'Me Before You' Review

It's been a minute since I've shared a book review with y'all! Not because I'm selfishly keeping all of the good titles for myself, but because I honestly haven't been prioritizing reading. I hate when I do that. Thankfully, a good friend let me borrow this book for a business trip I had back in February. It really helped me break my streak of being "too busy to read" because it was too good to put down.

When my friend recommended the book, she told me that I wasn't going to be able to put it down. For the most part- she was right! I had to get through a few unsuccessful attempts to make time to actually get into the plot of this book (due to my schedule, not the book itself), but once I did I was hooked. This is a well-written romance novel that really captivated me. It also has some darker twists and turns written into the plot. These caught me a little by surprise and really challenged me to think about my moral stance on the issues brought up. I love books that beg you to put yourself in the main character's shoes and evaluate the situation through your own lens.

I'm an extremely emotional person, so I love a good love story. This book kept me enthralled with the story and adventures up until the last page. And even then, I had a hard time putting it down. I really didn't want it to end! The main character, Louisa, is so easy to relate to and I was cheering her on throughout the entire book. I don't want to ruin any of the plot- but I know that I wouldn't have been able to handle the ending as gracefully as she did. But hey, that's why it's fiction, right?!

To my sheer delight, this book will be gracing our theaters this summer as a movie. I know it will be a hit if it's closely related to the book's storyline! I am one of those people who always wants to read the book before seeing the movie, so make sure to grab this book soon if you're the same way. June will be here before we know it!

What are you reading right now? Do you have any recommendations for what I need to read next? Have you read this book?

'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me' Review

It's no secret that I'm a total book worm. I truly love all types of books and feel as though they each have a different time for the spotlight on my reading list. Lately, I've been really into humorous books. After reading Bossypants by Tina Fey (review here), I knew I wanted to try my hand at another celeb-written book. Mindy Kaling definitely did not disappoint!

When I purchased this book, I had the most awkward conversation with my cashier at Target. She looked at the book, then gazed up at me, and then looked back at the book before ringing it up. Unassumingly, I asked "Have you heard of this book? It's supposed to be hilarious." She responded "No, but I'm curious how a self help book is funny." I politely told her that it was written by a comedian and that the title was satire, but her judgement had already been cast on me. I do hope she eventually reads the book- and realizes that what it was actually about to avoid more uncomfortable conversations.

Anywho, this book was totally worth the uncomfortable encounter! 'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me' is well written and a light read. Mindy is totally candid throughout the book, sharing stories from her childhood and years of early fame. This book was a pleasant outlet for me during a busy time at work and was just full of laughs. The book fell perfectly in line with my humor. I mean, laugh out loud awkwardly in public places funny-to-me. Before reading this book, I didn't know much about Mindy other than the fact that I thought she was funny. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, but I've officially decided that Mindy and I should be best friends. Life couldn't be boring with a gem like that around you. I'm super excited to jump into her next book ASAP!

I would recommend this book for travel, or as an option to unwind at the end of the day. There isn't a true plot, it's more based around a timeline, so you don't need to feel pressured to start it when you can read all the way through. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 

Have you read this book before? What are you currently reading? Any suggestions for what I should read next?

Eat, Pray, Love Book Review

Hi hi! I'm back again with another book review. This was actually my second time reading "Eat, Pray, Love" because my initial attempt was unsuccessful. I first tried to start this book while in college, and wasn't able to juggle all of my commitments AND read. This was fairly typical of my college days- my renewed love for reading has really blossomed since I've been working full time. I purchased this book before it was even committed to be a movie, and decided I wasn't going to see the movie until I finished it... years later I am finally ready. This second attempt obviously had divine timing because I was able to get all the way through it and really felt as though my older self appreciated it more than my college self would have. I've had more relationship experience, finally have the desire to travel, have a love for yoga, a steady faith, and well, my love for pasta has always been here. But you can see that I am basically an ideal candidate for this book.

The book is split into 3 sections, not-so-slyly relating to the title. The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, picks up to travel after a nasty divorce and what I gathered to be a mid-life crisis. She spends her time in 3 different countries- Italy, India, and Indonesia- and explores different aspects of her personality while immersed in the culture of each one.

In my humble opinion, this is a beautiful story of self-discovery as she navigates her travels and healing process. She openly writes about her struggles with loneliness and depression, which I was very impressed with. She could have easily glazed over those details and filled the pages with the rest of the story line. Her self-assurance tactics and connection to her budding spirituality were also inspiring to me.

I found this to be extremely well-written and easy to read. It wasn't a book that I couldn't put down, but I had no problem feeling engaged and excited to pick it back up. I love books with a strong female lead and this absolutely qualifies! After finishing, I have decided that I want to go eat all of the pasta she described in Italy and am excited to develop a more spiritual connection to yoga/meditation. But first, I will settle to just see the movie! I hope it doesn't disappoint!

On a side note, I just started Mindy Kaling's "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me" and am loving it. I'm looking forward to the next review already!

Have you read "Eat, Pray, Love"? Did you see the film? What are you currently reading/do you have any book recommendations for me?

"Dark Places" Book Review

Hey y'all! I've been busy busy busy so far this week- I'm actually out in Arizona this week for a work conference. This is my first time here and I'm hoping to sight see a little bit after all of the meetings. The weather out here is so different than what I'm used to, considering the fact I've never lived in a desert, but dry heat is pretty awesome! I was scared by the forecasted weather for the week, but so far it's manageable.

I wanted to share another book review today. I absolutely FLEW through this book. It sucked me in right away and I had a seriously hard time putting it down every time I picked it up to read. I just adore books like that. Dark Places is written by Gillian Flynn, the author of Gone Girl, and mirrored the darkness found it that book. So, if you were bothered by the plot or imagery in that book- this one is NOT for you.

via

This story follows the survivor of a murdered family in a small Kansas town as she looks into the details surrounding the event that's haunted her for over 20 years. It twists and turns through flashbacks and current day, keeping you on the edge of your seat with each page. The ending is too good to even hint at or spoil, so trust me in saying you've gotta pick this up and read it for yourself! Overall, the book was very intriguing to me and sent me through a wide range of emotions- from sadness to surprise to disgust. I've always believed that a good book evokes strong emotions from you- whether they are positive or negative- and this definitely did!

Have you read this book? What are you currently reading? What are your favorite kinds of books?

"Bossypants" Book Review

Hey y'all! I hope you're having a fabulous week so far. Shortly after graduating college, one of my goals that I made for myself was to get back into reading for pleasure. I had a hard time with it to be honest. After years of required reading for school, all of the fun had really been sucked out of the activity for me. Upon having that realization I decided that I would ask around for recommendations for books that others enjoyed, in hopes of relighting that fire within myself. Thankfully, that did the trick for me and I have erased my schoolgirl mindset with respect to books. Since I attribute my enjoyment to good recommendations, I thought I'd start sharing little reviews of books I'm reading as I finish them- just in case you are looking for one too!

via

I really enjoyed "Mean Girls" but honestly had very little exposure to Tina Fey outside of her Sarah Palin SNL skits. I knew her to be funny in her roles, but that was just about it. I saw "Bossypants" on the shelf in Target and was so tickled by the cover; I had to get check it out. (Sidenote- I'm extremely visual so many of my picks in life are based on visual appeal. This is a good and a bad thing since exterior charm doesn't always translate through content!) Before I purchased it, I read the back cover and was totally sold!

This book is a witty and well-written peek into what it's like to be Tina Fey. She shares intimately personal stories covering all topics, from her childhood to her marriage to her career, in a very light way and I didn't find any parts of the book to be drawn out or trying too hard. Written comedy can be extremely difficult in my opinion due to the fact that you lose a comedian's delivery skills! I felt that most if not all of the jokes in this book translated well and you can't help but laugh out loud at certain parts. Her personality shines through and I enjoyed the feminist tones throughout the book.

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for something upbeat and easy to read. It was a great travel book for me, because I wasn't feeling lost in the story if I let some time pass between readings. I was able to pick right back up where I left off.

Have you read this book? What are you currently reading? Would you like to see more book reviews on the blog?

Current Coffee Table Books

Happy Tuesday, y'all! I'm so sorry that things were quiet around here last week- I took a long weekend off from work to head back to GA. I haven't been home since December, so I wanted to be fully present with my family and decided to stay off the blog. It was an absolutely perfect weekend at home except for the fact that it rained the entire time that I was there!! Regardless, I had a great time with my family and that's what matters. My sister, mom, and I woke up early on Sunday to go to our local Target to shop the Lilly collection. Check out my Instagram for one of my favorites and look out for a post detailing my experience in the near future!

Lately, I've been in a rut with my apartment. I've lived here for a year and still feel like I have SO much decorating to do! This is my first adult apartment (not at school or with a roommate) so I have been building my decor basically from scratch. It's been a lengthy and expensive process, but I think things are finally coming together. I have the majority of the big furniture pieces purchased and am working on the decor aspect. About 3 weeks ago I started looking for some books for my coffee table. I see cute ideas on Pinterest and Instagram but wanted to find the right mix for me instead of just copying someone else's ideas.

I started looking on Amazon and honestly didn't know what I was looking for. I knew I wanted to get multiple books, in different colors, about different topics, and have them from from different authors. Pretty broad search, no? For me, coffee table books need to be pretty but also serve their purpose to entertain guests if needed. I decided on 3 different topics: food, travel, and decor. That way- no matter who sat down on my couch- they could find something interesting to look at. After many hours of browsing, I found my 3 perfect coffee table books!

Edible French: Tasty Expressions and Cultural Bites
Domino: The Book of Decorating
The New York Times: 36 Hours USA & Canada

I still haven't quite figured out how I'm going to arrange them on the table, but here's what I have decided on right now.  Let me know what y'all think!

What are your favorite coffee table books?

The best travel companion

Happy Friday, world!

Since my decision to move away from home, traveling has become a bigger part of my life that it ever has been before. Between trips home, having money from a stable job to take vacations, and traveling for work I've been on the move more than I have in my entire life. Although the airport can be a stressful and busy place, I find solo travel to be pretty enjoyable. I love having the opportunity to reflect on my trip ahead of me or the memories I just created as I await my plane. Another thing I love about traveling is the opportunity to get into a good book. I haven't found anything that makes a flight go by faster than a great read! 

When I was in college I realized that while I found reading to be pleasant, I never picked it as a recreational activity. I never read books for pleasure, had any lying around, or invested in a digital reader. The extent of my reading at that point in my life was textbooks and required reading for school. That disappointed me. I made the decision to put energy into finding good books and actually setting aside time to read them. My first step was buying a Kindle. It was an excellent choice for me at that time because I could bring one item and have multiple options all in one place! This was great for the beach or any traveling I happened to do.

After college, I found myself using my Kindle less and staring at the empty spaces on my bookshelf I kept in my room. Although the Kindle afforded more convenience and options, I was beginning to miss physically turning pages and having a concrete collection of the books I loved. It also proved more difficult to recommend a book to a friend. It's much easier in my opinion to recommend something and then let said person borrow it. They are more likely to read it since they don't have to seek it out! And truth be told, I love being on the receiving end of that! 

While I still keep my Kindle around for trips to the beach, {it's so much easier- especially on those windy beach days!} my favorite travel companion is a nice paperback book. They don't take up too much space or add excessive extra weight, and one book is plenty for the kind of travel I do nowadays. I picked up a new book a few weeks ago before a girl's weekend and am enjoying it so far. It's called 'The Paris Wife' and is a novel about Hemingway and his wife. 

I will be sure to let you know what I think after it's finished. If you're looking for a new book, here's a few I've read recently that I enjoyed: 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn, 'Wild' by Cheryl Strayed, 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green, and 'The Life of Pi' by Yann Martel.

What are your favorite travel reads? Do you have a specific travel ritual that you love?

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo. T