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

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 

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 

Book review: ‘The Astronaut Wives Club’

I heard about TheAstronaut Wives Club in a magazine shortly after it came out last year, so I was excited to read it when I finally bought it this summer. I’ve never really known much about the first astronauts, and the true story of their wives seemed like it would be really interesting.

First, I want to say that that part held true throughout the majority of the book. The Mercury Seven astronauts were the first group of men to be chosen to go to space, and it was a very big deal in an era when the U.S. was competing with the rest of the world to make advancements in space. The idea that these men were pioneering such a new and scary endeavor is fascinating. The part that many people won’t think about in relation to that is the story of their wives. It was the 1960s, and a time when women were expected to play the ultra-supportive, perfect wife role. This book shows how the wives were instructed that it was their “patriotic duty” to keep their husbands happy.

The stories were mostly interesting and insightful, showing how instantaneously they went from normal families to celebrities on the cover of Time magazine. It showed the stress of having the press peeking through their windows at all hours, the stress of not knowing if their husbands were coming home, the stress of knowing their husbands were being unfaithful while they still had to play the role of supportive wife. It was amazing to learn about how all these women pulled together and pushed away as they learned to cope with being astronaut wives.

However, I only gave Astronaut Wives Club three stars on Amazon because I hated (yes, truly hated) the author’s writing style. I’ve never read anything by Lily Koppel before, and I don’t think I ever will again, because I think she ruined what should have been an amazing, riveting story. Their were dozens of people to keep track of in this book. The original seven astronauts, plus their wives, then the new astronauts and their wives, and even more… So there were a bunch of names and stories going throughout the book. That’s confusing enough, but Koppel’s story moves from one person to another without any sort of flow or connection. It’s more of a general listing of facts than a novel, and I found it really distracting from the events of the story.

Overall, I would highly recommend reading about his subject, the astronauts and their wives — maybe even watch the TV show? I haven’t seen it, but it looks fun. This is definitely an interesting story, especially since it’s true and such a large part of American history. But I can’t recommend this particular book. It felt like something I had to get through more than a story I wanted to consume.

P.S. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Saint Anything and Paper Towns

Book review: 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl'

This review is a strange one for me to write because one of my friends recommended this book to me, plus it's so popular that it has been made into a movie that critics and audiences both loved. But I did not like it at all. I don't think I hated it, but my feelings are close to that. (Warning: a few spoilers ahead)

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl seemed like an interesting concept. I first learned about it with the movie previews, so I had a little bit different expectations than what I would have if I had I just picked up the book on its own. But on the other side of that, I didn't see a lot of previews for Me and Earl, so I didn't have a lot of expectations at all. I just knew that it was about a guy who's mom made him hang out with a girl in his class who was recently diagnosed with cancer. And that it wasn't a sappy teenage love story. Because he explicitly states that. So that's what I knew about this book.

I was open-minded going into it, but Me and Earl just wasn't my type of book. There was no point where I actually wanted to keep reading. The only reason I did was because I hate the feeling of not finishing a book. Let's start with the technical parts: The writing was good. Jesse Andrews is a screenwriter-turned-author, and this is his debut novel. You've got to give the guy major props for landing a movie deal with his first book, am I right? So the writing was good for the most part, but I didn't like how he often broke into screenwriting form. I understand that he's playing up to his strengths, and that it makes sense for the story because Greg (the "Me" in the title) is a filmmaker, but it felt awkward and broke up the flow of the book.

As for the story, the synopsis I gave at the beginning really does sum up the book. There's not much more than that except for Greg's awkward social encounters with just about everyone, the history of his filmmaking and not-quite-friendship with Earl, and how he tries to make a film for Rachel (the Dying Girl) and fails miserably. I couldn't stand Greg because he made EVERYTHING so awkward. I mean, I get that he's a hormonal teenage boy, but can he really not have a normal 2-minute conversation with a pretty girl? Apparently not.

The part I really hated was how little emotion he had. Even after all the time spent with Rachel and watching her go through chemo, Greg still wasn't all that much troubled by her death. You know how we always complain about the stereotypical happy endings when everything is wrapped up all nice with a bow at the end of a movie or book? I'm the same way — why can't we have realistic movies, the endings aren't always happy, blah blah blah. Well, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl doesn't have a happy ending. It has a (probably) realistic ending. And to me, it kind of sucked. So, maybe I do want the stereotypical happy endings only?

I still want to see the movie version, because I think I'll actually like it better than the book, but I can't recommend a book I didn't like. So if you liked Me and Earl, I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you didn't like it, I'd love to share opinions. And if you haven't read it, I'd recommend you pick up Saint Anything instead.

Have you read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl? Share your thoughts below...I'd love to hear what all of you really thought of it!

P.S. Reviews of Saint Anything, Paper Towns and The Girl on the Train

Book Review: 'Saint Anything'

Sarah Dessen has been one of my favorite authors since my sister first gave me a copy of Keeping the Moon when I was a young teen. For that reason, every time she publishes a new book I read it with excitement and high expectations. And, overall, I really haven’t been disappointed. (This Lullaby and Dreamland wouldn’t go on my favorites list, but they still have their merits.) So when I heard about Saint Anything, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

Book review: 'Paper Towns'

Happy Tuesday! Sorry I've been a little MIA this weekend. I intended to take Friday off for the Fourth, but the weekend was so packed I kind of forgot to prepare a post for yesterday and, honestly, it's just nice to take an extra day off sometimes.

OK. Let me preface this review by saying I did NOT choose to read Paper Towns because it was written by John Green. Of course, I did read TheFault in Our Stars before that movie came out and loved it (both the book and the movie), but it didn’t give me some intense desire to read all of Green’s novels. I actually wanted to read this one only after seeing previews for the movie (and because I have a mini girl crush on Cara Delevingne, but I digress).

Book review: 'The Vacationers'

When it comes to summer reading, beachy books tend to be among my favorites. I don’t know if it’s being in tune with the season or just a wanderlust sort of thing since I live in the Midwest, but I love reading about beach getaways. Which is precisely the reason I chose to add The Vacationers to my summer reading list, and probably why I zipped through it so quickly. I read it after The Girl on the Train and it was the perfect juxtaposition of the dark mystery novel.

The Vacationers is about a not-so-close family that takes a vacation to Mallorca, Spain, to spend a week together in a friend’s home. You know from that much that there’s bound to be drama. The story is told from third person and alternately focuses on each family member throughout. Franny and Jim are supposed to be celebrating 35 years of marriage, but it’s seems there’s not much to be celebrated by the time the plane leaves. Sylvia has just graduated from high school and is looking to check a few things off her bucket list before she goes to college in the fall, which includes doing more than studying with her Spanish tutor, Joan. Her older brother Bobby brings his long-time girlfriend Carmen, much to his family’s disappointment. And Franny’s best friend Charles brings his partner Lawrence, who spends most of the vacation working and thinking about the baby they’re trying to adopt and whether Charles really wants it.

Many plots are happening at once, but thanks to Emma Straub’s ability to write with clarity and continuity, it never gets confusing. She covers serious topics that many families face and takes a deep look into the reality of relationships, all without losing her sense of humor. There are a few awkward scenes and dialogue, but overall it’s a compassionate picture of the hardships that can tear families apart, but ultimately bring them closer.

The Vacationers isn’t the best summer book I’ve read, but it is a really good one and I’ve already recommended it to several people. It’s an easy read without losing its substance, which not all authors can do. If you’re looking for your next book to read by the pool, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed this one.   

Have you read anything good lately? What are your go-to summer books? 

P.S. 7 books to read this summer, The Girl on the Train and Crazy Rich Asians

Book review: 'The Girl on the Train'

The Girl on the Train was the first book on my summer reading list this year, and although I didn't love it, I am glad I read it. Paula Hawkins' debut novel is a psychological mystery thriller that follows Rachel, a 30-something woman who's life has all but fallen apart. Feeling worthless, Rachel follows the same routine each day without a real point to her life, until she becomes involved in a missing persons case.

Riding the same train each morning and evening, Rachel sees the same couple at their house by the tracks every day. She doesn't know them, but she has made up names and a pretend life for them because they seem like a perfect happy couple to her. When the woman from the house goes missing one day, Rachel feels it is her duty to tell the police what she knows and becomes entangled in the messy case.

People have been comparing The Girl on the Train to Gone Girl, but for me, it didn't get to the same level of intensity until the very end. The Girl on the Train was a great mystery, but it didn't have the psychological thriller aspect that Gone Girl did until the last few chapters when we find out what happened. Gone Girl carried it throughout the whole story, which made it a much more exhilarating read. The other thing that made this book more difficult for me to read was the characters. I couldn't find one who I actually liked or wanted to continue reading about. Rachel was a mess from the beginning, and the fact that she kept making horrible and irrational decisions made me hate her a little bit. That being said, I have to give credit to Hawkins for developing her characters well enough for me to actively dislike them.

Although I didn't love the story itself, I very much liked Hawkins' style of writing. She is one of those authors who can create a detailed story in the midst of beautiful prose, which I think is truly an art. There were several passages worth highlighting, but here is one that I really liked:

Beautiful sunshine, cloudless skies, no one to play with, nothing to do. Living like this, the way I'm living at the moment, is harder in the summer when there is so much daylight, so little cover of darkness, when everyone is out and about, being flagrantly, aggressively happy. It's exhausting, and it makes you feel bad if you're not joining in.

Beautiful, don't you think? Have you read The Girl on the Train? Will you? Share your comments below :)

P.S. Reviews of Crazy Rich Asians, Yes Please, Where'd You Go, Bernadette and #GIRLBOSS

7 books to add to your beach bag this summer

When it comes to summer reading, I've always preferred more light reads, typically of the love story and chick lit varieties. But I've had a couple of darker mysteries on my reading list for a while now, so I had to include them in my summer reading list. Plus, I think it's good to mix it up a little, that way you have something to open regardless of your mood.

This summer's book list is made up of recently published books that range from Gone Girl-esque dramas to teen romance in the magical New York summer. So whether you're going to the beach (can I go with?) or just taking a few days for a relaxing staycation, these are the books that should be by your side.