Books: Ingredients for the perfect cold-weather reading session

With plenty of dark evenings and icy temperatures, there’s no better time than winter to settle down with a good book. Whether you’re getting stuck into the latest bestseller, or immersing yourself in the classics, guest blogger, Vicky from The Owl & The Accordion, rounded up a few key ingredients for the perfect cold-weather reading session.

Clothes

If you’re going to spend an evening immersed in a book, the most important thing is to make sure you’re comfortable. Shed the day’s stiff tailoring or rigid denim, and sink into the cosiest clothes you can find; think chunky jumpers, woollen socks and the thickest flannel pyjamas. Checks optional.

Blankets

Whether you’re heading to bed or settling down on the sofa with your novel, a good selection of blankets is the ideal accessory for a winter reading sessions. Mix up the fabrics and textures with vintage crochet, luxurious handweaving and the softest woollen wraps; for the ultimate in relaxation, pile them up and sink in.

Food and drink

There’s no doubt that reading is thirsty work, so make sure you’ve got plenty of tea on hand to keep you refreshed; if herbal is your thing, choose from relaxing chamomile, refreshing peppermint or a calming Jasmine blend, while simple Earl Grey or Darjeeling are great for traditionalists. If you’re going for a marathon reading session, you’re going to need a good selection of snacks to keep energy levels up – everyone knows that biscuits are a cuppas best friend, so mix it up with organic flapjacks, chunky chocolate chips and some florentines for a touch of chewy luxury.

Lighting

Good lighting is an essential part of reading; while you want to be able to see the print, you don’t want to feel like you’re being interrogated with overhead lights and maximum wattage light bulbs. Table and desk lamps positioned behind either your left or right shoulder are ideal, as they won’t cast shadows over the page, and the light is still soft enough to create a relaxing atmosphere. 

Join The Simple Things' virtual book club! 

We'd like your book recommendations and have put together a new board on Pinterest inviting you to contribute your top reads. Head over now to have a look and to request an invitation. Plus, show us where you read yours - we love seeing The Simple Things out there in the wild.

More:

Book group snacks Pinterest board

How to run a book club PLUS an easy book club cocktail recipe

Book launch: Wonder Walls

Wonder Walls by Sarah Bagner is a scrapbook of interior design ideas with a difference.

If you've ever browsed the virtual walls of Sarah's online store, Supermarket Sarah, you'll know she has something of an eye for displaying things beautifully.

Wonder Walls: a Guide to Displaying your Stuff takes its lead from the Supermarket Sarah site, and is filled with ideas for using your possessions to adorn the walls of your home. You know all those trinkets and fabulous vintage pieces of clothing you're hoarding in wardrobe and under your bed? Here's your chance to get them out and show them off.

Sarah has travelled all over the world to meet the people who have found ways to turn their treasures into wonderfully off-kilter design features, then picked the most inspiring, interesting and quirky walls to share.

Wonder Walls by Sarah Bagner is published by CICO and is available to purchase online here.

Book Launch : My Berlin Kitchen

We've been feeling the Berlin love ever since reading all about Sandra Juto's experiences of her city in The Simple Things issue 1.

Luckily, tying in neatly with our feature is the release of The Wednesday Chef Luisa Weiss' My Berlin Kitchen: A Love Story (With Recipes).

As you'll have gathered from the title, this is not just a cookbook, but a memoir of Luisa's journey so far, punctuated with the recipes that defined these different phases in her life.

In her own words, from when Luisa first decided to put pen to paper:

'I'm moving back to Berlin and I'm writing a book, about Berlin, about my life, about cooking and home and family and love, about being divided and finding a way back to being whole again, about a city and its recipes, and a girl who's learning how to find her way.'

Win! Josie Jeffery's Seedswap (closed)

Competition time! We've got 5 copies of Josie Jeffery's Seedswap to give away.

In her Seedswap guide, Josie introduces the exciting new global seed swapping movement, looks at why plant heritage is so important and gives us plenty of advice on how to go about getting involve!

We've got 5 shiny new copies to give away! Click over to our competition homepage to enter.

P.S. If you're already embracing the seed swapping spirit, this year's

Great Seed Swap

will be taking place on Saturday 20 October at Wakehurst. Pop over to the

Kew Gardens website

for more info!

Mollie Makes Christmas book - reader offer!

Have you heard? The Simple Things' big sister Mollie Makes has put together their very own Mollie Makes Christmas book!

Mollie Makes Christmas is filled with cute craft projects for the festive period, designed exclusively by regular Mollie Makes contributors especially for you. Whatever your craft of choice, there are ideas to decorate your home or give as gifts, all with the loveliness you'd expect from your fave craft mag!

Mollie Makes Christmas is out on 4th October in the UK, but pre-order now and enter code Mollieloves at the checkout to get your copy for just £7.00 (it's usually £9.99)!

Click here to pre-order your copy now.

Book launch : The Sprouted Kitchen

For a little while now, the top food blogs have been buzzing with excitement over the latest cookbook to hit the shelves - The Sprouted Kitchen, by blogger / author Sara Forte and her talented photographer husband Hugh.

The Sprouted Kitchen has a very similar attitude to food as The Simple Things - in their own words, the book collects together 'ideas for cooking with seasonal produce, and simple, tasty, wholesome dishes for family and friends'.

If you want a bit more a vibe of that it's about, check out the Happy Yolks blog, where there is an absolutely gorgeous little video to accompany the book.

Book launch: Cupcakes and Cashmere

Today, we thought we'd take a little break from our Simple Things magazine excitement to let you know about another fab launch.

Cupcakes and Cashmere is now not only the title of one of our favourite blogs, but it's also the title of a fabulous book! Creator Emily Schuman's first book promises more of what she does best on her blog - cute and quirky fashion, unique interiors ideas and chilled out entertaining.

Have a rifle inside and hear what Emily's thoughts on the Cupcakes and Cashmere blog. Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom to see her simple ideas for home-made cards, too - we love.

Book launch: How to Bake

Back in the day, Delia taught us How to Cook. A little later Nigella shared her expertise on How to Eat. Now, Paul Hollywood's helping us all learn How to Bake.

One of our top two Great British Bake Off judges (sorry Paul, but we really, really love Mary Berry) has brought out a new cook book to help us all master the art of perfect home baking. The son of a baker, Paul's natural expertise is clear for all to see. If this book helps us produce a loaf of bread that's half as good as his, we'll be well chuffed, basically.

Book launch: Fruit Trees in Small Spaces

We always assumed that fruit trees were one of the things which were off limits for people without massive lawns. Herbs? Yes. Flowers? No probs. But fruit trees? Er, really?

Apparently, we were mistaken. Colby Eierman's Fruit Trees in Small Spaces explains that with the right pruning and training, even those with a mini-sized outdoor space can enjoy home-grown fruit. We're more than happy to be proven wrong.

Book launch: Tart it Up!

Tart it Up! is the latest offering from dessert legend and pâtissier extraordinaire Eric Lanlard, and this time he's turned his attentions to pies, flans and, that's right, tarts.

The cookbook contains a whole section dedicated to explaining the secrets behind perfect pastry, as well as a selection of quick bakes using ready-roll pastry for busy days.

We're most excited about the dessert tart section, though, which is filled with such treats as Exotic Fruit Meringue Crumble Pie and Apricot, Honey and Pistachio Tart. They don't call him Cake Boy for nothing, you know.

Book launch: Book of Organisation

Nosing into people's creative spaces is like having a tiny window into their minds, and Jo Packham has provided us with just that in her new book, Where Women Create: Book of Organisation. Jo has charmed her way into the studios of artists of all types, from fashion designers to doll makers (including, confusingly, men) and invited them to share their thoughts and tips on the spaces that get their creative juices flowing.

Not so much a how-to guide as an inspirational scrapbook, Book of Organisation may not help you transform your messy workspace into a haven of tranquillity, but it's fascinating nonetheless. Click over toWWC Press for a sneak peek inside, or check out Jo's Where Women Create site for more arty loveliness.

Give your house a home sewn touch

Home Sewn Home is making us all nostalgic. Sally Walton has gathered together 20 craft projects that will give our homes a lovely, home-made, vintagey feel.

Tutorials are aimed at beginner to intermediate sewers, but there's also a section of tricks and techniques that make up the basics of sewing. The kind of useful things our our mums tried to teach us as kids before our attention spans were up to it!

Psst ... See those beautiful totes below? They're from Home Sewn Home author Sally Walton's ethical bag company Carry-a-bag, and they're all made from vintage fabrics and printed by hand. Definitely worth a peek!

Hunt out some secondhand and vintage

Shopping vintage and secondhand can be hit-and-miss at the best of times. Add an unknown city into the mix and you'll need a whole lot of stamina and more than a little luck to track down something worthwhile.

We're keeping our fingers crossed that these new secondhand and vintage city guides from Vivays are going to change all that. Like a textbook for the vintage-hunter, these guides cover everything from clothing to furniture to books, all organised by type and area.

The London and Berlin vintage guidebooks are already available, and we're already excited about the Paris and New York versions coming out in 2013.

Book shelf: My Cool Shed

What do you have tucked away in your shed? Apparently, sheds can be much more than hidey-holes for lawn mowers and cracked plant pots, as Jane Field-Lewis proves in her new book, My Cool Shed.

Following on from the success of My Cool Caravan and My Cool Campervan, this latest offering delves into the nation's hippest sheds, cabins and beach huts and invites you to meet their creative / reclusive / crafty owners.

Check out Jane's My Cool... blog for a little taster of what's in store.

Have you read any of Jane's books? What do you think? Let us know below!

Learn the capital's secrets in the London Style Guide

Born and bred Londoner Saska Graville has decided to divulge her insider secrets in her London Style Guide. As we all suspected, true London style doesn’t reside in Big Ben or the London Eye, but tucked away in backstreet bars and pubs, cool boutiques and hidden markets. London Style Guide also gives us a little window into the lives of those who have shaped our capital, with interviews with the likes of boutique owner Brix Smith-Start and hotelier Kit Kemp.

If you’re as curious as we are, keep an eye out in your local bookshop from 7th June.

Join the bread revolution

Is there anything better than freshly-baked homemade bread? Bakery owners Duncan Glendinning and Patrick Ryan think not.

Champions of all things local, seasonal and foraged, boys behind The Thoughtful Bread Company have written their first book. Bread Revolution is packed with recipes for us to try at home. We dropped into the launch party to sample the recipes and can confirm that these bakers have some serious skills.

In particular, we couldn’t stop nibbling at their mini stone-baked flatbreads, dipped into home-made hummus and zinged-up pesto. We were sure that they’d be too fiddly to achieve at home, but we had a peek at the hummus recipe and it’s only three sentences long! Hardly more effort than buying it at the supermarket and ten times as tasty.