Reader's Corner: Lifestyle
Looking for a good book to read but don't know where to start? This guide covers popular, award-winning, and just plain great nonfiction and fiction genres and books.
Staff Picks
Hill House Living: The Art of Creating a Joyful Life by
A gorgeous guide to the simple pleasures of cottage living--antique hunting, gardening, and enjoying the seasons--from a beloved British design and fashion influencer. A happy home is everything. No one knows this better than stylist and blogger Paula Sutton, who is behind the beloved Instagram account Hill House Vintage. Like many people, Paula gave years of her life to the busyness of the city until she traded catwalks for dog walks and couture for manure after leaving office life a decade ago. Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of photographs and drawings, this book gives you a full glimpse into life at Hill House. Inspired by Paula's love of all things vintage, and filled with simple, stylish, and thrifty tips and tricks for every area of the house, this book will bring the best of country life into your home, wherever you are. In a world that often moves too fast, Hill House Living is an invitation to take a moment to style, make or cook something nice for its own sake--and yours. Slow down, cozy up, and join the quest to making each day more intentionally joyful.
Call Number: NK2043 .S88 2021Publication Date: 2021-10-19
The Secret History of Home Economics: How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live by
The surprising, often fiercely feminist, always fascinating, yet barely known, history of home economics. The term "home economics" may conjure traumatic memories of lopsided hand-sewn pillows or sunken muffins. But common conception obscures the story of the revolutionary science of better living. The field exploded opportunities for women in the twentieth century by reducing domestic work and providing jobs as professors, engineers, chemists, and businesspeople. And it has something to teach us today. In the surprising, often fiercely feminist and always fascinating The Secret History of Home Economics, Danielle Dreilinger traces the field's history from Black colleges to Eleanor Roosevelt to Okinawa, from a Betty Crocker brigade to DIY techies. These women--and they were mostly women--became chemists and marketers, studied nutrition, health, and exercise, tested parachutes, created astronaut food, and took bold steps in childhood development and education. Home economics followed the currents of American culture even as it shaped them. Dreilinger brings forward the racism within the movement along with the strides taken by women of color who were influential leaders and innovators. She also looks at the personal lives of home economics' women, as they chose to be single, share lives with other women, or try for egalitarian marriages. This groundbreaking and engaging history restores a denigrated subject to its rightful importance, as it reminds us that everyone should learn how to cook a meal, balance their account, and fight for a better world.
Call Number: TX139 .D74 2021Publication Date: 2021-05-04
The Flower Hunter: Seasonal Flowers Inspired by Nature and Gathered From the Garden by
Lucy's evocative, gently humorous words accompany her glorious photographs and exquisite floral arrangements, as she encourages the reader to marvel at the intricate cycles of the natural world, develop their own innate creativity and to look for beauty in the everyday. Her garden provides the raw materials for Lucy's floral artistry - breathtaking naturalistic arrangements with the painterly beauty and flourish of a Dutch still life. Simple projects accompany Lucy's text, from drying garden flowers for an autumnal wreath to making your own journals and natural dyes to assembling lavish arrangements that showcase the voluptuous beauty of garden roses. Lucy believes that we all have a creative voice buried deep within. The Flower Hunter will encourage you to find your own creativity and help it to blossom.
Call Number: SB449 .H857 2021Publication Date: 2021-11-09
Beautifully Organized at Work: Bring Order and Joy to Your Work Life So You Can Stay Calm, Relieve Stress, and Get More Done Each Day by
Bring peace and joy into your workspace as you learn how to declutter your office and mind and create a stress-free work environment. Bring peace and joy into your workspace as you learn how to declutter your office and create a stress-free work environment. Clutter and mess can distract you, stress you out, and get in the way of efficiently getting work done. That's why Beautifully Organized at Work was created to give you practical tips and tools for how to mindfully transform your workspace and get organized so you can feel better about your work and be better set up for success. YouTube star and professional organizer Nikki Boyd, author of the bestselling book Beautifully Organized, brings her expert skills to this book. Beautifully Organized at Work includes- . Everything you need to know about decluttering your desk and organizing files--both in your physical and digital space . Valuable advice on how to plan your work days so you can have a well-balanced and productive week . How to select the desk, chair, and lighting that are ideal for your needs . Information tailored for cubicle, co-working spaces, working from home, and more . Tips on how to get your coworkers involved in creating a beautifully organized breakroom, conference room, and lobby
Call Number: HD7261 .B748 2021Publication Date: 2021-07-06
The Curated Closet: A Simple System for Discovering Your Personal Style and Building Your Dream Wardrobe by
Is your closet jam-packed and yet you have absolutely nothing to wear? Can you describe your personal style in one sentence? If someone grabbed a random piece from your closet right now, how likely is it that it would be something you love and wear regularly? With so many style and shopping options, it can be difficult to create a streamlined closet of pieces that can be worn easily and confidently. In The Curated Closet, style writer Anuschka Rees presents a fascinatingly strategic approach to identifying, refining, and expressing personal style and building the ideal wardrobe to match it, with style and shopping strategies that women can use every day. Using The Curated Closet method, you'll learn to: · Shop smarter and more selectively · Make the most of your budget · Master outfit formulas and color palettes · Tweak your wardrobe for work · Assess garment fit and quality like a pro · Curate a closet of fewer, better pieces Including useful infographics, charts, and activities, as well as beautiful fashion photography, The Curated Closet is the ultimate practical guide to authentic and unique style.
Call Number: TX340 .R44 2016Publication Date: 2016-09-20
Lifestyle Booklists in the BPL Online Catalog
- Home DecoratingBooks to take a look at when decorating/redecorating your home.
- 11 Cookbooks for the Culinarily CluelessThese cookbooks are here to help even those who aren't masters of the kitchen whip up something delicious.
- Green Thumbs: Books on GardeningCheck out these popular and recent books to help you in your gardening needs, whether you are a novice or an expert.
- Good Eating, Good HealthCheck out this booklist meant to give you a wide-variety of current books on nutrition and eating healthy. *Note the Boston Public Library does not endorse or reject any of these views or plans.
- Becoming a Yogi: Books on YogaInterested in the practice of yoga and want to learn more? Check out this booklist!
- Work It: 13 Motivational Books to Improve Your Life and CareerLearn new skills, be more productive, and become an empowered leader with these engaging end of summer reads. Whether you're returning to the office or the classroom, this list of business memoirs, career guides, and inspirational books will jumpstart your motivation so you can start fall off on the right foot!
- Healthy Eating: 11 Books About Eating Whole FoodsWhat's the deal with whole foods versus the processed foods that are constantly marketed towards consumers? These books will help you understand the difference, and offer recipes to help you eat a healthier, well-balanced, diet. Check one out and enjoy a good meal today!
- April Showers Bring May FlowersSpring, a time of growth and renewal, is here. Whether you want to celebrate by getting back into your garden, greening-up your living or work space, reading a good gardening memoir, or enjoying the many public parks and green spaces available to you in the Boston area, there is something on this list for you.
- What to Expect: A Reading List for Soon-to-be ParentsAre you an expectant parent curious to know what lays ahead for you on this journey called parenthood? Take a look at this list for books on pregnancy, childbirth, and the first months to years of parenting.
- Keep Moving Forward: A Booklist for Running RacesFeeling motivated after watching the awesome runners in the Boston Marathon, and want to try your hand (or foot) at running races? This list includes books about training and nutrition for people aspiring to run anything from a 5K to a marathon. Beginners and novices alike are sure to enjoy this list.
- Boston's Parks, Gardens, and Green SpacesBoston urban planners have always recognized the health, environmental, social, and economic benefits of retaining open space for the use of the citizens. In 1634, the Boston Common was assigned to be used by the inhabitants as a cow pasture and training ground. In the nineteenth century, a system of interconnected parks known as the "Emerald Necklace" was developed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Stretching from the Back Bay to Dorchester, they were designed to connect people to nature. In contemporary times, support has been give to the development of community gardens, urban farms, green roofs, and more, Use the resources below to find out more about the history, and current uses, of Boston's green spaces.
- The Puppy Bowl 2019: 13 Books for Bringing Home Your New Furry FriendWatching Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl is cuteness overload! How can anyone resist the charms of a puppy gamboling at play? If you think you might be interested in getting yourself a puppy, whether you adopt a rescue or buy from a reputable breeder, here are some books you may want to check out first. Remember, it's always important to be prepared before you bring home your new family member!