color with sharpies or gel pens."
"The pages on this book are all very busy with lots of detail."
"Colored one or two items-rest were either too large or not to my liking."
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Best Landscape & Seascape Art

The World of Debbie Macomber: Come Home to Color: An Adult Coloring Book
From beloved author and Hallmark Channel favorite Debbie Macomber, this special adult coloring book features forty-five original illustrations depicting scenes from the Rose Harbor and Blossom Street series. Debbie Macomber , the author of A Girl’s Guide to Moving On, Last One Home, Silver Linings, Love Letters, Mr.
Reviews
"This coloring book depicts a number of scenes from various books, including: “Starting Now”, “The Inn at Rose Harbor”, “Love Letters”, “The World of Debbie Macomber”, Blossom Street Brides”, “Silver Linings”, and “Rose Harbor in Bloom”. Here is an overview of what I found in the book and during my testing of mediums and coloring in this book: 45 Hand-drawn designs depicting scenes from Debbie Macomber books. Printed on one side of white, heavyweight lightly smooth non-perforated page. Quote of Scene is on the preceding page (back of the previous design page. Glue Bound. Designs merge into the binding area – if you cut pages out, you will lose portions of the design. Book opens fairly flat if you “break” the spine. Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page. Given the construction of this book, with the quote on the prior page, I do not plan to remove pages from the book."
"I have been coloring as a hobby since high school so I'm no stranger to "adult coloring books" and after a while the same themes get old."
"I am a big Debbie Macomber fan and an avid colorist so it took me not two seconds to decide to buy this book."
"The Paper in this coloring book is thick and takes multimedia well."
"The paper us good quality and the pictures fill the pages which seem to be a bit larger than most coloring books."
"Most of my books are jungles, gardens and flowers, so I thought I'd try something different."
"The pictures are one on a page with a description of the next picture on the back."
"Stunning coloring book that tells a story."
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