BOOKS WE LOVE

I've always loved reading. As a child I grew up in a Harry Potter-obsessed household. My mom would drive my brother and I to the midnight book releases and we'd have to buy three copies total because we were all too excited and didn't have the patience or self-control to share. I went through a long period during college where I didn't read much for pleasure, and now that I've graduated I've rediscovered my love of reading again. I thought I'd put together a list of books I love, as well as a few newbies to check out. What are some books you're loving right now?

1. Love Is a Dog from Hell by Charles Bukowski. Beautiful. This is not your average poetry book about romance.
2. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. Another great little book of love poems. This one is written for the true romantic.
3. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Thought I’d mention this one because Kirsten Dunst is directing and producing a movie adaptation to be released next year!
4. How to Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell. This book is a serious trip. Written by an ex-beauty editor at Condé Nast about her serious addiction to Adderall and how it affected her life and career. Speaking of Condé Nast, it looks like Gwyneth Paltrow is teaming up with the publisher to create a quarterly print magazine of Goop. Can’t wait!
5. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. A puzzling story about a Japanese boy who runs away from home and all of the mysteries that unfold thereafter. I’ve never read a story that felt as cinematic as this one.
6. Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion. This was very first book of Didion’s I had ever read, and I loved it. The White Album is next on my list.
7. Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger. This collection of captivating stories is what got me back into classic fiction.
8. Feminist Fight Club by Jessica Bennett. I admit that I have yet to read this one, but from flipping through it looks like it is styled similar to a coffee table book, with pictures and little notes written throughout. Excited to dig in.
9. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. If you love The Beatles, Ken Kesey and The Grateful Dead, this book is for you.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Happy Friday! Is it just me or has this week been dragging on?? I finally have a full weekend off so I plan on getting some errands done, chilling outside and keeping up with my fitness routine. Sometimes it's easy to push your goals to the side when the weekend rolls around but it's rewarding to finish off the week strong and cross all your to-do items off the list. What are you up to this weekend?

xx Sarah

Niki's wearing: Dress from ASOS, shoes by Sam Edelman

I'm wearing: Thrifted top and shoes, jeans from Madewell.

BOOK REVIEW: GIRL CODE

I will start my review of Cara Alwill Leyba's Girl Code by disclaiming that this was my first time reading a book fitting into the self-help category and had no idea what the format was going to look like. That being said, I'm not sure if self-help books are my cup of tea.

The spelling and grammatical errors were what put me off first, as they were evident not only within the first few pages, but up until the very last chapter of the book. I couldn't help but feel disappointed, because I felt like I couldn't take the author seriously if she didn't take the time to get a 140 page book edited properly. C'mon! I understand that this was not her first book published, so I can't help but wonder if this one was rushed to the printers to make a quick buck.

The book definitely carries a specific format throughout, with each chapter beginning with Leyba's "Girl Code Secret": a lesson relating to good business practices, followed by a short interview with a different female entrepreneur, and then a page or two for the reader to respond (in your own words) to the lessons in the chapter. (I cringe.) Perhaps I'm too cynical for self-help, but taking a pen to the pages of a paper-bound book literally makes the hairs on my back stand up. Maybe Leyba's "Champagne Diet" just doesn't resonate with the type of girl that I am? Don't get me wrong, I love a glass of champagne just as much as the next girl (ok, maybe not enough to wear a tee shirt proclaiming such love), but I felt like too much of the book revolved around the joys of expensive Chanel bags, blowouts and bubble baths. To be clear, I think it's perfectly normal to want these things, but they don't motivate me personally. 

Maybe the point of the book was to think about your own versions of Chanel bags and bubble baths? Maybe my Chanel bag, bubble bath, champagne trio looks more like a vintage Coach backpack, scenic hike, gin and tonic with extra lime trio. But even still, these things don't actually motivate me. Don't get me wrong, I love material objects. They are nice luxuries to be able to afford, but I was disappointed by how much emphasis the book puts on "knowing you've made it" after being able to purchase a brand new designer handbag without a man's help. Isn't this idea antiquated by now? Haven't we moved past having to reassure a female reader that she can do things and buy things without a man? I was hoping for more. Less fluff and more real, hard life lessons a woman must battle on her own when starting a new business. 

Leyba's takeaways from each chapter do focus a great deal on remaining positive no matter the circumstance. She talks about handling every situation with grace and understanding no matter how upset you are with a person or how sticky a situation thrown your way. In one chapter she describes an experience she has when one of her peers blatantly rips off her website design and branding, and how she responds by complementing her and giving her positive feedback. I'm not sure that I would have the same classy response if I were in her situation and I feel like I would need to let this approach really marinate in my mind before choosing my reaction. However, I do applaud her for taking the high road in many of her unfortunate experiences and did appreciate her positive outlook.

The interviews with her fellow peers did strike me as marketing pitches for each woman's business which was off-putting for me, even though I get it. As much as I wanted to be motivated by this book, it didn't do much for me. Maybe I respond better to tough love in order to get myself motivated. Perhaps I'm too cynical and stubborn to accept the lessons of this book, or maybe the book was too positive and girly to be adaptable for me? Whatever the reason, I had trouble taking this book too seriously, and I felt that a lot of the advice was pretty generic and uninspiring.  

I would love to hear if you have any thoughts or opinions you'd like to add about Girl Code, or if you have other self-help books that you found to be helpful!

Thanks for reading!

Sarah

WINTER // SPRING TRANSITIONAL OUTFITS

Dressing appropriately for the weather in Atlanta is always a little unpredictable.  The other morning it was 30 degrees and by 5:00 it had jumped up to 75 degrees. While it’s not always favorable when you’ve got your outfit chosen ahead of time, it forces you to roll with the punches and be prepared for a surprise. Thus, here is our take on “wanting to dress like it’s spring when it’s actually 50 degrees and starting to rain”:

TopShop jacket Zara skirt Superga sneakers 

Free People Jacket, ASOS sandals, Madewell jeans