book eater: girls in white dresses

I know this may sound silly, but I actually finished is book by accident. I generally am a very fast reader, and I usually limit myself to reading only while commuting or on my lunch break. I know that if I read before bed I will lose sleep to finish a book, so it's really best if I don't do it. Either way, I read this book in 3 days, even with the self-imposed restrictions, and I was a little bummed to see it end.

I don't remember why I put this book on my library hold list, but it's been recommended on every website and in every magazine so I figured I would like it. As the title Girls in White Dresses might suggest, there are a lot of weddings in this book, but that's not really what it's about. It follows a trio of girls, and a rotating cast of peripheral girlfriends, for the decade after they graduate from college. There are crappy boyfriends, bad jobs, boring bridal showers, babies, awkward parents, and some friendships that just don't last. Basically, it's a book that you read and say "oh, ok, so that's normal and I'm normal... Everything will work itself out in the end."
It was easy to relate to, in part because its all about the time in life that I'm actively living, but also because the writing is very straightforward. It's not flowery or verbose, and it reads like a collection of short stories, the kind you might tell years after an event after a shared bottle of wine with those special girlfriends you still keep close. In short, these girls became my friends (and I saw qualities of my friends in many of the characters in the book) and that's why I loved this book so much.
I feel silly recommending it, since I'm clearly be of the last people on earth to read it, but really go read this book! They probably have it at your library! Seriously!
Ok now I'm done :-)

<3 barb

book eater: the night circus

My favorite kind of book is the kind that takes you away, pulls you out of real life and into the world created in the story. I like to get lost in a book... I imagine myself being part of that world and the characters become my friends for the time it takes me to read it (which could be days, but could just be hours). When the story ends, I always feel a little bit sad; I want to stay with my friends and continue their journey. In my supremely nerdy life, this has happened a few times... Obviously with Harry Potter and, more recently, the Hunger Games, but also (when I was much younger) with Little Women. I could add a few more books to this list... Water for Elephants and The Time Traveler's Wife come to mind as well... But I think the thing they all have in common is a sense of place that I can create in my mind that stays with me like a dream. Was I there? Was it real? What happened to my friends?

can you believe I borrowed it from the library... as an e-book?

The Night Circus was exactly that kind of book. As usual, I was reading in transit and it was always hard to shake myself out of the magic and mystery surrounding le Cirque des Reves. The story is about a magical competition, and the "arena" is the circus. The two main characters, Celia and Marco, seem to dance around each other, creating beautiful illusions. The rest of the characters, who make up their friends and family, each bring something special - there are fortune tellers, a talented architect, a clock-maker, two stylist sisters - they all contribute to the wonder to the circus.  I would tell you more, but the details of this book are best kept secret ;-)

I've been gushing about this book to anyone who will listen since I started reading it. I even recommended it to my sister before I ever read it myself (I had seen it on a blog and it seemed like her type of book). If you want a book to read on a lazy rainy day or a hot summer day at the beach read The Night Circus, and set aside several hours (or days?) so you can just finish it all at once... there's no way you'll be able to put it down.

<3 barb

book eater: bossypants

Here we go again with another book review.  It's possible that I'm the last 20-something girl on earth to read this book, but I was just waiting for a coupon to buy it!  (I seriously don't buy anything without a coupon, including books.)

So this is Bossypants, by Tina Fey.  I've always liked Tina, mostly because I LOVE the movie Mean Girls and could probably recite it word for word even without watching it.  And I picked up this book because I figured she's pretty hilarious, so her book should be funny too!  Thankfully, I was right :-)

Obviously, its a biography or a memoir or whatever you want to call it.  Tina takes us through her awkward years (which is pretty much all of her years) and tells us about how she got her start in acting (summer camp).  She describes her real life with a twist, which is pretty typical of her (see Mean Girls), and makes her totally normal upbringing into something that logically was followed by her successful career as a beautiful, intelligent comedian.

One of the funniest parts of the book is the discussion of Tina playing Sarah Palin on SNL.  She had been off the show for 2 years, and when she was on the show she mostly did Weekend Update (because in a wig, she only looks like herself, in a wig), so when people started wondering if she would play Sarah Palin (who she actually looks like!)... it only confirmed her suspicions that people didn't notice whether she was on SNL or not!  She pretty much didn't have a choice in the matter... which worked out very nicely for the rest of, us I think.

Reading this book made me want to be her friend (or be HER, either way).  I'm sure most of the women who are attracted to this book love Tina's awkardness and offbeat humor, and can relate to her not being the typical perfect actress type.  I say this because I relate to that too.  Sometimes, my clothes get dirty before I leave the house and I definitely had some questionable fashion choices when I was younger.  That's normal, and that's what Tina talks about... only she makes it seem outrageous and hilarious.  If we all had her sense of humor about things, maybe we would all be happier in our own awkwardness/normalness.  

Read this book, thank me later!

<3 barb

PS- I am now watching all of 30 Rock on Netflix... how did I never watch this before?!

book eater: can you keep a secret?

Another review, another fun fact about my reading habits. I do most of my reading while commuting to and from work. I've pretty much stopped reading at home in an attempt to slow the rate at which I fly through my reading material. This means, among other things, that I am usually reading while surrounded by people who don't know me... which would be ok, if I weren't such an emotional reader. So, if you happen to be on the Staten Island Ferry and you see a girl laughing herself to tears while reading a book... that's me!

I tell you this because the book I just finished, Can You Keep a Secret? By Sophie Kinsella, made me giggle numerous times. In fact, Ms. Kinsella usually makes me laugh out loud, which is one reason why I keep coming back to her writing. I've read all of the books that she has out right now, well except the ones written under the name Madeline Wickham, so you could call me a bit obsessed. It all started with the Shopaholic series for me, but that's a story for another day.
This story begins with our heroine, Emma, flying to Glasgow for a business meeting... her very first! (Did I mention she lives in London? As anyone who reads Harry Potter knows, reading a British accent is almost as cute as actually listening to one). After a totally botched meeting, during a scary plane ride home, Emma spills all her secrets to the cute American man sitting next to her on the plane... who ends up being a higher-up at her office come to see how things are going. And, well... it goes on from there to get supremely ridiculous and amazing and you'll just have to read and see.
Sophie has a knack for creating lead female characters that are hysterically, endearingly, real... but so awesome in their realness that you know a real person would never get away with being quite like her. Emma could've been me, she's 25 and working at her first real job and she has a boyfriend and most of her secrets are pretty typical of 20 something girls. She has a workout plan that she doesn't follow (don't we all), she's buys designer clothes at discount and second hand stores (yup, done that), and she actually enjoys drinking something called Harvey's Bristol Creme... I don't know what that is or what it tastes like, but it's embarrassing to Emma. Maybe it's like telling people that you drink wine coolers? Or Bailey's, straight up? Doesn't matter, because they're not really groundbreaking secrets to anyone besides Emma.
As I read, it was easy for me to inhabit the character of Emma.  I felt like I connected to her, understood her problems with relationships, work, friends.  Obviously all the quirks that a real-life "Emma" would have are exaggerated for comic effect, but hey, didn't I tell you I was giggling to myself the whole way?  This book was exactly what I hoped for when I picked it up, and it put a great big smile on my face... while I was reading by myself... on the subway... where only perfect strangers could see me! :-)

<3 barb

book eater: committed

First, another silly tidbit about my reading habits; instead of using a bookmark, or dog-earing the pages of a brand new book, I like to use a small post it note to hold my place. There are several reasons for this. One is because I'm always dropping my books off the side of my bed, or dumping them into my backpack. Bookmarks generally fall out when you do those things. Another reason is because using a sticky note allows me to stick it right where I leave off reading, handy when I don't have time to finish a chapter before I get off the subway. Lastly, I hate folding the pages of a brand new book, so that just isn't an option.

And now, onto the book. Committed is the continuation of Elizabeth Gilbert's story,which began in a little book you may have heard of, Eat, Pray, Love. Oh, you know that one? Me too, which is why I headed straight for Committed, even though the subject matter may seem largely irrelevant to my life.

the cover is designed by Jessica Hische, her work is fantastic

(Spoiler, if you haven't read EPL!) When we last saw Liz, our independent divorcee traveler, she was in Bali and had fallen in love with Felipe. It was an international love affair, as Liz is American and Felipe is a Brazilian with Australian citizenship. They fly, jump, swim, run, romp... whatever you want to call it... all over the world but eventually decide to settle down in America. This settling down poses a problem for Felipe, who cannot stay in America for longer than 3 months at a time as a result of, you know, not being a citizen. So he travels in and out as he needs to, until he is arrested upon trying to enter the county, and he is told that he has abused his privileges and will not be able to return to America again... unless they get married.
Thus begins the story of Committed. As Liz is skeptical of marriage (she has already "failed" once before) she decides to learn everything she can about it in order to form her own thoughts, opinions, and definition and ultimately bring herself to a place where she can marry but not feel that she has compromised herself.
And yes, this is where the book seems like it may not seem like a good fit for me, for so many reasons. I'm not skeptical of marriage at all; I am surrounded by family members who have been happily married for years and have never once questioned that this would be my future too. And while not getting married anytime soon, I'm excited to do it... not worried that it will change me in ways that I don't want to change, nor fearful of marriage itself becoming more powerful than I am. However, I do feel (after having read two of her books now) that Liz and I have something in common: we LOVE to learn. So, I trusted my instincts and read on.
Liz and Felipe set off together to wait things out while their lawyer moves their case forward back in America. As they travel, she reads, interviews, and experiences her way to anew definition of marriage. Liz questions everything, relates it to herself and also to those she loves- her family members and friends whose experiences fill in the gaps where she has not gone herself. I loved her historical tidbits, especially those about religion and authority... but even more, I enjoyed her revelations about the subject of marriage, as her conclusions aided me in coming to my own.
I won't tell you how it ends, or what Liz ultimately concludes (that would take all the fun out of reading it yourself), but it was beautifully written and especially thought provoking. I am so happy that Elizabeth Gilbert decided to share another part of her story with us.

<3 barb

P.S.  Meg wrote about this book last week, too!

book eater: heart of the matter

Today I'm sharing with you my first book review, which I mentioned I would like to start in this post.  First, I thought I should share a few things about my reading habits:

• I'm not the type to bother with a book I don't think I will like (is anyone?).  I generally stick to books by authors that I already have read and trust, or books that have been recommended to me by my friends or my sister.
• I've read Little Women three times.  The first time, I was 9 and I struggled through it over about a month.
• Even if the movie is already out, there's about a 100% chance that I will read the book first.  I recently read Water for Elephants and Eat, Pray, Love before that, and I have yet to see either movie.  (afterthought: I also haven't seen Something Borrowed, but I read the book before I knew about the movie!)
• Once I start reading a book, it's generally a race to the finish.  I'd rather just stay up late to finish a book than go to sleep and finish it in the morning.  I've also lingered in my office kitchen in the morning to finish a book that has 10 pages left before starting work.

Now that's over with, I'll share with you my most recent read... as in, I literally finished it this morning on the ferry and couldn't wait one moment to share!  Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin was so, so good... and her website is adorable too so you should go check it out (after you read my review, of course).

This is the fifth book by EG that I have read so far, so you can put her on my list of trusted authors.  While she resides firmly in the category of Chick Lit, she is amazingly capable of diving deeper than the usual topics of fashion, beauty, and sex.  I don't want to give away too much about the actual plot, since I really enjoyed the way that it unfolds and the elements that take you by surprise, but I will briefly summarize:

Tessa is the wife of a surgeon and Valerie is the single mother of a young son, and the book follows their parallel paths through a crisis that connects them and yet keeps them at a distance.
(That's all I'm giving you...  seriously... you can read the first chapter on the website)

As readers, we hear the story from both sides, sometimes experiencing similar moments through both "main characters", an element that allowed me to sympathize with each of them.  As with pretty much all of EG's books, the plot is a base for exploring different types of relationships and how the relationships we have with  people in our lives can shape our actions and thoughts.  While reading, I really had the feeling of being part of the action emotionally, which I think EG has a knack for.  I haven't been in the situations described in her book, nor do I know anyone who has (the main characters are in their mid-30s, which could explain why), but I could feel the sadness, anger, heartache, and love that the characters experienced as if it were my own.  I probably would have cried had I not been reading the book while riding public transportation.  My favorite moments in the book were the ones about changing relationships, how over time your experiences can change your view of others and allow your relationships to grow or end.  EG manages to give each of these moments the proper depth and time with succinctly described conversations and actions.

In short, it was beautifully written, very emotional, and I think you should read it :-)

<3 barb

PS- If you've already read it, let me know!  I would love to talk about it with a friend ;-)