NEW YORK, Sept 7 — Labour Day: That bittersweet time of year when sun-soaked vacations and summer Fridays give way to more time spent indoors. To make nesting a little less depressing, we’ve combed through the catalogues of the world’s best art book publishers to find big, beautiful releases to keep you occupied.

While we were at it, we also found 10 conversation-worthy coffee tables to complement them. (Though we’re still holding out for the two combined.)

For the minimalist — ‘Ellsworth Kelly’

Phaidon, US$125 (RM540), October

For the consummate minimalist, here’s a maximalist book on 92-year-old artist Ellsworth Kelly’s lifetime of groundbreaking work. Curator Tricia Y. Paik guides us through the artist’s colour-soaked career in 400 illustrations and scholarly essays. It’s a must for any Kelly fan: the only book, in fact, to completely span the artist’s entire oeuvre.

The table: Eero Saarinen’s streamlined 1957 classic from his Pedestal Collection is the perfect quiet compliment to Kelly’s colours. (US$1,627; knoll.com)

Phaidon reissues this 2002 cult coffee table classic about Vogue’s formidable creative director in October. — Picture via Phaidon.com

For the child at heart — ‘Mattel: 70 Years of Innovation and Play’

Assouline, US$125, October

An express trip back to childhood for a grown-up price, Assouline’s upcoming release charts the rise of a humble two-person operation in a Los Angeles garage to America’s beloved purveyor of Barbies and Hot Wheels. The editors dug deep into Mattel’s archive for a wealth of vintage shots and documents that add depth to the toys we’ve all grown up with.

The table: Starchitect Frank Gehry’s weatherproof polyethylene design has a whimsy all its own. (US$690; dwr.com)

For the Francophile — ‘The Parisian Gentleman’

Thames and Hudson, US$75, December

For those who revere the insouciant, suited-up swagger of French style-setters, Parisian Gentleman is an illustrated rolodex of the maisons and ateliers that dress them. Blogger Hugo Jacomet, the founder and face of the website of the same name, takes us on a tour of 20 renowned houses — from shoemakers to suitmakers — and the forces behind them.

The table: This ebonised mahogany Louis XVI table is as Gallic (and elegant) as it gets. (US$1,600; 1stdibs.com)

Copeland’s haunting photographs of vanishing North Pole landscapes nearly glow. — Picture via Houzz.com

For the fashionista — ‘Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue’

Phaidon, US$150, October

Yes, there are shiny monographs about Cindy Crawford and the House of Dior on the horizon, but die-hard fashion fans will rejoice when Phaidon reissues this 2002 cult coffee table classic about Vogue’s formidable creative director (responsible for the magazine’s more whimsical spreads). With copies currently fetching US$395 on EBay, the relatively humble US$150 price tag will leave some spare change for a follow-up edition to be released next year.

The table: The Scalinatella Cocktail Table is sumptuous, surreal, and quirky — much like Coddington’s work. (US$1,950; jonathanadler.com)

For the J-School junkie — ‘Frank Sinatra Has a Cold’

Taschen, US$200, November

Writer Gay Talese’s seminal 1965 profile on Ol’ Blue Eyes gets the deluxe Taschen treatment as the kickoff title in the publisher’s literary series; think letterpress printing, a silkscreened cloth cover, rich duotone photos by Sinatra’s longtime photographer, Phil Stern. Snap up one of the 5,000-signed collector’s copies and earn bonus points when your writerly friends come over for cocktails.

The table: A vintage steel flat file with a peekaboo glass top does double duty as storage for transcripts, reporter’s notebooks, and other writerly ephemera. (US$1,800; 1stdibs.com)

This deluxe monograph gives us David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust heyday in all its glittered glory. — Picture via Taschen.com

For the urbanist — ‘The High Line’

Phaidon, US$75, November

New York’s derelict railway turned urban oasis has transcended local hype to become a symbol of 21st century municipal reinvention. This comprehensive tome tells the decade-long story of the elevated park’s development in the designers’ and developers’ own words — a unique approach for an equally unique project.

The table: Restoration Hardware’s reclaimed oak piece reflects the High Line’s spare yet stylish aesthetic. (From US$1,495; restorationhardware.com)

For the shoe fly — ‘Manolo Blahnik: Fleeting Gestures and Obsessions’

Rizzoli, US$150, September

Manolo Blahnik’s storied red-soled shoes finally get the coffee table treatment they deserve. The designer himself compiled this absorbing, academic exploration of his aesthetic influences in the form of conversations, essays, and sumptuous photographs by Michael Roberts.

The table: West Elm’s spindly Clover table in warm walnut and antique brass smack’s of Blahnik’s vertiginous footwear. (US$249; westelm.com)

This comprehensive tome tells the decade-long story of the elevated New York park’s development. — Picture via Phaidon.com

For the rebel — ‘The Rise of David Bowie’

Taschen, US$700, October

With a hologram cover, pink-trimmed clamshell box, and bold, full-bleed photography, this deluxe monograph gives us David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust heyday in all its glittered glory. Photographer Mick Rock’s intimate images from 1972 and ‘73 reinstate the icon as the original boundary-bending performer (stand back, Miley) — and a limited run of only 1,972 copies, signed by both Rock and Bowie, may make this tome a glam rock icon as well.

The table: Designed by Yves Klein in the ‘60s, this famed model anticipates ‘70s glam with its louche see-through Plexiglass top filled with hot pink pigment. Bowie would approve. (Price upon request; larcobaleno.com)

For the foodie fine-art lover — ‘Wayne Thiebaud’

Rizzoli, US$150, October

West Coast artist Wayne Thiebaud portrayed people, landscapes, and cities in spare, striking form, but it was his unique compositions of cakes and other assorted desserts that made him a household name — thick dabs of paint and pronounced shadows etching signifiers of the American deli counter into our collective memories. Rizzoli’s career-spanning exploration is required reading for those whose who have healthy appetite for provocative art.

The table: Modernist cake-like slices are a simple nod to Thiebaud’s tactile, conversation-starting aesthetic. (US$599; bludot.com)

For the environmentalist — ‘Arctica: The Vanishing North (Limited Edition)’

TeNeues, US$2,500, September

President Obama’s recent trip to Alaska, with its emphasis on the increasingly dire effects of global warming, finds visual resonance in this arresting tome by activist and adventurer Sebastian Copeland. His haunting photographs of vanishing North Pole landscapes nearly glow on the signed and numbered photoprints in TeNeues’ ice-blue collector’s edition, limited to 50 copies.

The table: Designer Chris Kabatsi’s recyclable laser-cut steel table conjures the undulations of Antarctica’s wild landscape. (US$3,520; houzz.com) — Bloomberg