Book Review - "Paris Street Style: A Guide to Effortless Chic" by Isabelle Thomas and Frederique Veysset (#21 - 2019)

Paris Street Style: A Guide to Effortless Chic by Isabelle Thomas and Frederique Veysset

Photo-heavy book about style in Paris including interviews with designers, trendsetters, artists, etc.  Nothing groundbreaking but fun to look at.  Would recommend if interested in Paris style/fashion.  Skip otherwise.

Book Review - "An Edited Life" by Anna Newton (#20 - 2019)

An Edited Life by Anna Newton

A solid book from blogger Anna Newton.  A great guide to "declutter" everything in your life, she gives some great tips and tricks and this would be a great book for a graduation present or to read if you just don't know where/how to start getting your life "together".  My only complaint about the book is the light green used to highlight things - it was waaaay too light and made things super hard to read - see photo below.  Other than that, would totally recommend.

Book Review - "Hinch Yourself Happy" by Mrs. Hinch (#19 - 2019)

Hinch Yourself Happy: All The Best Cleaning Tips To Shine Your Sink and Soothe Your Soul by Mrs. Hinch

I listened to this book on Labor Day while cleaning the house (duh) and I LOVED it so much.  If you don't follow Mrs. Hinch on Instagram then I just don't know what you are doing.  She's awesome.  Lots of cleaning tips and tricks and just overall cleaning inspiration.  This book is part autobiography part cleaning manual and just overall warm and fun.  The only frustration I have with following her is that I can't find most of the cleaning products she uses (and swears by) here in the US (she's in the UK).  Totally would recommend!

Book Review - "Same Beach, Next Year" by Dorothea Benton Frank (#18 - 2019)

Same Beach, Next Year by Dorothea Benton Frank

Worth noting that I finished this book about a week before Dorothea Benton Frank passed away on 9/2/2019, such a bummer, I really enjoy her books and I hate that we won't get another.

This is the story of two couples, Adam and Eliza and Eve and Carl, who meet during Summer vacation and follows them through two decades.  Adam and Eve were high school sweethearts.  There's a little jealousy at first with Carl and Eve but all of that is soon forgotten over the years.  Or is it?  This book was okay, not her best, it took me a long time to get through it because I didn't really like any of the characters (well, I did enjoy the part where Eliza was in her mother's native Greece, in fact that would have been a better book).  Anyway, pick one of her other books before this one.

Book Review - "The New Glamour" by Jeff Andrews (#17 - 2019)

The New Glamour: Interiors with Star Quality by Jeff Andrews

If you buy one coffee table decorating/interiors book, buy this one.  Seriously, it's that good.  I was lucky enough to meet Jeff and talk with him a bit at High Point Furniture Market.  He's so nice and really interesting and, being a fan of his work, I enjoyed speaking with him.  I even got my book signed (yay!):

Book Review - "Mera: Tidebreaker" illustrated by Stephen Byrne (#16 - 2019)

Mera: Tidebreaker illustrated by Stephen Byrne

Really liked this graphic novel about Princess Mera who is a teenager and heir to the throne.  Mera overhears of a plan to overthrow the King so she makes it her mission to kill the long-lost Prince and heir to the kingdom of Atlantis.  He's been hidden away on land for all of his life.  It's a good story and really well illustrated.  Would recommend.

Book Review - "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman (#15 - 2019)

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Ove is a curmudgeon, but beneath his cranky exterior is a man who is sad and has a very interesting story.  One day he meets a young couple that have just moved in next door, they have two young girls.  What follows is a story of unexpected friendship that is truly heartwarming.  I highly recommend this book, it's a little slow start but there are lots of feels inside.  

Book Review - "The Royal We" by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan (#13 - 2019)

The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

This follows Bex Porter, an American who is studying abroad at Oxford.   Her twin sister Lacey was always the romantic one who dreamt of being a Princess, etc.  Bex is more of a tomboy who loves adventure.  Bex finds herself living across the hall from Nick who just happens to be the heir to the throne.  The story is told as sort of a series of flashbacks on the eve of her wedding to Nick.  Okay, I really had high hopes about this "inspired by William and Kate" story but it was so darn boring and dumb I abandoned it halfway through.  It just was not interesting at all.  Just skip this one.

Book Review - "Silent Night" by Danielle Steel (#12 - 2019)

Silent Night by Danielle Steel

Paige Watts’s daughter 9 year old daughter Emma is on a hit show and Paige is the ultimate stagemom. Paige has Emma’s whole career planned out and has her in every activity that will help her reach that goal. However a tragic accident changes all of that.  Emma now has to live with her psychologist Aunt Whitney. Whitney has never married or had children and her world is turned upside down. 

Would recommend, it’s a quick read, great for Summer. 

Book Review - "Ladies' Night" by Mary Kay Andrews (#11 - 2019)

Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews

Grace Stanton is a very successful lifestyle blogger, she creates the content and her husband runs the business side.  They live in a beautiful house and have a wonderful life.  Until Grace catches her husband cheating.  She is then locked out of her home, blog and life and ordered by the court to go to "divorce therapy" every week.  In therapy she meets a cast of characters and they decide to meet after therapy sessions at Grace's mother's bar and they swap stories, help each other out and try to find closure in their own way.  This was a fun read, easy, nothing too deep and would be a great vacation book!

Book Review - "Balancing In Heels" by Kristin Cavallari (#10 -2019)

Balancing in Heels: My Journey to Health, Happiness, and Making It All Work by Kristin Cavallari

Picked this book up on a whim and read it in a few hours.  Nothing Earth shattering or too deep here, just a decent overview of her history along with some beauty and fashion tips.  Some decent exercise routines and recipes too.  I enjoyed it, didn't take a bunch away from it, but it's worth reading.

Book Review - "Born to Be Brad: My Life and Style, So Far" by Brad Goreski (#9 - 2019)

Born to Be Brad: My Life and Style, So Far by Brad Goreski

I've loved Brad ever since the first season of "The Rachel Zoe Project" so I decided to pick this book up when I saw it.  It was a very enjoyable read, I loved finding out how he got to where he is now.  He's frank and honest about his childhood and his issues with addiction.  I really liked him more after reading this and he just seems like a nice person.  I would totally recommend this book!

Book Review - "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak (#8 - 2019)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I didn't know quite what to expect when I read this book.  I didn't read it 10+ years ago when it came out and I have not seen the movie.  The book is told through the eyes of Death.  Okay that sounds very morbid and depressing but it's not, I swear.  But it took me a few pages to figure it out.  The story focuses on a foster girl named Liesel who lives with her foster parents outside of Munich, Germany right as WWII is underway.  Liesel is the "book thief", her foster father teaches her to read and she becomes obsessed with books.  It's a very good book, however it can get a little hard to follow sometimes. I would recommend it.

Book Review - "Of Blood and Bone: Chronicles of The One, Book 2" by Nora Roberts (#7 - 2019)

Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts

The second book in The One series. This follows Fallon Swift through her teen years and her training in the magical arts so she can face the dark forces still terrorizing the world. This one was okay, I’m still not all in on this witches/elves/fairy stuff (I’m kind of tired of it).  

See the review of Book 1 here