Re-imagining the World One Mouthful at a Time . . . . .

My Favourite Book Shelf

07 March 2013

You can tell a lot about the person by the books they read…

World Book Day 2013 – reading together to build positivity

World Book Day 2013 – reading together to build positivity

1. Very wise words from Mr Paul Arden

1. Very wise words from Mr Paul Arden

2. My favourite book during university and it's still a useful resource today!

2. My favourite book during university and it's still a useful resource today!

3. Hungry? – Yes, I am. Always!

3. Hungry? – Yes, I am. Always!

4. When is it ENOUGH? – learn to appreciate and enjoy the little things

4. When is it ENOUGH? – learn to appreciate and enjoy the little things

5. Peyton & Byrne's must-have cookbook to British Baking. Great cover too!

5. Peyton & Byrne's must-have cookbook to British Baking. Great cover too!

 

If you didn’t know already, today is UK World Book Day. As a kid, I loved the excitement of reading books; experiencing other worlds, getting myself into the whirl-wind of adventures and fantasies – an opportunity to put myself in someone else’s shoes!

The simple of things such as reading a book these days can seem to be the most difficult thing to do! With work commitments and important food dates, we often miss out on opportunities in appreciating the smell of cardboard, paper and ink; stacks of inspiration and motivation; and the feeling of being satisfied by reading so many words at once.

To me, libraries are like bakeries; offering us assorted treats, a place to indulge and to discover. There are hundreds of great books in there; something for everyone’s taste.

Currently, there sits lots of books on my shelf, each of them reminds me of a special time and place – with references for their purpose. Since I can’t fit them all into this one post I’ve chosen five of my favourites for sharing. I also recommend that we support our local library and independent book shop who all play a part in building community.

  • It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be – a useful book of how to succeed in the world for the talented and timid to help make the unthinkable and the impossible possible, written by advertising guru Paul Arden. It’s a book full of wisdom, touching on issue as diverse as problem solving, responding to a creative brief, communicating through to making mistakes and picking yourself back up. This book also gave me an insight into the world of advertising (back in the days as a timid design student) and with its quirky compilation of facts, quotes, pictures, wit and wisdom, packed into easy-to-digest, bite-sized spreads I felt ready to tackle the design world!
  • Graphic Design for the 21st Century – a visually rich collection of contemporary world graphic design and designers. This was one of my first ever design bible during university, a design book looking ahead to what might happen next featuring creatives I (still) admire such as DED ass, Stefan Sagmeister and Peter Saville – although it’s almost 10 years old, this book is still very current!
  • Innocent’s Hungry? – the book has well over 100 recipes from straight forward dishes to healthy and some indulgent treats, but what appealed to me the most about the book was the sense of energy and happiness this book oozed from its cover! It’s choc-full of helpful information too like how to test for a good or bad egg, and an easy to read chart of what food is seasonal when.
  • John Naish’s Enough – this book is essential to understanding why we can’t go on the way we’ve been going – more, more and MORE. I’m guilty of it. I can be materialistic too, but to be open-minded and seek personal change through alternatives/sacrifices, can allow us to appreciate what we have already. I made a pact this year (with my notebook and self) to spend money on experiences rather than ‘things’ (and so far, so good :). We can’t be happy all the time, but we can be content. That’s enough, thank you!
  • British baking with Peyton and Bryne – I’ve been a fan of Peyton and Byrne ever since St Pancras station re-opened with one of their delightful tea shops in it. With my love for all things sweet and baklicious, when these guys released a book it was inevitable it would be part of my book shelf. From brownies to whole cakes and from lemony swiss rolls to sophisticated cupcakes – there’s something for every type of afternoon tea party here.
Books on the Park, Sheffield – Support your local bookshop

Books on the Park, Sheffield – Support your local bookshop

What type of book are you? – hi-5 your local book keeper

What type of book are you? – hi-5 your local book keeper

 

I hope this blog post inspires you to pick up your favourite book and carry on reading. Remember to support and hi-5 your local bookshop! Right, I’m off to become The Very Hungry Caterpillar now – it’s dinner time! – Missie Cindz :)

Missie Cindz

posted under: Daily Musings