Friends and family didn’t get you what you wanted for Christmas? Don’t worry, it can happen to the best of us. Instead of wallowing in cake-induced misery, start early on the retail therapy. Eyewear a predominantly womenswear focused book but let that put you off, it’s still a must read. Published by Taschen. Available from Amazon.

More juice for the design heads out there. Erratic covers the topic of visual impact in design, showcasing how ‘movement, tension, balance, and surprise are increasingly explored in today’s visual culture’. In layman’s terms, that’s design that aims to shock you into paying attention or looking closer at it. Or, in terms we understand, it’s a book that looks pretty. (Gestalten)

See a couple of examples after the leap.

Need some inspiration for your authentic, heritage and in-no-way-copying-Nigel-Cabourn brand? Look no further than this book. Focusing on the Terra Nova expedition from 1910-1913, this books captures every step of the journey through some beautiful pictures. (Assouline)

Take a leap to see a couple for yourself.

If you’re thinking what we’re thinking then, yes, everything in the mid-century has to be linked to Mad Men. It’s the law. Advertising from bygone eras is always a great view into what was deemed socially acceptable at that time. There’s plenty of casual sexism in the ads, which is to be expected in a book covering the ’50s and ’60s. Let’s be honest, it’s too late to be buying gifts now, get this book for yourself. Coming in March 2012. Published by Taschen. Available from Amazon.

See some spreads after the leap.

Now on issue 4, it looks like Port Magazine has carved out a nice out for itself in the mens market. The new issue features an interview with Lebron James, Alain de Botton prophesizing on porn and a feature on the set with Michael Fassbender. Magculture says it’s taken over Esquire’s mantle. Bold talk, but it’s hard to disagree at the moment.

Take a leap to see more.

Cura isn’t new, this being issue 9, but it is interesting. The contemporary arts magazine focuses on emerging artists and curators. In this issue they look at the work of Lorenzo Benedetti, Raimar Stange and have Marianne Zamecznik in conversation with LIAF 2011’s curators Linn Pedersenand. (Antenne)

See some spreads for yourself after the leap.

Sometimes we can tire of magazines with overtly lofty goals – especially when the magazine itself turns out to be the same old clap trap we’ve long since got bored of. Which is why we like Verities. Yes, they have those aforementioned lofty goals but they actually reach them, which is a rarity. And it looks good whilst doing it, something that’s important to our shallow, visual obsessed selves. (Verities via Manystuff)

Wire lets us know about ‘Coltrane’, the new graphic biography of John Coltrane’s life. Illustrated by Paolo Parisi, it’d make a great belated christmas present. And we say belated because it’s not out until the 12 January 2012, when it’s published by Jonathan Cape. We look forward to it.

Featuring images of deserted houses in Iceland, Orri Jónsson’s latest book is entitled Interiors. Taken from 1999 to 2010, he started taking these images after finding an abandoned farmhouse  on a family holiday. According to the blurb the book’s photographs ‘evoke the personal histories of the inhabitants who long ago abandoned their homes.’

Leap down to see more of the magazine.

We’ve shown the front cover, now here’s some spreads. If you don’t know by now, Apartamento mixes architecture, home interiors and a sprinkling of food articles, it’s one of our favourite magazines at the moment. If you’re still on the fence about it, take a leap to see more. And if you’re still not convinced we don’t know what to tell you.