October Reads

Well, I certainly got out of my September reading slump in October and it felt great! Read on if you want to hear about the 6 books I read in October, and I sure hope this good streak continues since we basically have Winter weather now.

 

The Dearly Beloved by: Cara Wall

Thank you Simon & Schuster for this copy. This story follows the decades long friendship between two couples who met in the 60's when the husbands were hired to co-lead a failing church in Greenwich Village. What really made this book great was the different backgrounds everyone came from, and how they questioned their faith time and time again. The wives could not have been more different - they got along in their own way eventually - but it was refreshing to see that just because husbands are friends and/or work together does not automatically mean the wives HAVE to be friends. Furthermore, one of the wives did not believe in God - which she told her husband straight away when they first met - again, a great example of loving someone and having a good marriage despite not having the same beliefs and/or interests. I really enjoyed this read because of these unique themes the author created.

 

Big Lies in a Small Town by: Diane Chamberlain

Thank you St. Martins Press for this advance readers copy - this book comes out January 14, 2020. This was the second time I have read Diane Chamberlain, and I just loved this book! It flips between present day and the past, and it was just a good story with a surprise at the end. Here is the summary:

North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center. Her dream of a career in art is put on hold—until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets.

North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder.

What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies?

 

What Happens in Paradise by: Elin Hilderbrand

This new release by Elin is the second in this trilogy, so when I saw it at the library I grabbed it up. I tend to love everything I read by Elin, and this series is set in St. John which is different than her usual Nantucket setting. Now to wait another year until the conclusion comes out!

A year ago, Irene Steele had the shock of her life: her loving husband, father to their grown sons and successful businessman, was killed in a helicopter crash. But that wasn't Irene's only shattering news: he'd also been leading a double life on the island of St. John, where another woman loved him, too. Now Irene and her sons are back on St. John, determined to learn the truth about the mysterious life -and death - of a man they thought they knew. Along the way, they're about to learn some surprising truths about their own lives, and their futures. 

 

29 Seconds by: T.M. Logan

Thank you St. Martins Press for this copy! This is the second book I've read by T.M. Logan, and I enjoyed it better than Lies. If you're looking for a fast paced thriller, this is it! Also, the theme is very relevant to our current culture and I was CHEERING at the ending!

Sarah is a young professor struggling to prove herself in a workplace controlled by the charming and manipulative Alan Hawthorne. A renowned scholar and television host, Hawthorne rakes in million-dollar grants for the university where Sarah works―so his inappropriate treatment of female colleagues behind closed doors has gone unchallenged for years. And Sarah is his newest target.

When Hawthorne's advances become threatening, Sarah is left with nowhere to turn. Until the night she witnesses an attempted kidnapping of a young child on her drive home, and impulsively jumps in to intervene. The child’s father turns out to be a successful businessman with dangerous connections―and her act of bravery has put this powerful man in her debt. He gives Sarah a burner phone and an unbelievable offer. A once-in-a-lifetime deal that can make all her problems disappear.

No consequences. No traces. All it takes is a 29-second phone call.

Because everyone has a name to give. Don’t they?

 

A Good Neighborhood by: Therese Anne Fowler

Thank you St. Martins Press for this advance reader copy - this book comes out February 4, 2020. Wow, what a page turner! Very relevant to our social issues, and it does have a sad ending. Whew! I have another of Therese's books on my shelf so I am definitely intrigued to read more from her.

In Oak Knoll, a verdant, tight-knit North Carolina neighborhood, professor of forestry and ecology Valerie Alston-Holt is raising her bright and talented biracial son. Xavier is headed to college in the fall, and after years of single parenting, Valerie is facing the prospect of an empty nest. All is well until the Whitmans move in next door—an apparently traditional family with new money, ambition, and a secretly troubled teenaged daughter.

Thanks to his thriving local business, Brad Whitman is something of a celebrity around town, and he's made a small fortune on his customer service and charm, while his wife, Julia, escaped her trailer park upbringing for the security of marriage and homemaking. Their new house is more than she ever imagined for herself, and who wouldn't want to live in Oak Knoll?

But with little in common except a property line, these two very different families quickly find themselves at odds: first, over an historic oak tree in Valerie's yard, and soon after, the blossoming romance between their two teenagers. Told in multiple points of view, A Good Neighborhood asks big questions about life in America today — what does it mean to be a good neighbor? How do we live alongside each other when we don't see eye to eye? — as it explores the effects of class, race, and heartrending star-crossed love in a story that’s as provocative as it is powerful.

 

In a Dark, Dark Wood by: Ruth Ware

With Halloween in October, I was looking for a creepy read. Unfortunately, I was not scared at all by this book. It was a good crime story, but I would not say it's scary. I'm sure some would say it would even be predictable.

What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware's suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller. Leonora, known to some as Lee and others as Nora, is a reclusive crime writer, unwilling to leave her nest of an apartment unless it is absolutely necessary. When a friend she hasn't seen or spoken to in years unexpectedly invites Nora (Lee) to a weekend away in an eerie glass house deep in the English countryside, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. Forty-eight hours later, she wakes up in a hospital bed injured but alive, with the knowledge that someone is dead. Wondering not "what happened?" but "what have I done?", Nora (Lee) tries to piece together the events of the past weekend. Working to uncover secrets, reveal motives, and find answers, Nora (Lee) must revisit parts of herself that she would much rather leave buried where they belong: in the past.



inVESTed in velvet

My Mom and Dad gave me this pretty peacock vest for my birthday last month, and I've already come up with two fun ways to wear it! It is definitely a unique wearable art piece in velvet with bead accents.

First up I wore it over this cute black swing dress from Old Navy. I wanted to find a dress that was long sleeved and the same length as the vest, and for $20 it was a no brainer. I can easily add tights to this look when the snow flies, and change out the booties to flat or heels depending on where I am going. The vest has a single button so it can be worn open or closed.

Aris A. Peacock Beaded Velvet Vest : Steinmart (my Mom's fav store)

Long-Sleeve Jersey-Knit Swing Dress : Old Navy

Maris Booties : Sole Society (old)

A more common look for these flowy toppers, kimonos, or long cardigans is skinny jeans and a top. I went all black but you could easily experiment with blue jeans and colored tops. I have flats on here but they can be changed out too!

Aris A. Peacock Beaded Velvet Vest : Steinmart (my Mom's fav store)

Apt 9 Top, Rock & Republic High Roller Jeans : Kohl's (old)

Black Flats : Walmart



How the Midwest does Paris

This luxurious velvet skirt is by a Parisian designer - Mes Demoiselles - that I had not been acquainted with yet. When I saw it at Anthropologie, I predicted it would sell out fast (I was right). It was a splurge that I used my birthday discount and birthday money on. 

Is it a bit dressy and out of place for someone who lives in a small town in Michigan? Yes. Are the colors a bit garish? Yes. Then it's right up my alley! LOL!

With colors of mustard, hot pink, electric blue and deep green I was already putting ideas together in my head. Anytime I want to dress down a fancy piece, I think of a denim jacket, t-shirt, chambray shirt, etc.... I kept it pretty low key here with an olive shell that would match my olive booties. 

Mes Demoiselles Skirt : Anthropologie

Sonoma Shell and Booties : Kohl's (old)

Jean Jacket : TJ Maxx (old)

I love coming up with several ways to wear something, but realize it's too hard to photograph every instance I wear it and only change out one or two pieces. So I think I'll try to keep up with these flat lay options. I am a firm believer in having a good base of layering pieces - for instance these Sonoma shells I bought in every color a few years ago....... chenille cardigans and long dusters bought in multiple colors. It may seem like a lot, but I'm telling you your mix and match options are going to be endless. I know many people are into neutrals so they can always match, so I hope this proves you can love COLOR and have lots of options too! First up I'm going with a hot pink shell and then olive topper. The cropped jacket will give it very much the same silhouette as I am wearing above.

Same hot pink shell but a teal sweater.

Electric blue shell with mustard sweater (the blue is a much closer match to the skirt in person - hard to photograph).

Pumpkin Print

I'm not really one to gravitate toward a season or holiday specific piece of clothing, because I like to have the majority of my clothing be considered "year round". I have very few items that fall into hardcore categories, and if you've followed me for any amount of time you know I love the challenge of putting outfits together for all kinds of weather. But when I saw this cute pumpkin top (actually, they are more like small gourds) from Modcloth, I couldn't resist! The watercolor like print is so pretty, and as the stereotype goes for my gender/age, I LOVE Fall. So, I set out to come up with several ways to get the most out of this blouse over the next few weeks.

I've been trying to be more creative with my skirts, by way of graphic tees or pattern mixing. This ombre velvet skirt is from Modcloth too, and last year I played it safe with basic black. The colors are a perfect pairing for this top though and I am liking the addition of a belt to hide the elastic waist and make things look more put together.

Fancied Flair Cap Sleeve Blouse : Modcloth

Velvet Skirt : Modcloth

Sonoma Belt : Kohl's

Booties : Target

The top is a flowy style, which I love, and here I paired it with some dark wash straight leg jeans. In an effort to get away from my usual brown or black footwear, I pulled out these purple heels I've had for a while. With so many colors in the top, I had several sweater options for layering, but I choose a purple duster (which unfortunately looks more pink in the photos). We've been having those days where you need a layer in the morning but by afternoon it is gorgeous!

Fancied Flair Cap Sleeve Blouse : Modcloth

High Rise Power Straight Jeans : Old Navy

Sofft Heels : old

Bongo Duster : Sears (budget option to the LuLaRoe Sarah or Free People one)



As much as I love a flowy top, I often try belting as an option to create a peplum silhouette. I went with a lighter wash skinny jean here, and brown flats to match the belt.

Fancied Flair Cap Sleeve Blouse : Modcloth

High Rise Rockstar Jeans : Old Navy

Belt : Took off an old dress

Universal Thread "Wenda" Flats : Target (Free People dupe)

Here's a few more ideas...... it would go with either my burgundy (AE) or olive (Talbots) jeans. If I were to pair it with colored pants, I would then top it with a denim jacket.

 Besides the duster shown above, I think any of the chenille cardigans I posted about last year would top it off nicely! Chenille is so perfect for Fall!

 

Moods & Mojo

 Last week I was really frustrated with blogging/instagramming, because I had tried to photograph 3 different outfits on 3 different days and I did not like any of the pictures. There are so many factors, to me at least, that go into this whole process and as we enter the Fall/Winter season it gets even harder with weather and lighting conditions. It's down times like this when I think, "Why am I even doing this?" and "Who cares?". But then I think about the things that have fallen to the wayside as I am in this mid-life Mom-mode and I tell myself, "NO! I am not giving up one more thing that is just for me and my creative outlet!"

 I also remind myself that these moods, or blogging mojo, are always up and down. And sure enough, this week has started out great and I am back to loving the results. I hope it keeps up for the rest of the week!

 This is that $368 Anthropologie dress that I found at Marshalls for $19.99. It is seriously ranking up there as one of the best finds of my lifetime and it finally felt like the right time to wear it. It felt natural to accessorize it with a brown belt and booties. It has pockets and was so light and comfy today!

 Essentiel Antwerp Dress : Anthropologie via Marshalls

Belt : Kohl's

dv "Jameson" Booties : Target

No In Between

What do we think of this pattern mixing? I love it when random pieces come together unplanned, which is how most of my pattern mixing tends to happen anyway. And I like it when I don't have to try too hard. This is the $12 skirt from TJ Maxx this Summer and a Loft blouse from a few years ago. 

Have you ever seen those memes where they compare two extreme things, and then state "there is no in between"? I totally feel like that describes my life perfectly, and here's why this outfit made me think of that theme. Here are my "no in betweens".............

1. I am either dressed up and accessorized with intention, or I am wearing cruddy leggings with a mismatched tee. This includes hair/makeup versus unwashed hair/no makeup.

 

2. I am a foodie who wants to try the most crazy combo at a new restaurant, or I want a burger with just ketchup.

 

3. I am in bed early reading, bitching about "what the kids these days are doing" (old and responsible), or else I am driving down the highway, eating an ice cream cone, singing along to Lizzo, with my gas light on (young and irresponsible).

 

There is no in between!!!



September Reads

 

I felt like I was in a reading slump for September. I only read 3 books and they were all sort of "meh" to me. A lot of my free time was also taken up by binge watching all 5 seasons of Schitt's Creek. OMG I am so in love with those people!!! That's usually me though..... I don't get into a show right away and then after hearing people rave about it I get caught up and see what all the fuss was about. BUT, let's get on to the books.

 

My Dark Vanessa by: Kate Elizabeth Russell

Thank you Harper Collins for this advance reader copy (January 28, 2020 release). When you see a quote from Stephen King on the cover of a book, you can't help be intrigued. Unfortunately, this fell flat for me. This is the story of 15 year old Vanessa who gets involved in a romantic relationship with her teacher. It affects her quality of life as she grows into her 20's and 30's. As formal allegations come out against this man, Vanessa has to also come to terms that she wasn't his only interest. She grapples with going back and forth between being a victim or willing participant.

 

Three Women by: Lisa Taddeo

This book received a lot of hype this Summer, so I picked it up at the library. After years of reporting, Lisa decides to tell the true stories of the sex lives of 3 women. Since our society is so focused on it being taboo for women to express what they want, I was interested to understand what this book was about. One woman was in a student/teacher relationship similar to the book I just read. One woman was married with kids and her husband no longer had interest in her so she looked up an old flame. One woman was in all the right social circles in an affluent area, but her husband wanted to bring other people into their relationship. I guess I expected this to be empowering to women, but it all just ended the way it is expected to end...... the teacher is never brought to justice for his crimes and the student is afflicted for life. The woman with the old flame has strong feelings for him which he does not return (however will participate in the physical portion). The affluent woman sort of enjoys the additional partners but truly seems to only be doing it to please her husband. I felt this book was hyped as the women being able to vocalize and get what they wanted but it ended up being all about conforming to the opposite sex yet again.

 

This Tender Land by: William Kent Krueger

This book was just released, but thank you Atria Books for sending me a copy. This book has been compared to "Where the Crawdads Sing" (which I loved) and similar to a recent read of mine "Before We Were Yours". Based on mistreated orphans during the Great Depression, Odie escapes the Lincoln School with his brother and two other friends in tow. They travel downriver in hopes of reaching St. Louis where Odie remembers an Aunt they might be able to live with. The trip is full of good and bad characters they meet along the way, all the while their previous captors in hot pursuit. The story was a bit slow for me at times, and then the end had a lot going on (some twists) and wrapped everything up pretty quickly. This was good, but just not as good as other books in this genre. But then again, I think I am just having an off month and I can't wait to break this slump in October!