> ARRIVALS

Keepsakes, artworks, amusements: These small-format books include an illustrated biography of Virginia Woolf; an empowering poem for young women; reflections on the Face; a practical guide to stealing great works of art; and more.

The Face, Published by Restless Books

Restless Books asked writers to create personal narratives using their own faces as a starting point. The first three smallformat volumes came out in March: Ruth Ozeki found inspiration for reflections on aging, race, family and faith; Tash Aw uses his image to explore the multi-ethnic face of modern Asia; Chris Abani charts the cartography of his life through the contours of his face.

How to Steal the Mona Lisa and Six Other World-Famous Treasures, Taylor Bayouth

Finally, the book we wannabe thieves have been awaiting. Bayouth’s advice, culled from his advisory team of experts, includes scaling buildings, effective disguises, assembling the correct equipment for your heist and, after you’ve done the deed, selling your stolen goods to eager third parties.

Don’t Go To Jail: Saul Goodman’s Guide to Keeping the Cuffs Off, as told to Steve Huff

This is a thoroughly silly book that might (emphasis on the might) appeal to fans of the AMC series Better Call Saul or indeed the repeat offender in your life. It purports to be advice from everyone’s favourite lawyer on how to deal with the criminal justice system. Beyond the comedic intent, there’s some good common sense.

Virginia Woolf: An Illustrated Biography, Zena Alkayat and Nina Cosford

This enchanting book, just six inches square, might make a valued keepsake for a fan of Virginia Woolf and her storied Bloomsbury circle of artists and writers. Alkayat, the writer, and Cosford, the water colourist, are Londoners, and they approach their subject with warmth and empathy, drawing from biographies and the author’s diaries and correspondence.

Springtime: A Ghost Story, Michelle de Kretser

There are no clanking chains or stormy nights in this ghost story. It concerns a young Australian art historian, Frances, who moves to Sydney from Melbourne with her boyfriend. During walks with her dog, she experiences fleeting glimpses of a pale woman in an old-fashioned pink dress and a wide-brimmed hat. Is she real?

The Type, Sarah Kay, Illustrated by Sophia Janowitz

This small book encloses a poem about what it means to be a woman. Often, says Kay, women are defined in terms of others — a parent, a sibling, a friend, a lover. This poem seeks to describe a woman solely in terms of herself. It would make a good gift, and perhaps even a helpful one, for a young woman struggling with issues of identity and independence. Kay is a 27-year-old New Yorker primarily known for her spokenword poetry. She has performed her work at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, before a TED audience in Australia and at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen. The impressionist artwork by Janowitz does its work well.