Books take spotlight on coffee table
EMILIE ARKIN GateHouse News Service

Rather than taking up an obscure residence on the shelf, crowded by all those other books with a thick layer of dust, there are tomes that earn a coveted spot - right in the middle of the coffee table.

"Many times, (coffee table books) are decorating pieces," said Jane Stroh, owner of The Book Store, 475 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Stroh offered a few tips on what to look for when purchasing a coffee table book, whether for your own home or as a gift for a friend.

Pay attention to the topic

"The subject matter is typically something of interest to the person it's being purchased for," Stroh said.

Stroh said some favorites are home and garden, travel and companion volumes relating to television series.

Quality is key "There's a certain degree of 'you get what you pay for,'" Stroh said.

She said to take some time to run your fingers across a page in the book to see if it feels like quality paper.

Also, more often, the fine quality books' binding will be sewn rather than glued, she said. The pages of sewn together books are less likely to fall out over time - especially when it comes to the larger, heavier editions.