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great summer beach read

by Allison on July 22, 2011 in Home, home_books · 10 comments

Let’s talk about one of my favorite authors for a minute.  Ann Brashares.  She wrote the series The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which I loved.  In fact if you ask me, I think the best contemporary literature is found in the YA section.

ann brashares

I stumbled upon her first foray into adult literature at the library one random day, and it’s now one of my favorite books.

The Last Summer of You and Me is beautiful.  Brashares’ writing has a bit of an ethereal quality to it, and her characters are so drawn out and imperfect, they feel like a reflection of yourself.

Ann Brashares

I found a used copy at a thrift store last week and I almost squealed out loud, I was so excited.

I read it, and then re-read it, just to get to the best parts all over again while the emotions were fresh in my mind.

Take it to the beach, to the pool, to the hammock, to bed at night.  It’s in my top 5 favorite books.

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Home » Home home_books » list of great beach read books

list of great beach read books

by Allison on June 3, 2011 in Home, home_books · 2 comments

– This is a re-posting of an article from last Summer’s archives.  While I’m away in Europe I thought I’d give you a tour of my blog.  I’ve got years of content to delve into and plenty of fun content to keep you entertained while I’m away. –

One of the best parts of summer is reading a handful of really great *beach read* books, whether or not said books are actually read with toes in the sand. By beach read I mean totally delicious, no heavy philosophical burden required.

Here’s my list of Top 4 Beach Reads this summer:

1. Envy, by Anna Godberson

historical fiction

Anna Godberson is a promising young author who’s written The Luxe Series, Envy being the 3rd in the series. It’s scandal and intrigue centered around high society at the turn of the century in New York. I love each book in the series: The Luxe, Rumors, Envy, and the most recent and final installment in the series, Splendor. I haven’t gotten my hands on Splendor yet, but I can’t wait for it.

Totally fulfills the delicious quotient.

2. Being Nikki, by Meg Cabot

meg cabot

I love Meg Cabot, will until the end of my days. I consume her books like popcorn, just can’t stop at one. In fact, if I were ever to meet Meg Cabot in person I’d geek out much in the same way I did when I met Ree Drummond. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Being Nikki is a great popcorn read about a pop star, a la Britney, who gets her brain transplanted into the body of a super smart, average Jane teenage girl from New York. There are conspiracy theories about big corporate giant Stark Industries, teenage love triangles, and page after page of Meg’s brilliant writing.

Fabulous

3. When You Are Engulfed In Flames, by David Sedaris

collection of short stories

David Sedaris is probably in my top 3 of favorite writers. He’s a master storyteller, in real life and on the page, and whatever he writes, I read. When You Are Engulfed in Flames is one of his most recent collections of short stories and I devoured it in an afternoon. His books always make me sad when they come to a close which I think speaks volumes about him as an author.

Warning: hysterical, but some offensive language + references might make the feint of heart a little squeamish.

4. Runaway, by Meg Cabot

newest meg cabot

See what I mean about loving Meg Cabot? Her books are quintessential beach reads. Runaway is the latest, and final installment in the Being Nikki series. Teenage hi-jinks, crushes, overcoming odds, self acceptance, and triumph ensue. More popcorn-y than Being Nikki, but still a totally enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

What are you reading this summer? Any authors I need to know about?

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Home » Home home_books » kids book: the flying hockey stick

kids book: the flying hockey stick

by Allison on February 16, 2011 in Home, home_books · 10 comments

the flying hockey stick

For my 5th birthday, two weeks into Kindergarten, my best friend Douggie gave me what was to become my most treasured book ever:  The Flying Hockey Stick.

lion book

The illustrations are marvelous, of course, but it’s the cheeky humor that got me.  Jolly Roger Bradfield, the author, really had a way with words.  I’d always assumed he was British, mainly because Douggie’s mom was British and I figured I was special enough that she brought it back for my birthday from one of her trips to London.

Turns out, Jolly Roger Bradfield was from Minnesota. 

A girl can dream.

extension cords

My father read The Flying Hockey stick every night at bedtime, only I called it “The Flying Hocking Stick”.  Is there better adventure than an upturned umbrella, a bag of peanut butter sandwiches & a pickle, and a neighborhood’s worth of extension cords?

I think not.

fly fish

In fact, I think the Flying Hockey Stick ignited in me a love of travel really early on.  I had no idea flying fish even existed before I committed this book to heart, and when I finally did see real live flying fish at Catalina Island a couple years ago, it was almost more than I could take.

Magic.

book binding

The only problem, of course, was that we read the book enough to well and truly destroy it.  The back binding broke sometime around the third grade, and I safeguarded the book from my siblings {there were 8 of us} so I could pass it on in adulthood to my own children.

The first time I read it to my own kids was pretty special.  They both adore it as much as I do, but I haven’t read it to them as much as I’d like in fear of well and truly destroying it.  But I just discovered that there were a whole bunch of re-printings of this book, in addition to a whole slew of other Jolly Roger adventures, hooray!

If you’re building a library for your kiddos, you want this one on board, I guarantee it.

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nook reader

by Allison February 9, 2011Home
nook reader

All I wanted for Christmas was an e-reader.  That’s it.  I didn’t care for any candy, chocolate, new socks, electric blanket, or new pillows.  All I wanted was a portable, traveling, e-reading book device of some sort. Viktor came through for me big time. See, I don’t think an e-reader will ever replace my actual [...]

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interview with Meg Cabot

by Allison December 17, 2010Home
meg cabot photo

You know how much I love Meg Cabot, right? I adore her to bits and itty bitty pieces.  Her books have brought me great pleasure during some of the hardest times in my life.  Do you have books or movies that transport you completely, entertain you so thoroughly, you start googling in the middle of [...]

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Author Meg Cabot

by Allison December 13, 2010Home
kids books

I have, over the years, expressed my deeply seated love for author Meg Cabot.  In fact, having lunch with Meg Cabot is #91 on my Life List.  I kind of adore her. I picked up her first book a handful of years ago in a Costco.  I was passing the books when my eye rested [...]

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The Beauty of Different Book Review

by Allison December 6, 2010Home
the beauty of different

My friend Karen Walrond just published a book, and it’s a gorgeous piece of work.  I put it at the top of my wish list for Christmas but I couldn’t wait that long to read it, so I ordered it early and have been enjoying the fruits of her labor every night before I go [...]

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The Little Engine That Could

by Allison October 19, 2010Home
the little engine

As you can see The Little Engine That Could is a beloved book at our house.  So adored and appreciated it’s covered in marker and sketches of crayon. Did you read this book as a child?  It was written in the early 50′s and is as much a staple of my childhood as anything else [...]

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fun birth day book for kids.

by Allison September 8, 2010Home
birthday book

My baby boy, Charming, turned 6 last week.  I have a hard time on my kids’ birthdays.  A lot of it stems from the fact that I’d love five kids and I can’t have anymore.  Stupid Lupus.  Anyway, birthdays make me cry.  A lot.  This book, On the Day You Were Born, didn’t help matters. [...]

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