Book Club | Summer Reading
This summer, instead of novels about faraway places or unrequited love, my reading has been filled with gardens, interiors, and seasonal cookbooks. The sunlight in the studio seating area (I promise a tour!) makes for perfect reading conditions, and I've been spending a few afternoons lounging on the sofa with an icy cold drink, a whirling fan, and a stack of fresh deliveries from Amazon.
And while we're all here, do any of you belong to a book club? I've been talking about joining/hosting one for years but I'm at a loss as to where to begin. If you attend one - is it in real life or online? Are they fiction/novel/genre based or cookbook clubs? What about groups you can join on services like Meetup, or does GoodReads have local chapters? Sheesh, sorry for all the questions. You can see why I haven't joined or started one! #sendhelp How about we just get to what I've been reading and move on....
Studio | Creative Spaces for Creative People - While working on my own studio space, I picked this one up in hopes that it would spur some creative mojo. I've always been drawn to creative spaces, especially art and pottery studios, and this book contains beautiful photos of dozens of workrooms, and even more ideas for organizing and decorating them.
Gardenista - I've been a big fan of other Remodelista books; their first one on design, and another on organizing the home I've referred to many times, so I knew their latest book would help tremendously with my garden planning. It focuses on creating spaces rather than just gorgeous flower beds and I've bookmarked so many ideas/pages. Green thumbs up!
This is Home | The Art of Simple Living - This Australian design book on simple living (one of my favorite topics) encourages us to celebrate what we have and nurture the spaces we inhabit. She shares ten foundations for creating an authentic, wholehearted space and weaves the concepts through beautiful moody images of homes in seven different countries.
How to Eat a Peach | Menus, Stories, and Places- The cover of this book has a surprising tactile element - it feels like a peach, fuzzy! The stories and menus take you through the year and to different parts of the world. I was most excited for peach recipes (we had a huge bumper crop this year) but it has only one. Spoiler alert; it's soaked in a glass of chilled Moscato.
Six Seasons | A New Way with Vegetables - Where do I start? I basically want to make everything in this cookbook. The delicious, fresh take on vegetables will have you stopping at the farmstand and in the kitchen pronto. The chapters are divided by seasons and vegetable which makes for a handy reference when you have an abundance of tomatoes or squash. I can't wait to make Corn and Tomato Salad with Torn Croutons! Side note: the photos are stunning!
Simple Fare | Fall/Winter - Meant to be a resource guide for cooking and eating seasonally, I like the recipes for pantry staples such as Everything Oil, Dukkah, and Chermoula to help add that "extra" element to a dish. But I also love the Burnt Lemon Cauliflower as a simple side dish, and Blackened Chickpeas and Hummus Three Ways for appetizers/entertaining.
Now it's your turn, tell me what you're reading!
PS. Between posts you can find me on Instagram sharing highlights of daily life.
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