Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

i really didn't want to like you...


but you sucked me right in & now i can't put you down! i didn't want to like you, you are a book meant for teenagers. you were too sci-fi for me. you were just not believable, not realistic. but then you were so creative & interesting. your characters, so relatable, and likeable, & did i really have a tear in my eye for rue? did i really have a soft spot for thresh? i am all yours now hunger games.  you got me...


*****

in other news, happy 1st day of spring!!

xo,

Monday, February 27, 2012

a new read

recently, some co-workers organized a book swap at work.  slowly, the collection of books started growing & i eagerly searched through in hopes of finding a goodie.

for christmas, S gave me a kindle.  something that i had wanted so badly, but had not expected.... the perfect kind of gift to receive.  although, i don't miss holding a book & turning its pages, it's sort of nice to hold a book & turn its pages...haha.

back to the swap: i picked up two books i'm eager to read while on hold for e-books from the library. i have already started the first.

the last letter from your lover: a novel by jojo moyes


this has been quite the page turner & i love how it is unraveling this far.  amazon says:

"A sophisticated, page-turning double love story spanning forty years-an unforgettable Brief Encounter for our times.

It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing-not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply "B", asking her to leave her husband.

Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a forgotten file in her newspaper's archives. She becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too. Ellie's search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance.

A spellbinding, intoxicating love story with a knockout ending, The Last Letter from Your Lover will appeal to the readers who have made One Day and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society bestsellers."

the second book i picked up from was barefoot: a novel by elin hilderbrand.  

says amazon:
" Three women arrive at the local airport, observed by Josh, a Nantucket native home from college for the summer. Burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues, the women-- two sisters and one friend--make their way to the sisters' tiny cottage, inherited from an aunt. They're all trying to escape from something: Melanie, after seven failed in-vitro attempts, learned her husband was having an affair, and then discovered she's pregnant; Brenda embarked on a passionate affair with an older student that got her fired from her prestigious job as a professor in New York; and her sister Vicki, mother to two small boys, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Soon Josh is part of the chaotic household, acting as babysitter, confidant, and, eventually, lover. "

review to come!

i recently finished girls in white dresses by jennifer close.  


unfortunately, this was one of those books that had too many characters to keep track of & too many story lines that were too similar. i was confused most of the book & kept waiting for something to happen. even up to the last three pages, i was searching for a storyline. at the end, i was still waiting for something to happen.  if you have read this book before, i would love to know your thoughts! perhaps i was missing something with this book!

xo,

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

the new skinny, a new read, & a birthday girl!


i must say that on monday i finally had a chance to try out bethenny's new skinny girl - the skinny girl sangria!
it is delish! 
very refreshing & a great summer drink...

how cute is bethenny in her hot pink dress?


*****

on the book front, i recently picked up a chris cleave read titled incendiary.  after reading little bee, i was desperate to get my hands on something else by cleave.  so far incendiary is pretty interesting.  it is written by a wife/mother whose husband & son are somehow killed by osama bin laden.  the whole book is a letter to osama from this woman.


*****


happy birthday to one of my favorite girls....



happy birthday giuliana! had to include that little hottie bill! love them!

*****

i'm looking forward to this evening- my cousin and her bf are joining shawn & i for dinner...hoping it's not too hot to sit out on the deck:) 


xo,



Thursday, August 4, 2011

book review - ROOM

while away last week, i finished ROOM by emma donoghue.  it was certainly a good book, but i think i was expecting more from it.  i don't want to give anything away, but if you read it, let me know what you think!


now, i'm about to start A Place of Yes by bethenny frankel.  it's no secret that i just love anything bethenny does, so i'm excited to see how this book is.



*****

in other news, i tried a new recipe for breakfast this morning called over night oats.  i saw the recipe on peanut butter runner.  i was really impressed with how it turned out!
1/3 cup of instant oats
1/3 cup of greek yogurt
1/3 cup of skim or almond milk
cinnamon
handful of blueberries
your favorite toppings! i added honey..

mix the above ingredients and let it sit overnight.  it thickens and the oats soften.  it was heavier than what i normally eat for breakfast, but it was really good & will keep you fuller longer!

*****

tonight is the rehearsal dinner for courtney & fred...ahh! i'm so excited for this adorable couple!
their wedding is on friday & i cannot wait to see what a beautiful bride courtney will be.  she has kept the details of her dress hush hush!

congratulations to the soon to be mr. & mrs. felter:)

have a fabulous weekend!!

xo,

Thursday, June 23, 2011

wedding blogs & photos for your viewing pleasure!

lately i have been thinking quite a bit about my wedding! there are two wedding blogs that i check in with on a daily basis for inspiration...

i love the feature on the first link that allows you to view weddings by color or season.  in fact, this is exactly how we chose our color pallet! do you have any favorite wedding blogs?

***
as i mentioned yesterday, shawn & i attended an expo at the franklin institute on tuesday evening. while there i recieved some more color inspiration:




this shade of purple is so gorgeous & looks amazing with the peacock colors...just love it!

***

i also wanted to share this with you:



 last week, i was finally able to get together with some of my former co-workers.  the end of the school year is such a crazy & hectic time to coordinate schedules..but we eventually got it right! they were so sweet & gave me this awesome gift! it is a wine bottle filled with a string of lights and personalized with a label reading:
(above photo taken using instagram, free iphone app- if you don't have it, get it! it's so fun!)

and how stinkin cute are the bride & groom chocolate covered pretzels! they are (almost) too cute to eat!!

***

and on the book front, i finally made it to the library yesterday & picked up three books.  for my summer reading i like fun, easy, light beachy reads. so i am starting with

says amazon:
This slick reimagining of the Pygmalion myth has two wealthy young socialites trying to remake an aspiring jewelry designer in their own image. Julia Pearce, a salesgirl at Pelham's department store in New York, is flustered when she's summoned to bring heiress Lell Pelham her jewels on the morning of Lell's wedding. Both Lell and her best friend (and rival) Polly Mecox spot potential in beautiful Julia, and they decide to help her refine her manners so that she can fit in with their set. At first, Julia is dazzled by the wealth and sophistication of the world Lell and Polly inhabit; but she gradually begins to see the cracks in the perfect facade: the competition between Lell and Polly that simmers beneath the veneer of their friendship, Lell's affair with a rich playboy months after her marriage to handsome Will Banks, and Will's own wandering eye, which has landed on Julia. Karasyov and Kargman's second collaboration is the perfect light spring read, full of biting barbs lobbed at New York's elite. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
i have read just about the first 50 pages or so & i really like it thus far!
and now i'm off for a morning run - gotta get out there before it's too hot!
have a fabulous day, xo!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

a new read

my fiancee & i had a luxurious day off together this past monday.  we were able to catch up on all the things we did not get around to doing on the weekend, because this weekend was jammed packed! one of the things that was on my to-do list was finally get to the library.  i had three books on my list:
1. room, emma donoghue
2. a place of yes, bethenny frankel
3. the help, kathryn stockett
i was so disappointed because my library had NONE of these books!!  must be popular reads right now!
(if you have read any of the above, how were they??)

so i ventured over to the new arrival section and found this litttle gem:

i am about a quarter of the way through, and so far it is funny, interesting & has me hooked!
this is what amazon has to say about it:
Take one out-of-work pastry chef . . .
Teeny Templeton believes that her life is finally on track. She’s getting married, she’s baking her own wedding cake, and she’s leaving her troubled past behind. And then? She finds her fiancĂ© playing naked badminton with a couple of gorgeous, skanky chicks.
Add a whole lot of trouble . . .
Needless to say, the wedding is off. Adding insult to injury, her fiancĂ© slaps a restraining order on her. When he’s found dead a few days later, all fingers point to Teeny.
And stir like crazy!
Her only hope is through an old boyfriend-turned-lawyer, the guy who broke her heart a decade ago. But dredging up the past brings more than skeletons out of the closet, and Teeny doesn’t know who she can trust. With evidence mounting and the heat turning up, Teeny must also figure out where to live, how to support herself, how to clear her name, and how to protect her heart. 

i will keep you posted!

happy thursday!

Friday, May 27, 2011

room

earlier in the week i finished reading water for elephants, and while i realize i'm on the late train here, i cannot say enough good things about it!! if you love animals, have an admiration for the 1920's, and enjoy a good love story (who doesn't?!) then you, too, will love the book! i cannot wait to see the movie..


so, of course, i am now on the hunt for my next read & i think i have found a good one. room by emma donoghue seems to be very intriguing & thrilling. i have tried to not read too many reviews because most of them say that it is most enjoyable going into the book knowing as little as possible.



here is the blurb from amazon:


In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son. When their insular world suddenly expands beyond the confines of their four walls, the consequences are piercing and extraordinary. Despite its profoundly disturbing premise, Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances. A stunning and original novel of survival in captivity, readers who enter Room will leave staggered, as though, like Jack, they are seeing the world for the very first time. --Lynette Mong


i will let you know how it goes:)

Sunday, April 3, 2011

water for elephants

i have been hearing so much buzz about water for elephants.  this new york times best seller is being made into a movie with reese witherspoon (love) & robert pattinson (also, love) to be released this month people!! taking place in the 1920's during the depression era, it is the story of jacob: a young man in veterinary school whose parents die, forcing him to drop out of school and find a job.  he uses his animal expertise to join a circus where he learns that his schizophrenic boss, August, is abusive to the animals & his own wife, Marlena - ultimately, Jacob & Marlena fall in love..a romantic page turner about morals, love, & the bond of people & animals. sounds like my kind of book! have you read this? will you see the movie?



i'm dying over reese's look in the movie. her hair, makeup, & outfits are amazing. i think i was 20's girl in a previous life;)

xo,