BOOKMARK: SUMMER READING EDITION

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I really love to read.  I mean, really. As in, when I was a kid, if my brother or I got into trouble, our punishment would be for our mom to take our book away.  At the time, getting a book - especially one where you were just getting to the good part - ripped out of your hands mid-chapter was the absolute worst punishment EVER. It's only now, especially when it comes up in conversation with friends, that I realize how abnormal it is.

While I don't get to read as much as I used to, I'm still probably one of the only college student/PR intern/sorority girls who uses her library card regularly. Whenever I'm home during the summer, I head over and get a big stack of books - that way I always have something to ready by the pool, at the beach, in the backyard, at night when there's no good TV shows on, etc.

Obviously I'm not at home right now, and with work I don't have as much time to read, but I've still got a mile long wish list of books I'd love to crack open some time this summer. It's got a bit of everything -  hot new books, the "next-Harry-Potter/Hunger-Games", girly chick lit for the beach, stories, novels, etc. After all those years of mandatory summer reading of books you hated, it's nice to finally be able to make my own summer reading list - and definitely much more enjoyable to work my way through it!

And if you have any recommendations, comment!

01.  THE BONE SEASON - samantha shannon

02. CRAZY RICH ASIANS - kevin kwan

03. THE SUITORS - cecile david-weill

04. THE LOVE SONG OF JONNY VALENTINE - teddy wayne

05. A HUNDRED SUMMERS - beatriz williams

06. THE INTERESTINGS - meg wolitzer

07. ALL THE SUMMER GIRLS - meg donohue

08. WEDDING NIGHT - sophie kinsella

09. THE SILVER STAR - jeannette walls

10. DARE ME - megan abbott

11. THE ENGAGEMENTS - j. courtney sullivan

12. LADIES NIGHT - mary kay andrews

13. THE YONAHLOSSEE RIDING CAMP FOR GIRLS - anton disclafani

14. QUEEN OF THE TURTLE DERBY - julia reed

15. REVENGE WEARS PRADA - lauren weisberger

16. THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE HER - junot diaz

BOOKMARK

These two books ended up in my library bag during my last trip. I'd already read the first Freakonomics book and loved it, and of course, J.K. Rowling is J.K. Rowling.  Superfreakonomics is just what you'd expect if you've read the first book - filled with interesting observations and studies and ideas that you never would have thought of.  Extremely interesting and awesome dinner table conversation material!  

As for the Casual Vacancy, I'm torn. It was really slow in the beginning - not that much action, and so many characters/relationships that I couldn't keep them straight.  Finally, around the middle it got really good. The plot picked up, I got involved in the characters' lives (and because of all that build-up, felt like I knew them really well).  And then I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. Something you were lead to believe was important didn't end up being that important, and the end of the book felt a bit abrupt to me. Then again, I'm one of those people that likes a lot of closure, so you never know. I definitely recommend Superfreakomics if you like books that like, and if you've got some time on your hands or are a fast reader like me (it's a thick book), pick up the Casual Vacancy and see what you think!

SUPERFREAKONOMICS / THE CASUAL VACANCY

BOOKMARK

Now that I'm on summer vacation, I've got so much more time for reading.  One of the first things I did when I got back was make a trip to the public library (I think I might be the only person under 60 who still goes regularly...). In the coming weeks, I'll keep y'all updated on what's currently on my bedside table.  Start making your summer reading booklists - long days on the beach aren't far off!

sweet tooth / the art forger / lean in

BOOKMARK

A TENTH OF A SECOND: A HISTORY

author: jimena canales

designer: isaac tobin

via  bookcoverarchive.

I love the simplicity and repetition of this cover.  Plus, the pop of pink from the text is a nice touch.  This cover first caught my eye because I just learned about this set of photos by Eadward Muybridge in one of my classes.  Guess history is useful after all!

THE TALIBAN CRICKET CLUB

author: timeri n. murari

via amazon.

Great book about a female journalist living in Afghanistan, facing oppression from the government while trying to help her family at the same time. The government hosts a cricket tournament, trying to create some good PR with its neighboring countries, and the winners get to go to Pakistan.  Against a backdrop of cricket and the realities that many women face in Afghanistan, Murari writes a story about independence, family, freedom, and love.

BOOKMARK

 Raising The Perfect Child Through Guilt And Manipulation 

By: Elizabeth Beckwith

Designer: Jeff Miller

via the book cover archive

I love the retro image of the mom and daughter combined with the pop of blue 

(it echoes the little girl's eyes) and the sans-serif type.

The Informationist

By: Taylor Stevens

via amazon

A fast-paced thriller about a woman hired to track down a Texas oil tycoon's daughter who went missing in Africa - 4 years ago.  A definite page-turner (I finished it in one afternoon at the pool), with a strong female protagonist who has garnered comparisons to Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. If you like your books action-packed, this one's for you.

BOOKMARK

HOTHEADS

author: steven pinker

desigern: smith & gilmour

via book cover archive

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Loving the lettering on this simple cover!

RULES OF CIVILITY

author: amor towles

via amazon.

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Read this over Spring Break and absolutely loved it!

In a nutshell, a story about a girl living in the glamourous world of New York in the 1930's.

In reality, so much more than that. Check it out!

BOOKMARK

Hey y'all!  I'm starting another new series today called BOOKMARK.  I've always loved reading, but I often find myself pulling books off the bookshelf at Barnes & Noble not necessarily for what they're about, but for what their covers look like.  So I'm going to split BOOKMARK into two parts:

 COVER: for a well-designed book cover that's caught my eye 

and 

PAGES: for a book that I've been reading or I want to read soon.  

Hopefully there's some bibliophiles out there that'll enjoy this series as much as I do! 

Guernica and Other Plays by Fernando Arrabal

Designer: James Victore, Art Director: John Call

Typeface: Caslon

via the book cover archive

I got this for Christmas and have yet to have the time to finish it, but it's a great look at the relationship between four best friends, all very different, who met the first day of college and have been part of each other's lives ever since.

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"A tender story of friendship, a witty take on liberal arts colleges, and a fascinating portrait of the first generation of women who have all the opportunities in the world, but no clear idea about what to choose." - via amazon