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LIst the books you love...

16 years ago

I would like to know what is everyone's favorite decorating book or books.

Also, does anyone have R. Horchow's Living in Style and if so, opinions, please.

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Comments (17)

kitchendetective
16 years ago
Jacques Garcia: Decorating in the French Style (Hardcover)

Not that my house looks anything like his designs . . .
Tryin2Grow
16 years ago
I'm waiting on Teacats and Ivette's (Pirula) review of the new Bunny Williams book.

Ivette has reviewed 119 decor books if anyone would like to check them out, the link is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ivette's (Pirula) book reviews
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Time for a new Book List?????
Q
Comments (2)
Okay, I'll bite, but since Patti has the "How To" thread going, I'll stay (mostly) away from those. Here's a sort of gardener's vacation: In New York, Diane Ackerman talks about gardening/life in Cultivating Delight. (I loved A Natural History of the Senses also, which has some mentions of her passions, like rose gardening.) I can't remember there being any how-to's, but the imagery is wonderful. I remember her mentioning her sassafras trees, which I still can't get established here...grr... Also from New York was Sara Stein, author of Noah's Garden (and Planting Noah's Garden, My Weeds, etc). She is pro-natives and will be happy to tell you why. I can't say that I agree with all of her writing, but her books have been a big influence on me. And yet again in New York, Lee Reich grows Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden. My copy is very well-thumbed. If only I had room for a few more fruit trees.. Then, in Vermont, Dorothy Sucher buys a blue farmhouse in The Invisible Garden. The characters she meets are entertaining. While in Vermont, you might visit Jamaica Kincaid, who wrote My Garden (Book). She talks about her hatred of winter, trips she has taken and her life in general and, of course, gardening. In Missouri (or Maine, depending), you can find Sue Hubbell discussing bees, various other invertebrates, plants, and living in the country. Not exactly a gardening book, but I've enjoyed all of her books. Try A Country Year: Living the Questions. In California, Amy Stewart moves to a sea-side cottage in From the Ground Up. She offers up advice, laughs, and many qoutes from other authors that are great leads to other works. I also enjoyed her book on worms, called The Earth Moved. Also in California, Peter D'Amato will tell you how you too can cultivate The Savage Garden. Okay, so this is pretty much a How-To, but if you've ever felt jealous that my bog is prettier than yours, this will be a good read for you. Actually, he makes raising carnivorous plants sound very easy (it is) and walks you through all the steps. What I liked most is his "you can do it!" way of writing. Then, in England, Beverly Nichols has written many hilarious books about his gardening. Good campy fun. Down the Garden Path begins with him buying a new place after reading an obituary while at sea. Stop by the Chiltern Hills where Claire Leighton writes about her garden in Four Hedges. You've probably seen her engravings used in other books. She'll tell you about her chalky soil among other things. In Europe, Daniel Blajan writes about Foxgloves and Hedgehog Days: Secrets in a Country garden. I want hedgehogs!! He wants you to see the magic inherent in gardens. Great light reading. And my copy of Jurgen Dahl's The Curious Gardener is still extensively bookmarked. Read about odd food-stuffs (odd to me), stinky plants, frost flowers, etc. Wonderful essays. One of my favorite "classics" is The Gardener's Year by Karel Capek, I laugh every time I read it. Whenever I'm planting "sticks", fighting a hose, or balancing on an elbow and toe to reach a weed, I think of his book. And last, how about some Chickens in Your Backyard? Rick and Gail Luttmann will tell you how in this very basic and low-scare how-to book. It was one of the 1st chicken books I read and it lead me on to others. I still dream of having chickens... I suppose that's sort of a para-gardening book. Okay, can you tell it's too hot to garden today? Kent (glad the blanket flower seeds did well Georgeanne!)
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Another book to add to your 'good' list
Q
Comments (8)
For some reason I'm reading like crazy! I started in December when I had a couple weeks off from work (I read 5 books the month of December!). I'm now in the last quarter of "Lonesome Dove" and I can't put it down. I have a couple of others waiting to be read after this one, but I think I will pick up another in the "Lonesome Dove" series to read in the Springtime. I never saw the television version of Lonesome Dove...but the book is really really good! ~Susan
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Do you keep a list of all the books you own?
Q
Comments (46)
I had far more books in the past than now. I'm down to about 200 of them, and I sometimes wonder why I keep them--dogeared as many of them are. Pages are crumbling and falling out of some. Some pages are missing in some as well. I keep them around because they're comforting. I glance into them at times. Many have my marginal notes from student days. Who would want such overused books with my scribblings in them? So there they are, the chief dust-catchers around here, while I let the dust gather and do 99% of my reading by listening to audiobooks and have been doing that since 1983. I've listed my books on LibraryThing (the books I own) but haven't updated that in a while. Also there are my translations (half a shelf) as well as books by friends and relatives. My translations, though published, are not runaway best-sellers because they're on topics that are fairly specialized (successive approximation in math, problem-solving in schoolchildren, the child's concept of number). Not real page-turners.
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Revisiting Book Club book lists
Q
Comments (4)
Hi Carolyn -- It's good to be remembered. I guess I just got busy. We moved (downsized) in 2011 and yet we still have two storage areas of "stuff" to go through, and, I hope, get rid of. And I waste too much time on Facebook. I still check in here on occasion, though, to see how you all are doing and what you are reading. I'll try to check in more often. Reading books for two book clubs and reading my own choices in between keeps me busy reading. But like all of you, I love it. Sorry to hijack you thread, Paula. Just to bring us back to the topic I will post some of last year's book club reads. :-) 2013 List - It was a pretty good year. CalebÃ¢ÂÂs Crossing by Geraldine Brooks Heft by Liz Moore Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese Wild by Cheryl Strayed The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen Gone Girl and/or Psychopath Test The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar Blame by Michelle Huneven The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
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texashottie
16 years ago
Anything Betty Lou Phillips!
hollygolightly
16 years ago
I love Betty Lou Phillips, too; I treasure Charles Faudree's books. I'm a fan of Mary Carol Garrity's wonderful books--they never fail to inspire me.

I have worn out Nina Campbell's _Decorating Notebook_, studying her eclectic rooms.

Other much-enjoyed books include _Rooms_ by Mariette Himes Gomez and Mchael S. Smith's _Elements of Style_.

Since I live with quite a few four-legged critters, I especially enjoyed _Animal House Style: Designing a Home to Share with Your Pets_ by Julia Szabo and the fabulous _Living With Dogs_ by Laurence Sheehan.
patricianat
Original Author
16 years ago
I have some of Nina's books, 2 I think. I have 2 of Charles Faudree's on French style and 2 of the Nell Hill (MLG) books, the 'house affair' book by Bunny, so will have to get Betty Lou Phillips and I HAVE TO HAVE books on dogs in the house. My dog has taken total control of my house and it might be dismantled before too much longer, if I don't learn to cope with and take charge myself. Thanks for those book name, Holly. I really NEEDED that. P.S. Would Pampers be a good thing! Oh, no, she will just chew them off.
hollygolightly
16 years ago
LOL :-)
amysrq
16 years ago
I really love "Billy Baldwin Decorates." His is a clean, scaled back kind of a look to me. Lots of cake and very little icing! As in, proportion and placement...not tchoch. When I'm in the mood for tchoch, Bunny Williams does it best.

"Design Alchemy" (Hicks & Hicks) is also a cleaner, more contemporary take on traditional design, with a big dose of English. It's a remix of the work of father David Hicks, which was a remix in it's own time.

Also love Mark Hampton's collected essays on decorating from House Beautiful. There is "Legendary Decorators of the 20th Century" and "Mark Hampton on Decorating."

I am currently reading "House Thinking" and looking at Susanka's "Not So Big" books, but more with a thought to architecture and remodeling as I anticipate my next house.
patricianat
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you. Some great ideas. Keep them coming. I need ideas for Christmas for DILs and friends who will enjoy these and will also add some to my own collection.
johnmari
16 years ago
Everything by Jane Powell/Linda Svendsen and Paul Duchscherer. :-) I did like Susanka's "Not So Big" books but it seemed a little bit like she started saying the same thing over and over.
teacats
16 years ago
This season's latest arrivals:

"Houses: Inside and Out" Mariette Himes Gomez -- LOVE this book!! Lots of color photos and ideas ..... Just in the door so I'll be reading this over the next few days ....

"Bunny Williams' Point of View" -- HUGE book -- LOTS of photos. Not as warm and chatty as her first book -- this is more of a "this is my designer and style book" -- even her photo at the back of book shows a more serious (and possibly face-lifted Bunny Williams) BUT there are tones of ideas and inspirations .... this book could take days just to read throughly .....

"Inspirations from France & Italy" Betty Lou Phillips -- again -- a HUGE book with lots of photos of very high style homes BUT lots of the ideas could be easily translated into much more affordable looks too!

Just a few thoughts!!! Hope this helps!!!
patricianat
Original Author
16 years ago
trying2grow, I think we have a mini review now and I am ready to buy Betty Lou Phillips, who I do not have. Teacats, that sounds like one of your favorites. I am going to order that for meself. :) Might get the Nell Hill's books (MLG) for 2 DILs, got one DIL that pedestal crystal cakeplate from Barron's. I am through with them now. I have to get the babies something; they are sooo important but their mommies need something pretty too.
User
16 years ago
I recently purchased Micheal S. Smith's "Elements of Style" and Ros Byam Shaw's "Perfectly English". Perfectly English is more eclectic, rustic English country look, and Smith's is more stylized / formal, but I love them both!
ttodd
16 years ago
I bought Charles Faudree's French Country Signature & love it. I will have to check out Michael S. Smith & Ros Byam now.
User
16 years ago
ttodd - I think if you haven't seen those two books yet, you'll like them! After I purchased "Perfectly English" I saw it on sale at Over_stock dot com for a lot less! Oh well, live and learn.
hollygolightly
16 years ago
A new book arrived in the mail--FEATHER YOUR NEST: It's All in the Details by Mary Carol Garrity--and I LOVE it.
She has such a talent for creating vignettes. Her rooms radiate warmth and beauty, yet never feel decorated (the wizard behind the curtain stays behind the curtain).

Also, I forgot to mention a favorite--NEWPORT STYLE by Cindy Rinfret.
User
16 years ago
Holly, I've seen you mention the Rinfret website before - I love her online portfolio!! I imagine the book is gorgeous too.
patricianat
Original Author
16 years ago
Bumping it back up so we hopefully get other responders. I did get MLGs "Feather Your Nest," and love it, can't quit looking at it.

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