August Reading List

So July has come and gone and the blog was neglected during this time ;). My daughter and I were in Ontario, Canada for a month and our available internet was lacking during this time. It was good for both of us to not have constant access to high speed but we are both enjoying having it again now that we are back in Seattle.

The Coat Route - Craft, Luxury & Obsession on the Trail of a $50,000 Coat by Meg Lukens Noonan is actually a book I picked up at Chapters from the sales racks while away, I then managed to misplace it when I was half way through it. I have a tendency to carry a book with me most of the time and occasionally one gets left behind, I always hope whomever finds my misplaced book enjoys it. This was a book I was enjoying so I ordered a new one as soon as arriving home. The Coat Route is written from the viewpoint of a reporter who was inspired to research how one particular coat was created and the many artisans involved in the process. This book was relevant presently because I was taking a MOOC called Who Made My Clothes on Futurelearn, the course was about discovering what and who is involved in all the clothing we wear. This is a topic near and dear to me and something more people should care about, I am looking forward to finishing the book.

Alligators, Old Mink & New Money by Alison Houtte & Melissa Houtte is something I picked up used in West Seattle at Merryweather Books. Alison Houtte is a former model turned vintage store owner and this is a book about her love for vintage clothing, their stories and adventures. It looks like a light read and it will be my transit book this week. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't misplace it.

Fixing Fashion - Rethinking the Way We Make, Market and Buy Our Clothes by Michael Lavergne is another book I picked up used in West Seattle, it was a good book buying day. This book looks like a drier read but I have come across the author's name before in reference. Michael Lavergne is known as an expert on global fashion and an ethical supply chain professional. It was published in 2015 in Canada so I am looking forward to his viewpoints as many books on similar topics are British based and not published as recently. It will be refreshing to read a Canadian perspective instead of the standard British viewpoint.

May Reading List

For the month of May I finally decided on these three books. "The Design of Everyday Things" was a book my husband suggested. He hasn't read it but thought it was one I would enjoy. It was first published in 1988 and since then has been revised and republished a few times. I am looking forward to reading Don Norman's opinions on design and the psychology behind them.

"Magnifeco" by Kate Black is labeled your head-to-toe guide to ethical and non-toxic beauty. Kate is an activist for the world of eco-fashion and sustainable living and many people know her from her website Magnifeco.com. I like the concept behind her book as she is encouraging consumers to be more knowledgable about their purchases.

"Nelly Don: A Stitch in Time" is a book I came upon when I was looking for documentaries to watch. I never did find the documentary of the same name but I did find this companion book. Nelly Don was an inspiring woman entrepreneur who started a successful fashion company in 1916. She had an eventful life but nowadays very few people know her name.

I am hoping these will be a great variety for the month of May. It has been fun but challenging to pick a new selection of books, but the goal of reading the books I already have has derailed a bit. Partially due to the fact that I am still buying books ;).