Books for the Holidays

One of my favorite gifts for the holidays is a new book. In the fall, I can usually count on there being some new releases of decorating and gardening books just in time for giving - and receiving.What is not to love about a new book after the flurry is over to curl up with?

This years timely selections included Rooms for Living by Suzanne Rheinstein and Parish Hadley Tree of Life. I pre-ordered these and was most excited when these arrived and, I must say, got the flu just in time to have time to settle down and and read them both.

There is a real connection for me when I find a home book (decorating) which I love. It becomes a friend whose pages are turned time and time again for comfort, inspiration and admiration. Suzanne's first book will never be a friend but it is certainly admired and is inspirational and so I had hoped this book would be more of the same. I found it to be a most unlikely candidate to snuggle with again.

I am most tired of this severe design. Rooms are meant to be lived in - where is the collection, the stuff of life in these perfect palaces? I wish for just a bit of fun. I can remember ( or is it just my youth?) when how I would envy those happy homes in magazines - colorful, full of life and pets and whatever. The perfect rooms don't make me want to move into them, emulate them, but to run. Hey, we all have stuff - don't we?

The Parish Hadley book disappointed too. Who cares who worked there and what their work looks like? They are all terribly talented designers and decorators  but they are not Parish or Hadley. For some reason, I misunderstood the concept of this book and thought that the tree of life concept were the ideas passed down and that the scope was a bit wider. Still, there are some beautiful rooms and, hey,maybe they have a person living somewhere nearby. I hope so.

I did order Carolyne Roehm's At Home in the Garden ( big and heavy) and Mrs. Howards Room by Room.Will report back.

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