Magazines on coffee tables have served as conversation starters for as long as I can remember. I'm sure my beloved Granny wasn't the only one who had stacks of Ebony and JET on (and underneath) her coffee table. And other than JET serving as the source of my first crush (it was on former President Barack Obama back in his days as a Senator *swoons*), coffee table books are surely more than just decoration.
But now, the décor has evolved from magazines to oversized statement books. Don't get me wrong, I still keep quite a bit of magazines on my ottoman. They just aren't going away. But now, it's complemented with books that educate, spark conversation, and if nothing else, salute Black culture (and are great gift ideas).
Check out a few coffee table books that are bound to serve as inspiration and entertainment.
*This list is specially curated by the xoNecole team and some links are affiliate links. If you purchase an item from an affiliate link, xoNecole might earn a small commission.
The Rihanna Book
Rihanna broke the Internet more than once when this one was announced. She released The Rihanna Book with more than 1,000 photos while fans wait with anticipation for her next album. The book spans across 504 pages and includes several "intimate" pictures of the Savage X Fenty creator, showing her "life as a musician, performer, designer, and entrepreneur," according to a press release. This book was five years in the making, and just like many of the other things Rihanna does, it's guaranteed to start some type of conversation with you and your guests. It has a price tag of $100 on Amazon, and the Rihanna: Fenty X Phaidon edition is $175. That one is also accompanied by a steel tabletop bookstand.
Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion
This book is the first to ever clap it up for Black models. It applauds veterans like Iman and Beverly Johnson and shows love to the ladies they paved the way for, including Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell. It also salutes the new ladies who are making their mark in the modeling industry like Jourdan Dunn and Joan Smalls. Celebrity stylist and journalist Marcellas Reynolds penned this book to close the gap in the lack of celebration for black models. According to a synopsis: "Black models have been influencing fashion and pop culture for decades, reshaping the standards and boundaries of beauty. Supreme Models is a celebration of their monumental impact." And it's only $26 on Amazon.
Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech Special Edition
As the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's men's line, lots of people want to hear (or read) what Virgil Abloh has to say. This coffee table book is three different works of art in one. It has a catalog section with essays and interviews from fashion industry icons, an archives section with more than 1,800 images that hadn't yet seen the light of day, and the index, which displays Abloh's projects. It doesn't come without a few accolades as it was named New York Magazine's Most Giftable Coffee-Table Books of 2019. If you're ready to find out why a brand new one will cost about $150 at Barnes & Noble (you can also get a used one for roughly $92).
The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion
Brought to you by writer and curator Antwaun Sargent, The New Black Vanguard confronts the recent revolution we've witnessed in the fashion and art worlds. A synopsis reads, "In a richly illustrated essay, Sargent opens up the conversation around the role of the Black body in the marketplace; the cross-pollination between art, fashion, and culture in constructing an image; and the institutional barriers that have historically been an impediment to Black photographers participating more fully in the fashion (and art) industries."
Sargent highlights 15 artist portfolios like photographer Tyler Mitchell, who made history as the first Black photographer to shoot an American Vogue cover. Campbell Addy, who was the first Black photographer to work with Naomi Campbell in 33 years for a high-fashion shoot is also featured. Who doesn't want to talk about that? The book is currently $45 on Amazon.
Hoda Kotb: I Really Needed This Today
There are few things better than therapeutic inspiration on your coffee table. Hoda Kotb's book, I Really Needed This Today, is a collection of the Today host's favorite and most inspirational quotes that have previously graced her Instagram account. The title of the book is a nod to the several times fans and followers commented on her posts with, "I Really Needed This Today." The piece includes 365 sayings to get you through the year and inspire your unassuming party guests.
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Again, the answer never changes because, if there is one thing that Shellie Reneé Warren is gonna get, it’s 6-8 (sometimes nine) hours of sleep. However, since my chronotype (check out “Ever Wonder What Personality Traits Make Someone A 'Morning Person'?”) means that I like/prefer to write in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes I will sleep for the night for five hours and take a nap in the day. And y’all, that is just fine with me because I am well aware of the fact that napping does everything from give me more energy, heighten my alertness and even make me more creative to decrease stress levels, strengthen immunity, and reduce my chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.
My problem is I will oftentimes go “overboard” with my daytime zzz’s. What I mean by that is, in order to get the most out of a nap, they say thatyou shouldn’t sleep for longer than 25 minutes or so; otherwise, you could wake up feeling sluggish (I don’t but…). Also, it can make resting, soundly, at night a bit of a struggle.
So, what are you saying, Shellie? We should get quickies in? Yeah. And it’s funny that the word “quickie” would come up because just like a sex quickie can do wonders for you (and it can — check out “12 Super Solid Reasons To Have A Quickie Every Single Day”), it’s a full-circle moment when I say that something that can improve the quality of your sex life is to have a power nap (a nap that lasts between 10-30 minutes).
Wanna know how the two things correlate? Honestly, it’s no secret that sleep and sex work together to optimize both (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”). Today, though, we’re going to tap into how a nap, specifically, can have you partaking in some of the best sex that you’ve experienced in a minute. I’ll explain.
Naps Reduce Stress
GiphyIf you’re feeling super stressed out right now, you are not alone. There is plenty of data out here that says that most of us are stressed for at least a couple of reasons at a time — and that can impact your sexual health on a few levels. For one thing, it can bring about feelings of depression and/or anxiety. Stress can also throw your hormone levels off (including your cycle) which can weaken your libido. Stress can make you want to put distance between you and your partner (yes, literally).
Stress can also make it challenging to get aroused or to have an orgasm. And just what can help to decrease stress? Taking a nap. Since sleep has a way of helping you to “get off of the clock” and relax a bit, that can lower your stress levels and “reset” your body so that you are calmer — and that, in turn, can do wonders for your sex drive and ultimately your sex life.
Naps Improve Your Mood
GiphyThere is one person in my life, and fairly 80 percent of the time, she’s in a super good mood. Oh, but let that girl go without sleep, and…who is this woman? LOL. There’s research behind why this happens. When a person is sleep-deprived, it messes with their brain chemicals, and that can amplify emotions like anger, restlessness and sadness. In fact, one study revealed that people who had their sleep disrupted throughout the night, they ended up having their positive outlook on life reduced by about 30 percent.
And geeze, who wants to have sex when they’re not feeling very good? Anyway, since serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate your moods, your sleep patterns, and your libido and sleep is what helps to keep it in balance — by taking a nap, not only can it help you to feel better, it can also increase your desire for sex (it can also build up your endurance which is also…sexually beneficial).
Naps Increase Your Focus and Concentration
GiphySomething that some of my clients bring up is how, when it comes to having sex, sometimes the flesh is willing while the spirit is weak because, although the desire for intimacy is there, so much is going on that they aren’t able to get still enough to focus on experiencing copulation with their partner. This also tracks because, when you don’t have enough rest, your brain finds itself not working in harmony and that can make it hard to do everything from approaching life with a sense of flexibility to making necessary decisions.
Certain data also reveal that a lack of rest can cause you to have a really poor attention span and not process things in context (the more you know). So, if you really want to get some yet it’s hard for you to focus long enough to make it happen, ask your bae to lie down with you and take a nap. Between the sleep and the snuggling (check out “Fall's Coming: 8 Wonderful Health Benefits Of Cuddling”) — you may wake up with your mind and body totally on the same page. #wink
Naps Can Make You Feel Better About Your Body
GiphyEven if, overall, you feel really good about your body, I think that we all have moments when we feel less attractive than others — and who wants to have sex when they don’t really feel…very sexy? Well, something else that sleep, in general, can do is increase your confidence in your body.
For one thing, if you want to lose a few pounds, sleep can actually make that happen by helping your body metabolize the glucose (sugar) that’s in it so that you can better manage your appetite. Other studies go on to share that since sleep deprivation can impact one’s mental health and emotional stability in a negative way, of course, getting enough rest would increase body positivity.
Shoot, science even goes so far as to say that insomnia can cause people to have an elevated level of dissatisfaction when it comes to their body image. Don’t take their word for it, though. Look in the mirror before a nap. Then look in a mirror after waking up from me. Do you feel better? I’d be surprised if you don’t.
Makes Your Brain Bigger…Which Could Make Your Orgasms Better
GiphyI saved the best for last by design. Now if you’re wondering how in the world a nap can improve (and possibly increase) your orgasms — oh, there is a method to the madness…trust. For starters, the saying that your biggest sex organ is your brain? That isn’t a myth. Long story less long, the brain is what houses your central nervous system and that is what controls how men and women sexually function (yes, literally).
And since the brain also releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin during sex and brain activity significantly increases in women during sexual activity (especially right before she orgasms) — well, would it trip you out to know that when you take a nap, your brain actually expands? A bigger brain (that’s healthy) can potentially intensify your sexual experiences (and your climaxes) — and who doesn’t want that to go down?
____
Like I said earlier, I never have to be convinced to get a nap in. However, if your sex life has been a bit stagnant lately, you’ve been feeling a little sluggish and you’re not sure what to do — I’m hoping that a nap can get you right.
There’s enough science to prove that it can. All you need to do is give it a shot.
Now where’s your pillow and sleep mask, chile?
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