Reading Matters

As the weeks canter on and it becomes standard for bits of paper to fly out of my diary every time I open it, as cups of tea more often go cold than are drunk, and life seems to be changing all around me at a pace, my bed becomes my desert island. 

For a few precious moments before sleep descends, or in that bright, sunny first half hour of Saturday morning, it has become my very favourite thing to snuggle up in my duvet, with a cup of (still hot) tea at my elbow, and dip into the ever-present mountain of reading matter on my bedside table. At least until Bea decides it's breakfast time, anyway.

Usually there is at least a yellowed, vintage number or two, but this month it's been all about the shiny and new non-fiction books, and the glossy, inspiring lifestyle and craft magazines. My bed has turned into my classroom, where I prop myself up and fill my brain with all sorts of useful advice on running a creative business (all tips on doing that and working full time are eagerly absorbed!) 

The Craftsman by Richard Sennett was recommended at Folksy Summer School, and is all about the concept of craftsmanship, and its place in the modern world; a subject I find fascinating, and as a designer-maker, am very passionate about. 

I'm yet to start this one (officially, anyway. There's a copy at my work I keep trying to start in my breaks but I get interrupted!) but I found Kari Chapman's preceding book, The Handmade Marketplace very handy when starting my Etsy shop, despite it being mainly aimed at an American audience. 

I attended a talk by Doug Richard at Folksy Summer School and he was certainly energetic! I liked his direct approach when dealing with makers' business dilemmas so I'm looking forward to giving myself a taste of the same medicine with this one. Maybe a good way to get myself motivated at 7am on a Sunday?! 

A bit of a fiction free month then, though I'm very much eager to get stuck into the next read for my Pretty Nostalgic Book Club. It's a Christmas one - magazines always mean the festive season starts extra early!

Which reads are cluttering up your bedside table this month?