I am waiting for this whole 'New Year - New Me' (or rather Same Me, in my case) phase to end so that we can go on with the year. I have no lessons, no stories or inspirational anecdotes to share about 2019. It was an year of personal stability and global instability. I am still processing what I want to say about the past year without sounding like a total Debbie Downer. So till then let's focus on mood-neutrals topics like fashion and books.
Below are my five favorite outfits and five books I read, in no particular order:
Click to see the post: 1. The Art of Gifting
City of Girls - Elizabeth Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert's words at the beginning of the book explains the book very well, "I've longed to write a novel about promiscuous girls whose lives are not destroyed by their sexual desires". Then she introduces Vivian, who is the narrator and the protagonist of the story. We follow Vivian as she moves to New York City at the age of nineteen. Since the story if narrated from the retrospective point of view by Vivian in her eighties, we get her more mature commentary that does not try to hide or excuse the naivety of her younger self. I appreciated this novel's tone, Vivian's irreverence and her way of looking at the world. This was a fun romp, incredibly well executed and brilliantly written. I loved everything about the story. It manages to be a fast read while grappling with big messy issues like shame, grief, and how we live with our choices and mistakes. Read it!
Click to see the post: 2. Is Sharing Really Caring?
The Shoemaker's Wife - Adriana Trigiani I was NOT prepared to be sucked into the story like I did. The characters are string, complex, and likable. The locations described in the book, especially the mountain villages of Italy and New York City around the time of WWII practically deserve to be considered characters in their own right as the story unfolds. Subplots are right with details of the lives of Italian-American immigrants interwoven with actual historical figures such as the opera singer - Caruso. This is not a sappy love story, what it is, is a beautiful story of love, family and a dream of a better life. It isn't just a book; it's an experience.
Click to see the post: 3. The Power of "Power Dressing"
Educated - Tara Westover This was a distressing and discomforting read - alarming and startling exposure of her Mormon fundamentalist family. Tara is the youngest of seven children growing up on an isolated rural property. A fundamentalist version of religion fed her father's paranoia and his anti-government and survivalist view of the world. Until she was 17 years old, she had never gone to school. Educated is an emotional roller-coaster but it's not told with melodrama or self-pity. Westover wrote this memoir in her late 20s. I suspect the story she has to tell is not over. Very much worth the read.
Click to see the post: 4. My Process Of Picking My Outfit Includes ...
Landline - Rainbow Rowell Rainbow Rowell knows the way to my sappy heart, which if you know me you'd know it is buried deep-deep inside (I kid). I loved how incredibly inventive and unique her writing style is and how wholesome her characters. Everything about the story felt real and raw but infused with Rowell's sense of humor. I was hooked from page one and didn't want the book to end. I only have discovered her books a few years back and can't believe I missed out on her fabulous writing for all these years.
Click to see the post: 5. I Am Bursting With Renewed Energy
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill - Abbi Waxman This book to me, was perfection. Beautiful story, which is astoundingly relatable with charming characters (that I could not get enough of) set in a fairytale-esque atmosphere, executed with elegant writing style. Abbi Waxman does such a fantastic job here using wit and humor as she explores love and the dynamics between family, friends and the love of reading in such a unique way. She creates fun, colorful and likable characters that bring some chaos and anxiety to Nina's quiet and organized life. If you are looking for a charming light read then this is the book for you. What were your favorite reads from 2019?
