Funny Girls.

I've been on a great streak of great books lately, and I wanted to share the love. These funny girls have had me giggling and laughing out loud. If you haven't read them yet, definitely add them to your reading list!

  Yes Please by Amy Poehler

 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

  Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

I'll have an update on my epic 2014 Reading List next week. Have you read anything good lately?

xoxo,

Alex

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Recent Reads

It's time for another reading list update! Read about my list and the first update. I've read a couple amazing books lately and would highly recommend checking them out if you are looking for a good read. 

* Worth a Read.

** Good Book and Worth Recommending.

*** YES. Must read.

Here we go (books that moved on the list are italicized):

READING NOW
The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook - Gary Vaynerchuk

Daring Greatly - Brene Brown

READ

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown ***
Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt ***
The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont **
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles *
Wild -  Cheryl Strayed ***
South of Superior by Ellen Airgood
The Circle by Dave Eggers *
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed ***

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore *

Love Does by Bob Goff and Donald Miller **

The House Girl by Tara Conklin **

Sycamore Row by John Grisham **

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes ***

Women Who Don't Wait in Line by Reshma Saujani

NOT ON THE ORIGINAL LIST BUT READ

The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd **

The Interestings - Meg Wolitzer *

The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion 

Allegiant - Veronica Roth **
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams *
The Kill Artist, The English Assassin, The Confessor, and A Death In Vienna by Daniel Silva *

I TRIED

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

Everything Is Perfect When You Are A Liar by Kelly Oxford

TO READ

Personal History by Katharine Graham

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Following Jane by Samantha Scordato

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

Monuments Men by Robert Edsel

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Until I Say Goodbye by Susan Spencer-Wendel and Bret Witter

The Woman's Room by Marilyn French

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

Hateship, Friendship,Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro

Frida by Hayden Herrera

The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark

The Liars' Club by Mary Karr

The Woman at the Washington Zoo by Marjorie Williams and Timothy Noah

Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry

Envy by Sandra Brown

I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe

The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan

When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Six Years by Harlan Coben

Genesis by Bernard Beckett

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

The Buddha in the Attic by Julia Otsuka

Southern Cross the Dog by Bill Cheng

The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle

The English Girl by Daniel Silva

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

____

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Half The Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Backlash by Susan Faludi

Get to Work by Linda Hirshman

Fear of Flying by Erica Jong and Fay Weldon

Big Girls Don't Cry by Rebecca Traister

Read anything good lately?

xoxo,

Alex

Reading List Update

It's been almost five months since I created my 2014 Reading List and I thought I'd post a little update. I've read some, strayed from my list a bit, and ready some good books. While I have a ways to go, I feel like I'm off to a good start considering I've been more busy the past couple months than I can remember.

In case you are needing a good book, I thought I'd star the ones I think are worth reading. This is just my opinion. If one of these books changed your life, good! Reading is personal. Sometimes you'll be moved, entertained, bored, or inspired. Each book is different, and I'm loving the journey I'm on this year with my reading list.

* Worth a Read.

** Good Book and Worth Recommending.

*** YES. Must read.

Here we go:

READING NOW

Wild -  Cheryl Strayed

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook - Gary Vaynerchuk

Daring Greatly - Brene Brown

READ

The Circle by Dave Eggers *
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed ***

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore *

Love Does by Bob Goff and Donald Miller **

The House Girl by Tara Conklin **

Sycamore Row by John Grisham **

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes ***

Women Who Don't Wait in Line by Reshma Saujani

NOT ON THE ORIGINAL LIST BUT READ

The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd **

The Interestings - Meg Wolitzer *

The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion 

Allegiant - Veronica Roth **

I TRIED

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

Everything Is Perfect When You Are A Liar by Kelly Oxford

TO READ

Personal History by Katharine Graham

The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Following Jane by Samantha Scordato

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

Monuments Men by Robert Edsel

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Until I Say Goodbye by Susan Spencer-Wendel and Bret Witter

The Woman's Room by Marilyn French

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

Hateship, Friendship,Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro

Frida by Hayden Herrera

The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark

The Liars' Club by Mary Karr

The Woman at the Washington Zoo by Marjorie Williams and Timothy Noah

Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry

Envy by Sandra Brown

I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe

The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan

When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Six Years by Harlan Coben

Genesis by Bernard Beckett

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

The Buddha in the Attic by Julia Otsuka

Southern Cross the Dog by Bill Cheng

The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle

The English Girl by Daniel Silva

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

____

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Half The Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Backlash by Susan Faludi

Get to Work by Linda Hirshman

Fear of Flying by Erica Jong and Fay Weldon

Big Girls Don't Cry by Rebecca Traister

xoxo,

Alex

My 2014 Reading List

I am what you would call a voracious reader. In fourth grade, I read over 500 books. Law school killed my love of reading a bit, but this August, K gave me a Kindle and I can't stop reading. I started making a list of books to read, and then I asked friends for their suggestions, and my list began to grow. Which is great, because one of my goals for 2014 is to read more. There are so many books I haven't read. And because I just love sharing book suggestions, I thought I'd share my epic list with you. Here we go!

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

Bel Canto (P.S.) by Ann Patchett

Envy by Sandra Brown

Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar by Kelly Oxford

Following Jane by Samantha Scordato

Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera

Genesis by Bernard Beckett

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage: Stories by Alice Munro

I Shall Be Near to You: A Novel by Erin Lindsay McCabe

Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram

Love Does by Bob Goff and Donald Miller

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel

Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan

Personal History by Katharine Graham

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

Six Years by Harlan Coben

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

Southern Cross the Dog by Bill Cheng

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Sycamore Row by John Grisham

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

The Buddha in the Attic by Julia Otsuka

The Circle by Dave Eggers

The English Girl by Daniel Silva

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark

The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

The House Girl by Tara Conklin

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

The Liars' Club by Mary Karr

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison

The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont

The Woman at the Washington Zoo by Marjorie Williams and Timothy Noah

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston

The Women's Room by Marilyn French

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

Until I Say Goodbye by Susan Spencer-Wendel and Bret Witter

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

With my passion for leadership and gender equality, I've also made a goal to read a feminist book a month. Here's the list I'm working off of:

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Backlash by Susan Faludi

Big Girls Don't Cry by Rebecca Traister

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Fear of Flying by Erica Jong and Fay Weldon

Get to Work by Linda Hirshman

Half The Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

Women Who Don't Wait in Line by Reshma Saujani

[source]

Any suggestions to add to my list?

xoxo,

Alex

Book Suggestion: The Kitchen House.

[source]

Hi there!  I am pleased to announce that I am out of my reading slump!  For the last couple months, I just couldn't find my rhythm with reading.  I would fall asleep without finishing a chapter or was stuck reading a dud.  It was so frustrating!

But then, I read The Kitchen House: A Novel by Kathleen Grissom.  It lit a fire in me and reminded me how much I love reading a good book.  Here's the Goodread's summary:

When a white servant girl violates the order of plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family. Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin. 

The Kitchen House: A Novel  is often suggested if you liked The Help, but I think it stands alone as an excellent choice for your next read!

Have you read The Kitchen House?  What did you think?

xoxo,

Alex

[source]

Love Affair with Literature

[source]

Ever since I was knee-high, I been having a love affair with literature.  I started reading  when I was a kid and never stopped.  I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite books with you.  So here we go.  

Five of my absolute favorite books ever (in no particular order):

Beach Music by Pat Conroy
This book reminds me of my days in Carolina and it will forever hold a place in my heart.  Conroy is a true storyteller and even though I've reread this novel a couple times, it never loses its appeal. 

Beach Music is about Jack McCall, an American living in Rome with his young daughter, trying to find peace after the recent trauma of his wife's suicide. But his solitude is disturbed by the appearance of his sister-in-law, who begs him to return home, and of two school friends asking for his help in tracking down another classmate who went underground as a Vietnam protester and never resurfaced. These requests launch Jack on a journey that encompasses the past and the present in both Europe and the American South, and that leads him to shocking - and ultimately liberating - truths. [source]  
Buy here.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Truth: This is a book about vampires.  However, as a Never-Will-Read-Twilight reader, I feel comfortable in endorsing this novel.  I felt actual chills when I read this book.  I was transported to a world of medieval history, intrigue, and mystery.

Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of-a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known-and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself.  [source]
Buy here.

The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner
I read this book in college and it literally changed my life.  It introduced me to the concept of leadership and how leaders can transform an organization through the five practices: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.  If you are serious about being a leader and want to learn more, I'd start here.

Passionate about leadership and the potential within us all to become exemplary leaders, Jim and Barry have spent over three decades together researching, teaching, and writing about what great leaders do.  They've also had the good fortune to interview thousands of leaders around the world - representing some of the more than 3 million people who have used The Leadership Challenge to help them reach for their personal best.  And they've distilled all of that wisdom and experience down to five clear Practices available to all who accept the challenge to lead.  [source]  
Buy here.

Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan
I literally finished this book last week and it easily skyrocketed to the top of my list.  It's an adult fairy-tale  taking place in a bewitched town where spells and magic exist.  

"Meridia grows up in a lonely home until she falls in love with Daniel at age sixteen.  Soon, they marry, and Meridia can finally escape to live with her charming husband's family - unaware that they harbor dark mysteries of their own.  As Meridia struggles to embrace her life as a young bride, she discovers long-kept secrets about her own past as well as shocking truths about her new family that push her love, courage, and sanity to the brink."  [source]
Buy here.

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
This is probably my favorite book of all time.  I found it while traveling in Barcelona a couple years ago and I am quick to recommend it to others.  It is a beautiful story about stories and those that love them.

At the first light of dawn in postwar Barcelona, a bookseller leads his motherless son to a mysterious crypt called the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.  This labyrinthine sanctuary houses the books that have lost their owners, books that are no longer remembered by anyone.  It is here that ten-year-old Daniel Sempere pulls a single book - The Shadow of the Wind - off of the dusty shelves to adopt as his own.  With one fateful turn of the page, he begins an adventure that will unravel another man's tragedy and solve a mystery that has already taken many lives and will shape his entire future.  [source]
Buy here.


Check back tomorrow for our first ever giveaway on life. law. luck. and Happy Reading!




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