Over the winter months, I like to read. And every once in a while, I get a hankering for magazines. I love the feel of the glossy, thin pages. They’re so colourful and wonderful and full of witty chatter. There’s lots of drivel, but I love me some drivel. However, if I bought every magazine that caught my eye, I’d make a hefty dent in my pocketbook.

Enter, the library. The library has heaps of magazines: current issues, back issues, weird niche magazines, you name it. I usually grab about 10 or 12 issues (typically in the season that we’re in, but the years don’t really matter) and bring them home to temporarily reside in our library basket. And if I find I have a spare fifteen minutes, I pick one up.

Cooper’s first bloggy appearance!

This month, I came across a book that was published by a magazine, and I thought it was worth recommending to my friends. The book is Simple Country Wisdom by Country Living Magazine. I admit that when I checked out this book, I was very skeptical. Was this book going to be an endless series of product placements or brief, less-than-helpful articles? Instead, I was pleasantly surprised.

The book is an easy read, and is divided into rooms of the house. There are tips and tricks regarding decor, cleaning, gardening, and the like. And quite a few of the tips are ones I haven’t considered before. I’m pretty sure that I should reconsider the layout of my living room, and the next time that I make garlic mash, I am going to try steaming my potatoes instead of boiling them.

The book is also written in small chunks of information. This is great for the harried mother who just wants a few minutes of before-bed reading before she drops the book onto the floor, snores already escaping her wide-open mouth. (Not me… other people…. with deviated septums…) It may not be the dramatic tale of Lady Esthelinda and her love affair with the stablehand, Armando… (again… I’m not reading that book… that’s the deviated septum people…), but I think it’s definitely worth a read.

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For the playroom shelf, I want to recommend a book that was given to us as a gift. The Party, written by Barbara Reid, tells the story of two sisters who go to a family reunion/90th birthday party of “Gran”.

Barbara Reid (a Canadian author) writes and illustrates her books, and what’s completey unique and fantastic about her illustrations is that they’re crafted out of plasticine! Her attention to detail is astounding. I find myself studying the pages as we read them together. Lila loves to pore over the pictures and ask about every detail. “What is this, Mommy?” “Is that a meatball that fell into the dip?” “She has a music box like me!”

For me, this book brings back the nostalgia of playing with cousins and friends at parties and reunions. The story is written with a rhyme scheme (which I find really helps to keep the kids’ attention to the words; Lucy also tends to memorize lines that are rhyming) and the pictures are detailed and chaotic and colourful – it’s exactly how life is when you’re a kid.

“Oh, what a great time,
what a wonderful time,
such a very late time
at the party.”

If you’re looking for a new book (or two) to bring into your house, I highly recommend both of these picks. They’re great reads for the changing of the seasons. Grab your book (or your copy of “Lady Esthelinda’s Betrayal”), your blanket, go out in the sunshine, and enjoy these first few wonderful weeks of spring.