Summer Reading List

One of the things I'm most looking forward to this summer is grabbing a book and heading to the beach. Here are some of the books on my list, but of course I'm all ears for other recommendations too! Read anything awesome lately?

Recent Reads

Reading has been the perfect escape from all the wedding planning stress. Needless to say, I have made several trips to the library in the past few months. These are just a few of my latest favorites. (Especially The Fault in Our Stars!) See what else I've read here.

What have you read lately?

Summer Reading

I have spent a lot of time at the library lately and reading as much as I possibly can. I've read some amazing books this summer and found two new series (Delirium and Divergent). I can't even pick a favorite out of this group. I also joined goodreads a few months back to keep track of what I've read. If you are a member too, let me know! I'd love to see what you have been reading.

Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth is the latest trilogy that everyone is talking about. To fill my Hunger Games void, I snagged this book up and devoured it in just two days. I can't say enough good things about this book, and for once the hype was spot on. I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series. Who knows, maybe it will be even better than The Hunger Games? (Rumor has it that this will be turned into a movie too!)

Firefly Lane

I stumbled upon this book in the clearance section of my favorite bookstore, marked down to just a dollar. I'm so happy I decided to snatch it up. This was a wonderful story...one that I think every woman should read. It follows the friendship of two girls Tully and Kate, from pre-teens to adulthood, and all the ups and downs in between. It's a very relatable story, and I couldn't put it down. Have you read this one? Did you go through a box of tissues too?

Winter Reading List

With all the holiday hustle and bustle, finding the time to read definitely took a back seat. I'm ready to get back into my routine and dig into a good book. Here's what's on my winter agenda:

The Shadow of the Wind

Do yourself a favor and read this book. It just made my 'all-time favorites' list.

Have a great weekend, and don't forget to enter my Soap Hope giveaway!

Fall Reading List

I was really happy with my summer reading list. It kept me focused and on track,  but gave me the flexibility to add in a few more books that didn't make the list. Here is my list for the fall:

The Hunger Games

For once, all the hype was well deserved. These books are amazing. I read all three in less than 5 days. I wish there were more. I highly suggest crawling in a hole and devouring each book as quick as you can.

Have you read The Hunger Games or any other good books lately?

Beach Reading

I had the chance to cross a few books off my summer reading list in Cancun. I seem to do my best reading on the beach. There is no better setting for digging into a good book than under the shade with waves crashing nearby.

First up, Lunch in Paris. I (not surprisingly) adored this book. As far as memoirs go, this one is romantic and interesting without being too self-indulgent. Plus, it is chock full of unique recipes. I'm itching to return to Paris more than ever!

Next, is The History of Love. I blew through this in a day and I can't even put it into words. I want to read it again. Joanna put it best when she said this is the type of book you hug. Just read it.

This has been on my bookshelf for a few years now, and for some reason I just kept passing by it. I'm so happy I finally gave it a chance. This tale of three women, with three unique problems, sucked me in right from the start. I think everyone could find someone to relate to in this book. Definitely worth a read.

You guys know I love True Blood... I've heard mixed reviews about the book series, so I thought I'd give it a try. No go. I just couldn't get into it. It's hard to read a story when scenes from the show keep popping in my head. I hate to give up on books, but I think this is just one I'm going to have to let go.

Summer Reading List

 My list this year is a jumble of books I've been meaning to read (can you believe I've never read the Catcher in the Rye?), a recommendation, buzzed about books, the newest from a favorite author, or just something that jumped off the shelf. I had to throw Harry Potter in there too, because I re-read the series every summer without fail. I'm a speed reader, so this is just a start. If you have any other recommendations send them my way!

Have you read these? What are you reading this summer? 

Reading and Watching

The chilly weather has been the perfect excuse to do some reading and cross two more movies off my Best Picture list:

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King's Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter's Bone

I absolutely loved The Fighter. Christian Bale deserves all the recognition that has been coming his way. I highly recommend this film. I wish I could say the same for True Grit. It was entertaining enough, though I don't think I would watch it again. While I don't have anything negative to say about the movie, I suppose I'm just not a Western film gal. As of right now, The Fighter and The King's Speech are my favorites. Four more to go!

I also finished The Girl Who Played With Fire. Thank you guys for motivating me to stick with the series because I loved it. Unlike the first book I was hooked from the start. I found this story so much more riveting and finished it in days. I can't wait to get my hands on the final book!

Have you read or watched anything good lately? 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I finally finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It was really difficult to get into. There were so many backstories and characters that didn't seem to make sense. It wasn't until I was more than halfway through that I was hooked. While I'm no literary snob by any means, I found the prose to be dull. (Was this due to translation? Did anyone else notice this?) I wish I wrote down how many times coffee and sandwiches were mentioned. While it wasn't the worst book I've ever read, and certainly not the best, I think it is worth a read. Be prepared for some heavy topics though. I will be reading the next two books in the series. Here's to hoping for a better outcome (with a less predictable ending)!

Heart of the Matter

Thanks for all the book suggestions! Now I have to make a trip to the library. I just finished Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin and I was disappointed. Spoilers ahead..

For me, the infidelity in this book was cringe worthy (although she made it work in Something Borrowed). The book was very predictable, corny, and I couldn't connect to the characters at all. I wish she also would have incorporated Nick's perspective. My favorite part of the book was hearing updates about our favorite couple Rachel and Dex. Here's to hoping her next book is a good one. Did any of you read this book? Thoughts?

Les livres

There's nothing that makes my heart go pitter patter more than a wall of books. Pure heaven.

images via bookshelfporn.com

This and That

I found Bitter is the New Black at Half-Price Books for a dollar yesterday, and I can't wait to start reading it. I've been wanting to read Jen Lancaster for awhile since Jessica, from Lavender & Lilies, raved about her books.

I'm dying for an excuse to make Bakerella's conga bars.

Blake Lively covers the June issue of Vogue, just in time for the Gossip Girl finale. Did you watch last night? Lots of drama!

If you live near an Old Navy go today! They are having an additional 50% of all clearance items. I scored some major deals yesterday, but the sale ends today. This shirt was $2.50!

Dear John

So I finished Dear John and I have to say I was sort of disappointed. It was a good story, but wasn't what I was expecting. You know when everyone raves about something about how it's the BEST or it's so AMAZING, and then you experience it for yourself and you are kind of just like that's it? I (surprisingly) never felt fully attached to the characters. I think I might still see the movie though, because I think it will be better than the book. I also feel sort of dumb because I didn't catch the "hidden meaning" in the title. If you don't know what a "Dear John letter" is and are planning to read the book don't look it up. If curiosity gets the best of you read this. On a positive note, it does send a unique message about love.

Have you read it? What are your thoughts?

Bookshelves

At the rate my book collection is growing, I am going to need bookshelves in every room of my house. I don't have a problem with that, and I love bookshelves in unexpected places.

Bookshelves

I have a lot of books, and plan on adding much more to my collection. My dream house will have a room covered in bookshelves. Sigh.

Chick Lit

I absolutely love chick lit! Obviously I constantly find myself attracted to books related to fashion. Some of my faves are The Devil Wears Prada, The Nanny Diaries, and the Shopaholic series.

My list of must reads include:

Chasing Harry Winston (thanks for the recommendation classyfab)
Sex and the City (only watched the show)
Lipstick Jungle
Bergdorf Blondes

Do you have any other recommendations (fashion related or not)?


And how cute is this? Different Like Coco..A children's book about Coco Chanel. I totally must add it to my library of children's books for my future classroom.