What to Read: Roco Mag

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a relaxing weekend.  I had a great time touring an awesome local brewery with friends, then enjoying lots of good food and naps. 

I also had the chance to sit down with a great new Irish digital interiors magazine called Roco launched by a fellow blogger, Rachael Colton.  Some of you may remember that Rachael has posted here, and I have filled in for her, so if you're familiar with her taste then you're probably psyched to see it on a much grander scale.

I know there are lots of online magazines out there, but Roco is different in that it caters to the Irish design scene, and those of us who want a taste of something different.  I loved the first issue, and encourage you to check it out.  Here's a little peek:

The debut issue has lots of big names, plus gorgeous rooms, fashion, and an idyllic Irish wedding.  It certainly makes me want to catch a plane to Dublin, and commend Rachael on following her dreams. 

Have you checked out Roco, yet? 

What To Read: Vol. 4

If you haven't noticed, I like books.  A lot.  And periodically, I like to share some of the recent ones I've read in hopes that you'll enjoy them too.

Source: flickr.com via Mary Kate on Pinterest

One of the best things about my Italy vacation was the chance to sit and read for hours in planes and trains.  Thankfully, so many of my blogging friends are bookworms so I had lots of good recommendations to go on.  The first book I read was recommended on my friend Erin's blog, Little e,  a while back, and I too recommend The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  The best I can say is that it's a beautiful book and you fall instantly into the story.  I've not read anything quite like it, and I think if you liked Harry Potter you will enjoy this too. 

Next, I read Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster by Dana Thomas.  I'd already heard of this book because of my work in retail marketing, but was reminded of it once again when Victoria posted about it on Vmac & Cheese.  It's a nonfiction book that offers a fascinating look into the brands everyone seems to covet, and how an "it bag" comes to be and which ones may be worth the price.  I was already somewhat immune to the draw of luxury marketing, and this book further changed how I will react to ad campaigns going forward.  If you're a marketing nerd like me, you'll love it.

 Next I read another book from Erin's list called Sex With Kings by Eleanor Herman.  It's a nonfiction, and bawdy,  account of the history of royal mistresses which is really interesting to a historical fiction reader like myself.  I'm not a fan of the author's writing style (she gets a little melodramatic) but I could tell the book was carefully researched and it was super interesting to learn what was socially acceptable 200+ years ago!

Next, I started what has become an obsession.  Where the heck have I been that I had never heard of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon?!  I am in love with Jamie Fraser, and read the first three books (800+ pages each) in a week.  I'm now on book four of seven, and the eighth comes out next year.  The series doesn't fit a single genre, so it's Romance/Fantasy/Adventure/History all at once.  Someone read them and then chat with me about it!

And just for fun, here's what I agree to be the appropriate depiction of Jamie.  However, I want Chris Hemsworth and Emily Blunt to star in the movie, if there ever is one. 

  So, who else has good book suggestions?  After I finish my current series, I'll be reading The Family Fang and The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb.  What next?

Blogger Must-Haves: Books

It's no secret that I love to read.  I can't think of anything I enjoy more than a good novel and a glass of wine.  I think my nightstand speaks for itelf:

photo by my friend Cassie at Chandler Imaging

This week I hoped to solicit some book recommendations from other bloggers, and share one of my own.  I just finished Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and LOVED it.  I found myself reading as fast I could so I could find out what happened next.  I highly recommend it - it was a combination of history, mystery and romance. 

Becky from Mommy's Guilty Pleasures recommends Something Blue by Emily Griffin

Chelle of Spangled Paraphernalia, my Texas Style Council roommate, recommends a Jane Austen classic, Pride & Prejudice.  I love the Penguin Classics version!

And finally, Rads from Rads Blogazine recommends the The Secret, a book I must say I'm curious about.

Hopefully everyone has a nice weekend!  I'm excited to get things done around my house and catch up on my shows.  See you next week!

What to Read: Volume 2

If you know me in real life, you know I am a book nerd and proud of it.  As a kid, I saved my allowance until I had enough to buy a paperback at Waldenbooks and then devoured it in about 2 days.  Clearly that's why I had so many friends.  ;-)

Every so often, I like to share some books that I enjoyed reading since it seems like every week that I get asked for a book recommendation.  Here are some of my recent favorites:

 

One Day by David Nicholls
I absolutely loved this story, and it is now being made into a movie starring Anne Hathaway.  I highly suggest you read it before the movie butchers the story (although the trailer does look promising, movies always leave out important stuff).  I laid in bed laughing and then crying and was so sad when I ran out of pages to read.

At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson
I've posted about Bill Bryson before because he is one of my all-time favorite authors.  If you are the type of person who is interested in history and how people lived a long time ago, you'll love this book and its ability to turn you into a source of useful facts for bar trivia.  It's really long, but the chapters are somewhat unrelated so you can read little bits here and there.  I now know things like how forks came to be, and how babies were delivered when male doctors weren't allowed to touch female patients.

Figures in Silk by Vanora Bennett
I love historical fiction, and am trying to move beyond the Tudor era since I know those story lines so well (Anne never lives).  I had loved Vanora Bennett's first book after snatching it up from the clearance table, and was so excited to get her new book last year, only to have it sit on my shelf for 6 months while I planned a wedding.  I thought this story was fascinating, and I stayed up far too late the week that I read it.  The historical details are pretty accurate, if you're a stickler for those things, and the characters were not like any I'd read about before.

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
I read this with my book club last year and still think about it often.  It's a very haunting memoir written by a woman who has survived more terrible things than I could wrap by head around.  It definitely makes you realize how lucky you are to be reading this on a computer period, and you'll want to cheer for her as she turns her life around. 

Do you have any book recommendations?  I can't wait to read Bossypants and The Help, but am making myself work through my existing stack before buying anything new.  It's hard.  :(

What to read: Dabble Magazine

The ranks of online style and lifestyle magazines keep on growing, which is great for me since I'm cheap and like having new things to look at on the couch.  I was excited to see (via The Decorista) a new online glossy (odd term, that one...) launched this month, and it's based in Canada.  After 25 minutes of browsing, I can safely say that Dabble is in my top 3 favorites.

The contents cover a huge range of topics, and I like that the overall tone is more "here is how you can do this" instead of "look at what someone else did, isn't it pretty?"  Plus, the magazine is equally devoted to travel and food, so you learn things like where to eat in Prague and how to roll sushi at home.

I highly suggest you check it out, but in case you aren't convinced, here are some of my favorite spreads:

Ivy & Piper - The Australian Lonny!

As many of you know, I'm a magazine addict among other things (serial spray painter, hoarder of cardies, lover of dachshunds...).  I subscribe to 6 and buy about 3 more each month.  Luckily, we are now in the era of online glossies like Lonny, Matchbook, Rue, and High Gloss so my bookshelf can go a bit longer without being filled with stacks of back issues. 

Last night I was reading one of my favorite DIY fashion and decor blogs, Bromeliad, and saw a post that mentioned a magazine called Ivy & Piper that appears to be Lonny's Australian cousin.  I clicked through and now I'm hooked.

Look at this:

The aesthetic is fun and whimsical, and most of the products featured are from American or British retailers.  Check them out!  I just spent 25 minutes reading instead of writing a post about how to style leopard cardigans and finding clothes like Zooey Deschanel's - look for those later this week!

Give it a read: Matchbook Magazine

Don't forget to enter to win a cocktail ring from the Grayce by Molly Sims collection!

It seems that ever since Lonny Magazine launched and began to build a voice in the publishing world, a whole crop of new online magazines burst onto the scene.  I'm thrilled that there's now a new channel for creative people to share fabulous things (for free!) and was excited to check out the newest addition to the online fold when it launched this week - Matchbook Magazine

Overall, I like the aesthetic and that the voice of the magazine doesn't seem too preachy or like it's trying to mimic things that are already out there.  There is a LOT of copy to read, which can be great if you've got time to spend, but overwhelming when you're just trying to browse.  I would have liked more features like the one below and some more interior photos. 

Even though I can't stand printouts in my day to day work life, I really miss turning the pages of magazines.   I hope start ups like Matchbook can stick around, but they'll never take the place of curling up on my couch with glossy pages of pretty pictures. 

And I hope they don't think we're going to start paying to look at PDFs - I'm talking to you, Southern Flourish. 

What to read for free on the internet: Southern Flourish

It's no secret that I am a magazine addict.  I subscribe to 5 and buy 2 more each month (my British home magazines) and read Lonny online.  You'd think that would be enough, but no.  I'm always on the lookout for more and was thrilled to find Southern Flourish this week. 

It's like a Southern Living meets Domino and Real Simple, aimed at the under 40 demographic.  Being from Texas, I love that it features Southern artists, designers and recipes, but the content and homes featured will appeal to women from all over.  The magazine is published online at the moment (5 issues per year) but you can purchase a printed version if you're so inclined (I'll continue to read what's free).

Here's a peek at what the content is like, and I highly suggest you check it out next time you're looking for some ideas for your house or closet. 

What to read: Vol 1

I've noticed several of my favorite blogstresses posting their picks for books to read this summer and since that's a topic very near and dear to my heart, I want to post my recommendations as well.  This page will also serve as my new answer for all the people who ask me what they should read next

Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett
I'd be Captain Obvious if I posted a Phillippa Gregory book for you, so I'm going with this one instead.  The story is historical fiction in the Tudor era, but if focuses on the family of Sir Thomas More instead of Henry VIII.  I stayed up all night reading this and if you like historical fiction, you'll enjoy it.

Getting Over It by Anna Maxted

Anna Maxted is my favorite author for non-historical books.  Her characters are eerily relateable and the stories are not like the thousand other chick lit books at Barnes and Noble.  This book is about a woman dealing with the death of her dad, but it's down a Debbie Downer read and if you like it you'll probably like all her other books as well.

Digging to America by Anne Tyler
This book is about two families who adopt Korean babies on the same day.  One family is Iranian and the other American and the books follows their story as the girls grow up.  The story sucks you in quickly and it's a quick read that makes you think about what it means to be American.

I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson is my favorite non-fiction author.  His travel books are great for when you want to read a little each night and laugh out loud (and learn!).  I'm a Stranger Here myself is actually a collection of newspaper columns that he wrote after moving back to America after 20 years in England.  If you like his style, you'll like his other books as well.

The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
Tracy Chevalier wrote The Girl with the Pearl Earring (which was made into that movie with Scarlett Johannson) but I think this book was better.  Her books often start with a painting or work of art and then she creates a story about the people who made it - in this case the famous Cluny tapestries depicting a lady and a unicorn.  The story is really interesting and it's another book I couldn't put down until 1am when I was about to pass out.


The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
Yes, same author as above.  This book is part mystery, part historical fiction and flips between the story of an American woman who moves to France and her relatives 400 years ago.  I read all the time and this story has stuck with me for about 4 years.  I just may read it again this summer...

The English American by Alison Larkin
This story is about a British woman who learns that her birth parents are American and she heads to the US to meet them.  Hilarity ensues, but not in the ridiculous chick lit way.  It's a true story and very entertaining.

Do any of these sound interesting to you?  Do you have any suggestions for me?  I've only got 3 more books in my To Be Read pile...