What to Read?

Every once and awhile I find myself without a book in which I can’t seem to put down.  Thankfully this is not the case right now, but just in case you’re currently in limbo, looking for a book to read and unable to find one that grabs your interest, I thought I’d share a few that I would gladly read again and would be happy to lend you if you only lived nearby.

My selections are each from a different genre or category, and each, in their own way, offers a bit of pleasure, a smile or two, or additional contentment to your already fantastic life.

 So read on to maybe find the book you’ve been looking for to add to your nightstand.  Fingers crossed.

1. Take It Up A Notch

Happiness that is.  The word “project” looks and sounds a bit daunting, but do not be deterred.  Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project is for anyone who already knows that the life they have is quite all right, but they just don’t feel they are appreciating it enough, or feel that with just a few tweaks and adjustments they may find their life more enjoyable.

Some excerpts:

“Act the way I want to feel. This . . . sums up one of the most helpful insights that I’d learned in my happiness research: although we presume that we act because of the way we feel, in fact we often feel because of the way we act.”

“Even a modest pleasure can be a luxury if it’s scarce enough – ordering coffee at a restaurant, buying a book, or watching TV – which is why deprivation is one of the most effective, although unenjoyable, cures for the hedonic treadmill.”

“It is easy to make the mistake of thinking that if you have something you love or there’s something you want, you’ll be happier with more.”

“Enthusiasm is more important to mastery than innate ability, it turns out, because the single most important element in developing an expertise is your willingness to practice.”

2. Inspiration to Start Anew

Kristen Lobe’s novel Paris Hangover has been available for a handful of years, but I had to include it.  I have revisited this book a number of times, and I still find myself being mesmerized by the main character’s gumption and tenaciousness. 

If you’ve ever wanted to find the courage to pack up just enough of your belongings (and your furry-haired friend) in a couple of suitcases and relocate to the city or locale of your dreams, this novel will give you the nudge to make your dream a reality.  The protagonist, a bit whimsically, begins the novel by deciding to start her life fresh in Paris after having lived in New York City most of her adult life.  The adventures and loves she encounters make for a scrumptious tale.

3. A Light-Hearted, Enjoyable Caper

When picking up a book to dive into, I need to feel better after having read a chapter or two, not disturbed.   And while I love mysteries, sometimes the violence involved is too much. 

Well, if you are of the similar mind, I have an author for you to begin reading – Peter Mayle.  He, like the aforementioned protagonist in Paris Hangover, up and moved from the states to Paris and currently resides in the south of France.  The majority of his fictional books involve a mystery, but death is not the crime.  In The Vintage Caper the mystery lies in “who stole the wine?”  Other subjects in earlier books included the seeking of the beloved truffles, and stolen artwork as well.  Light-hearted, yet still illegal activities nonetheless.

What you will find in his most recent work (pictured below) is savory descriptions of French cuisine, brief, yet interesting schooling on wine and vivid imagery of beautiful chateaus and wine cellars in France.  Needless to say, this novel piqued my interest immediately. 

4.  Common Sense Repackaged

Bethenny Frankel has kind of taken Bravo by storm lately, and I must admit I jumped on the bandwagon.  Her first book, Naturally Thin, came out last year, and she has since followed it up with a book of even more recipes, as well as a book of rules for remaining naturally thin – The Skinnygirl Dish and The Skinnygirl Rules.  Before you skip over this book because it involves “dieting”, read a few of the excerpts because it might just catch your attention.  As much as we all pride ourselves on knowing what we should do, this book reiterates and gives specifics to make sure we do indeed do what we know we should do.

Excerpts:

“I think everybody deserves to be healthy and get into the best shape of her life.  That’s why I’ve collected all the simple facts that have taken me twenty years to learn, and crystallized them into ten simple rules.”

“Your diet is your bank account. Don’t eat too much of any one thing, don’t eat the same thing twice, balance starches with proteins, vegetables and fruits with sweets, and always balance a splurge with a save.”

“Dieting is not helping you; it’s hurting you and subtly undermining your own personal power.  It also negatively alters your metabolism.  I’m serious about this.  Diets, by definition, tell you what to eat. Why should anybody else tell you what to eat?  What does anybody else know about what you need and desire?  It’s your body, your taste buds, your preference, your life.”

Hopefully, your curiosity has been teased a bit regarding at least one of these books, and if not, please share what you would gladly read again or pass on to a friend.  I’m always in search of my next new book.

Here’s to a lovely treasured Thursday.  Happy reading!

Images: (1) Image Source

The Nourishment of Books

Books for me are akin to a bank account overflowing with wealth. There is a genuine comfort in knowing that I have, within my reach, a book to get lost in or to learn from or even to simply gaze within all dependent on my mood. Whether it be a classic such as Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird or a tearful, but at the same time uplifting memoir like Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, there is tranquility in knowing I can always take my thoughts somewhere else.

During my days in graduate school, I came to realize that having a solitary book upon my bed stand was equal to having not one. I remember vividly my mentor's description of the many books beside her bed stand. "A book of every genre because I'm never quite sure what my mood will be at the end of the day. All I know for certain is that I will need a book to end it." I envisioned two or three stacks, or should I say piles, of books alongside her bed. Although I never saw it, her description was motivation enough for me to slowly begin to relinquish the least bit of guilt for having my own mini-library beside my bed.

Photo: Elle Decor

As the years have passed, my own pile has grown, shrunk and grown again, depending upon how quickly I keep up. Currently I have Muriel Barbery's Gourmet Rhapsody, Mireille Guiliano's French Women for All Seasons, Peter Mayle's Toujours Provence, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (the first cookbook I have ever read in bed!) and three other books from the library that looked interesting (I already know I'm going to have to exhaust all of my renewals).

Regardless of how many books I have or how many times I have read my favorites, the beauty of books is that there is always a plethora of new ones to explore. Maybe that's why books are such a comfort, because it is understood that they will always be there, dependable like a loyal pup. There is one new release in particular that I am anxious to get my hands on that becomes available tomorrow, and while it is sitting on my Amazon Wish List, I hope to have it sometime soon delivered to my door. For women who struggle, strive and hopefully succeed in having it all, I am curious to see how exactly she does it, Mika Brzezinski's All Things At Once. If anyone has read it and has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

Here's to happy reading, and may you find exactly what you need at the end of your day sitting upon your bed stand tonight!