Reading List…

I really enjoyed writing my blog about Bologna and rather than wait till next year to write about my favourite books again I thought I would start writing about them regularly on the blog. I hope to share my love of all books I have read and been inspired by and not just picture books!To start this off, I have collated all the books I have read since the start of the year; novels, picture books, fiction, non - fiction, zines and art books. 
Novels: (in no particular order)  Me Talk pretty One Day - David Sedaris / Wild - Cheryl Strayed / Julian Barnes - Levels Of Life / The Minaturist - Jessie Burton / The Wayward Bus - John Steinbeck / Just Kids - Patti Smith / Will You Please be quiet, please? - Raymond Carver /  All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy 

Quite a few of these have had elements of biography within them and this also links to my recent interest in non-fiction. Discovering more things to look into, especially books like Patti Smiths 'Just Kids', I now have so many more musicians, poets and artists to look up - this is a sign of a good book (i think?) when it leads you to further reading and interests. Surely this is one of the reasons why we read?
Picture Books:Four picture books that I have thoroughly enjoyed.  Poka & Mia At the Cinema - Kitty Crowther   Although I find Mia's cinema etiquette something to be improved its a lovely story of a father daughter relationship and the joy of going to the cinema. There are many more in the series, but this it the first I have read, such great illustrations! Home - Carson Ellis this is the kind of book you wished you had thought of your self. Although not out till the end of the summer in the UK i couldn't resist ordering it, its such a simple idea but with great scope, and absolutely SUPER illustrations with lots of hidden detail to absorb. Also check out Laura B Main Ellen's vlog about it here. Animalium - Jenny Broom & Katie Scott  This has been on my list of books to get for a while. A big book (it will mean you will have to redesign or sort the selves on your book case out. I like BIG books so this is fine with me), its a gateway to exploring the natural world and museums from your sofa. It gives you just enough information that you will then go pay a visit to your local museum to discover more. J is for Jazz - Ann Ingalls and Maria Corte MaidaganI stumbled on this whilst browsing the new Foyles the other month, hidden away in the music section it was a real find. Super illustrations that hum and dance the A-Z of jazz, I can't really choose my favourite page. It also has a glossary of Jazz words - its a the cat's meow and the elephants eyebrows! Charity shop find: Ronald Searle's Big Fat Cat Book. Full of funny cat illustrations, what more can I say.  Art Books:So many things have inspired me in the past couple of months and these books have all caught my eye...  Brick House - Alice Pattullo for Design For Today - a gatefold card house depicting Eric Ravillious and Edward Bawdens's time at the Brick House. Includes a sheet of cut outs of the two with alphabet mugs and cats!  Olle Eskell - Of Course! I saw some one on Instagram had posted about this and I planned a trip to Ikea immediately. I was very restraint as they have a whole Olle Eskell collection in store, but the book is defiantly worth it - some great images and details.
Saul Bass - A life in Film & Design // Sol Witt -The Well Tempered Grid // Bauhaus - Magdalena Droste // Joseph Albers: Minimal mean, Maximum Effect - La Fabrica
I have recently become obsessed with Sol LeWitt after seeing the 'Magnificent Obsessions' exhibition at the Barbican. I really enjoyed seeing his collection, but also the pages of his Autobiography 1980 book - its beautiful, I only wish the book wasn't so rare and expensive, could some one think about reprinting it - the Artist book (below) has a few pages about this book which has satisfied me for now. More grids and squares with Joseph Albers and Bauhaus. These are both wonderful - ones I keep returning too. Especially since visiting Berlin and the Bauhaus Archive (I would definitely recommend going to see it). The Wim Wenders book was a impulse buy at the Tate Modern bookshop - I have seen a few of his films, so was aware of his work but not his photographs - I kind of wished the book was bigger so you can see the details better. But it does show closes up along the full image, if a little confusing.  It also includes a few essays/interviews which are insightful. Sol Witt Artist's Book //  4 Real & True 2: Landscapes, Photographs - Wim Wenders // Hurry Up and Wait - Maira Kalman & David Handler // What Didn't Happen- Fold Collaborative
 I would recommend looking at the Fold collaborative - above is issue 10, this issue is all about what didn't happen in films - it features funny illustrations by some great illustrators. And finally Maira Kalman and Daniel Handler's second collaboration with MoMA. I think I like this one more than 'Girls standing on the Lawn', I am a big fan of Kalman's and love her collaborations with Handler. The words, pictures and the selection from the MoMA archive work really well - i hope this continues. if you like this i would recommend also checking out the book 'Why We Broke Up'. 
I am now off to find more boxes/shelves to store these all in!