READING LIST: PREPARING FOR BABY

I've been umm-ing and ahh-ing about how much pregnancy stuff to put on the blog and, especially, how to make it food-related, but I've come to the conclusion that the pregnancy things I've enjoyed reading the most are by people I already know through social media and blogging. That personal angle is so much more important to me than what can be found in a book, and I've really relied more on word of mouth than anything else throughout many aspects of my pregnancy. With that in mind, this reading list is somewhat short and sweet, but I hope anyone with a baby on the way or who is just interested finds this list useful. I should note here, the list of actual books is short, but my descriptions are quite lengthy!

READING LIST: non-fiction

It's actually been a really long time since I read a novel. Don't get me wrong, I love them, but there's something about non-fiction memoirs that grip me in a way that only a perfectly chosen novel can. Here are the ones I've been reading lately:

Without You, There Is No Us - THIS BOOK! I don't care what you have lined up for your next read, drop everything and make it this. Suki Kim manages to perfectly balance facts with heart to offer an insight into a university for North Korea's elite sons. It is at times funny, bittersweet and surprising and captures a moment in time that is completely closed off to us.

Wild: A Journey From Lost to Found - I didn't watch the film of this book, starring Reese Witherspoon, because I just couldn't figure out how a whole movie could be made about a hike. But I picked up the book at the airport and I get it now. Yes, the book is about a hike, but the author, Cheryl Strayed, weaves in experiences from her past, creating an untangle-able picture of her life so far and, actually, it's the parts about the hiking that grip me in a sort of subtle, quiet way. This one is great for reading in the bath or before bed with a nice candle.

Marching Powder - my friend Che recommended this book to me and it is likely something from another world. It follows the experiences of a British prisoner, Thomas McFadden, in the infamous San Pedro prison in La Paz, Bolivia, where prisoners have to buy their own cells and can move their families into the prison with them, open restaurants and run businesses. Thomas McFadden himself was featured in Lonely Planet for giving tours of the prison! It is totally bizarre - would you voluntarily take a tour around a third world prison!?

READING LIST: 2 more food memoirs for the hungry reader

Food memoirs are still my favourite genre of book; here's two more to add to my food memoirs reading list. If there's anything I love more than a food memoir, it's a travelling food memoir. Both of these books are about a transformative journey of sorts and are amusing, fascinating and, of course, mouth-watering.

Around The World in 80 Dinners  - this book is about a retired couple's journey around the world, from China and South East Asia through to Australia and Brazil. I love reading about places I've been to before and seeing the world through other peoples' eyes, tasting what they ate through their words. Cheryl and Bill Jamison are charming and adventurous and they include a little address book for each of their destinations, which I'm sure I'll be referring to in the future!

Eat, Pray, Eat - Michael Booth is a professional journalist who is totally irreverent and thoroughly British in his sense of humour, which makes this book completely hilarious. Booth is on a journey, both physically and spiritually (even if he doesn't know it yet), and as he travels through India with his family, I loved reading about someone's transformative experience in a way that is still down-to-earth and (painfully) self-aware.

Love reading? Find more of my reading lists here.

READING LIST: 2015 so far

It's been a while since I did a reading list round-up - I wanted to do a quarterly one, but where has 2015 gone!? Here are the books I've loved reading in the first six months of the year:

Capital by John Lancaster - I read this book for Blook Club and loved it. It follows a series of mysterious occurrences on a typical street in London, with the stories of all the different residents unfolding through the book. I've always had a soft spot for books and films where all the threads come together and the book is set in my area, so it's quite fun seeing roads you know come up in print.

Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey - The author somehow gets completely into the mindset of an elderly woman in such a distinctive way, despite only being 30 herself. I was expecting this book to be quite humorous, but I was touched by her writing, captivated by the two different stories of past and present and found myself getting quite upset thinking about my own elderly grandparents and the confusion of getting older, with or without dementia. 

I'll Have What She's Having by Rebecca Harrington - More a series of (witty) essays than a book, Rebecca tries every faddy celebrity diet out there, with mostly dire results. This is a really easy read and would be great to dip in and out of on a daily commute.

New cookbooks - I have a slight addiction to buying cookbooks and earlier this year invested in a few healthy-eating options via Deliciously Ella, Hemsley + Hemsley and Sarah Wilson. You can read all about them here.

Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop - I probably read this once a year (sometimes twice!). It's one of my favourite food memoirs of all time - you can read about it, and my other favourites in the first reading list I ever did - and made its first outing of the year a few weeks ago. 

CLEVER BIRTHDAY PRESENTS

My brother chooses the cleverest, most unique presents (his gifts inspired me to start the birthday book club, which has turned out to be one of my most popular posts) so I just wanted to do a quick post about the gifts he got me for my birthday this year.

1. Made by Hand by Lena Corwin is a cool crafting book packed with DIYs I want to try like tie-dye pillowcases, olive oil soap, screen-printed fabric and beeswax birthday candles. It's like he pre-empted my musings from this post!

2. A Household Box is like a manual for the modern home. I'm not entirely sure what it's for just yet, but as a lover of guides, boardgames and mantras, this little box is filled with quizzes to answer about your home, plus little games like charts and diagrams for rearranging your room (like a Buddhist cave or a dynamic open plan office) and spinners to assign household chores like washing-up and seeing difficult people (ha!).

3. SUCKUK's Cooking Guide Apron was perfectly timed because I'm going to be on a cooking challenge tv show! You put on the apron and when you lift up the hem towards you, it's filled with useful information like how long certain things take to cook or portion sizes...but obviously I won't be able to take it with me!

READING LIST: children's books for adults

I had a story read to me by my parents every night when I was little (until I was too old to mention on the internet), so reading to my future children is something I'm really looking forward to. The little girls I babysit have such a huge collection of books and the smaller one, Rose, loves having a story read to her at bedtime.

I've found that there are actually quite a few books on her bookshelf that I've loved reading too, whether it's the clever illustrations or the surprisingly sophisticated jokes that have me amused. There's quite a trend right now for children's books that appeal to adults too and I think part of it is also down to parents wanting their children to be exposed to more than just the usual Disney-type offerings.

Home by Carson Ellis was featured on design*sponge and This Is London has quite a cult following - I think it only recently came back into print - and both of these books actually seem to be geared towards adults just as much as children. The Olivia books have great illustrations - though I admit I do find the pigs a little creepy - and Shackleton's Journey is more of an illustrated infographic-type book that my dad might just well get for his birthday next month!

What were your favourite story books as a child? I remember We're Going On A Bear Hunt being a favourite of both my parents, though I wasn't all that keen - the Beatrix Potter books, however, always captured my imagination.

READING LIST: a christmas book club (2014 favourites)

Have you started Christmas shopping yet? Are you mad at me for even mentioning it? I'm trying to get everything done early this year so I can just enjoy the few weeks before Christmas, so I thought I'd post this earlier rather than later.

I love giving books because they make such thoughtful presents - they could be your favourites, ones you know they'll love, bestsellers, classics - and it's easy to keep a stash of your favourite tomes for those gifting moments when you're caught unexpectedly unprepared. For my brother's birthday last year, I gave him a 'book subscription' and chose a book that I would post to him at the beginning of each month for the next six months. I liked doing it so much, I thought I would share the 12 books I read this year that I think would make perfect gifts this Christmas.

1. Sharks Fin & Sichua Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop - this still remains one of my very favourite, and most read books of all time. Dunlop has such a knack for describing (sometimes exceedingly odd) Chinese delicacies in a way that is utterly mouth-watering; a wonderful gift for enthusiastic foodies and travellers alike.

2. The Dinner by Herman Koch - I'm a total sucker for novels with a twist, especially when there is a big build up. In the case of this book, the suspense captivates you nearly until the end of the book, hinting at the climax. The whole story unwinds over a single evening meal, which makes for some seriously impressive writing!

3. Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert - this book is a really interesting study into marriage and commitment across the world by the writer of Eat, Pray, Love. I love reading non-fiction, but this still manages to feel like a story and, despite the empirical subject matter, it's far from dry.

4. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - I have to admit, I bought this for my work book club and I still haven't read it! But I included it in this list because it's a huge bestseller and I'm planning to read it over the Christmas break - who wants to discuss?

5. The Art of Eating Well by Hemsley + Hemsley - despite setting myself a cookbook challenge and promising not to buy anymore cookbooks until I'd cooked at least a recipe from each of the ones I already had, there was so much publicity around these sisters, and I've loved their recipes online, that I just had to get this. I love their principal of a healthy diet that doesn't restrict animal proteins and is pretty liberal with the fats (hooray for butter!)

6. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - this is probably one of the biggest books of the year. I've seen it read everywhere from train platforms to Indonesian beaches and I loved it. It's an easy read with a somewhat predictable storyline, but sometimes that's just what you need!

7. Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman - after devouring both seasons back-to-back on Netflix I had to read Piper's real-life memoir. They've changed so much for the tv show so it was interesting to see how the two compared.

8. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson - oh this book! It has completely divided opinion but I LOVED it. The author cleverly weaves together both present and past in a captivating story that encompasses the past 100 years of modern history. It had me constantly googling to see if the main character was actually real!

9. I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes - I only took thrillers on holiday with me this year. I started this before we went away but it was so slow to start with I gave up on it until we were 5000 miles away and I didn't have a choice. I hope they make this into a movie - it's insane! There's espionage, terrorist plots and chemical warfare all bound up into one very complex plot.

10. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn - have you read Gone Girl? Of course you have! Well this doesn't quite compare - what can!? - but Flynn just comes up with amazing story lines and after I devoured this in a day, I picked up her other book, Sharp Objects, too.

11. Green Kitchen Travels by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl - I love the blog Green Kitchen Stories so it was only natural that this cookbook would also flout the conditions of my cookbook challenge! I love everything about this book, and I really recommend it for veggies and non-veggies alike.

12. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler - for the past few years I've stopped reading during my commute, just picking up the free paper in the morning instead, but this book has reignited my love of reading on-the-go. I don't want to give too much away, but a big twist comes right at the beginning and the rest of the book tries to explain the story behind it, mixing historical fact with pure, raw emotion. Please go buy this!

What were your favourite books you read this year? Please let me know in the comments so I can start my 2015 Amazon wish list!

A BOOK RECOMMENDATION + a request

Normally I like to include a few different books in my reading lists, instead of talking about just one book, but I haven't been up on my reading much lately and I couldn't not talk about The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. Oh it's GOOD.

It tells the mysterious story of Allan Karlsson, who escapes his old people's home on the morning of his 100th birthday. As the story twists and turns with hilarious results, the author dips into the century of Allan's life and uncovers all sorts of surprises that have been cleverly woven into the real history of the past 100 years. The storytelling is so persuasive, I had to google a few things just to double check this Mr. Karlsson wasn't real! If you read one book this month, make it this one!

Also, I'm going on holiday in 2 weeks and I need your book recommendations please! I was to-ing and fro-ing with getting a kindle, but I don't want to worry about it getting stolen on the beach and I'd much rather have a real book in my hands. So I need some holiday reads that are meaty enough to get me through 10 days of (blissfully) doing nothing, but that are not going to weigh down my hand luggage either.

READING LIST: my amazon wish list

My Amazon wish list is always brimming with books and dvds. I was looking at it the other day and realised there are things I added in there over a year ago, that I still have every intention of buying, so it's probably about time I put some money aside and made a mass order. Cleverly, you can see my complete wish list here, and purchase straight from Amazon if you would like.



1. As Always, Julia - my favourite movie is Julie & Julia, a true story based on both the life of Julia Childs, the famous cook, and Julie Powell, the blogger who attempted to cook her way through Childs' considerably large cookbook. I've already read Childs' own memoirs, My Life in France, and I think this collection of letters would lend another layer to her remarkable story.

2. The French Dog - essentially a street style book of dogs in France. C'est bon, non?

3. An Extraordinary Theory of Objects - I'm fascinated by fashion journalist Stephanie LaCava and this book is her memoirs of living in Paris as a young girl, told through objects.

4. The Art of Eating Well - I'm sure you've already heard a lot about the Hemsley sisters. If I hear one more person call grated courgette 'courgetti', I might scream, but I do rather want this book!

5. Letters of Notes - I believe this book began as a blog, chronicling fascinating letters throughout history. I already adore this book, so I can see this one being a firm favourite too.

6. Shark's Fin & Sichuan Pepper - you might notice that I already blogged about this book in my round-up of food memoirs. It's probably my favourite book, so much so that I keep giving my copies away to friends and having to replace them!

7. A Kitchen in France - Manger is my absolute favourite blog for its romantic (and legit) imagery of life in the Thorisson household, featuring recipes that are cleverly interspersed with beautiful writing. I've cooked a few recipes from the blog, so I'm very much looking forward to buying this, though I really should be paying more attention to my cookbook challenge first.

8. #GIRLBOSS - there has been so much hype surround Sophia Amoruso's business handbook, but I still can't decide if I actually want to read it. Any thoughts?

I'd love to hear what's on your wish list too. If you have one going on Amazon, please feel free to post a link to it in the comments!

#SHELFIE

Apparently #shelfies are a thing. Who knew? Thanks to instagram, the humble bookshelf is no longer just a place to stack your books. Oh no, it's a vsco cam-filled photo-op just crying out to be shared. Or, in my case, the long overdue storage I've been waiting for for two years that we finally bought and installed over the last bank holiday. But of course you want it to look nice, whether it's going on instagram or not. 

I chose the Ivar system from IKEA because it is made of pine and my boyfriend, being a carpenter, objected to the prettier cabinets that were made of flimsy particle board. I'm glad we went for it in the end though, as it's totally customisable and was a third of the price. I gave it a single serving of undercoat for a whitewashed finish that still shows through some of the natural wood, and luckily it just fit into the space behind the door. Phew! Yes, I went for colour coding my books - I think it looks really pretty and I have no qualms about trashy chick lit sitting next to my favourite food memoirs, thank you very much. We also picked up a couple of spare shelves, so when my dad finally succeeds in getting me to move my books over from my parents' house, there will still be plenty of space.

MUCH LOVED

Mark Nixon's collection of Much Loved bears arrived in the post this week and really struck a chord with me. The beautifully shot images of teddy bears (and bunnies and more!) that have been cuddled within an inch of their lives really struck a chord with me, as did the sweet descriptions that accompany them. I've had my yellow bunny Gund since I was born - she has been across the world with me, on airplanes with me, to the doctor with me (not for a while, mind you) and her loveworn details are testament to my affection for her. Long live the teddy!

READING LIST: a birthday book club

I think books make the most thoughtful gifts. Choosing a book for a friend has so many different messages - it could be an author you know they love, your favourite novel, words that got you through a difficult time or the book that is so sidesplittingly funny you just want everyone you know to read it.

My brother has a lot of stuff, so for his birthday last year I wanted to get him a subscription gift that would arrive every month without taking up too much space in his flat. I found a few gift subscription websites online offering monthly deliveries of things like coffee, chocolate and books, but they seemed expensive for something that I had the time to research and put together myself. Plus, by hand-picking my own books, I could be sure my brother would like them. On the day of his birthday I gave him Where Chefs Eat with a note tucked inside that he would get a new book at the beginning of every month for the next 6 months. Then I went onto Amazon and searched for books and authors I knew he liked and trawled the 'customers who bought this also bought this' section to find some ideas. He loved it (I think!) and it was fun to discuss each month what he thought of the book I'd chosen.

The best thing is that you can completely tailor the books to the recipient or the occasion and it's great if you're a bit strapped for cash as you can spread the cost across a few months. Here's a few suggestions to create your own book club gift.

• Choose a theme, like 'books for foodies' or 'The Classics'
• Get the same books for yourself and have a monthly coffee date to discuss
• Your bestie's getting married? This one is perfect
• Why not include a candle and nibbles for a night in with a good read
• It works for all ages - don't you think it would be exciting for little ones?
• If in doubt, here are the 100 greatest novels of all time (apparently)

p.s. Make sure you choose books that will fit through a letterbox - it's not a treat if the recipient has to go and pick it up from the depot!

READING LIST: the debuts

This month’s books have two things in common. The first is that they are both debut novels; I’ll let you figure the second thing out for yourself ;)

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion – no doubt you’ll have heard about this book already, otherwise it’s quite possible you’re living under a rock. Starting life as a screenplay, it is just a lovely thing to read right now. The author puts himself in the mindset of an autistic genetics professor and perfectly captures his thought process as he searches for a woman to make his wife. The humour is laugh-out-loud funny, yet surprisingly subtle, and Professor Don Tillman is a modern hero in every sense of the word. Have you read it? Let’s discuss!

Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead – a stunning debut that details the complexities of family, the book is set on the New England island of Waskeke, where the Van Meter family have gathered to celebrate the marriage of their daughter Daphne. What ensues is anything but idyllic, as the father of the bride experiences a midlife crisis and the most pivotal moment of his daughter’s life – good one, Winn! I love a good family drama, and this one manages to be both hilarious and sharply observant. 

READING LIST: the sequel

Have you read Eat, Pray, Love? I've seen the movie a couple of times; it's poignant, uplifting and both sad and hilarious in parts. It's a good one for hungover weekends, that's for sure, if not just to imagine yourself eating bowl after bowl of pasta. I read the book at the beginning of the year and while the movie is wonderful, the book is so much more profound. I'm in awe of Elizabeth Gilbert's writing and I think Julia Roberts was a perfect choice for the role - I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion, with Roberts' voice resounding in my head. I didn't know about the sequel, Committed, until it popped up in my Amazon feed, and I devoured it in a couple of weeks (it's the perfect book to read in a big ol' bubble bath, fyi). It follows on from Gilbert's story after she fell in love with Felipe in Bali. Having both been through difficult divorces, they vow to remain happily devoted to each other, yet unmarried, until they are forced to marry in order to live together in the US. What ensues is a personal journey of what it means to be married, featuring historical analysis and statistics interspersed with personal anecdotes and stories from other cultures. It could have been a dry, or self-indulgent, follow-up to Eat, Pray, Love, but it's neither of those things and is both compelling, heartwarming and utterly fascinating. I'm fascinated by human relationships, which is probably why I did my degree in Social Anthropology, and it's a wonderful look at what marriage means to the beautiful thing that is love. I promise it's not a totally mushy love fest, either.

READING LIST: the food memoirs

Food memoirs are one of my favourite genres, and I regularly read the books above again and again. Offering totally immersive and utterly delicious accounts of life from some of the world’s finest foodies, they are so easy to dip in and out of. Reading them just feels like a big hug.

Toast by Nigel Slater – “It is impossible not to love someone who makes toast for you. People’s failings, even major ones such as when they make you wear short trousers to school, fall into insignificance as your teeth break through the rough, toasted crust and sink into the doughy cushion of white bread underneath. Once the warm, salty butter has hit your tongue, you are smitten.” My ultimate comfort book, I read this whenever I’m feeling a little sad.

Sharks Fin & Sichuan Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop - This colourful memoir of a journey through the cuisine of China is so amusing and it is testament to Fuchsia's writing that even the most unsavoury dishes (duck tongue and frilly kidneys, anyone?) are described in a way that makes your mouth water.

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl - Ruth's stories of her time as the chief restaurant critic at the New York Times is a riot of hilarious disguises and obnoxious dining experiences, peppered with comforting recipes that melt away the stresses of a trying day at the office.

Service Included by Phoebe Damrosch - The other side of the coin to Garlic and Sapphires, Phoebe draws on her experience as front of house staff at one of New York's most prestigious establishments. A fascinating look behind the scenes at a top notch restaurant, I love wondering whether she and Ruth might have crossed paths at one stage or another.

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