Anyone read any good books lately? I certainly have, and I am so excited to share them with you today on the second edition of What’s On My Nightstand.
Now before we get to business, y’all might kill me, but I haven’t yet signed up for Goodreads yet. I really appreciate you all taking the time to recommend it to me in the comments last time, and I promise I will make an account before our ‘next what’s on my nightstand roundup.’
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So now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s move onto the fun stuff.
Since we last talked, I had the opportunity to read some great books, both for class and for pleasure. My family also booked our summer beach vacation, so I am stoked to start collecting awesome titles now that I can read when I have the luxury of time.
But for now, these are the books that have been on my nightstand as of late:
It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell is one of the best-written memoirs I have read. Anyone else fall in love with Andie, too? A spinoff of her popular blog, Can You Stay for Dinner, Andie recounts her lifelong struggle with food and how she ate her way to 268 pounds by age 20. Now 135 pounds slimmer, Andie also talks about the mental changes she underwent in addition to the physical ones to adjust to her new body. If you’re looking for a weight loss guide, you will be sorely disappointed. But if you’re looking for a new way to view your relationship with food, or just a great read, this is a fabulous pick. Just a note—her descriptions of the food sometimes drag on, but that’s really my only gripe with the book.
Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple has been on my list for a while, but I finally was able to crack it open last month. It chronicles the path of Bernadette Fox, wife, mother, and sufferer of anxiety who feels stuck in her life not fulfilling her formerly lauded promise. And then she goes missing. Her daughter is convinced she wouldn’t leave without a good reason, so she goes out to find her. For the reader, figure out where she went, the book uses all forms of ‘media’ to clue you in—emails, flashbacks, and other documents. This book is funny and kept me engaged—I was definitely sad to turn the last page!
Make fun all you want, but I totally ordered Guiliana Rancic’s Going Off Script on Amazon pre-order (anyone else?…Bueller?). I used to watch Guiliana when her last name was DePandi and she was the fresh face on E! News. I loved her then, and I love her now, and her autobiography definitely didn’t disappoint. I loved the stories from her childhood, and learning more about her apart from her reality television shows. Regardless of your opinion of G, her cancer story is truly inspiring, and I love that she is open about it in this book with the hopes of saving someone else.
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I’d love to know, what’s on your nightstand?
I love watching Guiliana on E! so I bet I would also enjoy her book. I think she is really funny!
She is! I love her book – you can almost hear her reading it to you in your head.
I need more time in my life to read!! These all look like great reads! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hope you find a good one, Suz!
I tried reading Where’d Ya Go Bernadette, but could not make it through. Everyone talks about how great it is. Maybe I should give it another try.
Some books everyone has loved, I haven’t! Case in point: Eat, Pray, Love. Life is too short to read books you’re not interested in!
Thank you for the great recommendations. I don’t know why but I read more in the summer. I am loving The Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins and Paper Towns by John Green which will be a movie in June. 🙂 have an amazing day!! Xo
livingoncloudandreanine.blogspot.com
I read more in the summer, too! I think things are generally slower then. I will have to check out both of those. I love John Green! xo
I’m going to have to pick up It Was Me All Along! I’m intrigued!
Do it! I don’t think you’ll regret it. xo
I loved Bernadette! So good. My mom hardly ever makes time to read and when she told me she plowed through that one in a weekend, I knew I had to read it. Haha.
I just added the Andie Mitchell book to my library list, thanks for the rec! 🙂
My recs lately: if you want an easier beach read-type novel, I’m loving the Maisie Dobbs series (think British 1920s Nancy Drew!) If you want something a little heavier, but worth the mental effort, I really really loved “All the Light We Cannot See.” I recommend that to everyone!
Haha yes! My mom isn’t a huge reader, too, so I know when she likes a book it must be good. Let me know what you think of Andie’s book.
I LOVED Nancy Drew as a kid, so thanks for the rec of Maisie Dobbs! I am going to have check out both of those. xo
I want to read all these..they’re on my list. Now I just need to find the time when I’m not going to fall asleep mid way! Thank you for sharing! I invite you to please come share and link up with me now at http://www.wrightsimply.com/2015/04/not-so-wordless-wednesday-linky_14.html
I know others will love this!! Have a great day! xx Ashleigh @SimplyWright
Haha I feel you! I read right before bed, so I plow through these a few pages at a time. xo
I have wanted to read “It was me all along” and a friend talked me out of it, psht vetoing her and now ordering it! Thank you!
xx Cara
http://www.carascliche.com
Let me know what you think, Cara!
I want to read Guiliana’s book as well. And not just for hate reading 🙂 I also have the other books on my list. LOL I need to just turn off the TV and read at night to finish all the books on my list!
Yeah!! Let me know what you think :] I feel the same way girl, sometimes TV is just easier!
These books sound like they’re a good read! I see Guiliana here and there on TV but wow I didn’t know she had cancer :(. This makes me like her even more! I’m currently listening to the Serial podcast. Have you heard of it? It went viral and I’m addicted to it right now hehe
Tina
http://www.justatinabit.com
I loved Serial! I listened to it twice back in December! What do you think – did he do it?
Such great recommendations! Going Off Script looks amazingggg.
http://www.aswestumblealong.com
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I absolutely fell in love with Andie! Her memoir was so beautifully written. I identified with her so much and by the end I felt like we were friends. I really hope she writes a fiction book one of these days…
Me too! I related so much, and really enjoyed following along in her journey. Would LOVE to take that girl out to coffee. I agree, I hope she writes more!
I’ve heard great things about “Where’d you go…” I have been reading a lot of business books. Exciting, I know! lol
I read business books too! Usually on the metro though and not right before bed. Got any good ones?
I’ve been debating buying Guliana’s book, but wasn’t sure how genuine it would be? Not that I haven’t enjoyed her and found her cancer story inspiring – I always get worried with memoirs that they won’t come off how the person actually is. Your review made me think I should give it a chance!
You definitely should — I think it is as genuine as a celebrity memoir can be (and I have read a lot!). Worst case, just borrow it from the lib!