Books to bury your nose in.

I've given up reading novels.  Well, I've put it on hold till I have gained the skill of self-control (snort!).  I just can't put a novel down until it's done.  Instead, I'm picking up books that you can delve into for a few minutes here and there and enjoy.

So what am I reading looking at?

The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien.  This one I am actually reading, in sections, to my boy at bedtime.  He in enthralled.  And I'm rapidly running out of pages.  Any suggestions for our next read?

The Diary of a Farmer's Wife 1796-1797.  This is a reading one too.  But as it's a diary and written in ye olde style English, it was put downable.  Interesting to read, not sure if it's genuine or a well done fake.

Twelve by Twelve.  The International Art Quilt Challenge.  Now this is a fantastic find.  Lusciously and generously photographed, this book is a round up of a collaborative challenge.  Twelve art quilters, making twelve 12" x 12" quilts.  Each artist took turns picking a theme and it was fascinating to see the different interpretations.  Each month features one quilt in depth and profiles the art quilter who made it.  This is well worth a read and has entertained and inspired me.

1000 Artisan Textiles. Sandra Salamony and Gina M. Brown.  This one is a great find too.  Page after page of rich colour, fantastic shapes, texture and design.  There are five sections; wearable art and couture, fashion accessories, soft furnishings and vessels, tapestries and display art and art quilts.  The only beef I have with it is that the only information shared under each was the name of the maker.  The title, size and materials were all in a directory at the back, awkward to keep flipping back and forth.

The Crafting of Narnia by Weta Workshop.  This one I picked up for my boy and he has loved looking through it.  The illustrations are enchanting and incredibly detailed.  I was taken with it too and enjoyed flicking through it.  I can't say I read too much of the text, but it is well worth it as a picture book.

The other two in the stack are:

The Quilt.  Beauty in Fabric and Thread by Marie Salazar.  Again, lovely pictures.  But published in 1997, some of the quilts are a bit dated.  Interesting to see style progression though.

And The Nude by Giovanni Civardi.  This is the odd one out!  I borrowed this from the library to help me with a quilt I'm planning. 

So what books are on your nightstand?