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Architecture & Design

Are you looking to be inspired by some of the finest designers and architects? You find a wide selection of fascinating architecture and design books at Tales. The design books can inspire you to renew your style or house, but you can also use them in your creative process both as a student or professional. If you are more into buildings and the process behind them, take a look at our architecture books that will take you around the world to the most wonderful and groundbreaking buildings on Earth. All of them will look good on your coffee table.
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  • Save 11%
    by Alexis Hall
    £7.99

    "From the acclaimed author of BOYFRIEND MATERIAL comes a deeply moving romance about losing the life you always thought would be yours...and finding something beautiful in the wreckage of the past. Quietly heartbroken, Edwin Tully lives alone in the house he used to share with the man he once loved. He tends to damaged books and faded memories, trying to build a future from the fragments of the past. Then the weather turns, and the river spills into Edwin's quiet world, bringing with it Adam Dacre from the Environment Agency. An unlikely knight, this stranger with roughened hands and worn wellingtons offers Edwin the hope of something he thought he would never have again. As the two men are drawn together in their struggle against the rising waters, Edwin slowly lets down his guard as he comes to accept he can't shield his heart from everything-and perhaps he doesn't even need to try. Because love doesn't only leave scars...sometimes, it heals them, too. This lyrical, moving LGBTQIA+ romance contains never-before-seen content and exclusive bonus material-including a NEW novella, Chasing the Light, following Marius as he rediscovers love and the complicated joy of being truly alive"--

  • Save 10%
    by Chie Kutsuwada
    £8.99

    Create over 50 adorable kawaii characters in 10 simple steps! If you love the Kawaii style but don't know where to start, this is the book for you! Both novices and advanced artists can greatly benefit from this title filled with whimsical and adorable Kawaii drawings.- Library Journal Get past that blank page by turning simple shapes into cute drawings in this popular style in just 10 easy steps! Create over 50 different characters from a cuddly penguin to a cheeky bubble tea, or a princess to a unicorn, by following the instructions inside. It even includes handy color palettes for getting the right shades in your drawing. Packed with handy hints and prompts, learning to draw has never been so simple!

  • Save 10%
    by Dav Pilkey
    £8.99

  • Save 10%
    by T. Kingfisher
    £8.99 - 13.99

  • Save 14%
    by Neal Stephenson
    £9.49

    THE 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION WITH NEW, NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED MATERIALAfter the Internet, what came next?Enter the Metaverse - cyberspace home to avatars and software daemons, where anything and just about everything goes. Newly available on the Street - the Metaverse's main drag - is Snow Crash. A cyberdrug that reduces avatars in the digital world to dust, but also infects users in real life, leaving them in a vegetative state.This is bad news for Hiro, a freelance hacker and the Metaverse's best swordfighter, and mouthy skateboard courier Y. T.. Together, investigating the Infocalypse, they trace back the roots of language itself to an ancient Sumerian priesthood and find they must race to stop a shadowy virtual villain hell-bent on world domination.In this special edition of the remarkably prescient modern classic, Neal Stephenson exploreslinguistics, computer science, politics and philosophy in the form of a break-neck adventure into the fast-approaching yet eerily recognizable future.'Fast-forward free-style mall mythology for the twenty-first century' William Gibson'Brilliantly realized' New York Times Book Review 'Like a Pynchon novel with the brakes removed' Washington Post'A remarkably prescient vision of today's tech landscape' Vanity Fair

  • Save 29%
    by Warner Bros.
    £28.49

    _______________Delve behind the scenes and learn the secrets of the making of this epic wizarding world video game, Hogwarts LegacyThe Art and Making of Hogwarts Legacy takes readers on a journey through the creation of the immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books and the films. Go beyond the game via exclusive interviews with the development team, stunning concept sketches, renders and illustrations to really explore the creation of this unique take on a beloved world.ORIGINAL CONCEPT ART: Includes many never-before-seen pieces of beautiful concept art used to craft compelling wizarding world locations from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade, Gringotts and more. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS: Hear from the development team on the process of creating this exciting chapter in the history of the wizarding world. PEOPLE, PLACES AND MAGIC: Get an in-depth look at the compelling characters, detailed environments and amazing magic system that bring Hogwarts Legacy to life. GO BEHIND THE GAME: Filled with behind-the-scenes fun facts and information about the game-making process, from crafting the setting to developing the gameplay - see the incredible work and talent that go into creating such an immersive gaming experience. THE PERFECT COMPANION TO THE GAME: This beautiful volume is an ideal collectable for gamers and fans of the wizarding world.

  • Save 15%
    by Kate Boucher
    £14.49

  • by Fedya Ili
    £12.49

  • Save 29%
    by Jim Sorenson
    £28.49

  • Save 25%
    by Hiromu Arakawa
    £20.99

  • Save 32%
    by Blizzard Entertainment
    £64.99

  • Save 30%
    by Marie Kalt
    £38.49

  • Save 23%
    by Sarah J. Maas
    £15.49

  • Save 21%
    by Sarah J. Maas
    £14.99

  • Save 21%
    by Sarah J. Maas
    £13.49

  • Save 10%
    by Kennedy Louise Kennedy
    £8.99

  • Save 10%
    by Sierra Simone
    £8.99

    From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Sierra Simone comes her steamy, TikTok-famous Priest series, in which sinners and saints alike test the bonds of religion, love, and lust.He leads a life of sin, and she's committed to a life of virtue.Sean Bell is not a good man, and he's never pretended to be. He doesn't believe in goodness, God, or any happy ending that isn't paid for in advance. There are words for men like him: playboy. Womanizer. Skirt-chaser. Sinner. When he meets a gorgeous college girl at a fundraiser, he has no problem telling her exactly what filthy things he wants to do to her-until he realizes she's his best friend's little sister, Zenobia "Zenny" Iverson, all grown up. Worse than that...she's also about to become a nun.Zenny, though, isn't looking to play it safe during her final month of freedom. She wants to make sure choosing God is the right path, and to do that, she propositions Sean to show her every carnal temptation she's leaving behind. Unable to refuse, Sean finds himself falling for her, body and soul, and questioning not just the morals he's dodged for years, but his relationship with the God Zenny has pledged herself to. The only problem is...what if Sean wants Zenny to choose him instead of Him?

  • Save 10%
    by Margaret Rogerson
    £8.99

  • Save 14%
    by Line Iversen
    £21.49

    Striking designs based on the traditional sweaters worn by Scandinavian fishermen reinvented for the modern knitter.Three hundred years ago, Norwegian fishermen went to sea no matter the wind or weather--and they needed warm, comfortable, durable sweaters to protect them from the cold while they worked. Now, photographs and documentation of surviving examples have been brought together to form the foundation for this collection: timeless traditional patterning applied to modern styling and shaping, for a selection of sweaters, cardigans, hats, mittens, vests, and more, for men and women, rooted deeply in the rich tapestry of Norwegian history.Learn the stories behind traditional handmade knitwear: who made it, the lives they lived, and where and how it was usedExplore techniques including stripes, blocks, lice, ribbing, cabling, and moreAdapt reimagined designs to your own style--pullover or cardigan, buttons or zipper, scoop neck or boat neck, in any combination

  • Save 27%
    by Natalie Walton
    £21.99

    Home by the Sea: The Surf Shacks and Hinterland Hideaways of Byron Bay is a beautiful interiors book that opens the doors to a range of diverse and inspiring homes in the burgeoning creative community of Australia's Byron Bay.   Step inside eighteen stunning homes across a range of styles, from interior designer Louella Boîtel-Gill's Gypsy Creek home to architect Zana Wright's off-the-grid Quandong Cottage, to fashion designers Lara Fells of St Agni and Candice Rose-O'Rourke of Zulu & Zephyr. Home by the Sea tells the stories of these homes and the people who live there - uncovering, in the process, that there is so much more to Byron Bay than its natural beauty. This is a book about community and creativity, about living intentionally and the value of loving where you live. Created by locals, including best-selling author Natalie Walton, and showcasing the light-filled interior and lifestyle photography of Amelia Fullarton, Home by the Sea offers a unique and unforgettable taste of what it's like to live in this iconic town.

  • Save 27%
    by Rene Goscinny
    £25.49

    In this special collector's edition, Albums one to five are brought together in one stunning volume for the first time.

  • Save 22%
    by Melissa Hunt
    £13.99

    Stonesetting for Jewellery Makers is an all-encompassing examination of the many and varied techniques, treatments and innovations used in jewellery design.

  • Save 15%
    by Janina Ramirez
    £10.99

  • by 3dtotal Publishing
    £9.99

    • Lively and engaging content with a broad appeal for artists, illustrators, and designers• Inspiration for new, interesting character designs• Informative interviews with professionals about their work and industry• Handy quick tips that can be used to kick start ideas• Detailed tutorials explaining key processes for advancing character designs

  • Save 14%
    by Brandon Sanderson
    £9.49

  • Save 20%
    by Laura H. Rubin
    £23.99

    With over 750K followers on Instagram, Laura Rubin has an active fanbase with whom she engages regularlyThe artist’s hyper-realistic style makes this book stand out from other ‘Art of’ books, and will be printed on carefully selected paper to enhance the results of that techniqueThe artist uses Procreate, the award-winning, industry-standard iPad software that has revolutionized digital painting (see the famous hyper realistic portrait of Morgan Freeman by one of the earliest users of Procreate)Practical tutorials demonstrating how a digital portrait is created – from choosing a reference to final files – make this book a valuable resource for both portraiture and digital artThe high-quality hardback finish features art paper specially selected to showcase the hyper-realistic style and deep, rich colors at their best

  • Save 18%
    by Lindsey Schiller
    £20.49

    Build your own passive solar greenhouse for year-round food production in any climate Extensively researched, written with personal experience, and full of essential facts and figures rendered simple and accessible. ¿ DARRELL E. FREY, author, The Bioshelter Market Garden A practical, easy-to-read guide that enables anyone to design and build their own sustainable, year-round greenhouse. I highly recommend it for aquaponic growers, and any gardener looking to extend their season. ¿ SYLVIA BERNSTEIN, author, Aquaponic Gardening FRESH, LOCAL, NUTRIENT-DENSE fruits and vegetables are hard to find in winter in cold climates. Growing warm-weather crops like tomatoes, bananas, avocados, or other perennials is nearly impossible using conventional structures. The solution for millions of backyard and small-scale commercial growers is self-heating solar greenhouses.The Year-round Solar Greenhouse is the one-stop guide to designing and building greenhouses that harness and store energy from the sun to create naturally heated, lush growing environments even in the depths of winter. Topics include the principles of solar greenhouse design, siting, glazing material properties and selection, controlling heat loss, ventilation, and construction methods. Additionally, an in-depth section covers sustainable ways of heating the greenhouse without fossil fuels, including using thermal mass and storing heat underground with a ground-to-air heat exchanger.Variations include attached solar greenhouses, earth-sheltered greenhouses, plus integrating hydroponics and aquaponics. More than a dozen case studies from across North America provide inspiration and demonstrate specific challenges and solutions for growing year-round in any climate. Grow your own food, anytime, anywhere using the power of the sun! An important resource that will help farmers and greenhouse operators leverage innovation for sustainable and profitable food production. ...This book should be part of your tool kit. ¿ GAELAN BROWN, author, The Compost-Powered Water Heater LINDSEY SCHILLER is a greenhouse designer and is, with co-author Marc Plinke, co-owner of Ceres Greenhouse Solutions. Lindsey has designed, toured, and helped build hundreds of energy-efficient greenhouses spanning small residential structures to acre-size commercial facilities. MARC PLINKE is an inventor-innovator with a PhD in engineering. In recent years he has focused his engineering mindset on building innovative, energy-efficient, and smarter greenhouses, with the intention of enabling people to grow their own food sustainably and year-round.

  • Save 25%
    by Kazushige Nojima
    £17.99

    Immerse yourself in the epic world of 'Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts', a captivating novel by renowned author Kazushige Nojima. Published by Penguin LCC US on March 21, 2023, this book is a must-read for fans of the genre. The novel takes you on a thrilling journey, filled with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. As you delve deeper into the narrative, you'll uncover the intricate details of two pasts intertwined in a complex web of events. This book is a testament to Nojima's storytelling prowess, as he masterfully weaves a tale that is as engaging as it is thought-provoking. If you're a fan of the Final Fantasy series or just a lover of good literature, 'Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts' is a book you won't want to miss. Published by Penguin LCC US, this novel is set to leave a lasting impression on all who venture within its pages.

  • Save 27%
    by Shaoqiang Wang
    £21.99

  • Save 15%
    by Amy Odell
    £10.99

    As a child, Anna Wintour was a tomboy with no apparent interest in clothing but, seduced by the miniskirts and bob haircuts of swinging 1960s London, she grew into a fashion-obsessed teenager. Her father, the influential editor of the Evening Standard, loomed large in her life, and once he decided she should become editor in chief of Vogue, she never looked back.Impatient to start her career, she left high school and got a job at a fashionable boutique in London - an experience that would be the first of many defeats. Undeterred, she found work in the competitive world of magazines, eventually moving to New York. Before long, Anna's journey to Vogue became a battle to ascend, no matter who or what stood in her way. Once she was crowned editor in chief - in one of the stormiest transitions in fashion magazine history - she continued the fight to retain her enviable position, ultimately rising to dominate all of Conde Nast.Based on extensive interviews with Anna Wintour's closest friends and collaborators, including some of the biggest names in fashion, journalist Amy Odell has crafted the most revealing portrait of Wintour ever published. Weaving Anna's personal story into a larger narrative about the hierarchical dynamics of the fashion industry and the complex world of Conde Nast, Anna charts the relentless ambition of the woman who would become an icon.

Architecture

Our selection of cultural books also include architecture books. If you are fascinated by beautiful or memorable buildings we have the books for you. 

Architecture is the art form everyone is in contact with everyday. We move across a wide variety of buildings everytime we go out the door. Schools, work spaces, museums and even your own home is a form of architecture. Some buildings however have that extra effect on you. They make you shop and wonder, and most importantly they are products of their time. They are part of our history and tell the story of the time they were made. Some architects also go beyond that creating something never seen before and these are the buildings that we remember and they might even become attractions or landmarks like the beloved Eiffeltower in the city of lights.   

You could also get inspired as an architect or architectural student yourself. The architecture books invite you into the process of making a building out of the ordinary. If you are interested in sustainability you could also find architecture books about that. In the last couple of years we have also seen an increase in sustainable architecture, where materials are reused or alternative and good for our planet. They are the buildings of the future. 

We also have a collection of garden architecture books. In recent years open air spaces have been desired especially in the big cities, where fewer and fewer have access to a garden or park. Therefore we need innovative ways of finding new green areas in the cities also in order to be sustainable. For that matter we need to plant more trees and have nature surrounding us both for our planet, but also for the wellbeing of ourselves. Find ideas for new kinds of creating just that in our selection of architecture books. 



Fashion and design

Everyone wants to be stylish, and in our selection of design and fashion books you can get inspired by some of the best style icons and designers in the world. You can get that extra tip that will help you become the most stylish person in the room or one of the new style icons of Instagram.  Whether it’s about interior or clothes you will find it all among our fashion books and design books.

Fashion is a way of showing who you are. The way you dress reflects your personality and it is a way of showing how you feel or wants to feel that day, although it can be difficult to mix your outfit in the right way, and that is where the fashion books can help. Another wonderful thing about the fashion and design books is that they look stylish in themselves, and they will look gorgeous as a coffee table book. They add that extra level of style to your furnishing, and you display all your knowledge about fashion. So that is why you find the most beautiful and cool fashion books for decor at Tales. 

In our selection you find the popular fashion book In Paris by the French Instagram it-girl Jeanne Damas and Lauren Bastide. In the book they try to cover the secrets of the parisienne; who she is, what she wears and where she is heading. The fashion book contains interviews with 20 of the most inspiring French women from the city of light, and concludes that being a parisienne is not just about how you look and dress, but a way of life. 

If you yourself dream of having a designer carriere, you could also find fashion books for designing in Tales’ selection of culture books. Get the perfect guide to sewing, draping, and picking patterns for your next stylish creation. 

If you need inspiration to renew your furnishing you could - in addition to selecting a stylish book among our fashion books for coffee tables - also find design books about that. They help you pick the most tasteful furniture on the market and most importantly how to style them, and you could end up with the most wonderful interior in your own house. 


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