Things I'm Loving: Book Edition

Admittedly, I have not been the best reader lately. Usually I consume books (and magazines) like they're going out of style,(I also purchase them that way, too...), but with the Holidays and the general hustle bustle of my life lately (and my latest obsession with youtube), my books (and journal, for that matter) have been tres ignored. That all changed, however, on my recent trip to DC, and I'm back in business, baby.

1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

This book was recommended to me by my boy bestie J (see DC pics below). He said it was "dark, but really good." I'm always intrigued by "dark" books as they are not typically found in my regular rotation. I brought this book with me to DC, started reading it on my departure day and finished it in a matter of hours. Yes, it was that good (and easy to read). Apparently it's going to be a movie with that hot bad boy Lord of the Rings guy. I bet the movie is going to be sad and scary. I can't wait to see it!

(How weird! My fab friend Nina just blogged about The Road, too!)

2. The Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin

I only recommend this book to those of you who enjoy the occasional "chick lit" and who liked The Nanny Diaries (TERRIBLE MOVIE). Because it's not really that good, but it's good if you want to know what happens next, ya know what i mean? I bought it as a book on CD for my drive to Dallas over the Holidays. Admittedly it took a little while for me to get into it, but once I was in, I was in. There is, after all, nothing I enjoy more than learning about the crazy lives of the Manhatten elite. Why do you think I'm so obsessed with Gossip Girl? (Also - if you like books on CD, I would listen to the original Nanny Diaries on CD b/c Julia Roberts narrates, and she's surprisingly hilarious.)

3. Living etc.

I guess this doesn't technically count as a "book", BUT if you're missing Domino as much as I am, then you're going to like #3. Living etc is a British interior design magazine that is, dare I say, better than Domino. It's chock full of insane interiors, both realistic and somewhat achievable to pure, amazing and completely unattainable fantasy. It's good. Really, really good. (And bonus: its website is awesome, too!) The only thing that sucks is that it's British and therefore includes lots of British-only home goods (augh how I miss them...) AND it costs an arm and a leg to get it in the States. What I do when I'm feeling tres pauvre is visit Borders, grab a latte, and leisurely flip through it. Putting it back on the shelves is always painful, but at least I've gotten my daily dose of design inspiration. (Psst - you can still get Domino inspiration from this fabulous flickr pool!)

4. Cleaving by Julie Powell

I debated whether I should include this one in... I adored Julie & Julia (both the book and the movie), and so it was no question that I would read Powell's latest memoir, despite its tagline, "A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession." (It also got pretty awful reviews.) But when I saw that I could get the book on cd, unabridged AND read by the author herself, for about $5, I couldn't help myself. I popped in the first CD a couple days ago, and well, let me say this. I don't LOVE the book, but it is without a doubt very interesting (in a bad train wreck/Jersey Shore kind of way), and I find myself wanting more. For that reason, Cleaving has made the list. I'll let you know how I feel once I'm done.

(and yes... I am now a fan of the Jersey Shore. le sigh.)

5. Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran

Okay so technically I can't be "loving" this book because I haven't yet read it. BUT, I know I'm going to read it, and that the likelihood of me loving is high. So it's made the list. (I also need a kick-in-the-butt because my vegetarian eating has gotten a bit too lax lately, and I'm not proud of it.) Have any of y'all read it? What did you think? Want to book swap??