Our Reading Shelf

Every house has a shelf by the armchair where the well-thumbed books end up. This page is ours. Rather than a full archive, it is a short, personal selection of articles we find ourselves recommending again and again, grouped by the kind of afternoon or evening you might be having.

For a crisp autumn weekend

When the leaves are coming down and the first cold night is in the forecast, these are the pieces to read with a notebook to hand.

• How to Winterize a House is the master list: taps, pipes, drafts and the heating, in the order we would tackle them.
• How to Stack Firewood So It Dries explains why the stack matters as much as the wood.
• How to Clean a Fireplace covers the hearth jobs you can do yourself and the ones that belong to a sweep.
• The Modern Plumber is a reminder of when to call in someone with the right tools.

For an evening by the fire

Lighter reading for when the jobs are done and the kettle is on.

• How to Make a Bird Feeder, three ways, including one the children can manage on their own.
• How to Clean a Cast Iron Pan, for the pan that has seen more suppers than anything else in the kitchen.
• Intimate Cocktail Evenings, on setting a room up for a few friends rather than a crowd.
• What Makes Custom Seiko Mods So Special, a small rabbit hole for anyone who likes things made by hand.

For sorting out the screen in the living room

Gethin's picks for anyone trying to make sense of how television reaches the house these days.

• IPTV Explained is the plain-language starting point.
• Parental Controls and IPTV walks through settings for younger viewers.
• IPTV Accessibility looks at subtitles, audio description and easier menus.

For the garden, come spring

• How to Build a Fire Pit in the Backyard, with the rules to check before the first shovelful.
• Planning a Deck with Contractors, for a bigger outdoor project.
• Choosing a Retractable Awning, for shade on the long afternoons.

How this shelf changes

We add to this page when a new piece earns a spot and quietly retire ones that have been overtaken. If there is an article you think belongs here, tell us through Reach Us. For the complete picture by section, see What We Write About.