Reading lists
From the BookCart Journal.
Travel books worth packing — and the ones to read first
Guidebooks, travel writing and phrasebooks do different jobs. Here is what to take and what to leave at home.
Why buy second-hand?
Cheaper, greener, and often in better shape than you expect.
Five books to start the year
A short, unintimidating stack to get the reading habit going again.
Craft books for beginners: knit, sew, print, paint
A good beginner craft book teaches technique through a few real projects — not a reference you never finish.
What makes a cookbook you actually cook from
Most cookbooks are read once and shelved. A few get splattered and broken-spined. Here is what separates them.
Go All In: turning what you love into your next book
2026 is the UK’s National Year of Reading. Its whole idea — read into what you already enjoy — is the easiest way back to reading for pleasure.