Diane von Furstenberg

I’ve always liked Diane von Furstenberg, not just her iconic wrap-dresses but the sound advice she offers women.I am looking forward to reading her new book, The Woman I Wanted to Be, where she opens up about her entire life and how she came to create the global brand which bears her name. I am also looking forward to seeing her new reality show House of DVF which premiered last night, and which focuses on the search for the first Diane von Furstenberg brand ambassador. I  was unable to watch it but I recorded it on my DVR and am seeing it tonight.Will you read her book or watch her new show?

Mad World

I grew up in the 80s and to this day, I still listen to all the music I grew up listening to. Nowadays, I rarely ever buy new music and when I do, it’s typically something that sounds like the music I grew up listening to or that was somehow influenced by the bands and singers I liked growing up. That’s not to say, I don’t listen to anything else, but my favorite music is definitely the sound of the 80s, most specifically the music of bands from the UK from that era. So, when I came across this book the other day, I immediately knew it had to be added to my book collection! It chronicles New Wave music and includes stories from various singers and band members. You can purchase it here. What about you, what is your favorite type of music?

(Photo via Abrams books)

An Unecessary Woman

I read about An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih  Alameddine in  The New Yorker and then I heard about it on NPR and knew I had to read it. I’ve turned to books and literature for escapism since I was a little girl so when I read this description of the main character, Aaliya Saleh, written by Andrea Denhoed of The New Yorker, I felt I had to buy it right away! “She turns to the companionship of literature and ‘a blind lust for the written word.’ Books are her retreat from the turmoil of the world and her consuming passion. ”

What books are you reading right now?

(Image via NPR)

Literary Map

I was an English literature major and this map is definitely going to be added to my Christmas wish list! It includes over six hundred books from the history of English literature! You can buy it here. Do you see any of your favorites included?

(Images via Dorothy and the Paris Review)

Difficult Books to Read

Are there any books that you’ve attempted to read and then halfway through or maybe even a few pages into , you’ve given up on? I hate to admit this because I love to read, but I have. One book I’ve never been able to get through is  Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, but trust me,  there are others! This list on Flavorwire lists 50 books which they consider to be some of the most difficult to get through because of length  or simply because of the manner in which they were written. Some of the books they list are War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

Yet, while looking through the list, there were books which I have read from cover to cover, unscathed. One of them is the Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English, which was required reading for a Middle English class I took in graduate school.  What difficult books would you add to this list?

(Image: Don Quixote by Pablo Picasso)

Reading Nooks

My favorite place to read has always been my bed. However, lately between work and all the wedding planning, I haven’t had as much time as I would like to read.Yet, I think that if I had one of these cool reading nooks, I might try to stay up a little later turning more book pages! What’s your favorite place to read?

(Photos via Apartment Therapy)

The Receptionist

I was lucky enough to be given books for Christmas, one of my favorite things to receive, and one of them is The Receptionist by Janet Groth .  Besides being an author, Ms. Groth is also an English professor  and her memoir tells of her time as a receptionist at  The New Yorker, a position she held for twenty-one years between 1957-1978. I’ve begun reading it and must admit that so far, it’s a difficult book to put down because of the detailed accounts she gives.  I look forward to reading the rest of it. What are you currently reading?