Bookworm: 9 Favorite Cookbooks

I love collecting all books from classic novels to coffee table books. During the last few years I have discovered that I really enjoy spending time at home in the kitchen preparing meals and treats to share with family and friends. As a result I have began collecting cookbooks. I love flipping through the glossy pages of my favorite cookbooks and choosing the dishes to make for my next get-together.

There are so many great chefs and cookbooks out there this list could have easily gotten out of control and been way too long to share. After a lot of thought I narrowed my collection down to in my opinion nine of the best.

ONE // Sauces & Shapes: Pasta the Italian Way. Italian food is basically the best. If I could live on pasta and cheese I would be one happy girl. Sauces & Shapes is a great cookbook because it provides authentic Italian recipes that are easy enough for even inexperienced cooks.

TWO // The New Best Recipe. This is a massive general cookbook that you will find yourself relying on again and again. Numerous recipes were tried for each item in this book before the absolute best was chosen to be included.

THREE // Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust. I consider myself to be pretty good in the kitchen and that is partially thanks to Ina Garten. I first got into cooking and baking after I began watching Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network and began picking up tips and techniques from Ina. All of Ina's cookbooks are amazing but I chose this one because it provides so much information and recipes to help entertaining be mistake proof.

FOUR // Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi. This cookbook celebrates vegetables with 120 delicious recipes. The recipes are flavorful and colorful. As a vegetarian there should be little doubt that I would love this book but Plenty was written by a nonvegetarian so I think the recipes really appeal to everyone.

FIVE // Sally's Baking Addiction: Irresistible Cookies, Cupcakes, and Desserts for Your Sweet-Tooth Fix. This is the latest cookbook added to my collection. I have loved Sally McKenney's blog for years and have tried many of her recipes and never had one fail so picking up this book was a must for me. One thing I love about Sally's recipes is that they never call for crazy ingredients or have a million steps. If you can read I promise that you can bake Sally's wonderful creations.

SIX // Extra Virgin: Recipes & Love from Our Tuscan Kitchen. This is another incredible Italian cookbook. In this book you will find beautiful, rustic Italian recipes. Everything is easy to prepare and has huge fresh flavor.

SEVEN // The Weekend Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress-Free Strategies for Busy People. I loved baking long before I loved cooking but I often found that I didn't have the time to whip up many of the recipes I wanted to try. The Weekend Baker is a great book for busy people. The recipes in this book are easy to follow and organized so that you can have tasty, homemade baked treats in your home even when you are short on time.

EIGHT // Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking. I think everyone can agree that Julia was basically a rock star in the kitchen and I am sure I am not the only one who has found her recipes intimidating. Julia's Kitchen Wisdom is more of a kitchen guide than a cookbook. It is filled with useful basic recipes and techniques as well as time-saving tips Julia learned over the years.

NINE // Endless Summer Cookbook. This book provides fresh, simple, healthy recipes that are great for summer get-togethers. The peach blueberry cobbler is a huge winner.

image via: target, edited by Sunny Days and Starry Nights

How to Create The Perfect Book Nook

Maybe you remember that Tracy and I started a book club with our sister Tiffany and our best friends a several months ago? We both are avid readers. We are constantly ordering books from Amazon, picking out armloads of books from discount racks, and we are frequent visitors to the library. We buy, borrow, and trade books. Books are swapped between us and our friends so much that we all always have a stack of books to read. Do you enjoy reading? It is seriously my favorite hobby. What's not to love about it? You can learn tons of new things, visit far off places (or completely imaginary worlds), and it's so much fun!

If my future home could have a library in it I would be tickled pink. I know it might not be reasonable to think that I could some day have a library all of my very own, but my home would definitely have to have a comfy spot for reading. If I can't have a library, I definitely need a cozy book nook.

The perfect book nook for a book worm like me would have to be a comfy spot with lots of light. If it could be by a window it would be awesome to have the natural light streaming in. I also imagine that this would be "my spot" as Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory would say. It would be decorated to suit my needs. So what would the perfect book nook need?

ONE // White Book Shelf: If I can't have a library, I need at least one book shelf to display all of my favorite books. My favorites include Pride and Prejudice and the Harry Potter series. This shelf would contain books that I love to reread.

TWO // Pink Stripe Pillow: Pillows are a must because comfort is key. I can read for hours at a time, if no one disturbs me.

THREE // Classic Book Set: Pretty books like these could find a home on my shelves. I love the classics, fantasy books, and mysteries.

FOUR // Diamond Print Chair: A beautiful and comfortable chair is also key. A chair is enough for this spot, because when you are reading you don't need other people sitting around you trying to talk to you. I love chairs that are pretty prints like this one.

FIVE // Table Lamp: You can't read if you can't see. Lamps like this would be great for an end table beside my chair.

SIX // Pink End Table: An end table is needed next to my comfy chair to hold things like a lamp, the book I am currently reading, or my cup of coffee.

SEVEN // Gold Agates: Beautiful agates like these would make excellent bookends for my book shelf. Last Thanksgiving I purchased a set similar to these while Tracy and I were in NYC for the holiday.

EIGHT // Emerald Lattice Print Rug: A rug like this one adds a pop of color to my book nook. Also on those cold Winter days it will keep my feet off the cold hard wood floor.


via: 1

5 Books Destined to Become Classics

1. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee - This sequel to the book To Kill A Mocking Bird that is set two decades later. If you are a fan of the original this is a must read so that you can context and depth to what you already love about the original.

2. Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi - Set in the year 1953, a woman (named Boy) marries a man with a daughter named Snow. Then they have a child together, a daughter named Bird, which reveals they are light skinned African Americans who are passing for white. This has some elements of Snow White but with conflicts dealing with racial identities. It is a must read.

3. Uprooted by Naomi Novik - This new book is definitely going to be a fantasy classic. It has been compared to Grimm's Fairy Tales. This book has a new take on a "dragon" who requires a new girl every ten years to be his servant. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre then this is for you.

4. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - In this book set during WWII we see how the paths of a blind French girl and a German orphan boy cross. We follow the characters as they make decisions that question their morality and need for survival on a daily basis.

5. So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson - Ronson has traveled the world to interview people who have been publicly shamed by some mistake that they made. People who end up getting laughed at, demonized, and some who even lost their jobs because of their mistake. This book focuses on the fact that these people where publicly shamed and criticized for their actions on the internet. If we take part in this, what does this say about us?


via: 1

Money Saving Tip!

Whether you are a full-time college student, part-time, or taking night classes one way to save some money is to rent your textbooks. This is something that I have become very familiar with because I just finished my Master's Degree. I have even started renting my textbooks because I can save so much money. Even though I just received my Master's Degree, I am not finished with college yet. Now it's time to get my Rank 1, so that I can get another pay raise at work. This summer, I plan to get started on that and hopefully in a couple of years I will have completed the degree.
One great website to rent textbooks from is Campus Books Rentals. You can save 40-90% off of normal bookstore prices, which can really add up! Shipping is free both when you rent the book and when you return the book. You can treat these rented books just like books you buy. You are able to write and highlight in them! You can make notes in the margins. Really, I treat the books I rent just like the textbooks I use to buy.
There are other perks to renting from Campus Books Rentals. One being that for each textbook that you rent a donation goes to Operation Smile. How fantastic is that?

Want to know how it works? Check out this video:



This is a paid sponsored post by http://www.campusbookrentals.com/.

via: 1

Bookworm: 2015 Beach Reads

It Comes in Waves by Ericka Marks
Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand
Tempting Fate by Jane Green
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Nantucket Sisters by Nancy Thayer
Just Destiny by Theresa Rizzo
The Other Half by Sarah Rayner
The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain
Island Girls by Nancy Thayer
My upcoming vacation plans for this summer are still up in the air. Not having set plans is making me anxious because I am definitely one of those people who likes to have an established game plan in place. It is almost certain that I will be heading to a beach somewhere. I can almost feel the salt in the air and hear the waves already. Above is the a list of books that I think would be great for countless hours relaxing on the beach or by the pool this summer. I am especially looking forward to reading this one and this one.

P.S. You can find a previous beach reads list I made here.

Bookworm: Books For The Francophile

Paris Street Style: A Guide to Effortless Chic
How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are
The French Cat (furry felines photographed with lovely French backgrounds!)
The Sweet Life in Paris
Paris: An Inspiring Tour of the City's Creative Heart
Tout Sweet (for anyone who has ever dreamed of starting all over in France)
Parisian Chic: A Style Guide (tips of becoming effortlessly glamorous)
At Home with Madame Chic
Mastering the Art of French Eating

I am not sure when my fascination with France began or even why but I am without a doubt smitten with all things French. Another thing I love is books so you can certain that I happily collect any book about France that I can get my hands on. The newest book in my collection is this book that Jessica got me for Christmas. I love flipping through its pages when I have a couple quiet minutes. Above are a few more of my favorites. Do you have any suggestions for books that this Francophile should read?

Bookworm: Reading List

It by Alexa Chung
Refinery29: Style Stalking by Piera Gelardi and Christene Barberich
The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday
I Was Here by Gayle Forman
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
It Starts With Food by Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (current book club pick)
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
I'll Drink to That by Betty Halbreich and Rebecca Paley
Over the last four or five months I have greatly increased the amount of books I have been reading. Starting a book club with Jessica and several friends was a great idea. I have always loved reading but several years ago it greatly tampered off because I never made time for it. When the idea of starting a book club came to me I immediately thought that at least I would be reading one book a month but it has rubbed off and now I finish several books each month. For our February book club meeting our friend choose this book but I hope to also work my way through the other books above in the next couple months. What are you currently reading?

Chit Chat: Book Club

A little over a month ago we (me, my sisters, and two of our best friends), decided to start a book club. We all love to read and to share what we have read with each other. We also feel that we don't get to hangout often enough. Because of this we thought a book club would be an excellent idea. We each are going to take turns hosting the meetings and choosing the books. It was decided that we would meet once a month and each month we would have a different book to read. Whoever is hosting for the month gets to decide the book and provides the food for the meeting.
Last Saturday we had our first book club meeting. I hosted and the book that we read beforehand was Wicked by Gregory Maguire. We met on Saturday and enjoyed some delicious food. Tracy helped me make a Cheesy Chilli Dip, Peanut Butter Mousse Cups, and Peanut Butter Cookie Bars. We ate and we had a great conversation about the book. We talked about what we thought about the book in general, about specific parts of the book, and about the characters. We discussed what we liked about the book, what we didn't like, what made sense, and what didn't make sense. Afterwards, we also had a great time talking about other things, catching up with each other, and making future plans.
As for the book have any of you read it? What were your thoughts? I have to admit that it was definitely not what I expected it to be. I found the book to be very confusing. Not that it was a difficult read or anything. It's just that so many things happened that we never fully find out about. Like what's up with the resistance? What happened while she was at the convent? I think there were interesting things happening in the book but a lot of them were never completed. I also found how some of the characters behaved to be very strange and some them acted in very illogical ways.
Are you in a book club? Have you ever thought about starting one?

Bookworm: Currently Reading

I love to read and I always have a stack of books in the corner of my room that I want to read. Usually, I pull a few from that stack that I want to read first. Reading is an activity that I enjoy. It is so easy to escape reality with a good book. You can get transported to other places and other times. Reading is just so relaxing and calming to me.

Right now I am reading Wicked, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Dracula, and Little Women. I have been reading Wicked for our very first book club meeting this weekend. I haven't finished it yet, but I can definitely say that this book is not what I expected it to be. I have always loved fairy tales and ever since I started watching the tv show Grimm, I have been more interested in Grimm's fairy tales. As for Dracula and Little Women, I received a Barnes and Noble gift card a couple of months ago and they were two of the books I picked out. I haven't started Dracula yet, but I am excited to get to it. Little Women is a book that I have read several times and that I absolutely love. The strong bond between sisters is something that I can relate too.

Have you read the books that I am currently reading? What books to do you recommend?