Oh man where to start?! I haven’t been reaching for my bookshelf that much recently because stuff needed to get done. Reading seems to always be the first thing to suffer even though it’s one of the main things that calms me down. I’ve been sneaking off at work during lunches to read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I’ve heard a lot of people rave about it and I wanted to read it before watching the film. I actually had this book years ago with the original cover but couldn’t get past the bathroom floor. Then I watched an episode of The Big Bang Theory while on holiday in the New Forest and they made me want to give it another go. Apparently it’s life changing?! So I ran out to a charity book shop and found it – I’m gutted it’s the film cover version but hey ho.
I’m having a love hate relationship with it. I loved Italy but really struggled to keep reading the middle section. I’m finishing up the final section at the moment but nothing seems to be as good as Italy. Maybe it’s because I love food and dream about Rome and Venice all the time. Have you read Eat Pray Love? What do you think? Is it only me that liked the first part?
I picked up Deliciously Ella‘s book last month and it has to be the first cookbook that I’ve sat down and read from cover to cover. I never read the intros of books but this one you really feel her enthusiasm and personality in it. Maybe that’s because she’s a blogger first – it was just more relatable. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet but I love how she gives you a basic list of ingredients to get and it’s not intimidating like a lot of recipes can be.
A colleague at work lent me the three fashion books and they’ve been a nice break to dip in and out of while waiting for food to cook or eating breakfast in the morning. The One Hundred by Nina Garcia has such beautiful illustrations and includes 100 (obviously) things that the fashionista should really have. Take it with a pinch of salt and it’s really interesting. It’s quite a few years old now and you can see where life has shifted – an iPod is definitely not a necessity now our mobiles are good enough.
Another Nina Garcia book, The Style Strategy, is broken down into three topics – what do I have, what do I need and what do I want? Again it is exquisitely illustrated and has quotes from designers and celebrities throughout. She goes through what items you need to get and what you can get rid of. Again, you can’t take it too seriously unless you have deep pockets. She does say it can be daunting investing in pieces when you have no money – but that they should last for years. And that’s true, I buy lots of cheap clothes that will only last a season, whereas pieces I invest in do tend to last a lot longer. This book is full of some really good tips.
Gisèle Scanlon‘s The Goddess Guide is just gorgeous. Well, I love the cover, but I found the pages far too cluttered for my liking and I found some pages really hard to read. Saying that, it’s been my favourite to flick to a page and just read while the dinner is cooking. It’s full of tips on pretty much anything. I know where to go for the best macarons in Paris and also how to best care for a cashmere jumper.
What are you reading at the moment?
