Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
SaturdayObsessions: Currently loving
Here are some of my favorite things right now.
I accidentally gave up coffee a few weeks ago because of all of the fantastic teas I've found. Don't worry, I'm not quitting coffee; it's just on vacation for this recent obsession.
This book has me rethinking every purchase I've ever made and thinking harder about what I like versus what's trendy.
Combining a neutral with a bright accent color is my new favorite manicure.
Apparently I'm also obsessed with accessorizing my wrist. I love my Olivia Burton watch and my Fitbit Force.
The day I receive my Birchbox is a highlight of my week.
I accidentally gave up coffee a few weeks ago because of all of the fantastic teas I've found. Don't worry, I'm not quitting coffee; it's just on vacation for this recent obsession.
This book has me rethinking every purchase I've ever made and thinking harder about what I like versus what's trendy.
Combining a neutral with a bright accent color is my new favorite manicure.
Apparently I'm also obsessed with accessorizing my wrist. I love my Olivia Burton watch and my Fitbit Force.
The day I receive my Birchbox is a highlight of my week.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Book update
Hello, my fine friends. I took a few minutes to update my "Reads" page right up there ^. Let me know if you have any book suggestions of your own. I'm always looking for something new and great, especially non-fiction, as I seem to be really stuck in fiction so far this year.
Monday, September 10, 2012
MondayMust: Recent books
It's been a while since I talked about what I'm reading, which is a lot lately.
Here are a few books I highly recommend:
"Wild" by Cheryl Strayed
I'm not very outdoorsy and not usually one for memoirs, but this is a great one. "Wild" serves as well-written inspiration to overcome any rough patch in your life.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
I originally picked this up thinking it would be some easy fluff fiction with which to pass the dog days of summer. Twenty-four hours later I was done with it, praising the plot and wanting more. Good thing they're making a movie out of it.
"State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett
This was a book club pick a few months back, and I'm already considering revisiting it. Patchett weaves a wonderful tale that somehow takes you from a Minnesota winter to the Brazilian rain forest.
"The Sweet Life in Paris" by David Lebovitz
Lebovitz takes readers directly to Paris and holds them hostage with his delicious stories of food and baking in the City of Lights. If you've ever been (or every want to, really) to Paris, I high recommend this.
Here are a few books I highly recommend:
"Wild" by Cheryl Strayed
I'm not very outdoorsy and not usually one for memoirs, but this is a great one. "Wild" serves as well-written inspiration to overcome any rough patch in your life.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
I originally picked this up thinking it would be some easy fluff fiction with which to pass the dog days of summer. Twenty-four hours later I was done with it, praising the plot and wanting more. Good thing they're making a movie out of it.
"State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett
This was a book club pick a few months back, and I'm already considering revisiting it. Patchett weaves a wonderful tale that somehow takes you from a Minnesota winter to the Brazilian rain forest.
"The Sweet Life in Paris" by David Lebovitz
Lebovitz takes readers directly to Paris and holds them hostage with his delicious stories of food and baking in the City of Lights. If you've ever been (or every want to, really) to Paris, I high recommend this.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
StoryTimeSaturday: What I'm reading
I'm in this pattern of reading several books at a time. It tends to make reading go slower, so I'm not really sure why I've continued. Someone recommends a book to me, and I can't help but start it.
So here's what I'm reading.
Just Finished:
Slowly reading chapter by chapter:
My nightly bedtime book:
Current book club selection:
Next on my list:
Got any recommendations for me?
So here's what I'm reading.
Just Finished:
Slowly reading chapter by chapter:
My nightly bedtime book:
Current book club selection:
Next on my list:
Got any recommendations for me?
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
TopTenTuesday: Best books I've read in 2011
These are my picks (in no particular order) for the best books I read in 2011:
"The Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins. This could have easily been three picks, but I read a lot of great books this year. I really didn't think I was going to like these, but like the rest of the world, discovered they're hard to put down. A great gift recommendation for the reader in your life from ages 10 to 100. Not kidding.
"Half-broke Horse" by Jeanette Walls. I love Jeanette Walls. "The Glass Castle" is one of my favorite books of all time, and this one measured up quite nicely. Again, it's one of those books that you read the back and wonder how this could be something you'd be interested in, but surprise yourself. It's fantastic.
"The Immortal Life on Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. For those nonfiction readers out there, this is an absolute must. I love the writing as well as the story. The reporter in me can really appreciate the great lengths Skloot went to get the entire story told.
"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. Embarrassingly, I'd never read this book before. But you know what? There's a reason it's a classic. It's a really incredible love story with a lot of social meanings for women at the time woven throughout.
"The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain. I read this shortly before we went to Paris, and it made exploring the Latin Quarter all that more exciting. A seriously fantastic fiction read that follows the real letters and correspondence of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife. I've recommended this so many times in the past few months.
"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. This, hands down, wins as my favorite book of the year. The first chapter grabbed me, but for some people it took a few more pages. Everyone I've recommended this to has come back thanking me. So for that history buff or nonfiction lover, GET THEM THIS BOOK.
"What is the What" by Dave Eggers. Before starting this I had read "The Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius" by Eggers and hadn't really liked it. But "What is the What" was one of those books that changed my way of thinking forever. It's really heartbreaking but heartwarming book.
"Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers. I read this after "What is the What" because I hadn't had enough Dave Eggers. Another fantastic read.
"Still Alice" by Lisa Genova. This is a quick fiction read, but something anyone who has been touched by Alzheimer's or dementia should pick up.
"Room" by Emma Donoghue. This is more proof not to judge a book by its cover. I kinda thought this would be "too mommy" of a book for me, but it's fantastic. Moms, daughters, monkeys and elephants will all love this book equally.
My goal for 2012 is to get started on this list of the 1,001 books you should read before you die. I can't wait.
What are you reading? This is what I'm reading.
"The Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins. This could have easily been three picks, but I read a lot of great books this year. I really didn't think I was going to like these, but like the rest of the world, discovered they're hard to put down. A great gift recommendation for the reader in your life from ages 10 to 100. Not kidding.
"Half-broke Horse" by Jeanette Walls. I love Jeanette Walls. "The Glass Castle" is one of my favorite books of all time, and this one measured up quite nicely. Again, it's one of those books that you read the back and wonder how this could be something you'd be interested in, but surprise yourself. It's fantastic.
"The Immortal Life on Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. For those nonfiction readers out there, this is an absolute must. I love the writing as well as the story. The reporter in me can really appreciate the great lengths Skloot went to get the entire story told.
"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. Embarrassingly, I'd never read this book before. But you know what? There's a reason it's a classic. It's a really incredible love story with a lot of social meanings for women at the time woven throughout.
"The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain. I read this shortly before we went to Paris, and it made exploring the Latin Quarter all that more exciting. A seriously fantastic fiction read that follows the real letters and correspondence of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife. I've recommended this so many times in the past few months.
"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. This, hands down, wins as my favorite book of the year. The first chapter grabbed me, but for some people it took a few more pages. Everyone I've recommended this to has come back thanking me. So for that history buff or nonfiction lover, GET THEM THIS BOOK.
"What is the What" by Dave Eggers. Before starting this I had read "The Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius" by Eggers and hadn't really liked it. But "What is the What" was one of those books that changed my way of thinking forever. It's really heartbreaking but heartwarming book.
"Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers. I read this after "What is the What" because I hadn't had enough Dave Eggers. Another fantastic read.
"Still Alice" by Lisa Genova. This is a quick fiction read, but something anyone who has been touched by Alzheimer's or dementia should pick up.
"Room" by Emma Donoghue. This is more proof not to judge a book by its cover. I kinda thought this would be "too mommy" of a book for me, but it's fantastic. Moms, daughters, monkeys and elephants will all love this book equally.
My goal for 2012 is to get started on this list of the 1,001 books you should read before you die. I can't wait.
What are you reading? This is what I'm reading.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Month in review: November 2011
I like memories and numbers. Why not combine them for a look back at the month that was November 2011.
—66 posts, including this one, which was the most popular, and this one, which was my personal favorite
—A new blog banner and buttons designed by the Paper Mama.
My favorite
—Adopted a kitten.
—Read only two books. (Better luck next month, brain)
—had 97 Pinterest followers.
—And 380 Twitter followers.
How was your month?
On the blog front, OliveObserver had:
—4,017 page views and 41 Google followers, both double my all-time numbers. Thanks to everyone for visiting, following and leaving awesome and encouraging comments.—66 posts, including this one, which was the most popular, and this one, which was my personal favorite
—A new blog banner and buttons designed by the Paper Mama.
On the home front, I:
—Took more than 2,000 photographs.My favorite
—Adopted a kitten.
—Read only two books. (Better luck next month, brain)
—had 97 Pinterest followers.
—And 380 Twitter followers.
How was your month?
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Updated
I updated my "About me" and "Reads" pages this week. Check them out. I'm always looking for book suggestions, so feel free to leave me a comment.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
ThriftyThursday: This week's finds
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
TopTenTuesday: Ways to make winter more tolerable
It's usually right after Halloween that it really hits me: Winter is a'coming. Up here in the upper reaches of the northern hemisphere, winter sucks, and she sucks bad. But if there's anything they've bred us to do in Fargo, it's to persevere.
For me getting through the cold months (and there's about six of them here) is all about the right mindset. Here are a few — 10 to be precise — things that makes the winter just that much better.
10. New bedding. Grab those cozy sheets off the shelf and give them a wash for a fresh and snuggly night sleep.
This purple fuzzy blanket from Target is always nice, too.
9. Pull out your hat, mitten and scarf sets. Get them washed up so that going for a walk or a trip to the grocery store doesn't seem so bad.
8. Slow cooker recipes. Yes, they say this in every magazine and article about winter cooking, but there's a reason. Slow cookers are the greatest invention to hit North Dakota since block heaters.
This is a super easy and delicious meal from The Mommy Diaries.
7. List fun things to do. Inevitably I end up bored halfway through November. I am a list person, so it's no surprise that I have a running lineup of stuff to do.
Example:
1. Read book mom gave you for Christmas
2. Knit Aunt Geri the scarf she's been asking for since 2009.
3. Organize desk.
4. Make curtains.
5. Tone photos from birthday party
You get the point, right?
Keep it in a place you know where to find it and check them off as you go. There's nothing more satisfying in my book.
6. Cute underpantalons. Wearing a sweater, turtleneck, long underwear and an industrial pair of what your grandma would call slacks doesn't make you feel so good. So put something fun underneath it all. And turn up the heat and walk around.
Hell yeah, I dare you to get me down, winter.
5. French press. Holy moly, nothing makes me want to wake up and enjoy a chilly day like a hot cup o' coffee. And wouldn't it be all the more pleasurable in this purdy ceramic French press?
4. New fabric. Get your creative butt in gear with the aid of a few fun fabrics. My mom is teaching me to quilt this winter, and I'm oh so excited. (Planning crafternoons with your mom is also a way to fight the doldrums. See No. 2).
I sure do like the looks of this:
And if none of these leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, post a comment with what does because I'd love for this list to grow.
For me getting through the cold months (and there's about six of them here) is all about the right mindset. Here are a few — 10 to be precise — things that makes the winter just that much better.
10. New bedding. Grab those cozy sheets off the shelf and give them a wash for a fresh and snuggly night sleep.
This purple fuzzy blanket from Target is always nice, too.
9. Pull out your hat, mitten and scarf sets. Get them washed up so that going for a walk or a trip to the grocery store doesn't seem so bad.
8. Slow cooker recipes. Yes, they say this in every magazine and article about winter cooking, but there's a reason. Slow cookers are the greatest invention to hit North Dakota since block heaters.
This is a super easy and delicious meal from The Mommy Diaries.
7. List fun things to do. Inevitably I end up bored halfway through November. I am a list person, so it's no surprise that I have a running lineup of stuff to do.
Example:
1. Read book mom gave you for Christmas
2. Knit Aunt Geri the scarf she's been asking for since 2009.
3. Organize desk.
4. Make curtains.
5. Tone photos from birthday party
You get the point, right?
Keep it in a place you know where to find it and check them off as you go. There's nothing more satisfying in my book.
6. Cute underpantalons. Wearing a sweater, turtleneck, long underwear and an industrial pair of what your grandma would call slacks doesn't make you feel so good. So put something fun underneath it all. And turn up the heat and walk around.
Hell yeah, I dare you to get me down, winter.
5. French press. Holy moly, nothing makes me want to wake up and enjoy a chilly day like a hot cup o' coffee. And wouldn't it be all the more pleasurable in this purdy ceramic French press?
4. New fabric. Get your creative butt in gear with the aid of a few fun fabrics. My mom is teaching me to quilt this winter, and I'm oh so excited. (Planning crafternoons with your mom is also a way to fight the doldrums. See No. 2).
I sure do like the looks of this:
3. A stack of books. My kindle is ablaze in the cold-weather months. Check out what I'm reading:
2. Create photo books. Make some cute little flip books from Blurb or Shutterfly or get all scrapbooky. It's a great way to reflect on memories and to get them put on paper — something I'm not always so good at.
1. Crafternoons. With your mom, your sister, your husband, your favorite broad. I don't care. Just set some dates and get to work. Here's a previous crafternoon with my best pal, Cristen. It occurred on the day I got engaged. See, good things do happen during winter.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Published finally
I just finished ordering my Blurb book for my final project in my documentary photography class. I'm really happy with the way it turned out and cannot wait to have the hard copy in hand.
I've designed other books before for weddings, etc., but never for a documentary project. I like the format for different collections and plan to use Blurb more often.
To see my book (or you can even order it for $33.95), go here.
I'm curious to see others' Blurb books if you're willing to post a link. Has anyone out there in blog land used blurb.com before?
One final project down, three to go.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
MakeAListSaturday: Books!
After a long 13-hour day of running around town and worrying about getting everything done, I need a way to unwind. My goal is to ready a book a week for the whole year. I started in August and so far I'm on track.
I'm halfway through both "Nine Stories" and "A Heartbreak Work of Staggering Genius." The former I've read before, but it's so great to just pick up and read a 20-page story and move on.
"Staggering Genius" is my first attempt at an entire work by Dave Eggers. To be honest, I'm having a hard time getting through it. I know it's what he was going for, but it's so full of self-obsession that it's almost painful to read at times.
"The Beck Diet Solution" is the first diet book I've ever read, but blogger Nic at The Last Twenty suggested it to her readers. So far, it's really great. I need to make more time to implement the steps, but with my schedule right now, it's really difficult.
"The Magicians" was recommended to me by a friend who (like me) loves "Harry Potter." I'm not even 100 pages in yet, but so far I hate it. It's basically just a ripoff of the HP series. It's like Harry Potter goes to college and JK Rowling decides she's going to get really drunk before writing and make it clunky and full of expletives. I have a feeling I might not even finish this book.
As a diehard Sedaris fan, I feel a bit bad that I haven't had time to get to his now-in-paperback book "When You are Engulfed in Flames." I went through a lot of essayist short stories this past year and have just not been in the mood. It is the very next on my list to start though.
Louise Erdrich is one of those authors that I should have already read. a) She's a North Dakota girl like me. b) She's a fantastic writer, and c) People are constantly telling me I would love her writing style. So "A Plague of Doves" is officially going on my Christmas list.
It seems this fall is full of new releases from my favorite authors.
Barbara Kingsolver won my heart with "Poisonwood Bible" back in high school. And last year she stole it again with "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," a nonfiction tale of Kingsolver and her family living on locally-grown/raised food for a whole year. "The Lacuna" is on order from Barnes and Noble.
Audrey Niffenegger spent the summer having her breakout novel "The Time Travelers Wife" butchered in a Nicholas Sparks-like treatment of a movie. Honestly, that was such a cleverly written, well-researched work that I feel truly sorry for it. "Her Fearful Symmetry" is sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finish up with a few of the other books I'm struggling to get through.
And Jeanette Walls, how I cannot say enough good things about thee. "The Glass Castle" was one of those books I read in 24 hours, foregoing sleep on my flight from the Virgin Islands and the car ride home to Fargo from Minneapolis. A journalist, turned bestselling author, she has a wonderful voice for telling stories. Again, I cannot wait for "Half Broke Horses."
All photos courtesy of Barnes and Noble, where along with several Member's Card coupons, I bought these books at about half the list price.
I'm halfway through both "Nine Stories" and "A Heartbreak Work of Staggering Genius." The former I've read before, but it's so great to just pick up and read a 20-page story and move on.
"Staggering Genius" is my first attempt at an entire work by Dave Eggers. To be honest, I'm having a hard time getting through it. I know it's what he was going for, but it's so full of self-obsession that it's almost painful to read at times.
"The Beck Diet Solution" is the first diet book I've ever read, but blogger Nic at The Last Twenty suggested it to her readers. So far, it's really great. I need to make more time to implement the steps, but with my schedule right now, it's really difficult.
"The Magicians" was recommended to me by a friend who (like me) loves "Harry Potter." I'm not even 100 pages in yet, but so far I hate it. It's basically just a ripoff of the HP series. It's like Harry Potter goes to college and JK Rowling decides she's going to get really drunk before writing and make it clunky and full of expletives. I have a feeling I might not even finish this book.
As a diehard Sedaris fan, I feel a bit bad that I haven't had time to get to his now-in-paperback book "When You are Engulfed in Flames." I went through a lot of essayist short stories this past year and have just not been in the mood. It is the very next on my list to start though.
Louise Erdrich is one of those authors that I should have already read. a) She's a North Dakota girl like me. b) She's a fantastic writer, and c) People are constantly telling me I would love her writing style. So "A Plague of Doves" is officially going on my Christmas list.
It seems this fall is full of new releases from my favorite authors.
Barbara Kingsolver won my heart with "Poisonwood Bible" back in high school. And last year she stole it again with "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," a nonfiction tale of Kingsolver and her family living on locally-grown/raised food for a whole year. "The Lacuna" is on order from Barnes and Noble.
Audrey Niffenegger spent the summer having her breakout novel "The Time Travelers Wife" butchered in a Nicholas Sparks-like treatment of a movie. Honestly, that was such a cleverly written, well-researched work that I feel truly sorry for it. "Her Fearful Symmetry" is sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finish up with a few of the other books I'm struggling to get through.
And Jeanette Walls, how I cannot say enough good things about thee. "The Glass Castle" was one of those books I read in 24 hours, foregoing sleep on my flight from the Virgin Islands and the car ride home to Fargo from Minneapolis. A journalist, turned bestselling author, she has a wonderful voice for telling stories. Again, I cannot wait for "Half Broke Horses."
All photos courtesy of Barnes and Noble, where along with several Member's Card coupons, I bought these books at about half the list price.
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