Top five 'Coffee Table' books

Here's a list of books I've read that I would love to stack on my coffee table. I own one of them ( Cupcakes and Cashmere) and plan to to own the others one day :)

1. Cupcakes and Cashmere by Emily Schuman: This is a great book to flick through and get tips for decorating your home, packing for trips and how to achieve that perfect smoky eye. Beautifully photographed and designed. Her blog is also well worth checking out.

2. Hers: design with a feminine touch by Jacqueline de Montravel: This book has tons of great ideas to spice up different areas of your home. A very glamorous book with achievable ideas. Be warned: this book will make you want to go and revamp every nook and cranny of your home! 

3. Shabby Chic Interiors by Rachel Ashwell: I love Shabby Chic style! Enough said.

4. At my French table by Jane Webster: I haven't actually read the text in this book through properly but it is so pretty and filled with gorgeous photos, I had to include it.

5. My Amalfi Coast by Amanda Tabberer: This book single handedly started my obsession with Italy! Love this glimpse into rural/local Italian life. Stunning photographs and just an all around gorgeous book.

Book Review: Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford

This is the best book I have read so far for my 30 Day Book Challenge. I love everything about it, from the beautiful photographs, mouthwatering recipes, to the whole story behind the book. This time, instead of writing my review ( I'd probably use 'love' far too many times!) I thought this excerpt from the cover describes the book very well.

"Luminous at dawn and dusk, the Mekong is a river road. a vibrant artery that defines a vast and fascinating region. Here, along the world's tenth largest river, which rises in Tibet and joins the sea in Vietnam, traditions mingle and exquisite food prevails. Award-winning authors Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid followed the river south, as it flows through the mountain gorges on southern China, to Burma and into Laos and Thailand...North Americans have come to love Southeast Asian food for its bright, fresh flavors. But beyond the dishes themselves, one of the most attractive aspects of Southeast Asian food is the life that surrounds it. In Southeast Asia, people eat for joy. The palate is wildly eclectic, proudly unrestrained. In Hot Sour Salty Sweet at last this great culinary region is celebrated with all the passion, colour and life that it deserves"

If you get a chance to read this book, I thoroughly recommend it. 10 out of 10! Below are some photos of recipes from the book :)

Julia

Book Review: Making your House a Home by Clare Nolan

Hi everyone,
Here comes review number two of the 30 Day Book Challenge!
I'm a bit of a magpie when it comes to pretty books, so when I saw this new book in our library I couldn't resist :)

Basically, the book is all about how to decorate your home on the cheap, seasonal living and appreciating the small things in life. It is beautifully photographed and very sensible in the tips and ideas mentioned. My favourite part of the book was the fact that it had sections devoted to the seasons. The Americans have such distinct seasons and seem to decorate their homes accordingly- oranges and reds for autumn and cozy throws and candles in winter for example. I'd love to apply this way of living to me in New Zealand- the book gave me some good inspiration for this.  A great weekend read- I've flicked through it multiple times already. Technically, this wasn't really reading but it was a nice break from some of the other deep and meaningful books I've been reading for this challenge :)

 

 

Does anyone have any other great books about home decorating etc that they would recommend? I'd love to hear from you! Just leave a comment here on the blog or tweet me @JuliadeRuiter

 

Julia