You Will Adore This Book

Hello.

I need you to read this book.

Everything about it is perfection. 

I never ever write in books, I think it's sacrilegious, but there were whole paragraphs, whole chapters even, that made me want to whip out a neon yellow highlighter and go to town. 

{I didn't, though, because c'mon.}

The way this woman writes...she is able to wrap up the human condition so precisely that you're left asking yourself "but how did she know?" and gasping "this! yes, this, right here."

If you've already read it, which I know a lot of people have done, maybe read it again. Maybe you've forgotten how delectable every perfectly-selected word is.

But, srsly, read it.

I'd loan you my copy but I'm busying forcing everyone within a 55 mile radius to borrow it.

Book Review

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I read this book last week, and I am still sad that the story's over.

It's the kind of book that makes me ache to know what the characters are doing now.

This novel has so much going for it: three generations of amazing women, a plot-twisting secret, and a deeply real small town setting.

The chapters are narrated by either grandmother, mother, or daughter, each woman contributing her own unique perspective to the moving story. 

I can honestly say that this is the best book I've read so far this year, and I can't imagine that another will usurp it any time soon.

If you're looking for a book to spend the weekend with, you've found it in this one.

Top Five Books of 2011

I read a lot this year. Like, 54 books a lot. 

I didn't start my current job until about two months into the year, so I had plenty of free time to dedicate to reading, which basically turned into a rekindling of my torrid love affair with the written word. Books...gah, you know?

Here are my five favorite books/series that I read this year:

1

The Harry Potter Series

Be still my heart. I revisited this greatness and finally read the last three books in the series. I'm now slowly indulging myself in the movies. Nerd alert: I braided a Gryffindor friendship bracelet for my best friend for Christmas (p.s.- she loved it!) 

Harry Potter, you are the best thing in this life.

2

Matched by Ally Condie

This is my favorite dystopian book that I've read to date. It has everything that I love about a dystopian novel. If you like YA and, especially if you like dystopia, give this book a go.

3

Ape House by Sara Gruen

This one was actually a little tough for me to read, because I love animals so, so much, but I really feel like I learned a lot about bonobos from this book. Sara Gruen is a wonderful writer, and I like this book even better than Water for Elephants.

4

The Huger Games Series

I love YA, I love dystopia: you had to have known that this was coming. The Hunger Games rocked my world. I cannot wait for the movie to come out next year. A lady at work is reading the first book right now, and it's all I can do to contain my excitement for her. 

5

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

I have to admit that I was super hesitant to start this series. I don't want to offend, but I always kind of pegged Janet Evanovich as a writer of middle-aged woman fiction. Now, it's not that I don't love me some middle-aged women cos obviously I do (who doesn't? ;), but I don't typically enjoy middle-aged woman fiction. BUT, this book was so exciting! I love Stephanie Plumb! I want to be her when I grow up. I can't wait to see the movie next year and, before you ask, no, I don't agree with the casting of Katherine Heigl, either.

What did you love this year? What should I read next year?

The Arts

Okay, okay...not really the arts, more like the movies and books in my life.

Last week I caught a matinee showing of What's Your Number?. It was super funny; I could not stop laughing throughout the whole thing. I even did that annoying clapping thing that I do when I'm delighted. You know, though, it must have been a really long time since I'd last seen an R-rated movie because, boy, was it full of raunch. All in all, it is the perfect movie to see with your girlfriends.

Book-wise, I just finished This Must Be the Place by Kate Racculia, which I found through Real Simple's No Obligation Book Club Reading List. I usually find book recommendations through that list, blogs, and the goodreads website. Anyway, I really liked this book. It was written in such an interesting way and told from different perspectives, but in the 3rd person, which I love.

Next on my list?

I really want to see 50/50 and Dolphin Tale. I love seeing movies before noon at AMC for the cheapie $5 price. I also really like to go to the movies alone. Anyone else?

I'm going to start reading Divergent by Veronica Roth soon. I'm so excited to be back in the land of dystopia.

Non-Fiction

I've recommended a lot of fiction books on Audrey Onassis, but lately I've been trying to expand my reading horizons into non-fiction, as well. Here is a list of non-fiction books I've read this year, along with books I have been wanting to pick up.

Not so good. The author was weirdly pompous and the book was messy with dropped names.

Pretty good, maybe a little boring. Lots of history, which was a change of pace from what I'd been used to in etiquette books.

Fascinating. Totally different than the Wall Street Journal article makes it seem. I read it in one afternoon.

Quite good, as I posted last Friday.

Haven't read it yet but, all of a sudden, I find myself with an interest in women's issues that I've never had before. Can't wait to get my hands on this one.

I read an excerpt from this one in the Wall Street Journal (can you tell I have an online subscription through work?), and I really enjoyed reading the author's words. I have this one on hold.

I read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens for a class in high school and, though it was cheesy as sin, it was also relevant and interesting.

I read the author's Glamour blog for awhile before this book was published. I didn't care for her style very much, but I can't help but be interested in this project. I've given myself permission to put this one down if I don't like it, something I rarely do.

Who doesn't love Tina Fey? I mean, really.

I must admit that I am one of those people who is always up for a crazy diet. I think it's because I love having a project.

What are your favorite non-fiction books?

Manners

via

I've been reading Kate Spade's book on manners this week.

It's a fun read with glorious watercolors, such as this one:

via

The book has two companions, as well.

via

via

Did you know that when Kate & her husband Andy hire new employees they issue each one a copy of Emily Post's Etiquette? Sounds like my kind of company!

Water For Elephants

via goodreads

Last weekend was full of Water for Elephants. I saw the film on Friday night and then read the entire book on Saturday afternoon. Since I saw the movie first, I'm not exactly sure which I liked better, because I was picturing scenes from the movie as I read.

The movie was well done and really intense! Almost every scene was packed high with drama and suspense. It is definitely a movie you want to see with someone who will let you hold her hand (thanks, Carissa!) 

I'm glad I read the book, too, though. The story is interesting enough that I didn't mind spending four more hours with the characters. I also highly recommend Ape House, also by Sara Gruen.

Poolside Reads

A couple weeks ago, I found myself with a perfectly blank Saturday in my Lilly planner. That is practically unheard of around these parts, so I decided to take full advantage. It wasn't even 11AM before I was poolside in my itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini {it really is!}, finishing up The Knitting Circle. At the risk of sounding like a total geek, it was the most fun I'd had in ages. I've been trying to find another day just like it in my schedule ever since. 

If I ever do manage to snag a free day, I want to be prepared. 

I have a nice lists of to-reads on good reads, but none of them are available at my local library! 

To-read:

Savannah from Savannah by Denise Hildreth 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Matched by Ally Condie

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress

Room by Emma Donoghue 

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

My question to you is: have you read any of these books? Which ones are good enough to buy? Which ones should I just tough it out on the hold list for?

Book Report

I read your favorite books! They were awesome- thank you so much for the recommendations. I have been a reading machine the past couple weeks, and it feels so good to be living so many lives & traveling to so many places again {you know what I mean, right?}

I've read on your blogs that a few of you are also trying to renew your love of the written word, so I thought I'd review the books I've read recently. You can also find my reading persona on goodreads.

First up...

Overall, this was a quick read. I really enjoyed Ms. Lancaster's style of writing; lady can crack jokes like nobody's business. Some of the material felt a little forced & off-topic from her cultural Jen-aissance, but it was fun nonetheless. I think I'll try one of her other books; I've heard this one is the least good. I give it a B-.

Jennifer Weiner is my absolute favorite author. Her books are considered chick lit, but I feel like that undersells them. She is an amazing writer, and her stories are always so full and inspired. This novel is different than her others, but definitely in a good way. If you like to read novels about family dynamics, definitely pick this one up. The only complaint I have is that the book featured a moderate amount of sex, which I do not enjoy & her other books don't usually have. Still, this novel is an A in my book.

This book was quite good, but maybe too short, haha. The character development is nice & the way the story is structured is very smart. This book wasn't really a page turner for me, but Ms. Fowler is obviously an accomplished writer, so I give it a B.

This book is phenomenal. It has a lot of swearing & sex which, like I said, I don't like, but it really served the story. I couldn't stop reading this one, and I think it would make a really good movie. I actually borrowed the book from the large print section of the library, because the regular version was checked out, and it made reading it even faster, haha. This book is an A+.

This book was crazy but good. I found it to be very psychological and intriguing. I couldn't wait to finish the story & piece everything together. Mature audiences only on this one, folks. B+.

Please e-mail me any good books you've read, and I'll try to do the same! 

-A

Preparing

I'm a girl who loves a fresh start. So, of course, I get very excited around the start of a new year. I love to plan and make resolutions and dream of days spent in a myriad of productive activities. I usually bite off more than I can chew, but I think that's better than underestimating myself. This year, though, I have a new strategy. Although I haven't planned out all of my 2011 goals {large post to follow, I'm sure}, I do know that I want to improve myself, body & mind. I've decided to try to get a head start. It is always so devastating when I "fall off the wagon" a few days into my resolution, so I devised a practice round.

For the past couple weeks, I've been spending 30-60 minutes of my weekday evenings at the gym. I totally discovered the key to maintaining an exercise schedule- television! It's so brilliant, I am kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. How I Met Your Mother re-runs play from 5-6PM every weekday, which is a beautiful incentive to get my bottom on a treadmill. 

To complement my new workout plan, I went to Trader Joe's last night & practically bought out their entire produce section. Behold.

The snag here is that I don't know how to cook. So, unfortunately my dinners are, more often than not, plain produce.

So those are the 2011 plans for my body, and here is how I will try to keep my mind sharp.

I wrote down your wonderful recommendations & took a trip to the library today. Since I couldn't wait to start in on the stack, I am now reading five books, haha.

I've been mulling over my 2011 goals for awhile, so those should definitely be up soon!

{p.s.- my blog is currently under construction because Blogger is being a fool.}

Reading Is Fundamental

I'm a huge lover of reading, always have been. I don't just read books, I devour them; this was especially true when I was younger. My mother would take me to the public library, and I would fill a plastic grocery bag with books. A mere three days later, it would be time for yet another trip to the library. 

When I started taking some tough classes in high school and then entered university, my reading waned, and it never really picked up to its previous level. Mandatory reading for school always trumped reading for pleasure. Now that I've graduated, though, I am committed to bringing out the book lover in me once again.

Noah gifted me two wonderful books for Christmas, and I've already started in on one. Another friend also gave me a book that I can't keep my hands off. 

{That's another thing, I've never been able to be faithful to one book at a time. I have four going right now.}

So, I need to know, pretty please...

What is your favorite book?

Coffee Table Books

I found this great article called "5 Charming Coffee-Table Books" on the Woman's Day website {sidenote: I realize I am probably too young to be reading Woman's Day}. I was pleased to see that my favorite coffee table book, Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, made the list.

Some of the other titles that grace my table...

Most of my books obviously follow something of a theme. :)

What sits on your coffee table?

Bookshelf

This is not my bookcase. Nor my unfortunate dog.

I spent some time this afternoon organizing my bookshelf by color. Previously, the books were organized by subject: chick lit, academic, personal finance, etc. I really like the aesthetic of color coding, but it is sort of weird to see Confucius next to Skinny Bitch. I'm a woman of the world, obvs.

Reading

As an univeristy student, I do my fair share of reading. I am well-read in several areas of business, including finance, economics, supply chain management, marketing, and management. Needless to say, I tend to choose lighter subject matter when reading for pleasure. A few reads I'd love to pick up?

Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady

How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World: The Art of Living with Style, Class, and Grace

Fly Away Home

Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom

{I don't work & I'm not a mom, but I love Kristin's writing}

Freakin' Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally be Better than Everyone Else

{Oh, Clinton of What Not to Wear. I would snap you up if you weren't so clearly, clearly gay.}

 Happy Reading!

Bandwagon

I love to read, but I am picky as sin when it comes to choosing books. I'm very cautious about spending my money on anything, but books are particularly difficult for me. I think it's because they live in your house once you're done with them, as opposed to, say, an extra large cheese pizza, which one just eats until it disappears. I guess the obvious solution to my book-buying-then-housing problem is the library. But, really, I don't like the library, which is kind of a daring thing to say when you're as cheap as I am. Maybe this is just the libraries I've been to, but all the books are kind of...lame and old. Not to mention hard to find. Especially amongst all the running and yelling children. ANYWAY, all of this to say, I am frequently in Barnes & Noble for three hour stretches and ultimately leave empty handed. Well, last week I was determined not to let that happen again. I finally bought The Help. Of course I've been listening to the praise for this book for months, but when I picked it up, saw the $25 price tag, saw that it was a period novel set in the South and centered on racial tension, well, I just set it back down. Five or six times. Oh, come on, the cover isn't even turquoise! (It's easier for me to buy and house turquoise-colored things.) Anyway, my heels were starting to dig into me and the B&N staff had already asked me a dozen times if I needed help finding something (Hi, do you have anything turquoise? Really, anything.) and I was quite hungry, so I just grabbed the huge book and paid for it...and let it sit on my kitchen counter for a week. Finally, this weekend I read it.

Of course, I loved it.