Did you get books for Christmas? Don't be whiny! It means somebody loves you!
Apollo's Angels by Jennifer Homans
Everything you ever wanted to know about the history of ballet. It's like The Red Shoes in book form, without the color red. (UK link here)
Listen To This by Alex Ross
Listen to this -- or listen to nothing. It's pure Ross musical goodness, distilled. (UK link here)
The Prada Life by Gian Luigi Paracchini
Finally the English translation of the Italian biography of the fashion empress. (UK link here)
Serving Genius: Carlo Maria Giulini by Thomas D. Saler
Giulini's genius, his kindness, his work: a comprehensive biography with many in-depth interviews and new information about the late Italian conductor. (UK link here)
Seven Mozart Librettos by JD McClatchy
How do you render Da Ponte's and Metastasio's and Schikaneder's genius (and Varesco, and Stephanie) into English verse? You only need a great poet like McClatchy. (UK link here)
Mozart's Blood by Louise Marley
The first Donna Anna? She was a vampire. Really. (UK link here)
Outtakes by Charles Wright
Anybody don’t like potry go home see television shots of big-hatted cowboys being tolerated by kind horses, as Uncle Jack used to say. (UK link here)
Poems 1959-2009 by Frederick Seidel
Millionaire, bada$$ biker, style icon, Diane Von Furstenberg BFF & one of America's greatest living poets: all Fred, all the time. (UK link here)
Shazam! by Chip Kidd
Kidd is fun fun fun -- his visual genius and his taste make weird old comics soar. (UK link here)