Graze: Inspiration for Small plates and Meandering Meals

By Suzanne Lenzer

(Available July 11; $31.99, Rodale Books)

This is both a celebration of snacking and of languid summer meals. In a comprehensive directory of small bites and shared plates, Lenzer offers smorgasbord suggestions that range from a plate of artfully arranged vegetables to polenta cakes with shiitake mushrooms, roasted garlic and thyme. Themed platter menus ("A French Affair for Many") and crucial information about what to sip while grazing are included.

Wanderlust Find Your True Fork: Journeys in Healthy, Delicious and Ethical Eating

By Jeff Krasno

(Available July 18; $29.99, Rodale Books)

The founder of the music, arts and wellness festival Wanderlust has gathered together a group of foodie experts – cookbook author Deborah Madison, sustainable food expert Anya Fernald and vegan chef Jason Wrobel among them – to explore the kitchen practicalities of being vegetarian or vegan, eating free-range or attempting an ayurvedic diet. With summer's bounty at our fingertips, those thinking of trying a new wholesome diet will find this an essential kitchen companion.

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African-American Culinary History in the Old South

By Michael W. Twitty

(Available Aug. 1; $35.99, Amistad/HarperCollins)

In this memoir, food writer Michael Twitty explores the history and healing power of food and shared meals in this rich history of the United States' deep south. From plantation farmland and kitchens to soul food and barbecue, the author tells a story about race relations, cultural identity and culinary traditions through recipes, historical documents and travel notes.

The Art of Flavor: Practices and Principles for Creating Delicious Food

By Daniel Patterson and Mandy Aftel

(Available Aug. 1; $37, HarperCollins)

Michelin-starred chef Daniel Patterson and perfumer Mandy Aftel have paired up to offer a guide for home cooks who may know their way around a stove but have never been shown the rules for preserving and pairing flavours. A "flavour compass" goes a long way to explain why some food combinations work (and why some really don't), and the effect of certain cooking methods on flavour are revealed. The science is tied together and practically applied to 80 recipes created by Patterson.

Eat Delicious: 125 Recipes for your Daily Dose of Awesome

By Dennis Prescott

($31.99, William Morrow/HarperCollins)

A former musician turned food photographer, Prescott's book is all about making cooking fun – and easy. The book kicks off with the fundamentals for a perfect sunny side egg and also includes tips for achieving the perfect burger patty to bun ratio and tackling an 8 to 10 person holiday dinner. Some dishes are as rich as the colours in his Instagram-friendly images – cheesy marinara gnocchi bake, for instance – but none are intimidating, even for the most novice of home cooks.

The Illustrated Art of Manliness: The Essential How-to Guide

By Brett McKay and The Art of Manliness

($32.50, Little, Brown and Company)

Born from the website of (almost) the same name, this is a life how-to. Retro inspired illustrations by Ted Slampyak accompany instructions on everything from grilling a perfect steak to being an awesome uncle, even jumping from a speeding car (being a gentleman is always in style, no matter the occasion). The importance of confidence, respect and common sense form the basis for every how-to, and though targeted at men, these are valuable lessons for all decent humans.

Walter Beauchamp: A Tailored History of Toronto

By Pedro Mendes and Terry Beauchamp

(Available Aug. 11; $40, Figure 1)

As one of the country's oldest custom tailors, Walter Beauchamp Tailors is a fashion institution that has been outfitting military, government officials, artists and everyone in between since 1908. The book reveals the struggles and successes of building an independent business as well as the history of 20th-century suit fashion and Toronto style.

Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore

By Terry Newman

($36.99, HarperCollins)

James Joyce's glasses. Hunter S. Thompson's hat. Zadie Smith's turban. While these writers are known for the of their words, their fashion sensibility has also garnered fame. This book explores the style of dress of 50 noted literary figures, how the way they dressed influenced their work and how both their wardrobes and words influenced popular culture. Consider bookish chic as inspiration when you build your fall wardrobe in a few months.

Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between

By Andrew Bolton

($50 (U.S.), The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The catalogue created to accompany the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute's show of the same name uses 120 stunning photographs to illustrate Kawakubo's skill for finding inspiration in what's unseen. Authored by the show's curator, this book provides insight into the designer's creative process and her outsider's take on the fashion industry.

Bobbi Brown Beauty from the Inside Out: Makeup, Wellness, Confidence

By Bobbi Brown

($34.95, Chronicle Books)

How you look on the outside is an indication of what's going on in the inside, and so Brown, in her latest guide tackles health, wellness, fitness and mindfulness. The cosmetic guru not only offers advice and tutorials on skincare regimes and makeup tutorials, but nutritional recommendations and yoga routines. Grab a cold-pressed juice and start reading.

Wooden Houses: From Log Cabins to Beach Houses

By Judith Miller

(Available Aug. 8; $52, Ryland Peters & Small)

This collection of beautiful spaces – cottages, cabins, even front porches – created from wood reveals not only what's possible when using the material to build a structural framework, but from a decorative standpoint, what can be achieved when wood is carved, stained, painted or simply stripped. Miller also explores the historical and social contexts of using the natural material in architecture.

Frank Lloyd Wright: Unpacking the Archive

By Barry Bergdoll and Jennifer Gray

($65 (U.S.), The Museum of Modern Art)

A tale of Wright's many talents and creations: Created to accompany the retrospective at the MoMa in New York this year, each chapter takes one piece of the man's work – be it a skyscraper, museum or temple – and dissects what each said about the architect, his motivations and aspirations. For Frank Lloyd Wright fans, this compendium won't disappoint.

Happy Houseplants: 30 Lovely Varieties to Brighten Up Your Home

By Angela Staehling

(Available Aug. 22; $20.95, Chronicle Books)

Plot to prolong summer's greenery by bringing it indoors. Whether you've learned the hard way that an air plant needs more than just air to survive or you're looking to expand on your already fulsome living wall, Staehling's illustrated guide to the necessary tools and tricks for healthy houseplants (including how to make your own potting soil) will brighten up your bookshelf and your home.

Open House: Reinventing Space for Simple Living

By Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen

(Available Aug. 8; $39.99, Gibbs Smith)

If you've chosen renovation over fighting it out in the inevitable bidding wars of Canadian real estate, this read will inspire. The author couple, both actors who've fostered a love of interior design, take older homes and remodel them, creating modern, open spaces. Practical information like how to manage a reno budget, what to consider when building an open-floor plan and where to make splurges are paired with beautiful interior photography.

Marguerita Mergentime: American Textiles, Modern Ideas

By Virginia Bayer, Linda Florio, Donna Ghelerter

($50, West Madison Press)

An in-depth look at a designer who, through her printed fabrics, brought colour, levity and joy into American homes during the 1930s. Beyond tablecloths, curtains and bedspread, Mergentime's original patterns and prints were displayed at the 1939 New York World's Fair and Radio City Music Hall (they can still be seen at the later today). Images and essays detail how her creativity inspired households across a nation.

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