Summer Reading

My mom's house is full of books....

With a mother like mine (an English teacher) and an imagination like mine, I love to read, especially in the summer. I like to arrange my pile of summer reading and get through the whole thing by September. This year, I'm keeping it light light light! 

I'm currently ten pages into my first selection, Chic Savages by John Fairchild, and so far it's very sassy which of course I love.

Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe. I've started it a hundred times but just can't seem to finish! I'm determined to do it this year.

Wendy Wasserstein's Elements of Style, which observes Post-9/11 New York City from various points of view. And don't you love that cover??

And last but not least, Music for Chameleons by my dear friend Truman Capote. It's my favorite book and even though I've read it many times it never gets old. 

What are you guys reading this summer? Any recommendations to add to my rather superficial reading list? 

xoxo

I DO Judge a Book by its Cover

I saw this on a friend's shelf and thought "that's a pretty book...maybe I'll read it." This happens a lot-- sometimes its really disappointing, but other times the text inside lives up to the expectations caused by the cover art. 

I have to say that is the case with this book, Climbing the Mango Trees by Madhur Jaffrey. I'm not a traditional "foodie" per se-- I love food, I love to read about food, but I'm not well-educated when it comes to culinary arts. But this book has made me want to change my ways! 

Madame Jaffrey is a Beard Award winner and pretty famous foodie herself, and her book tells the story of her Indian coming of age, packed full of spices and juicy vocabulary. 

This part of the introduction is what really got me hooked:

"I was born in my grandparents' sprawling house by the Yamuna River in Delhi. Grandmother welcomed me into this world by writing Om, which means 'I am' in Sanskrit, on my tongue with a little finger dipped in honey... I was left with honey on my palate and in my deepest soul."

She uses such amazing language and describes her family in such a way that I would seriously trade lives with her in a second. Or maybe just go to India for a week!!

Anyway, I strongly recommend this read. You can order it on Amazon here. 

Anyone feel like splurging for a plane ticket for moi??

The New Etiquette Bible

The other day at Square Books I had a minor freak-out when I saw that they had a copy of Classy by Derek Blasberg, a new book that I've been dying to get my hands on!

Like Emily Post before him, Derek Blasberg has some excellent advice for young ladies like myself. He breaks down everything a 20-something needs to know to keep up her social graces. From how to set a table for a dinner party to cell-phone regulations, Derek doesn't spare a single detail. And all with a great sense of humor!

(the writer--- check out those funky socks! photo from style.com)

You may know the author from one of the various magazines he contributes to (Bazaar, Vogue, W and many others), or from editing the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen coffee table book called Influence. Even if you've never read his work before, you're bound to fall in love with his witty advice in Classy. 

Here are some of my favorite quips from the book:

"A lady knows to be herself. Unless she's an asshole."

"A lady eats carbs if she wants."

"A lady always thanks her host or hostess first when attending a party."

"A lady, if she desires a designer item, will work hard and pay for the authentic version."

and my #1:

"A lady is never worried about possessing intelligence. Being coquettish or dainty for the sake of being dainty are ideas that smart women know are archaic."

His little volume is chock-full of clever quotations, drawings, photos, and general good advice for the modern girl. Not to mention is some super-cute packaging! 

I definitely recommend this read!

 If you aren't lucky enough to head into Square Books anytime you like, you can buy this little gem of a read here.