Books we love

BEDROOMS
This month is pretty much your last chance to snuggle up under the blankets before spring arrives. But if your bedroom isn't quite the place of your dreams, you're sure to find a look that suits in Chris Casson Madden's new book, Bedrooms (Clarkson Potter, $53). An expert in the art of making warm, inviting surroundings (see "Cold Comfort," in Century Home's February/March 2001 issue, page 18), whether it's inspired by a country sensibility, a soothing seaside motif or a room themed to ballet, fishing, or dogs, Casson Madden reveals here that a bedroom is the ultimate reflection of your personal style.

Best bedroom: is called Literary License. Looking forward to a 'snow day' spent curled up with a good read? This room contains books galore, all to be enjoyed with a hot toddy, as some of the shelves are fake, sliding back to reveal bottles and glasses.

LAURA SECORD CANADIAN COOK BOOK
Feel as though you've had enough Easter ham to last a lifetime? The Laura Secord Canadian Cook Book (Whitecap, $17) is back in print, chock full of recipes from the familiar to the exotic (remember Huskies-in-a-Drift?). Like Canada itself, these recipes are a combination of old world and new, in a collection that's sure to rekindle memories and stir the senses.

Best recipe: The Queen's Muffins, a specialty concocted for Her Majesty's 1957 visit.

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ROOMS TO GROW IN
Decorating a child's room might seem like a no-brainer, but making privates space in a shared room, or creating a place that doesn't require a major overhaul every few years, can be a challenge. Rooms To Grow In (Random House, $45), by Susan Salzman and Daryn Eller, has tons of ideas with country flair for little people with budding attitude.

Best space: The Happy Family Room, where big and little kids can mingle, family photos enjoy pride of place and the door is a white picket fence.

LIVING & DINING ROOMS
It's never too late to make a resolution, and a commitment to pretty up your home is just what the doctor ordered for the grey, rainy month of April. Debbie Travis's new book, Living & Dining Rooms (Random House, $28), features inspired ideas for spaces rich in colour and content – including a whole section on country rooms.

Best room: Hemingway Den, a warm, cozy space boasting stippled bronze walls, a foil door, cork floor and faux tortoiseshell fireplace.

COLOR
'Go for it!' might not be the first phrase you think of when gardening crosses your mind, but it's author Christopher Lloyd's advice in Color for Adventurous Gardeners (Firefly, $20). Divided into 11 chapters on colours from red and blue to pink, green and black, this book takes readers on a journey to fearlessly combine one colour with another for maximum impact in the garden.

Best chapter: Blue. Lloyd suggests, among other plants, sea holly, with its domed centre circled by feathery, spiny tendrils.