Happy Sunday! Writing to you from my cozy living room this afternoon. We had a light snowfall last night so it’s particularly beautiful outside today. Really the perfect sort of day to curl up with a book.
Speaking of books… I’m just here to share a few books that are on my reading list. Thanks to Goodreads, I’ve got a decent sized want-to-read list that has been accumulating over the last four or five years. If you’ve read any of these, please let me know your thoughts!
You may have guessed from my pen name that I love some good fiction. (If you know you know; if you’re curious, add Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey to your list; it’s my favorite Austen book.) So to start off, here’s three fiction books I’m intrigued by:
Small Things Like These
This is a more recent add to my list. I’ve heard amazing things from people, and it seems to be fairly popular on the book side of Instagram. According to Goodreads, it’s “a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.” I’m thinking this will be my next read!
A Gentleman in Moscow
Okay, so maybe I really only have had this on my list since I used to live in a town called Moscow! But even still, it seems to be a classic, witty read. I’m curious if it’ll be similar to the Russian literature I’ve read; I know it probably won’t be, but I’m sort of imagining a more modern Dostoevsky.
Bringing Down the Duke
I can’t remember exactly what prompted me to add this to my list, but nevertheless it looks interesting and I’m keeping this one in mind. Goodreads says, “in which a fiercely independent vicar's daughter takes on a powerful duke in a fiery love story that threatens to upend the British social order.” I believe this may be written for a younger audience, but we will find out once I read it.
I imagine I’m not the only one who saves a billion books to read about a certain hobby or career and never gets around to reading them… but I’m going to try to get to these at some point! From pattern design to flower arrangements, here’s a few educational books I’ve got saved.
Dressing Renaissance Florence: Families, Fortunes, and Fine Clothing
Yes, you read that right! I’m excited to read this book one day.
“From the artisans who designed and assembled the outfits to the families who amassed fabulous wardrobes, Frick's wide-ranging and innovative interdisciplinary history explores the social and political implications of clothing in Renaissance Italy's most style-conscious city… She concludes with an analysis of the clothes what pieces made up an outfit; how outfits differed for men, women, and children; and what colors, fabrics, and design elements were popular…she asks how we know what we know about Renaissance fashion and looks to both Florence's sumptuary laws, which defined what could be worn on the streets, and the depiction of contemporary clothing in Florentine art for the answer.”
Pretty sure I bookmarked this while researching Renaissance art patterns for a graphic design project. I’ve also got this one saved, which looks just as interesting.
The Art of Kate Greenaway
Also found while searching for inspiration for a design project! Highly recommend looking Kate Greenaway up. She’s known for her delightful children’s book illustrations (see below).
The Pottery Gardener: Flowers and Hens at the Emma Bridgewater Factory
The title of this book alone is amazing! Especially if you love flowers, hens, and pottery just like me. But if you’re not sold yet, here’s the description:
“Gardener, florist and poultry keeper Arthur Parkinson descriptively and visually shares his work. Inspired by his friend and idol, gardener and florist Sarah Raven, and childhood hen-keeping pen pal the late Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, Parkinson’s creation is one of resplendent flowers, platoon feather-legged hens, handwritten blackboards, flower arranging and wasteland foliage foraging carried out in one of the most unlikely places a garden could happen to exist: a working pottery. With seasonal tips on container planting in your own garden, plant profiles and helpful guides to keeping fowl and arranging home-grown flowers, The Pottery Gardener is sure to delight gardeners, hen fanciers and Bridgewater fans alike.”
Why yes, I am adding this to my birthday wishlist.
Metric Pattern Cutting for Women's Wear
Perhaps not quite as exciting as The Pottery Gardner, but I just added this book to my list on Thursday. I’ve been intrigued by pattern design for quite some time, and I’m hoping to gain some valuable insight by reading this. I’m actually hoping to write a separate post sometime soon on my (very new) journey into pattern making, so let me know if you’d be interested to see this!
Seven books in this post, and yet I’ve barely scratched the surface! What’s on your reading list for this year?