LATEST READS

It's been a hot minute since I last posted about the latest things I've been reading, and I suppose it's because it's been a while since I've picked up fiction or finished a book in its entirety. But with summer break and warm weather, it's been difficult not to want to read. I've got a couple of fiction and nonfiction books in the lineup, and I'd definitely recommend giving all of them a try!

Capture Your Style by Aimee Song

I picked this one up in April because Amy Song (@songofstyle) is one of the most iconic fashion Instagrammers out there, and she knows the tricks of the trade. If you want to pick up Insta tips, you have to get it from her. The book is perfect for people just beginning to find their Instagram style or are looking to recreate these fashion photos with a simple iPhone. She covers everything from lighting to angles, and she makes you want to get snapping photos right away-- chapter after chapter. 

Don't Make Me Think! by Steve Krug

Okay so this book is a little niche as it deals with web usability (you can stop reading here if you want), but out of all the other web design books that I've paged through, this is one of the most interesting. It reads like a breeze, and the humor keeps the topic engaging. In this day and age, we spend so much of our time browsing the web on our laptops and phones, so it's interesting to read about how exactly these designs and interfaces are thought out. 

Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami

This collection of short stories is about-- you guessed it-- men without women. A little more realistic than his regular work, these are refreshing reads from one of my favorite authors of all time. 

Devils in Daylight by Junichiro Tanizaki

I read this book not knowing anything about it, but it ended up being a quick read that pleasantly surprised me. It was written in the 1910s by someone who is now considered one of the greatest Japanese writers of the 20th century. It plays with the concepts of art, so it's definitely more of an interpretive / metaphoric novel. And even with its short length, I was impressed by how engaging and intriguing it was.

Frankie Magazine

I include this magazine in any book/magazine recommendation I make. It's perfectly creative and fun and Australian. I don't think I've loved a magazine more. It's more of a lifestyle magazine that covers all sorts of topics including fashion, art, film, and even crafts.

UP NEXT...

Right now I'm working on reading IQ84 by Murakami, as well as Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin. If you have any book recommendations, let me know! I like to read any genre. Or if you've read any of the books above and want to chat about it, let's start our own two-person book club.

RECOMMEND ME STUFF

LAST MONTH'S READS

Spring quarter's halfway over now, and after last quarter, I've made some resolutions to read more. I took an English composition class in the winter (it's mandatory), and I've missed literature so much, so I incorporated daily reading into my schedule by taking an American Lit class. This past April, I've read more than I have this past school year, so here are some books and magazines that I've been checking out, for both class and for fun.

Frankie Magazine + The Collective Quarterly

Something old, something new. I've been a huge fan of Frankie ever since my sister and I bought  Issue 56 at Pike Place. They cover everything music/lifestyle/art/photography, and I can't get enough of the unconventional articles (like how to DIY a plant). The art is always on-point, and it takes all of my willpower not to cut out the pages and tape them all over my bedroom walls, but if I'm lucky, they'll have a little paper poster you can rip out to decorate your room with. -Check Frankie Out Here-

On the other hand, I ran into The Collective several months back while looking for new magazines (which I talked about in this post) and just flipping through it, I said "This is the most beautiful magazine I have ever seen in my life" (literally, I was talking to myself in the store corner). My mouth was just left open as I tried to take in the vivid photos about beautiful places and beautiful people. There's something so raw and real about discovery in this magazine that focuses on one place per issue. Get It Here. 

East of Eden + The House of the Seven Gables

These two books aren't as "up-to-date" as the magazines above, but I figured they were both worth a mention since they're both classics by two well-known American authors. I read The House of the Seven Gables at the beginning of the month, and I found it so much more captivating than Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.  Steinbeck's work was completely different, a reflection of the story of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. Of the two, I liked East of Eden more because although much longer in length, it was a little more believable, and the characters' flaws more relatable. 

Short American Stories 

Another two books for my English class, these sets of stories are a little more varied. While I love reading full-length novels, these little plots are refreshing and make it easy to read on-the-go, and most are interesting enough to make it feel like I'm not really reading for homework.

Did you read anything interesting in April?

OH COMELY MAGAZINE...

Finding time to read leisurely is difficult during the school year, especially when there are papers to be written, chemistry labs to be done, and calculus problems to be solved. I'm not even close to getting through the book I picked up at the beginning of the winter quarter. But although I haven't been able to get through an entire book in a while, I've managed to find a little bit of time to get through last month's magazine purchase. 

I only ever try to buy a single magazine a month (as buying multiple could be costly), and in January I turned to one of my favorites: Frankie Magazine. It's a general one about lifestyle, but everything in there is so cute. But this upcoming month, I've decided to have a change in reading, so I set off on an adventure to University Ave and walked out of Bulldog News holding Oh Comely, a UK magazine "where curious minds don't think alike." It's similar to Frankie, but focuses a lot more on people and their personal stories. It's perfect for reading on cloudy Sunday mornings, alongside a good cup of tea or coffee. 

SOME DAY MY (FROG) PRINCE WILL COME

I've always been such a huge fan of lipsticks/lip glosses/lip balms/lip stains or really anything to do with putting some color onto my mouth. Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with being born with naturally rosy pink lips, and instead I ended up with kind of a drab barely-pink color. Thus began my obsession!

Now I'm really not one for beauty reviews or anything of the sort (that's more of my little sister's thing), but I love trying out new products, so I decided to post a couple photos of my latest lipsticks and some books that I've been reading lately that seemed to go along well with them based on the color!

Of course, I have to start with this Frog Prince lipstick by Lipstick Queen! When my older sister and I found out about it, we were both amazed and decided we had to try it. It's just another variation of that 'mood changing' lipstick that my mom claims was so popular in the '80s, but there's something really fun about having a product that adjusts to you and especially you.

The title's so whimsical, as well as the pink tube, so I thought it went well with Agatha Christie's Five Little Pigs since they both deal with fairy tales or children's stories. If kissing a frog was anything like this hydrating lipstick, I wouldn't mind smooching one at all (did I really just say that).

This other lipstick is actually one that I wore to prom, and it's the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy in Intriguing. I love the color names for these, and the sassy yet elegant brown that this particular one gives is sophisticated, much like Wilde's stories. They're classy and classic.

Lastly, I've got Too Faced La Crème in Coral Fire, which made for such a nice summery color that makes a bold statement. I felt that Margaret Atwood's books also make strong points with her feminist ideas and desire for justice.  The first book I read by this author was The Edible Woman since I had a friend who loved it, and I would recommend it to anyone! 

FEBRUARY READS

Ah! We're 1/12 of our way into 2015 and I seriously have to get working on those New Year resolutions, one of which is to read, read, read! The past year was extremely busy (college applications, AP Physics, the new puppy!!), and when I found myself with spare minutes, they'd more often than not be spent sleeping away the exhaustion and stress. But as high school begins its final semester (and it's about time), classes begin to ease up, applications come to a close, I find myself with more reading time...

 So, while I was able to read Vonnegut, Salinger, and Shakespeare in January, I'll probably be able to read more this February since there won't be any finals or major tests coming up. Here's a few of the books I plan to read in the next couple of months-- so grab your hot chocolate/coffee/tea and let's get reading!

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

I've heard countless great things about Garcia Marquez, and I've already read two other novels by Murakami, so I think I'm going to appreciate these two books. But I've actually never heard of the third author, nor have I heard anything about The Razor's Edge. I found it on my bookshelf and figured I'd give it a try. With books, I find it a little difficult stepping out of that "comfort zone" (authors you know you'd like for sure, a particular genre, etc.), so I think it's time to just jump right into a book without knowing anything about it and to hope for the best.

Books of Blood by Clive Barker

Modern American Memoirs

A Passage to India by E.M.  Forster

The Oedipus Cycle by Sophocles

Over the summer and into the beginning of the school year, I've actually tried reading A Passage to India and Books of Blood. The former just didn't catch because I was busy with schoolwork and just didn't feel up to it, but I was able to read parts of Clive Barker's compilation of short stories. Then they got too creepy and I stopped (yeah, I scare easily oops), but I think it's about time to pick both of these up and finish what I started.