Young’s Book Club

Sometimes the best remedy in the world is to cuddle up with an engaging read and a stiff cup of tea. If you need help figuring out what book is missing from your upcoming rotation, perhaps some of these recommendations can spark inspiration for what literary journey is next on your list.

Included are links to shop the book on Amazon, but please remember to support independent bookstores in your neighborhood; if you need help finding a new shop, click here to see what hidden gems are close to you and call some new businesses to see if they have what you are looking for!

The Bald Mermaid: A Memoir by Sheila Bridges

The inspiring story of interior designer Sheila Bridges, The Bald Mermaid: A Memoir comprises engaging and deeply personal vignettes that explore questions of identity, femininity, race, success, and what it really means to have it all.

A master of interior design, an inspiration to all, and a dear friend to Young, Sheila’s memoir opens up her world to the audience through compelling personal stories and thoughtfully crafted spaces, both of which portrayed beautifully in this intricate feat of a novel.

Featured in February 2021 Newsletter

de Gournay: Hand-Painted Interiors by Claud Cecil Gurney

Celebrated for its hand-painted chinoiserie wallpapers, sumptuous patterns of colorful flora and varied birdlife, the company produces additional collections that explore historical themes, such as nineteenth-
century French pastoral scenes or exotic Brazilian landscapes bursting with wildlife.

The YH team melts for the flora and fauna that de Gournay wall coverings capture within the beautifully crafted, colorful, and timeless pieces that brighten any space. Get lost in these pages as the book explores the creation of the esteemed wallpapers and then takes the reader on an enchanted tour through homes far and wide that are lucky enough to have de Gournay in their everyday spaces.

Featured in February 2021 Newsletter

James Huniford: at Home by James Huniford

An in-depth look at the design process of James Huniford, who is renowned for his skill in juxtaposing opposites--contemporary with traditional, rustic with refined--to create a timeless whole.

This collection of Huniford’s interior design style spanning from Upper East Side apartments to country houses in Connecticut showcases his exploration of what a modern sense of calm might look like when translated to a physical space.

Featured in February 2021 Newsletter

The Chiffon Trenches by André Leon Talley

As one of the most notable figures in fashion for the last fifty years, style icon André Leon Talley shares intimate stories and experiences as a Black man deeply enveloped within couture culture. André’s A-List network of creatives, including Anna Wintour, Andy Warhol, and Karl Lagerfeld, and his back-and-forth adventures between the fashion capitals of Paris and New York provide ample stories to share and lessons to teach. To live the life of André Leon Talley is something no one else will be able to achieve, but one can get seemingly close through this genuine memoir.

Featured in June 2020 newsletter

Buttermilk Graffiti by Edward Lee

Lee takes readers through his quasi-democratic adventures in the kitchen as he uses cuisine as the entry point to discovering how dishes have evolved from their original recipes to the mash-up and collaboration of cultures over time. This book not only provides a leisure read that will leave you salivating through sixteen different adventures, but the inclusion of forty recipes will surely spice up your culinary endeavors.

Featured in June 2020 newsletter

Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl

As our June newsletter is inspired by Young and the office’s favorite Summer snacks and bubbly beverages, Reichl’s self-proclaimed gourmet memoir is a perfect read to accompany our delicious moodboard.

"Complete with recipes, Save Me the Plums is a personal journey of a woman coming to terms with being in charge and making a mark, following a passion and holding on to her dreams—even when she ends up in a place she never expected to be.”

Featured in June 2020 newsletter

Wired for Love by Stan Tatkin, PsyD

“Has sheltering in place got you squabbling with your partner? Consider reading this book to understand better how we are each wired for love. Based on neuroscience it’s a fun and helpful read on relationships.”

- Young

Featured in May 2020 newsletter

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

An author with an indisputable talent for making his readers double over and laugh-cry onto the pages of his novels, David Sedaris has a dense library of humorous and righteously human reads. If you are a first time reader or a devoted fan who has not revisited this book since its debut twenty years ago, consider picking up this comedic reflection upon Sedaris’ childhood and adult life to make you giggle with glee.

Featured in May 2020 newsletter

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Has banter surrounding Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington’s Little Fires Everywhere taken over all of your group messages with friends and family? Or are you yourself the one who watched the series and now find yourself encouraging everyone in the grocery store to follow in your footsteps? Maybe it is time for you to peruse Celeste Ng’s debut novel about family drama and secrets that launched the author into the stratosphere of contemporary literature.

Featured in May 2020 newsletter