You know I love my Kindle, don’t you?

That I love books and spend an inordinate amount of time and money buying them and reading them and enjoying them?

And that I switch my reading around season to season?

So, here are the books at the top of my reading list this Autumn. Now we’ve finally reached Fall and I can talk about it without guilt. I’m collecting them together, virtually or actually, and creating a pile by my bed/chair/Kindle. I have to admit, a couple of them may *possibly* mention the C-word (Christmas) but I believe in being prepared, and there isn’t enough time in December to read every Christmas-themed romance/ craft book/ cookery book I’d like to.

Jane Eyre. I visited Haddon Hall this September, which has been used three times at least in filmed versions of Jane Eyre. It really does feel like it could have been an inspiration as well. But I haven’t read the original for a few years, so I put it on this pile as my favourite Classic. Ever. If I didn’t already have my Grandmother’s personal version (a gift from my Grandad to her in 1941, during the war) I’d invest in this beautiful cloth-bound edition.

Sacred Time by Christine Valters Paintner. I’m still chasing slow, mindful and intentional. This book appealed to me with its emphasis on rhythm and ritual. Modern organisations and systems are very good at ignoring the natural, the cyclical and pushing ahead whatever the weather, time of year, state of the day. I’m hoping this book will inspire me to re-establish my own rhythms and rituals.

Fear Less by Trinny Woodall. This was a post-holiday treat, and I haven’t had chance to read it all yet, but the reviews I have seen persuaded me to give it a go. Another reset, another setting up of rhythms and systems to help my life be mindful, supportive, intentional.

The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams. Not a romance, I hope, but a lovely story of a garden that heals. I picked this up on a whim, but it does sound like a good read for a cold Autumn afternoon. I need to get my teapot warmed and a box of chai tea ready for my return from work.

The House of Many Lives by L K Wilde. Another fixer-upper, repairing the fabric of life book. This time, a Cornish town house and a weary worker seeking a new start. I think the Bodmin location attracted me, as much as the plot.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Bloom. I read this years ago, and I’m re-reading it having been to Holland this September. The Second World War is a long time ago now, and yet the hate and disregard for human life it nurtured seems as great as ever. We keep saying ‘Never Again’ and yet we let it happen again and again and again. This is my reminder that every action helps. Every kind word, every sacrifice.

The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith. My current read. It’s taking some time (I read barely any on holiday… so little that my husband stopped asking ‘Have you finished yet?’) It’s good… too good to rush. The research and depth of plotting JK puts into these books impresses me… and the will they/won’t they of Strike and Robin is just the icing on the cake.

Winter Celebrations by Arounna Khounnoraj. A taster for one Book Friday. I have the hardback version of this, and it sits ready to be read and reviewed when I have a chance.

Enough to be going on with. I have other books, mostly devotional or Bible study guides, that I’m working through in groups or with a partner. I haven’t rejoined a bookclub yet, but I’m thinking that perhaps I should, or restart the one I ran through Church/WI that lapsed during Covid. There’s something so great about sharing thoughts and recommendations with friends. And small hobby groups are so hygge, aren’t they?

How to Hygge the British Way is my gift to the world. I don’t get paid for writing it, I’m not in it for the kudos, financial rewards, to become an influencer, work with brands or otherwise make any money from the blog. That’s why there are no ads, and any products I mention and recommend have either been gifted to me or bought by me with my everyday wages or donations from supporters. Every book I review has been bought and read by me, unless stated otherwise.

I do get a couple of pennies each time someone buys from the Amazon links on my page, as an Amazon Affiliate, but otherwise if you’d like to support me, I like to give something back in return. That’s why I write books. It always feels good if you get a book back in return for some money. You can find a full list of my books at my Author’s Page on Amazon, but especially recommended for this time of year are:

Cosy Happy Hygge: Setting up a rhythm to life and rituals to enjoy it to make for a more balanced life that handles waves and storms better. Lent is a season of rituals and resets. The book has small and easy ways to make your life flow with grace and happiness, which lead to more hygge.

Happier: Probably my most personal book, it’s the story of how I used hygge and the little things in life to help boost my happiness. I still go back and reread to remind myself what I need to do to be a happy human. And it’s always the little things.

Is it too early to think ahead? My Christmas books are always available: Have Yourself a Happy Hygge Christmas is a good place to start, on how to make the season cosier, happier. Celebrating a Contagious Christmas was written during covid year, but has useful advice on celebrating when times are hard anyway and Enjoying a Self-Care Christmas is a short e-book on keeping Christmas simpler, easier and better for you, your waistline and your budget. It even includes 25+ suggestions for self-care activities over Christmas, as simple as sipping tea, keeping a list journal or lighting a candle. Bigger is not always better for Christmas.

I’m currently working on two book projects: I have a hankering to rewrite 50 Ways to Hygge the British Way, so it’s not available at the moment, but even dearer to my heart and my next stated aim is to finish and publish my next book, Simple Plus Cosy = Hygge. It will be about homemaking and how the home we create shapes the hygge we have. Hopefully it will be finished by the end of summer/autumn/winter.

If you’d like to support me, but don’t want to buy a book, I have a Paypal.Me account as Hygge Jem. Every little helps, so even a few pence goes towards the books, goods and courses I use and recommend on the site. I’m grateful for every little bit that brings me closer to my dream of full-time writing, and I know I couldn’t still be writing if it weren’t for the support of many readers and friends out there. Thank you all for every little bit of support, emotional, physical and financial, you give me.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it or save it so others can enjoy reading, thinking about and living hygge as well.

The photo between post and promotions is a photo I took in Amsterdam. Every day at about 4pm we stopped sightseeing and found a Brown Bar, small pubs in the city that sell a wider range of beer than we see in most bars here. A small beer each, a view through the window or just people watching. It was a real chance to slow down. My only issue now is how to capture that feeling without the beer in this country. Coffee? Afternoon tea? Home or coffee shop? I’ll find a way.