What I'm Reading Wednesday

Let's talk books, shall we?

I cannot say enough awesome stuff about this book:

 

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And the second book in the series was just as good.

 

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I am sooo on the edge of my seat for book #3 that will be out Fall 2012!

So, the Birthmarked trilogy by Caragh M. O'Brien is about a dystopian society where America is basically a wasteland with limited resources.  The only chance for survival is to have strict policies and procedures by the Enclave, which is like their government.  The main character, Gia is a 16 year old mid-wife trained by her mother who is also a mid-wife.  She delivers babies and the first five babies of each month have to go to the Enclave to be given to the elite families.  Pretty intense, right?
I don't want to give too much away, so I'm going to stop there.  But get to the library (or bookstore, Amazon or ereader) and get a hold of this book and the next one, Prized, too.
If you liked the Hunger Games, you will love this.  I loved the HG & feel like this one is just as good, for real.

Other books I've read lately are:

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

 

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This book is pretty funny and such a quick read.  It is a memoir of this actress/writer, best known for her role as Kelly on The Office.  Really cute tales of her life and road to success.

The First Husband by Laura Dave

 

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Just finished this one last night.  It was a quick read, also.  Plus the library only had the large print, so I could basically read it from across the room (which is fun).  This book is about a travel writer who thinks everything in her life is working out until things change rapidly.  So she is on a mission to be the opposite of herself on her journey towards happiness.  This book is a light read, kind of chick-lit, but I liked it.

Anyways, be sure to check out these books if you are looking for a new and interesting book.
If you have any book recommendations for me, I'd love to hear them ;)

Have a nice day!

What I'm Reading Wednesday

Hi, all.  Hope everyone had a great V-day yesterday.

I thought I'd share some books with you today.

Because as we all know...

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It's true.

Here's what I just read:

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

Ok, I clearly love me some Elin Hilderbrand.  Her novels are really well written and they are hard to put down.  This one was no exception.  There is this private island where the Tate family inherited the house, but  have not been there for over a decade.  When a bunch of stressful situations come up for the family, the 2 sisters, mother and aunt all decide to go to the island for a month.  I like how it is written from each of their perspectives and how it flashes back to what brought them all there in the first place.

What I'm reading now:

Thin is the New Happy by Valerie Frankel

I stumbled upon this book while looking for another Frankel novel (It's Hard Not To Hate You), but this was the only one of her books checked into the library.  I'm glad I got it, because it is freaking hilarious.  It is a memoir about Frankel's lifelong struggle with her weight.  She's a comedy writer, so of course she puts a spin on it.  I think it is definitely something that alot of women can identify with and laugh about.

What's up next:

Groundswell by Katie Lee

I found the recommendation for this book on Jen Lancaster's blog, so I knew it had to be worth reading.  From what I gather it is about a famous lady who catches her also famous husband cheating and has to escape the paparazzi.  So naturally she goes to some island paradise and adventure ensues.  The book is actually really small (240 pages), so it should be a quick read.

I'd love to hear what everyone else is reading.  Feel free to share in the comments ;)

Have a great day!

What I'm Reading Wednesday

Things have not been very crafty around here this week.  I do have some ideas brewing for some Valentine's crafts next week, though ;)

In lieu of crafts, I figured I'd recommend some books for you.

But, if you are jonesing for some craftiness, check out the (sort of) newish craft tutorials tab at the top of my blog or head on over to Pinterest & peek at my craft pinboard.

So, here's what I've been feeding my mind with lately.

I just finished:

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand, which I mentioned in this post.
This book was a really slow read for me.  It was good, though.  I enjoyed the story about two friends who came together in a time of need after growing apart over the years.

I'm now reading:




Thin, Rich, Pretty by Beth Harbison
It's a much quicker read than Silver Girl, but kind of "chick lit."  It's good sometimes to have something light to read at the end of a long day, though.
So far, it is about two friends at summer camp who both struggled with insecurities.  It flashes forward twenty years to how they still deal with their insecurities in their adult lives and the extremes they will go to to fit into society's idea of beauty.

I am about to read:




Gardening for Dummies
Yes, really.
We just bought a house after living in apartments for years, so we have alot to learn about how to take care of our flower beds and yard.  I thought I'd read it now in the winter to prepare for the spring.

Ok, hope everyone has a lovely Wednesday.  I'll be back with a sweet recipe on Friday!

What I'm Reading Wednesday

It's been a while since I talked about books.

Alot has been going on the past few months to distract me from reading as avidly as I am used to: moving into a new house, doing lots of crafts, holidays, etc.

But, I'm picking up again with more reading, so I thought I'd share what I'm reading now.

I'm currently reading:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
I had read her wonderful book Delirium a while back, and wanted to read more by her.  I'm still in the beginning part of the book, but so far it is like Mean Girls mixed with Groundhog Day.  Really captivating thus far.

I just finished:

Always Something There to Remind Me by Beth Harbison
This was a great book about first loves/soulmates.  Not a romantic type of book, more about how that sort of thing fits into real life.  It was a quick, light read and I enjoyed it.

Next, I plan to read:

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand (recommended on That's What We Said blog)
This book is about a rich lady who finds out that her husband lost all his investors' money in a Ponzi scheme. It takes us on her journey to deal with all that.  Looking forward to it.

I mostly read fiction, but love memoirs, too, like any books from Jen Lancaster or David Sedaris.

Anybody have any suggestions for new books?

What I'm Reading/Watching Wednesdays

What I just read

This was Jen’s first book and it is great how all of her books maintain the same quality of writing and humor. Some authors lose their ability to effectively uphold their level of realism and integrity when writing several memoirs (*cough* Chelsea Handler). This book takes you into Jen’s life as she is laid off by a dot com company after 9/11 and her struggles to find work and manage finances. Doesn’t sound like it would be funny from my last sentence, but very hilarious, indeed.

What I’m currently reading

I’m steadily getting through this book. It follows the lives of several characters in a small town all brought together by a sort of chain letter inspired recipe for friendship bread. I’m enjoying it thus far and kind of have to make a starter dough for friendship bread now.

Next book in my pile is

This is a young adult book and I have all three books (it is a trilogy) ready for reading. I find that a lot of the YA books have more interesting and original ideas than some of the current novels gracing our library shelves.

What I’m watching

This has become one of my favorite shows! I sound kind of crazy as an almost 30 year old woman watching a show about teenagers, but it is really addicting. I first heard about this show on Jen Lancaster’s blog and headed over to Netflix Watch Instantly to check it out. They have like 5 seasons of this show and it is still ongoing. I love finding a “new” show to watch that already has a bunch of seasons, so that I can obsessively watch them back to back. This show reminds me of Beverly Hills 90210. It’s about teens, I suppose, but the content does not really seem appropriate for teens. They address topics like premarital sex, teen pregnancy, religion, abortion, etc. Well, I guess they do a public service announcement about talking to your parents about sex. Anyways, I’m drawn in by the characters. To watch them evolve over 5 seasons is really engaging. I would recommend this show to anyone who is looking for a new show and has Netflix. The movies on Netflix are usually pretty random and lame (with a few exceptions), but it is great to have several seasons of shows to watch at your leisure.

Why am I just now hearing about this show? My husband heard about it listening to a talk radio show and mentioned it to me. We have been anxiously awaiting the return of Dexter in September, which is our favorite show to watch together. This show is kind of on that level. It’s dark and explores a world that seems so foreign to us. The premise of the show is that a 50 year old high school chemistry teacher finds out he has cancer and starts to cook crystal meth to raise money to leave behind for his family. The show kind of takes you on a journey with this dude. The role is played by Bryan Cranston who played the dad on Malcom in the Middle. He was so great on that show, too! Anyone remember the roller skating episode?

Ok, random. Well, watch Breaking Bad. Start from the beginning. You can thank me later.

What I'm Reading Wednesdays

What I just read:

Good Enough to Eat
I really liked this book about a woman’s journey towards health and happiness. The main character loses 145 lbs, opens a healthy food takeout store and then her husband leaves her for a woman twice her size. She starts every chapter with a food memory and ties it somewhere into her future. A really good read and something every woman can relate to.
Next on deck:

Friendship Bread
My mom said I have to read this book. I haven’t started it, but am looking forward to trying a new author. And frankly, anything to do with bread is okay by me.

Bitter is the New Black
Love love love Jen Lancaster! I avidly read her blog and have read all of her other books. The only reason I have not read this one is the library had it checked out for a long time. Sorry, Jen, I’m too cheap to buy books! Anyways, looking forward to more of her hilarity to brighten my days.