Spring Cozy Cottagecore Books / Baking Muffins & A Bluebell Walk in the English Countryside

Happy Sunday! In today's peacfeful reading vlog, I'm sharing my favourite cozy cottagecore books for spring, as well as having a beautiful walk in a bluebell wood and baking chocolate banana muffins.
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LINKS:
(affiliate links used for Blackwells)
The Key of Rose Cottage by Margaret Baker (out of print)
The Girls of Friar's Rise by Gwendoline Courtney (out of print)
The Wind Boy by Ethel Cook Eliot (out of print)
Little Grey Rabbit's Spring Cleaning Party by Alison Uttley (out of print)
Cuckoo in June by Alison Uttley (out of print)
Wild Honey by Alison Uttley (out of print)
Country Things by Alison Uttley (out of print)
Plowmen's Clocks by Alison Uttley (out of print)
A Thatched Roof by Beverley Nichols (out of print)
Cottage Pie by Marjorie Hessell Tiltman (out of print)
Through the Kitchen Window by Susan Hill (out of print)
Through the Garden Gate by Susan Hill (out of print)
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CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS RECIPE:
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MUSIC: all music in my videos is from either Epidemic Sound or Artlist; I subscribe to both.

[HannahsBooks]

What a lovely walk through the flowering woods! The Lark has been on my list for much too long. It sounds wonderfully warm. My son used to adore The Wind Boy and Brambly Hedge when he was little—and I have such nice memories of reading them with him.

[joreads]

I grew up on my mothers copies of Little Grey Rabbit, it I didn’t know Alison Uttley had written essays! I shall keep my eye out for them thanks for the share of information!

[pollys]

Hi Miranda! I hope you are well and in high spirits. I just wanted to contribute to the "cottage core" country side aesthetics by recommending the book I am reading at the moment. It's "An Irish Country Doctor", by Patrick Taylor and it's set in a small village somewhere near Belfast and there's this new doctor with a brand new diploma who moves from Belfast to this village to be the assistant of the local doctor there. It kind of reminds me of "All the Creatures Great and Small" but set in the 1960s and the villagers and this old doctor are so funny and charming and this new doctor is so determined to play by the rules and what the books say... when rules don't really apply to the Irish countryside. They're rough on the outside but such good people on the inside that I think you would love them.

[carolynhill]

Lovely video, Miranda. I'm definitely one for the romanticized cottage core aesthetic and lifestyle. I think it comes from growing up in the sixties in the US in a brick "rancher" with a grassy lawn and not much else, when all the fairy tales and children's books were set in cottages amongst gardens in the English countryside or woods. I'm in the countryside and woods now and though my house isn't exactly a traditional cottage style, it's more of a rustic cabin, I find this life suits me. Funny how childhood reading can shape your dreams of home. Love so many of your recommendations and have several of them. I've wanted to read The Lark for a long time, having read Nesbit's biography. It sounds like it was inspired by her own experiences - trying to find ways to make money like having a market garden and taking 'paying guests'. Your production always looks lovely and I marvel at the technology skills like video editing! Your lighting is beautiful. Hope you get some more lovely spring weather and can get back out into those gorgeous bluebell woods.

[pattyhenshaw]

Hi MIranda, I LOVE your channel! It is the best! The wonderful comfort book club, incredible recommendations, baking, cooking, nature walks....it's just perfect! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Warmest aloha, Patty

[annparsons]

Hello Miranda,
It has been a joy to discover you on social media and every one of your YouTube vlogs I have watched have inspired me beyond belief. I grew up on a farm in the 1950’s and although we had a level of freedom unknown to children today my childhood was very book poor. I have been greatly encouraged by you and Donna to make up for lost time and read the books I know would have enthralled me as a child. Thank you so much for the hard work you put into your vlogs, bless you both.
Ann xx

[mariacristinabuenoasensio]

What a wonderful and magical video, Miranda! I absolutely loved it! The atmosphere, the flowers, the walk, the books... everything! A big thank you for this work of art!

[nancyfritz]

How magical it must be to walk through a bluebell wood. Breathtaking! I have always fantasized about living in a little cottage - there are some adorable ones in the part of Long Island where I grew up and now live - all with lovely gardens of course. Although I live in an apartment - because it is in a wooded area and on the ground floor I do think of it as my peaceful cottage. No garden, but I have a large pot of purple pansies by my front door, which makes me smile. 😊 "The Lark", "Father" and "The Blue Castle" were my top cozy reads of 2022. I would also add Mary Stewart's "The Rose Cottage" and any of Susan Branch's books. Have a wonderful week, Miranda!! 💕

[faeriehearthwitch]

Lovely video and suggestions! My favourites for this time of year are A Traveller in Time, Lark Rise to Candleford, I Capture the Castle, Cold Comfort Farm, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Cider with Rosie, Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea, Our Village, The Secret Garden and Alice in Wonderland! I am also having fun reading all the Borrower's books right now! Almost done with the 3rd one and should finish tonight!

[karenburns]

Lovely lovely vlog Miranda. You’ve reminded me of a lot of my favorite books ❤️

[carlacanalsgalan]

Happy tuesday Miranda! This video is so special and I have enjoyed it very, very much. I live in Barcelona but I would love to live in the countryside. Just came from a trip to Provence so I am feeling very in love with Cottagecore!! Thanks to you I have come to know Alison Uttley and some other wonderful nature and country living writers. I just can't thank you enough for all your lovely inspiration and beauty in all your work. Wish you and Donna a beautiful day!

[staroliva]

Dear Miranda, What a beautiful enchanting Spring video. What great content for a Cottage core lover. Through the years I have collected a few of your beautiful illustration in today’s video . The Cottage Pie has been a hard one to find. I appreciate all your videos so much since I love celebrating and cooking and living with the seasons.🌷📚☕️🧁

[exomake_mehorololo]

I'd like thank you for this lovely video. Your vintage book recommendations always unlock such happy memories of books and, or movies I loved as a child. I used to love flowers and flower gardens and had quite a few picture books, fairytales, story and nature books with and about flowers and gardens. Sadly I don't have them any more and don't really remember titles. I used to collect postcards and illustrations too😊 Alice in Wonderland was my favourite movie mainly for the opinionated, rambunctious flowers 😁
it's funny how we can forget things as adults. I will look for some of the books you recommended

[LisaofHopewell]

I love EVERYTHING "Edwardian Lady"!! The tv series used to be on youtube--it, too, was lovely, though the books beat it, of course. I also love The Blue Castle which I read/reviewed for the first time last year. Just wonderful. I'd venture to add the relevant chapters from One Woman's Year by Stella Martin Currey and Kitchen Essays by Agnes Jekyll

[henriettanovember]

This is such an inspirational and beautiful video as always! Thank you! Oh, how I love Little Grey Rabbit! We had them as children and I have read them to my own children. If I may I would recommend Swedish author and illustrator Elsa Beskow's children's books. For example Children of the Forest, The Flowers' Festival or The Sun Egg among many others, they are so adorable, and could not be more "cottagecore" I think.

[noreengarron]

It was a beautiful blue mist looked surreal thank you for such a vision

[sally-ts]

Ah, classic Miranda. Such a beautiful video. When I was child, my Mum introduced me to the Derek Tangye books and they have been a favourite ever since. They are about his life on a clifftop cottage in Cornwall with his wife Jeannie and various animals. The book, Jeannie, chronicles their sophisticated, glamourous lives in London pre-move. I love the sound of the Beverley Nichols book. I think I'll try and find that next. Sxx

[sassykassispages]

I am so enjoying your videos this year! Please keep sharing information on the Commonplace Book, I have just started my own. Regarding the muffin recipe, you can bake all 12 muffins and freeze the other 6 to have on hand when needed. Just thaw in a low oven and they will be just as good as fresh baked! :)

[jenniferwilliams]

I really enjoyed this video! Wonderful and beautiful book suggestions. Thank you!

[naomihickman]

Such a beautiful, tranquil beginning to this video, I really loved it. Enjoyed all the book recommendations as always. I have read many of them, but hearing you describe them so warmly always makes me want to reread! I love the Susan Hill books - as you said, the illustrations are as wonderful as the words. I will try making the muffins, they look delicious! Thank you for another truly lovely video Miranda.