what i'm reading

I purchased Fifth Avenue, 5AM a few days ago
It's been a busy few days, but today I'm going to curl up
in a lawn chair with a tall
glass of lemonade and start this lovely book.

Any special plans for tonight?

what i'm reading

After I finished Little Bee (a new favourite!), I picked up two more books last week ( I have been staying up way past my bed time reading!)

The Happiness Project...


and Flip for Decorating.


I haven't had a chance to start the Happiness Project, but I have only heard great things about it, so I am uber excited.

I totally devoured Flip for Decorating and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great book devoted to decorating.

These past few weeks, I have gone back to reading and reading non stop for hours. I think it might be because basketball has been monopolizing our television (a little something called NBA playoffs?)

But you know, I love it. Sometimes television has a way of just sucking me in (ahem, trashy reality tv!!) So, I'm glad I have been spending my evenings reading and not sitting on the couch watching The Bachelorette.

what i'm reading

I picked up Little Bee not really knowing anything about the novel ( I was attracted to the cover...for shame! )

Upon reading the jacket cover I was intrigued. It barely says anything about the plot and coyly suggests that it is better for the reader not to know too much.

I often buy books without reading the jacket cover because sometimes, it does tend to give too much away. So more often than not, I read a book without having a clue what it is about. I like it better that way!

I also inspect all the books on the shelf and make sure I get the one that is in the best condition. If all the books happen to be "banged up" I have been known to leave and look for said book elsewhere.

On the other hand, my sister doesn't mind buying books that are not in near perfect condition. But she also likes to turn to the last page and read the ending.

Do you have any quirks when it comes to buying your books and or reading?

P.S. Hop on over to Sweet Symphanie and check out my guest post!!!

what i'm reading wednesdays

I about half way through "The Secret Life of Bees" and I am loving it!

I purchased My Life in France the memoir of Julia Child in preparation for my trip to Hawaii. I am not really a beach person ( gasp!). But I know the girls will have have fun playing in the sand and water, so if I have to lie there, I might as well have a good book to keep me company.

I became enamoured with Julia Child after watching Julie and Julia. I love reading autobiographies and memoirs, so I thought this would be a good choice. Has anyone read it? What are your thoughts?

Oh, and I watched The Time Traveller's Wife. Was it just me or did they not portray Gomez in the same way as his character in the book? I didn't like him too much in the book, but in the movie he was likeable.

Maybe I missed something?

what i'm reading wednesdays

I have finally finished reading The Time Traveller's Wife. It took me a little while to get through (oh, how I miss the days of my care free youth when I could read a novel a day!)

I. LOVED. IT.

My hubby brought me home the movie, so I'm going to watch that tonight (hopefully).

I just purchased The Secret Life of Bees on this lovely bloggers' suggestion (Thanks Linda!) I can't wait to get it!



And while I was on line buying it, I couldn't help but also purchase this lovely little book. I have been eyeing it for a while and finally succumbed. I love anything to do with decorating, so I doubt I will have buyers remorse with this one.

Does anyone have either book? What do you think?

What are your latest book purchases?

what i'm reading wednesdays

I have always loved to read. When I was a little girl, and I got in trouble, my parents often punished me by taking away my books. Yup! it wasn't the television or my toys, it was my books!

I can still remember the book that first started my passion for reading. It was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (to this day, it is still one of my all-time favorite books) . My older cousin from Seattle had come to stay with us for the summer. She would curl up on one of our lawn chairs, a lemonade by her side with the sun shining down on her, reading. She would spend entire afternoons under the warm summer sun just reading.

Being a lot younger then her, I was a little intimidated to approach her and ask her what she was reading. But one day, I gathered up enough courage and approached her. She told me that the book she was reading was a romance novel. Yuck! romance? I was not interested at all.

The next morning, she told me that she would take me to our local library and borrow one of her all time favorite books.

That afternoon, I couldn't put down Charlie and the Chocolate factory. I was completely enamored by the characters, by the story, by everything.

That same summer, my lola (grandmother) and lolo (grandfather) moved from the Philippines to live with us here. My lolo continued to foster my love of reading. He would take my sister and I to the library a few times a week. He would let me borrow as many books as I wanted, on the condition that I finished them all and didn't lose them. He would even make a list of all the books that I had read. By the end of the summer, I had read a lot of books!

I still love to read, although I don't have as much free time as I use to. My hubby will often comment if he hasn't seen me read a new book in a while.

Yesterday I picked up The Time Traveller's Wife on the recommendation of a friend. I like to read books that other's have recommended...so every wednesday (or so, depending on life.. you know how it is!) I will post what I am reading and if you have a book that you have read and loved, please let me know.