I am an avid reader. I love the feel of paper turning under my fingers, the smell of a brand new tome being cracked open. I also have the ability to dive deeply and totally into the story, immersing myself so completely that my boyfriend can have real trouble dragging me back out and into the land of the living.
However, I am the first to admit that my collection of books is eccentric, ranging from the incredibly high-brow right through to Jilly Cooper, my guilty pleasure. It is a confusing bunch, and I am not sure it really gives off the impression of myself that I really want to give if I am trying to impress someone.
With this in mind I have a range of books that if I had a decent coffee table I would have on display. They aren’t always the things that I actually enjoy, but as a group they sum up the personality that I want to show off to visitors.
I fully believe that a little bit of coffee table subterfuge can work as a great way to seem more intelligent and confident that you really are! If this is something that you want, then here is my list of the coffee table books that get across the image of “Quirky, Intelligent and someone I would like to get to know better”.
First, let us address the intelligent part. You don’t want to seem stuffy, but you do want to appear knowledgeable. Choose a topic you are interested in, and be careful not to choose something that looks wildly boring. Oh, and remember that a book, in this case, is definitely judged by its cover.
I am obsessed with China at the moment, and this gorgeous Inside China book definitely ticks the intelligent yet interesting boxes we are aiming for.
Now to show that you are an expert in whatever business you are in. You want to come across as professional but not too intimidating, so choose something that is roughly to do with the area you work in, but which sexes it up, to nick the BBC’s favourite phrase. We are talking subterfuge and building self-confidence after all! I chose this advertising book – it looks great and the content is interesting in a non-formal way.
Now onto something to entertain your guests. If you have a big coffee table I would go for two books here. One could probably be filled with interesting facts, pictures and text – a dip-in-dip-out kind of book that you will no doubt get occasional enjoyment from too. The other should be very image heavy, perfect for flicking casually through, and also great for starting intelligent conversation! I think The Photo Book is always a good option for this, and it mixes up the size of the books on the table, along with one of my all time favourites, The Art of Looking Sideways. You can’t go wrong with either of these!
Finally, to finish of this well-rounded person that you have suddenly become, make sure to include something light-hearted. After all, if you are going to all the effort of having a gorgeous coffee table selection the last thing you want to do is come over as educated but somewhat lacking in the sense of humour arena! A little paperback casually strewn on top of the selection looks best. It is all personal taste as to what you pick – you could choose the profanisaurus, a book of comic strips, or even a book of limericks.
You may think this is a terrible thing to do. However, when we dress each morning many people portray the image of themselves that they would like others to see out to the world. You generally don’t want people to know that you pick your toe nails, or that you cry when you hear the pizza hut song. This is no different to dressing up your coffee table!
Have fun selecting your books!