Città at home: what we're reading right now
Here at Città we love a good book. In our opinion, one of life’s greatest joys is getting lost in the pages while keeping cosy underneath a warming blanket, surrounded by countless cushions. Total bliss, right?
To give you some reading inspiration, we asked five of our team members to share their book recommendations.
Textile Designer & Assistant Buyer: Sophie Clapson
Who are you isolating with & where?
I’m isolating with my partner Simon, my parents and their two chickens (Olive and Annabel). We’re at my parents’ rural property on the outskirts of Hamilton.
What’s a great book you’ve recently read?
I highly recommend Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard. Yvon is the founder of the outdoor clothing and equipment company, Patagonia.
What do find interesting about it?
Let My People Go Surfing captured my attention from the first few pages. The Patagonia philosophy and business culture is truly admirable. Patagonia has always put purpose before profit and has remained true to these values, despite phenomenal growth.
Yvon has constantly re-invented and evolved his company in order to do better for both people and the planet. In these uncertain times, the book will leave you with guidance, inspiration and hope for the future.
Founder & CEO: Margot Acland
Who are you isolating with & where?
I’m isolating with my husband Al and daughter Monica in Auckland.
What book are you currently reading?
I’m reading The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson.
What do you find interesting about it?
I started it in January—it’s a bit of a marathon! Having said that, it’s fantastically interesting and makes you realise how complicated bodies are.
The book goes through each part of the body and gives you an in-depth summary of what it does. It’s full of facts and statistics, but well-written and easy-to-read, and some parts are really funny.
Head of Storytelling & Social Media: Natasha van der Laan
Who are you isolating with & where?
I’m isolating with my partner Warren, his brother Rowan and our cat Ink in Mt Roskill, Auckland.
What book are you currently reading?
I’m currently re-reading Eating Viet Nam: Dispatches from a Blue Plastic Table by Graham Holliday. It also includes a foreword by the late Anthony Bourdain.
What do you love about it?
I consider myself a foodie and have a special place in my heart (and stomach!) for Vietnamese cuisine. Eating Viet Nam is a travel memoir that uncovers the magic of the country’s street food and transports you to the back alleys of Hanoi. You can almost hear the scooters, feel the humidity, and taste the distinctive herbs and warming spices. It’s escapism at its finest!
Retail Sales & Visual Merchandiser, Christchurch: Janine Rendle
Who are you isolating with & where?
I’m currently locked-down with my husband and two boys, 5-year-old Miller and 20-month-old Charlie.
What book are you currently reading?
To be honest, I haven’t completed a book for myself since 2014—in the pre-child days. Now seems like an apt time to read, however, my small humans have other plans… day and night!
In reality, I’m making time to read our favourite kids’ books. We love a bit of Hairy Maclary, Pee Wee the Lonely Kiwi and The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
What do you love about it?
The Gruffalo is an engaging story about a quick-thinking mouse that works his way through a forest to outsmart some predators and the Gruffalo monster. I love the rhymes and illustrations. I give the characters some crazy voices that delight the boys!
Wholesale & International Account Manager: Sarah Muschamp
Who are you isolating with & where?
I am isolating with my partner Darren and his three teenage boys at our home in St Heliers, Auckland.
What book are you currently reading?
I am currently reading The Confession by Jessie Burton.
What do you love about it?
It’s the first book I’ve read by Jessie Burton and I am loving it. It flips between 1982 and 2017 and is about secrets and storytelling. I am only a quarter of the way through—I’m very interested to see how the story unravels!
