Book reviews: Art and gardening

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
Okay, so it's not springtime, but autumn in Paris sounds just as good. Even if you're only travelling via your favourite armchair, Artists in Residence (Raincoast, $27) is a treat that's not to be missed, combining travel, decor, art and inspiration in one small volume. Author Dana Micucci profiles the country homes and studios of eight 19th-century artists in and around Paris, opening a window into Monet's well-known home in Giverny, as well as the inn where van Gogh stayed in Auvers-sur-Oise and Delacroix's Left Bank studio. Colour photography of the artists' works and homes, as well as directions, nearby sights, restaurants and convenient accommodations, will have you transporting yourself to a time and place where a good day meant having the right light, a fine bottle of wine and an irresistible view.

Best Artist: Daubigny in Auvers-sur-Oise. Oh to have been a fly on the wall when Charles-François Daubigny, fellow painter Camille Corot, caricaturist Honoré Daumier and Daubigny's son, Karl, decorated the studio walls of Villa des Vallées, 22 miles northwest of Paris, with murals of country scenes, seascapes and even romantic characters like Don Quixote. Picture yourself rubbing elbows and talking chiaroscuro with Renoir, Morisot, Pissarro and Cézanne, all regular attendees at the lively parties the gregarious Daubigny often threw, entertaining guests with free-flowing absinthe and raucous song.

GARDEN ENTERTAINING COOKBOOK
As summer begins to fade this month, savour those last sultry days by spending your time in the garden. The Garden Entertaining Cookbook, Recipes and Menus for Casual Dining Outdoors (Raincoast, $39), by Barbara Scott-Goodman and Mary Goodbody, is the perfect companion for warm sunny afternoons that blend into soft, lazy evenings. Fresh produce straight from Mother Nature is put to good use in a series of recipes designed to tempt the palate with the season's best bounty. Having friends over for a burger becomes a little more swish with the addition of Roasted Vegetable Caponata with Pita Crisps to whet the appetite, Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Fresh Corn and Zucchini on the side, and Pear Cobbler to end the meal on a high note.

Best Chapter: Soups: Eight recipes for concoctions such as Braised Fennel Soup, Oyster, Leek and Scallion Soup, and Summer Borscht make the mouth water.

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WATERWORKS, INVENTING BATH STYLE
Your bathroom really gets a workout in summer, with little hands being washed after playing outside, bigger bodies seeking cooling respite from the heat and humidity, and inevitably a furry friend needing a tip-to-tail cleaning. When September arrives, you look around and think, “this room needs a change.” Enter Waterworks, Inventing Bath Style (Random House, $53) by Barbara Sallick with Lisa Light, a book offering all the inspiration and advice you need to transform your ho-hum space into a heavenly refuge. From fittings to furniture, colour, light and scale, every facet of bathroom design is explored in detail. Learn the optimum height of your sink, the differences between cast iron and acrylic tubs, how to care for metal taps and more.

Best Section: Exploring Storage. A multitude of information on planning, accessories, cabinets, et al., gives you all you ever wanted to know about the thing you can't get enough of.

LITTLE RETREATS
A tiny house doesn't have to mean cramped living quarters. Case in point – Little Retreats (Clarkson Potter, $45) by Jane Tidbury – a new book that captures the appeal of small spaces. More than 30 getaways, from converted lighthouses and greenhouses, to towers, isolated cabins, even teepees and a yurt, set readers on a journey to simplify their living areas and rejuvenate the senses. All the retreats are decorated with a laid-back, casual country approach, with environment playing an important role in style and ambience.

Best retreat: The Folly at the Menagerie, in Northamptonshire, England, a 250-year-old one-room building originally used as a dining hall. In 1975, the folly was transformed into a circular bedroom, with a log bed and a headboard made of pine cones. One side is designed with a thatched roof and tiny gothic windows set amid a lush, untamed garden. The other side has a classical look, with stone pillars overlooking a formal garden with pool and fountain.