summer to do list

Summer is officially here — though if you ask anyone around here, we've been sweating it out in 90+ degree temps for weeks now — and with it comes our bucket lists of everything we want to do before the snow comes again. I mentioned last year that even after a year in Des Moines, there's still so much that I haven't done or seen in this city, and the same is true this year.

Of course, I was able to venture out and find some new things to do in the last 12 months (exhibit a and exhibit b), but this year I want to keep adding to the list. Some of my goals are Des Moines-specific, but many of them can be done wherever you live.

1. Rent bikes to ride by the river.

2. Take a tour of the botanical gardens.

3. Go on a hiking trip.

4. Join an outdoor pop-up yoga event.

5. (Try to) learn how to golf. ;)

6. Plant my own succulent garden.

7. Picnic at a winery.

8. Read a classic novel.

9. Make a fun summer cocktail treat.

What's on your bucket list this summer? Would you try any of these things? I'd love to know!

P.S. here's to new adventures and my travel guide to Des Moines

book review: 'Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures'

Congratulations! We made it to Thursday! Trust me, there were several moments this week when I didn't think it was going to happen. (hashtag adulting, am I right?) But here we are, so close to the glorious weekend.

After much research and indecision, I finally bought and took this book with me to Florida for road trip and beach reading last week. I wanted something light and summer-y, and every time I thought of those two traits I kept coming back to the first book I read by Emma Straub, The Vacationers. I read it last summer and enjoyed it, for the story but mostly for Straub's writing.

Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures had been on my list for a while, and it did not disappoint. The book was different than I expected — but in a good way. It follows Elsa Emerson, the youngest of three daughters whose parents run a theater company in small-town Wisconsin in the 1920s. Elsa loves living in her small town, but she gets married and leaves for California in search of a bigger stage when she's only 18. Once she gets there, her acting career doesn't happen quite like she had imagined, and a series of events — her "discovery" by a famous Hollywood producer that comes with a name change, her husband's drinking problem, and two unexpected children — each changes her life in different ways.

I loved this book for many reasons, one being its detail in the Golden Age of movies, which I've always found fascinating. It was such an interesting time period to read about, especially thinking of how different things are from today and with the fictional characters she created for it. The other reasons I enjoyed this are mainly tied to Emma Straub and her talent. She took a simple outline of a young woman reinventing herself and made it into a beautiful story of love, loss and choices. Laura Lamont reminds you how the people we are and the people we want to be can be so different.

Straub covered so many themes in this book — family, heartbreak, work/life balance, aging in the public eye — but it never felt overwhelming or like it was too much for one story. Everything flowed seamlessly, even the timeline, which jumped years ahead from chapter to chapter and spanned more than 50 years.

If you're looking for a great summer read, or even a light historical fiction, Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures is the one. Honestly, it's the first book I've had a hard time putting down all year and it's only got me more excited to read her other books.

Have you read any of Emma Straub's books? What are your favorites? If you pick up this one, let me know what you think!

P.S. reviews of Saint Anything, Looking for Alaska and The Vacationers

a fascinating new show

Have you guys seen the Netflix docu-series Chef's Table? It was created by David Gelb, and each episode tells the story of a distinguished chef and his or her restaurants. It has interviews from the chef, their cooks, critics, family and friends, and it shows the intricacies of their restaurants.

I typically don't care much for cooking and food shows, but Adam started watching this one and when I saw it I was instantly hooked. The production is so good, and it's amazing to see how intensely passionate and creative each chef is. Their food isn't just food, it's art. They think about every element — taste, texture, smell, presentation — and put them together in ways you could never imagine.

We started watching the second season last night and the first episode featured Grant Achatz of the restaurant Alinea in Chicago. His story is incredible; Achatz overcame stage four cancer and the loss of his ability to taste(!) and created a restaurant that is all about the experience, using foods to create illusions that trick the guests and make the meal feel like an actual show. Every single episode is captivating, and the shots are so beautifully done. The show was just renewed a couple months ago for two more seasons, and I can't wait to watch all of them.

What are you watching right now? Have you watched Chef's Table yet? Will you? If you have, which episode/chef is your favorite? I'd love to know!

P.S. another great show on Netflix and six movies to see now

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book review: 'Looking for Alaska'

I purchased Looking for Alaska for two reasons: One, I loved The Fault in Our Stars and really enjoyed Paper Towns (both by John Green); and two, it was on sale.

Note to self: Never fall for the book on sale. The problem I had with this one is that I don't have anything good or bad to say about it. It was totally, wholeheartedly mediocre. It brought out no emotions in me whatsoever. (Unless you count the annoyance I felt at the need to finish one book before I start another one, because I really wanted to start a new one.)

Here's the thing. John Green is a talented writer — there's no denying that. He's got a great style and impressive abilities to tell a story and get inside the mind of adolescents. He really knows what it's like to live and breathe teenage hormones, and it impresses me how in-tune he is even as an adult. But Looking for Alaska landed somewhere on the same plane as Me, Earl and the Dying Girl, albeit with more interesting and relatable characters.

This one is about Miles (aka Pudge), a high school junior who leaves his school in Florida to attend boarding school in Alabama, looking for the "Great Perhaps" in life. Pudge has a penchant for learning famous people's last words (an interesting quirk that I actually did enjoy). Up until this point, Pudge has led a normal, unexciting life that he's ready to trade for something he hopes will be better. When he gets to the new school, he meets the Colonel (another nickname) and Alaska (a real name), both of whom introduce Pudge to some much-desired drama.

Alaska is the sort of enigmatic character Pudge has been seeking, someone who has really experienced life and doesn't care to play by the rules set by someone else. She's a mystery, and he inevitably falls for her. Of course, some mysteries can't be solved, but that doesn't stop Pudge and the Colonel when Alaska presents her final mystery.

It wasn't that I couldn't relate to the characters and what they were going through, because I have been in similar situations to what Green wrote about. I just thought it moved a little slowly, and some of the events didn't seem quite as big as they were meant to be. Final thoughts: Looking for Alaska is not a bad book. If you're looking for good writing and well thought-out characters, this one is for you. If you're looking for a more gripping story, try this one.

Have you read Looking for Alaska? What are your thoughts? Am I the only one who thought it was overwhelmingly average? I'd love to hear your opinions... 

P.S. reviews of Paper Towns and Me, Earl and the Dying Girl

how I graduated with less than $14k in student loans

As graduation season creeps closer, I’ve been reading more and more articles on student loans and the growing burden of debt that comes with a college education. Debt and student loans are two concepts with which I am very familiar, thanks to being the youngest child of four to graduate college. It’s something my siblings would often talk to my parents about as they went through their own college and post-college journeys, and even though I was young, I absorbed bits and pieces and learned something myself along the way.

book review: 'The Girl With No Past'

Happy Thursday, friends! Back with another book review over here, and (surprise, surprise) it's a psychological thriller. Remember when I wrote about my recent woes in finding another thriller as good as Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl? (Because obviously Gone Girl is the bar by which all other psychological thrillers are now measured.) Well, drum roll please....

This isn't it.

Sorry, had to ;) Okay, enough with the (super hilarious) jokes. The Girl With No Past is written by Kathryn Croft, who's a good writer. I won't say great because I didn't feel it was anything special or noteworthy as far as the actual writing goes, but it definitely wasn't bad either. The story revolves around Leah Mills, a 30-something woman who lives a very solitary life. She lives alone, and the only places she goes is to the library where she works quietly every day, and to visit her mother (when she's guilted into it). The premise is that Leah has a huge secret from her past that she's been hiding from for years, for fear of what will happen if it ever gets out.

The description on Amazon says Leah lives the life of a fugitive, but that isn't true, as she's never been "on the run" and she's not actually wanted for a crime. She left her hometown and doesn't really talk to anyone, and that's about it. The majority of the first part of the book is Leah telling this side of her story, and it mostly comes off as her begging for pity without telling us why she deserves it. That part was annoying to me — however, it did leave me wondering what she could have possibly done that was so bad it forced a self-imposed shunning. With this book at least, I did feel that there was a good deal of suspense. Early on, Leah meets a man named Julian on a dating site who seems interested in her.

Naturally, she can't understand why in the world a man would like her, but the thought of "a normal life" is so appealing to her that she decides to break from her normal routine and start chatting with him. From there, Leah's quiet life is interrupted by a mysterious stalker, who sends her cryptic messages about The Event and does things to let her know that s/he is watching — all the time. The messages continue, and new characters pop up in her life that immediately struck me as suspicious, but not so much with Leah. The story flows seamlessly back and forth between the present and the months leading up to The Event, which gives us insight into Leah's personality from her teenage years. She's always been insecure and probably too trusting, and even what happened to her doesn't change that.

My problem with this novel was, again, the actual event. While it was a shock when we finally found out what happened to her at the end — and honestly disturbing enough that I still sometimes think back to it weeks later — I didn't think it warranted her solitude, or what follows with her stalker. The story did get my heart pumping, but I thought it fizzled out quickly and lost its momentum at the end. I would rate this one at 3.5 stars: much better than The Fever but nowhere near Gone Girl.

Have you read Girl With No Past? What did you think? I'd love to know your opinions!

P.S. reviews of Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive

5 things working in retail taught me

When I took my first retail job last year, I came into it with a little background experience in waitressing, so I had an idea of what I was getting myself into when dealing with customers. And while the experience is going to be different at every store, I'd still have to say that serving is a much harder and more thankless job than retail. That being said, you're always going to find yourself dealing with the worst customers at some time or another. After a few months of working in this industry, here are a few things I've learned:

1. The customer is rarely right, but you still have to be nice. 

This saying is a favorite in the world of customer service, and rightfully so, as it usually pays off. But in the regular day to day activities of retail, it becomes evident very quickly that people really have no idea how things work. Customers will argue about prices until you can prove to them that, yes, the price marked on the item is, in fact, correct. They will share their dismay that you don't carry or ran out of their sizes. And you still have to smile and nod and thank them for shopping at your store.

2. That doesn't mean the customers will be nice back to you.

No matter how big your smile is or how sweet you sound when you tell a customer to "Have a great day!" or "Thank you for shopping with us!", there will always be people who just. don't. care. People who simply ignore you and walk out, people who look directly at you and walk away without saying a word, and people who respond with a glare or a snarl. You can spend five minutes trying to get a hat off a metal stand on the very top shelf for a customer who will then decide they don't actually want it — but instead of thanking you for getting it or apologizing for your trouble, they'll just hand it to you and ask someone else to get another item down for them. For those who preach about that Midwestern friendliness, work a few weeks in retail and you'll find out that even the nicest cities have some stunningly rude people.

3. The laziness is REAL. 

If I had a dollar for every time I picked up a pair of earrings sitting on a table right next to their display rack, or a hanger put on the rack backwards, I would never have to work again. You want to leave a pile of clothes in the dressing room? Fine. Ask me to put away some shirts you decided weren't so cute? Not a problem. But taking a piece of jewelry off its stand and dropping it there on the table? Here's a tip for shoppers: IT'S NOT. THAT. HARD.

4. Stupid questions do exist. And you'll answer a lot of them. 

Is this a shirt or a dress? This is a question I got last weekend, and at first I'll admit that it's not such a silly question; some shirts are long and dresses are short. But when you put it on and it goes down past your knees, it's a dress. Yes, I'm sure it's a dress. No, really — I promise, it's a dress.

5. Your responsibilities are more than your job description.

In the 9 months I've spent as a part-time sales associate, I have been a cashier, a visual merchandiser, a janitor and a personal shopper. I have unwrapped, hung and steamed countless garments, and I have seen too many middle-aged women in bras. I have followed needy customers around and carried piles of clothes for women who seem to think we have nothing else to do. I have climbed ladders and nearly dropped metal bars on my head. Working in retail is far more than selling clothes.

P.S. 7 mistakes you're making at a career fair, and what I learned from my first jobs

Book Review: 'The Fever'

When I was a kid I used to love reading mysteries, anything from Nancy Drew to the Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley (my personal fave ;) to the Boxcar Children. I always love the suspense and trying to figure out what's going to happen before it happens. Even though I've been loving non-fiction and memoirs lately, I've getting back into the mystery genre with psychological thrillers.

My latest pick was The Fever by Megan Abbott, which earned high praise from Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. I figured it would be a good read, and I really did enjoy the writing in this book. Megan Abbott has clearly spent a lot of time perfecting her craft, and it shows in her clean use of detail and storytelling. Aside from that, I felt the psychological aspect of the book was completely lacking. There wasn't much suspense throughout the story, and I didn't feel that the sickness spreading around the school was a solid enough plot to hold the book together.

The first girl contracts the mystery illness in the first few chapters, and from there a string of girls in the school come down with similar symptoms. A few possible causes for the "disease" are thrown around by other students and parents, like the contaminated lake the small town is known for. Maybe it was just that I couldn't get behind the idea of a mysterious illness that's only contracted by teenage girls, but I just didn't follow this story with any interest at all. I didn't find Deenie, the main character, very fun to follow, though I will give Abbott credit for knowing how to dive into the minds of teenagers and all the drama that inevitably follows them.

All in all, I'd probably give this book 2.5-3 stars. It wasn't as compelling as other thrillers I've read, but the writing and character development was well done. If you're looking for something to shock you and get your heart rate up, this isn't it.

Have you read The Fever? What did you think? I'd love to know...

P.S. Better thrillers: The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive

6 movies to see this spring

February is such a dreary month. The excitement of the new year and new resolutions is waning, winter has taken its toll and it feels like spring is just around the corner, but taking its sweet time in walking around it. Know what I mean?

To pass the time — and avoid going totally stir-crazy — I love going out to see new movies. It's the perfect thing to do when it's too cold to hang outside but you just can't take another night of Netflix and chill. So, here are my top movie picks coming out in the next few months:

book review: 'The Millionaire Fastlane'

The past few months have been a time of transition and reflection in my life, especially in the career department. I don't want to go into detail on that quite yet (I promise I will in the future), but it did lead me to buy this book by MJ DeMarco for my first read of 2016. I read Millionaire Fastlane with the expectation that it would give me a lot of insider tips on starting a business and firsthand stories from a successful entrepreneur. To some extent, it did succeed in those aspects. But overall, I probably would not recommend this book.

Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of great points in this book, and it really did make me think. There was at least one section that I had to share with Adam, and we had a really insightful conversation about the author's points. DeMarco shares his wisdom and talks in detail about how he became a millionaire and retired to live the life he wants long before reaching age 50.

The problem with this book — and DeMarco fully admits this several times — is that he is not a writer. And it's clear. Millionaire Fastlane is 336 pages, but it should really be about 200 if you cut out all the material that DeMarco repeats. He takes a smart message and pounds it into your head two, three sometimes five times until you just get tired of reading the same rewritten sentence. It took me more than a month to read this book for that very reason. I hate repetition, and this book is full of it.

That being said, DeMarco is (obviously) a smart guy. He started his own website and company, going from a 26-year-old living on his mom's couch and bouncing from part-time job to part-time job to creating the leading website in his industry (limos) and selling it for A LOT of money. And that's just his first endeavor. His story is an interesting one, and he clearly knows his stuff about both money and business. But I think there are probably dozens of other books with the same messages that can get the point across faster and more effectively. I'd suggest you look for one of those instead.

P.S. My reviews of Luckiest Girl Alive, Leave Your Mark and Saint Anything

my winter reading list

I used to read constantly when I was growing up. I've always been that girl with a book in her purse, reading on the bus, at my siblings' band concerts (oops, sorry guys!) or even in line at the store. Just call me Rory! But sometime during college reading for fun kind of fell to the wayside. When you're reading textbooks and required articles 24/7, the last thing you want to do is read, even if it's a book of your choice. I've been trying to pick up the habit again, and I have plenty of books on my reading list to choose from. Here are just a few I'm excited to read this year:

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
As you might know if you've been following my blog for a while, I love reading books written by real-life, inspiring women (Aliza Licht, Amy Poehler, Sophia Amoruso). Mindy Kaling is pretty fantastic, and I can't wait to see what kind of inspirational wisdom she dropped in her latest book.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
I heard about this beautiful story from one of my favorite bloggers, Joanna from Cup of Jo. It's written by her late brother-in-law, and he wrote this memoir during his last year of life. He writes about death in the poignant way of someone who knows he has little time left. It sounds beautiful, and I can't wait to read it.

The Fever by Megan Abbott
I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately, and I feel like I really need a detox. This mystery seemed like the perfect solution, as I've been loving the thriller genre ever since reading Gone Girl a couple years ago. The Fever has great reviews, and it's next on my list.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
I've been reading reviews and articles about this one for a long time now, and I think this winter would be the perfect time to join in. I might even learn a few things in time for spring cleaning!

China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
I read the first book in this series last spring and had mixed feelings about it, which is why I didn't rush to order this one when it came out. But now that it's been almost a year, I think I'm ready to catch up with the characters and see what this book is all about.

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
Of course I had to put one classic on this list. I've never read Valley of the Dolls before, and I feel like it's necessary for anyone interested in books and pop culture, which I am.

What are you reading right now? Do you keep a list of books to read, too? I'd love to know...

P.S. My summer reading list, reviews of Luckiest Girl Alive and Leave Your Mark 

book review: 'Leave Your Mark'

I’ve been really inspired by real-life success stories of women in different industries lately (which you can read more about here), and that is exactly the reason I ordered this book by PR maven Aliza Licht. I don’t remember where I first heard about it, but I do remember immediately thinking I had to have it.

My only regret is not picking up Leave Your Mark sooner. Aliza tells the whole story of her career, from the days she studied to be a plastic surgeon to her time organizing the shoe closet at a fashion magazine and how she ended up being a pioneer of social media in the fashion industry. Aliza’s story is truly inspiring, because she earned a well-known and very respected name in fashion PR all by working her way up the chain — no fashion/public relations/marketing degree necessary. She decided what she really wanted out of life and made it happen.

I loved this book for several reasons, the first being that it felt like I was having a coffee date and soaking up all this wisdom from a personal mentor. It’s a book of advice, but it’s written in a casual tone that makes it feel like it was personalized to me. Every time I had a question about something, it seemed Aliza answered it in the next chapter. She gave real insight into a somewhat mysterious industry and shared personal experiences that seemed both recognizable and unbelievable. On top of that, the woman is a great writer.

Leave Your Mark is a book for every person looking to move forward in their career but not completely sure how to do it. Her words made me think long and hard about my job, where I want to be in a year and how I can find my own success. Leave Your Mark is full of wisdom that you can’t get in college courses, and it’s something I would recommend to every single student or aspiring employee. No matter how great your education is, Aliza’s book is filled with advice you can’t learn from a regular old textbook, and it should be required reading for anyone looking for a new job.

Seriously, I can’t praise this book enough. It was everything I needed to hear right now and more. It’s going to maintain a permanent spot near my desk so I can always have a guide to look back to when I need it. If you haven’t read it yet, GO BUY IT. And follow Aliza on Twitter, because she really is awesome.

Have you read Leave Your Mark yet? What did you think of it? I'd love to hear!

P.S. My reviews of Luckiest Girl Alive, The Astronaut Wives Club and Yes Please 

best holiday movies

Happy Tuesday! First, let me start by saying sorry for the lack of posts last week. If you saw my Instagram, you might know that I was sick (again) and decided to take the whole week off to get some very necessary R&R. Thank goodness it paid off, because I did not want to be sick for Christmas! Now... back to the fun part.

The holiday season is my absolute favorite time of the year, and one of my favorite traditions is watching some of the cheesiest, most stereotyped Christmas movies ever made. I know — how original, right? ;)

You know the ones: girl bemoans spending the holiday season alone, perfect guy shows up out of nowhere, kisses her under the mistletoe and Santa’s magic ensues; the holidays are romantic and perfect after all!!! When it comes to Christmas movies, the cheesier the better. There are only 3 (!!) days left till Christmas, but there's still time to watch your favorite movies! Which is what I'd love to be doing every single day in December. Basically, if you need me in the next 72 hours, you can find me watching ABC Family and Hallmark. Here are the movies I’m most excited to watch:

Holiday in Handcuffs. A personal favorite and possibly the epitome of Christmas cheesiness.

The Mistle-Tones. A Christmas musical?!?! Obviously, yes please.

The Holiday. In the realm of beautiful yet unrealistic scenarios, this is one of my favorites.

Snowglobe. A whole Christmas town that lives in a snow globe — ‘nuf said.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This one is less cheesy and more rite-of-passage, but it’s a classic that should be watched every year. (The Jim Carrey version, not the cartoon)

Holidaze. If it’s got Jennie Garth, it’s got to be good.

Snow Bride. What would Christmas be without a good lie to start a relationship?

A Royal Christmas. Spending the holidays in a castle, because it’s normal.

A Bride for Christmas. Trying to get someone to marry you by Christmas? No problem.

Let It Snow. Really, anything with Candace Cameron Bure is a holiday must.

Side note: Have you seen Bill Murray's Christmas special, A Very Murray Christmas, on Netflix? Adam and I watched it a couple weekends ago and it was... different. But highly enjoyable if you like weird, nonsensical things ;) 

P.S. my favorite holiday traditions and 7 things to do in Des Moines for the holidays

7 things to do for the holidays in Des Moines

It’s easy to get lost in all the holiday prep this time of year, and sometimes we forget to actually celebrate. We’re too busy shopping for presents, decorating the house, etc. to take a minute and remember that there is still fun to be had before Christmas hits. Anyone feel me on this? Well, this year I found some fun holiday-themed activities to do before Santa gets here! Some are family-friendly, and some are for the more booze-enthused ;) Whatever you're looking for, here are 7 holiday-themed events and activities to add to your calendar this year:

Book Review: ‘Luckiest Girl Alive’

Luckiest Girl Alive is another book that I put on my reading list immediately — both for the stellar reviews it was getting and because Reese Witherspoon decided to produce the movie version right after it came out, which had to mean it was really good. Once I started reading it, I had a hard time getting into the story, though. The main character was pretty hard to like at first, but as the story went on I gained a serious respect for Jessica Knoll and how she created a character with such depth.

One complaint I often have about characters in books is that they are too one-dimensional. Too many authors think it’s enough to give a character a favorite TV show and a weird quirk and call it a day. The best stories are ones that bring their characters to life and make the reader forget they’re reading fiction. That’s what happened for me while I was reading Luckiest Girl Alive. There were several moments where I thought I was reading a memoir instead of a fiction book. The writing, plot and characters were that good.

The story revolves around Ani, a woman in her late 20s who’s engaged to her "dream" man and works as a writer at one of the top women’s magazines in New York. The first two-thirds of the book is very mysterious: We know that Ani has a dark secret from her past, that she has agreed to be featured in a documentary about it and that she will do just about anything to appear totally changed and successful for the taping. Beyond that, we have really no idea what happened, other than that it was the changing point in her life.

The book goes back and forth between present-day Ani and her teenage days at a popular prep school, when she was known as TifAni FaNelli. We find out TifAni has been kicked out of her Catholic school for smoking weed, and her parents have sent her to a prep school less for punishment and more for social status, which is obviously very important both to Ani and her mom, even though they both have different opinions as to what that means. We learn of the horrors TifAni faced as a teenager trying to push her way into the popular crowd — many of which seem like they could have been her life-changing secret, but they’re only leading up to it.

Despite being mistreated by the “friends” she’s trying so hard to please, every hit against her only makes TifAni try harder to get into the group. The story is told in her point of view, so we get to see every twisted thought and reaction she has to each event, all of them adding up to make her the calculating adult she is today. That’s what makes Ani’s character so interesting: She can manipulate any situation to get exactly what she wants from it. She can read people and use it to her advantage, even using a coffee date with potential interns at her magazine as a test for whether they should be hired or not.

Ani’s character is extremely smart and perceptive — she’s not one to be tricked, and she refuses to let anyone else but her be in control of a situation. For her, success is all about the outward appearance of her life: her job at a highly recognizable magazine, her engagement to the old money (and therefore the best money) Luke Harrison, her thin figure and designer clothes. Everything she does has a reason behind it, and her motivation to join the classy ranks of her fiancé’s circle goes way back to her freshman year of high school.

Luckiest Girl Alive is a complex character study with so much drama that you won’t want to put it down. I loved getting to see Ani’s imperfections from her point of view and getting to see every scheming, messed up thought she had. The mysterious event from her past didn’t turn out as much of a shock to me, but that didn’t hurt its impact on the book. It was still an incredible story with so many intricate details weaved throughout. It’s no Gone Girl, which is what people have compared it to, but it’s definitely a must-read.

Have you read Luckiest Girl Alive? What did you think? Did you love the character development as much as I did? I’d love to hear…

P.S. Astronaut Wives Club, Me, Earl and the Dying Girl and Saint Anything