After the hustle of the last few weeks, we are so excited to be easing ourselves into the new year. Warm knits, nutritious food and curling up on the sofa are our dream combination for a reset. And no better time than quiet evenings to pick up a new book - did anyone guess what the lovely Bex is reading in this shot?

It's a book by E.B White (yes he of Charlotte's Web fame) and it's called Here is New York. One of Natasha's favourites, it's a love letter to the most marvellous city; written by White in the sweltering heat of the summer of 1948, this essay captures the essence and the spirit of the city so well: the hope and terror, the excitement and spectacle of it all. He manages to take us onto the streets of Manhattan, giving perhaps the best description of New Yorkers and their city in one sentence:

"Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion."

A short and snappy read, his sweeping prose is as relevant today as when it was first written - despite the fact the city (and the world) has changed so immeasurably. And as for the last two pages? Written in the aftermath of WW2 they are haunting to anyone touched by the events of 9/11 - White proving himself somewhat of an oracle with a sense of foreboding as the book closes out. A complete must read!