How to Autumn - Part 1 BOOKS

I woke up this morning and felt the very specific cool breeze that always comes at the beginning of Autumn. Whilst it was a billion degrees last week, the new season will sneak up on us quickly and I like to be prepared. Like many of you, I find this particular time of year quite tricky. I think that it is the combination of being frankly quite exhausted after the school holiday juggle but also mourning the longer days and time spent outdoors. To avoid that flat feeling, it’s nice to have a few little plans for Autumn to welcome and embrace the new season.

Reading is vital to me, however I don’t always find it easy to find the right book for my particular mood or circumstance. In order to soothe the malaise that comes with the loss of summer and ease ourselves into the colder months, we need books that will warm our hearts as well as keep us engaged. Below I have compiled a little list of books that I find both cheering and comforting.

One Day I Will Astonish The World - Nina Stibbe

I have chosen this book because I thought it was so funny, full of wit and irony. The story follows the rather dull life of Susan in rural Leicestershire and her extraordinary friendship with bizarre Norma. I found the book a little hard to get into but ultimately loved the eccentricities of the characters alongside the frequently dark humour.

Games and Rituals - Katherine Heiny

This is a book of short stories and every single one is a gem. Each tale is a perfect little snapshot of ordinary lives and relationships with all their quirks and complexities. My favourite short story ‘CoBra’ is about a man living with his Marie Kondo crazed wife and his growing fear that she will ultimately ‘declutter him’ now that he is deemed ‘neither beautiful nor useful.’ This is a gorgeous little book.

Without Warning and Only Sometimes - Kit De Waal

Author Kit De Waal grew up with an Irish mother and black father in a very poor home in the 1960’s. Her mother became a Johovas Witness who convinced her five children that any naughty behaviour would preclude them from heaven when the world ultimately ended (1975). In spite of all of these very tricky conditions, Kit De Waal tells her autobiogaphy with such love and affection for her family. I have chosen to include this book because it is so of warmth and hope as well as documenting the most extaordinary childhood.

Darling- India Knight

This is a fabulous fast paced retelling of the ‘Pursuit of Love’ by Nancy Mitford. Staying true to the original story, India Knight follows the eccentric Radettes around Paris and London with perfect dead pan humour. Reflective of our times, this book feels like eating a big box of expensive chocolates. I would definitely recommend reading the original for full appreciation of this decadent new version.

If you have any book recommendations for Autumn please put add them to to the comments.

I hope everyone is settling into the new season

Sophie x

So damn hoo-gah

With 17 books on Hygge  (pronounced hoo-gah) gracing our bookstores this winter, the chances that you'll get one for Christmas are fairly high. Absolutely everyone is at it; soon Dave Cam will be tweeting #hygge whilst he's #chillaxing at his country manor. So why all of a sudden have we become obsessed with Danish wellbeing? Perhaps because we have had such a totally rubbish year? or maybe we feel we need permission to take some down-time in our frenetic wi-fi dependent lives?

So what exactly is Hygge? After doing a bit of reading it seems that the clever Danes have sold us the concept of 'cosiness' and are now laughing their chic woollen slipper- socks off. Initially I was  concerned that there would be an element of winter sportiness involved, but no, it seems to embrace Hygge is to remain slothsome under a blanket eating vast amounts of sugar for the rest of the winter months. (hip, hip, hoo-gah). Well not completely, there seems to be a collective element to Hygge suggesting that we put down the devices and come together for some wholesome family fun (nb: the Danes are particularly fond of singing....). This poses a number of challenges in my house given that a. Board games incite violence in the children, b. The big child refuses to listen to stories and c. They are both obsessed with the nasty FA premiership, yuk (all that polyester). The only common ground we seem to have is food, central to all good hyggers.

The Danes embrace the concept of very slow food (not so good for greedy 7 year olds seeking instant gratification). So our family winter hygge is all about smores. For the uninitiated, this gourmet delight is a marshmallow toasted on the fire and then squished delightfully between two biscuits (preferably chocolate). Embellish as you wish; peanut butter, sprinkles and chocolate buttons are the shizzle.  Smor-ing is greeted with great enthusiasm and for a few sacred wonderful moments our family sits around the fire toasting marshmallows feeling very self satisfied and so damn hygge (until someone gets jousted with a toasting stick).

Stay warm and cosy

Sophie xxxxxx