thetrendyreader

BOOK: Laura & Emma by Kate Greathead

LOOK: Dress – Calvin Klein from TJ Maxx (linked similar); Shoes – Sam Edelman; Necklace – Target

“Life hadn’t required Laura to navigate unknown territory on her own.”

Laura & Emma is not your typical mother-and-daughter-are-besties story. The novel follows Laura (mother) and Emma (daughter) as they navigate an upper-class New York City life together—and then separately—throughout the 80s and 90s. Tied to her ever-so-proper family, Laura often struggles with wanting to be independent without giving up the comforts that her lush upbringing have afforded her. Emma is independent and original from the very start, and her relationship with her mother is loving, yet turbulent. Not a lot happens in the story, but I think that contributes a bit to its charm. The characters were all well-developed and interesting, especially Dr. Brown—I wanted to know more about him and his story. Can we get a book on that!?!? The book is a fast read, even without any big plot events, but the ending??? Like WTF.  I was not a fan; I needed something more to cap off the whole story.  All in all, Laura & Emma is a lovely little novel and Laura and Emma (the characters) are both very real and relatable. Also, if you’ve seen Ladybird (I have not), I heard this book is a lot like that movie.  So there’s that!  Thank you to Elizabeth at Simon & Schuster for sending this novel my way! [[RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars]]  

Happy reading! xo, Amy

BOOK: In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It by Lauren Graham                                                        LOOK: Blouse – Banana Republic; Jeans – Express; Shoes – Steve Madden from DSW

Calling all Lorelai fanatics! The latest book from this Gilmore Girl is an extension of a commencement speech that she gave at her hometown high school. This pint-sized book is packed with advice and humor, making it a perfect gift for grads or anyone embarking on a new phase of life. Think of it as a grown up version of Oh the Places You’ll Go. You can read it in less than an hour and revisit it whenever you need a morale boost. I thought that instead of reviewing this little book (It’s great!), I thought I’d share a few of my favorite quotes and passages instead. I always love books that are filled with pearls of wisdom, so here goes!

• What they hadn’t paid for was to see me worried that I wasn’t living up to my own idea of who I was supposed to be.
• Once I stopped worrying so much about please others, once I decided to let myself off the hook, I realized I could fly.
• Like clouds on an overcast day, sometimes we have to face the fact that what happens to us in life isn’t controllable, and if we wait a while, don’t take it personally, and decide to enjoy ourselves anyway, the sky will eventually clear up.
• The “success” parts of life look good to others, but the best parts are actually the simple, daily experiences.
• Treat every day like you’re starring in it.
• Love yourself, and what you’re doing, even if you’re not yet at the place you hope to land.

In conclusion (see what I did there?), I just love Lauren Graham and I thought this book was delightful. Sometimes the books you need the most come in the smallest packages. The pastel color design on this book go perfectly with a spring wardrobe. That is, if Spring ever arrives to stay in Chicago. I’ve paired the colorful cover with a striped tank blouse from Banana Republic that I am in love with and my favorite pair of white jeans and spring heels from DSW. Everything about this book and look make me happy and ready for warm, sunny days.

Also by Lauren Graham: Talking as Fast as I Can and Someday, Someday, Maybe

Happy Reading! xo, Amy

BOOK: From Albania with Love by Migena Dulaj

As you may know, one of my favorite things about books is that they have the ability to provide windows to worlds and lives that are different from my own. I value a diverse reading palate and try not to get stuck in “whiteness” too much when I read. From Albania with Love is one such book that provides a glimpse into what life is like for people who immigrate to this country. Since it is a memoir, the experiences and stories shared within this book are solely Migena’s, but they paint a picture of the reality of immigrants and immigration, while also calling out some of the ridiculousness of America. In a voice that is as brutally honest as it is snarky, Migena holds nothing back as she hits you with exactly what she’s thinking. Each chapter tells a different—and often very funny—story from Migena’s life, and then ends with a new lesson for each chapter. My favorite lesson comes from Chapter 21: “Make yourself proud first.”  I mean if those aren’t words to live by…

There’s a little something for everyone in this memoir—lots of ups, lots of downs, and lots of in-your-face reality. Migena writes with a ballsy, honest voice, and the voices of immigrants need to heard in America now more than ever. Learning about one another is the first step in not only accepting one another, but also celebrating one another. Thank you, Migena, for having the courage to tell your stories. Your words matter.

P.S. Thanks for the book and I am glad you like Target as much as me.

xo, Amy

BOOK: Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris (releases on June 19, 2018)                                                        LOOK: Sweater – Target (linked similar); Booties – DSW; Jeans – J. Crew

“That’s what I’m planning to do to Ellen and Finn, divide them.  And once I’ve managed to prise them apart, Finn will be exactly where I want him to be.”

I absolutely love B.A. Paris’s books, so when Macmillan sent me an early reader’s edition of her upcoming novel, Bring Me Back, I was SO happy (Thank you, Jessica!).   It’s always fun to get a sneak peak at a new book, but it’s even more fun when you love the author’s work so much that you literally can.not.wait until the pub date to read it. Bring Me Back comes out in June, and it is the same kind of thriller that we’ve come to know and love from B.A. Paris. This novel’s premise is that a young woman—Layla—goes missing while she and her boyfriend are stopped at a service station during their drive through France. Her boyfriend, Finn, has no idea what could have happened to her, but he does know that he has some secrets to keep if he wants to be cleared of fault in the investigation. Years go by and Finn is engaged to his former girlfriend’s sister (super weird, I know), but strange things start to happen that lead Finn to believe that Layla might still be alive after all these years. Throughout the novel, Finn wonders whether he’s going crazy, whether someone is playing a sick joke on him, or whether Layla really is alive after all. B.A. Paris is B-A-C-K with this dark, twisted, page-turner.

Bring Me Back was just what I wanted it to be. B.A. Paris has a way of writing a thriller like no other. Jaw-dropping moments and an intensity that will have you on the edge of your seat make Paris’s latest novel a great one! In my opinion, it will be hard for her to get better than The Break Down (I just loved that book), but this one was on par with all of her books—engaging, suspenseful, and filled with things you don’t see coming. Highly recommend! [[ RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars ]]

Also by B.A. Paris: The Break Down and Behind Closed Doors

xo, Amy

BOOK: The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin                                                                                           LOOK: Jeans – Old Navy; Jacket – Target (linked similar); Scarf – Target; Bag – Kate Spade; Booties – DSW

“I love you all, I love you all, I love you all.”

Simon, Klara, Daniel, and Varya are four siblings who traipse through the streets of New York as children, on a mission to visit the woman on Hester Street. It is rumored that this gypsy-woman can tell you the exact date you’re going to die, and it’s Daniel’s idea to see for himself if this lady is all she’s cracked up to be. One at a time, the siblings enter the psychic’s lair, and one-by-one they hear their fortunes. The prophecies they heard that night stick with them and are never far from their thoughts. The siblings eventually grow up a bit and go their separate ways, but they are bound together by the eeriness of the woman’s predictions. This novel follows the decades after that fateful evening, detailing the things that happen in their lives and how they always seem to draw their thoughts back to the night they learned their fates—could the woman really have known? All four siblings are strikingly different, yet they’re all a little bit selfish and little bit unapologetically familial.  They fall apart and come back together when it matters most, and when–if the prophecies are true–it really doesn’t matter at all.

This book is ah-mazing. Each sibling’s story was just as powerful and engaging as the next one’s. I thought (and maybe this was intentional) that the connection flowed a little easier between Simon’s section and Klara’s section than it did for the other siblings. Like it was pretty fluid up until Daniel’s and Varya’s sections, which I felt to be a bit disconnected from the first two stories. Other than that, this is a can’t miss for 2018 for sure. It’s unlike anything I’ve read, and I think its uniqueness made it more intriguing for me. I felt like I was part of the family as I read along—All. The. Emotions. I would say it’s a mostly realistic fiction novel with some fantasy intertwined—so I’m not sure what genre that would be—and as you know, I’m not usually a fantasy/sci-fi gal, but this one was more real than it was outlandish. Regardless, it’s a great book that is perfect for a thought-provoking book club discussion! It’s also the Belletrist Book Club pick for January! [[RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars]]  Also by Chloe Benjamin: The Anatomy of Dreams

xo, Amy

BOOK: Genuine Fraud by e. lockhart                                                                                                          LOOK: Scarf – Santa, North Pole; Jeans – Paige; Booties – DSW (Lucky Brand)

“They lived their lives surrounded by all that glitter and neon, happily assuming that small, cute women were harmless.”

Genuine Fraud is a novel by e. lockhart, the same author that brought us We Were Liars, which was a smash hit a few years ago. It’s about a young woman mastermind named Jule, who reinvents herself and stays one step ahead of the law after some mysterious and sketchy behavior. The novel is told in reverse, so it begins with the end and works backwards. I liked that aspect of it and I was interested in the story line, but I kept waiting for something big to happen and it never really did. I was expecting much more suspense than what was delivered, but I still found it to be a page-turning delight, probably because I always thought something more was going to happen. I do like lockhart’s writing style, and I don’t think this book was a total disappointment. There was just more I wanted from it. If you’ve read The Talented Mr. Ripley, it is basically the same story—like exact same. If you like thrillers, you can give this one a try, although it is light on the thrills if you get my drift. No holy shit moments here. [[Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars]] We Were Liars was better. Just sayin’.

A note about my scarf in this photo…it was a Christmas gift and I can’t find anything similar to it online that is not sold out, but if I do I will link it here! Also, Paige jeans are my current go-to.  They’re so comfy and fit me pretty well (I think).  I get mine from The Denim Lounge in Roscoe Village – they always have great sales!

Wishing you a productive and successful week! Hope you’ve got some great books to get you through to Friday!  I’m reading an ARC this week that I CANNOT WAIT to share!!

xo, Amy

BOOK: Fitness Junkie by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza

LOOK: Tights (linked same pair with similar pattern) and Top – lululemon

“Janey walked the forty blocks back uptown in an effort to appease her FitWand. Back at home, she googled ‘The Workout’ and ‘Kate Wells’ and ‘Lovely.’ At first she couldn’t see anything wrong with it…”

Any fitness-related New Year’s resolutions out there?! If so, I’ve got the book for you! Fitness Junkie might be just what you need to take off some of the pressure and guilt that comes with a new workout goal or regiment. In this funny satire of the fitness-and-fad-diet-obsessed world of NYC (and everywhere, really), Janey’s BFF turned boss forces her to take some time off to work on her weight after she is photographed eating (gasp!) at a fashion show. In her newfound free time, Janey meets or reconnects with several people who are determined to help her find her best self. Stella the shaman introduces her to The Workout and its revolutionary leader Sara Strong, and Janey suddenly finds herself engrossed in a world she doesn’t even want to be a part of in the first place. Competitive women, fast-paced drama, and a little bit of love make Fitness Junkie a unique, lighthearted read. This novel is pure fun and that’s about it, so if you’re looking for snarky, girly, guilty-pleasure reading, this one’s for you! Also, the ending is super sweet and perfect and I loved it. I think it would be perfect for a book club full of girls who love to eat (me) and tolerate working out so they can eat (also me). [[ RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars ]] If you’re like me, one of the best parts about working out is the clothes! I feel a lot more motivated to get moving if I’ve got something cute to wear. BUT, since it is freezing outside, I’m currently sporting all of the warmest gear I own for outside runs—it doesn’t always look pretty, but I’m sure glad to be warm! This lululemon outfit is perfect for cold-but-not-too-cold outdoor workouts. I’m typically a runner and a BBG girl, but I recently tried Shred415 and loved it! I’m trying to work up the courage to try BodyPump at the gym, but new workouts always make me nervous! What’s your go-to workout?? I’d love to hear!

xo, Amy

I’m baaaaaack!  I had to take some time away from my blog in December, but I am glad to be back with some new books and new ideas to start the new year.  I am super excited about this first book of 2018 – I hope you enjoy it!

BOOK: A Good Country by Laleh Khadivi                                                                                            LOOK: Top – Loft (linked similar); Booties – DSW

“History is always a story of cause and effect.”

I think I’ve read my favorite book of 2018 already. A Good Country is a novel about an ordinary American kid, Rez, who is learning about the world and pondering his place in it. He falls in with the surfer crowd at school at first, smoking weed, having sex, and living with a reckless abandon that is uncharacteristic of his straight-A student ways. As time goes on, he falls out of favor with that crowd and leans in to some really great friends who open Rez’s eyes to a wider view of the world and to the Muslim religion. Rez is intrigued by all that Islam has to offer and loves the way he feels at the mosque. He kisses his parents goodbye as he leaves for college, knowing full well he is not going to college at all, but is boarding a plane to Syria to join a new Muslim nation that shows promise in a devastated land. His hopes for his new life are high but quickly shattered when he realizes what was promised to him is far from what he will get. I’m going to quote the San Francisco Chronicle’s review here because I feel like it captures what I am thinking: “A tragic and affecting portrait of how radicalization can happen to an ordinary American, profoundly altering him…It suggests that what’s saddest about radicalization is that it arise from deep inside the human condition itself, from the thirst all humans have for connection and meaning. Without these, anyone can be lost.” A Good Country is so, so good and so, so real. It’s a book that stays with you long after you turn the final page. I loved every minute of it, and I learned from every page. [[Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars]] Thank you Trident Media Group and Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me this book. I will cherish it and recommend it to every reader I know.

I hope everyone’s 2018 is off to a fabulous start! I’ve got a lot on my reading list already!

xo, Amy

BOOK: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

LOOK: Jacket – Nordstrom; Jeans – American Eagle (linked similar); Shirt – Etsy (linked similar)

“Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.”

Aza and Daisy are best friends who stumble into solving the mystery of the disappearance of their friend Davis’s billionaire father. Aza and Davis’s live completely different lives, but conversation and companionship unites them during this weird time in their lives. Turtles is a story of friendships that hold fast even after some time away or challenging times, friendships that are complicated and pure all at once. A big part of this novel is Aza’s struggle with her inner thoughts, and Green portrays this mental illness in a real way that helps readers understand what people with mental illness go through on a daily basis. This book is filled with passages that you’ll earmark and save for later when you need to read them again. The wisdom within a John Green novel never disappoints. Plus I always like when you get to the part of the book that explains the title, and this book has a good one. I mean Turtles All the Way Down?!? WTF does that even mean? You’ll see! [[Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars]] P.S. If I had to compare it to another John Green novel, I’d say it is most similar to Paper Towns.

There’s not much you can pair with an orange-y book cover, but luckily brown, and maroon, and orange are all Thanksgiving colors so it works. I’m living in both feast mode and this faux leather jacket for the foreseeable future—the jacket is great to throw on for nights out when really all you want to do is go to bed. I’ve been looking for a jacket like this for a while, but I didn’t want to spend a ton of money. This one is affordable and versatile—you’ll love it. Order a size up because it runs small. And PSA: I fully support feast mode at all times, but especially when you get to go home and eat ALL the foods your mom makes. Cheers to a happy beginning to your holiday season!

xo, Amy

BOOK: The Break Down by B.A. Paris

LOOK: Sweater Dress – Target

“If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?”

From the bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors (!!!), The Break Down is a novel about a young woman, Cass, who finds herself unexpectedly caught up in the murder of a young woman that has happened close to the home she shares with her husband Matthew. Cass feels somewhat responsible for this woman’s death, and she can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her. She receives mysterious, threatening phone calls daily, and all of this is coupled with the fact that her memory is fading—she fears she may have early-onset Alzheimer’s. Cass is having trouble keeping herself together, but she wants desperately to find out (or remember) what happened that rainy night of the murder. Will she be able to figure out the truth before it’s too late?

I absolutely loved this book. I found myself actually really scared during some parts—I was in the story you guys. The ending/solution is one I totally did not see coming! I’m still talking about it with my friend Sarah at work, who introduced me to this gem. You’ll seriously want to go back and reread parts because the ending CHANGES. THE. GAME. With so many thrillers these days, you never know what you’re going to get, but trust me when I say that this one is the real deal. B.A. Paris is a master of her craft. The Break Down is the best thriller I have read in a long time. Get your hands on a copy ASAP. [[Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars]]

I paired this book with an olive-y green sweater dress because 1.) it’s cozy and when you read a thriller you’ve got to be cozy, and 2.) Cass’s house is tucked away in the woods and green is a woodsy color. #nailedit. You know when you run into Target for just one thing? That thing was not this dress…just sayin. Product placement got the best of me because this dress was just right in front of me on my way to grab some toothpaste (that’s all I needed) and I couldn’t pass it up. Poor consumerism aside, I really like the fit and the material—it’s not too thick and not too thin. It’s one of my favorite things to wear this fall! It comes in a few colors, so grab one that works for you and get cozy!

xo, Amy