BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION: IS EVERYONE HANGING OUT WITHOUT ME?

We loved Mindy. Loved her so much. Right before Christmas we got together to discuss our Holiday Book Club Selection, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? [And Other Concerns]. Once again we met for delicious food, divine drinks, & a little talk about a shared read. 

The consensus was clear: Mindy Kaling is hilarious. We laughed out loud even recounting what we had read. I did all my reading this time on a plane, traveling three times to Baltimore between Thanksgiving & Christmas. I would like to take this moment to apologize to everyone who sat next to me on those flights. I was that girl. The one who literally l-o-l-ed through the sky.

Though I loved many parts of this light & easy read (adjectives that Mindy herself ties to this book), what I find most lovely is how normal she makes me feel. Yes, of course we all work from our bed. Drama is fine. Fad dieting can be fun. Etc. My friend Teddy described Mindy as "the perfect combination of ditz and biting intelligence." You know what, I 100% agree. What did you guys think? What were your favorite parts? Do you think she will write another book? Let me know your thoughts in comments! 

& feel free to join us for our next winter book club. We will be reading Cheryl Strayed's Wild.

HOLIDAY BOOK CLUB SELECTION

Helloooo!! This Holiday, Book Club is reading Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and other concerns).

I LOVE Mindy in The Office (Kelly Kapoor) & in The Mindy Project (Mindy). She is sooo funny, so I'm pretty excited for what I anticipate to be a light & hilarious read. In fact, I plan to start it today on the plane to Baltimore.

I hope you'll read along! Check back in mid-December for discussion!

BOOK CLUB: NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL

October book club brought us Lena Dunham's new release, Not That Kind of Girl.

Once again we happily convened, this time in Clifton at Teddy's awesome apartment. There was food & dips & happy conversation. Some of which was centered on the book :D

I really only have one talking point for this one:

Did you like it?

I feel like Lena Dunham is very polarizing. You either like her or you hate her. I happen to like her... I think. She is only a few years older than me. She's extremely open. About everything. About her body, about her career, & a lot about her love life. I have to admit it was a little shocking to see some of the things she was comfortable chronicling -- but I definitely applaud her for that. 

Overall, it wasn't a very hard read. The font is big, the material is extremely uncomplicated, there is no order. It felt like talking for several hours to an extremely chatty friend. 

I'll be interested to see what you think! Next up: we're not sure yet! Laura is hosting book club in about six weeks, but she has yet to pick a book. I'll be sure to let you know!!

Hope you all had a really great Halloween weekend! Thanks for stopping by Magical Simplicity!!

BOOK CLUB: THE CUCKOO'S CALLING

For the month of September our Book Club book of choice was Robert Galbraith's (JK Rowling's) The Cuckoo's Calling, a murder mystery.

Guys, it wasn't so good. I don't know if it's because I was expecting Harry Potter quality reading here, or whether it's because I waited until the Sunday before book club to buy the book at O'Hare, or maybe just that it simply was so slow.. but I *confession* didn't even finish it.

I felt terrible, until I found out only two people in our entire book club actually finished reading in time (smirk emoji).

Rachel was our host, we all sat around her fireplace with apple cider champagne (recipe coming soon!!), chips & dips, & cakes & muffins & mac n' cheese cups & vegan chocolate moose galore. & we even did spend a few minutes on the book. Here were our thoughts:

Cormoran Strike
What did you think about Cormoran Stike? He seemed pretty normal to me. There was nothing surprising. Really, there wasn't really anything to him at all. He seemed awfully boring! Maybe things got a little deeper past page 200?

Lulu Landry
Now she was multi-faceted. & I did think that was really cool because she developed entirely through other people's unveilings of her. We only got to know her through Strike's questions. There's some Harry Potter quality writing, Galbraith! Do you think so?

The set up
There are two things I wanted to say about the set up of this book. I thought it was pretty neat the way Galbraith rotated between p.o.v's. One second we would be seeing the world through Strike & the next chapter was Robin. I enjoyed seeing their contrasting views of the same moments.

Which leads me to part two: pretty traditional mystery set up, right? Lone man, young woman side kick. What did you think of Robin? Do you think Galbraith is trying to prep them for a romantic relationship? I really felt like we were getting a ton of hits that it was in the future. What do you think?

Sequel
Lastly, Galbraith has several books in the works all featuring Strike. Will you read them? I'm going to try to finish this one & then maybeeee I will check them out. Maybe. If there is a sudden pick up in these lsat 200 pages.

Next up: Not That Kind of Girl by (producer of HBO's GIRLS) Lena Dunham. It is absolutely brand new & comes out tomorrow if you would like to follow along in October!

BOOK CLUB: #GIRLBOSS

We had our first Book Club Meeting in real life! That's what I love about blogging. It brings people together, sometimes even in person. Our selection was #GIRLBOSS + I am obsessed. Sophia Amoruso is the CEO of Nasty Gal + the author of #GIRLBOSS. In the course of seven years she built her multi million dollar company from the ground up with zero loans + zero debt. What?

I read #GIRLBOSS in three plane rides. She's so young + her voice is so strong that I literally thought of her as a friend. I felt like she was speaking straight through the text + specifically to me. That takes a talented author. #GIRLBOSS is her story + advice. 

I hosted our first Meeting + thus came up with three light discussion questions:

1.) What were your favorite quotes? Most of my favorite quotes came from the chapter just below: on magic. "There's also the everyday kind of magic that we make ourselves. & that's really not magic at all. It's just recognizing the fact that we control our thoughts & our thoughts control our lives." Guys. I read this chapter on the plane back from New York & literally was jumping in my seat. This is Magical Simplicity. It's appreciating your life as it happens. I've read this chapter three times.  What about you? Did you have a favorite?

2.) How did you feel about Sophia? What is something from her story that you could relate to? I loved Sophia. She says in the course of the book that there is something like an 800 million to 1 chance that you are who you are. So you should own that individuality. She really lives by that. She never apologizes. She didn't hide. She didn't lie. My favorite bloggers + authors are the ones that expose themselves + let you see how normal they are. It is really cool.

Something that we discussed at Book Club was that at times, Sophia contradicts herself. Like she'd say: be frugal -- but then she will buy a nice pair of shoes. Be aggressive for what you want + accept nothing less -- but be the one that packs the boxes + do it without complaining. I truthfully didn't even realize she flipped flopped while I was reading (probably because I think this way in my own mind) but she for sure did. 

What did you think? Did you like Sophia overall?

3.) Is there any lesson you learned from #GIRLBOSS that you have already or will enact into your own life? I did. Comparing yourself. You are going to ruin yourself if you don't stop comparing yourself. It's not worth it! You have no effect on your competition, so "might as well wish them well + move on with it." Be your own idol. As my friend Teeny mentioned, another favorite lesson is: Before you complain about what you don't have, think for a second. Have you ever just asked for it? Again! So True! You'd be amazed what you'll get just by asking.

Overall, I LOVED #GIRLBOSS. It was a refreshing read that really made me think a lot about my goals, dreams, + aspirations. What I loved even more was reading it with friends. We are a talented group of bakers + cooks + mixologists  (it appears!) + I cannot wait for our September meeting. 

P.S. In case you couldn't make it or are participating from afar: I still would love to hear your comments on #GIRLBOSS. Please add in the box below.  Until next time (& The Cuckoo's Calling)!  

BOOK CLUB: THE GOLDFINCH

Whew!! What a book! I must admit this took me a lot longer to get through than I was expecting. Not because it wasn't good - it was very good - but it was definitely a "requires all your mind" type of read. Thus why it took me three beaches (New Jersey, Keowee Key & Siesta) & many trips to The Park to finish.

I picked up The Goldfinch because I love art & I love literature. Also, I heard it was the Pultizer Prize Winner for Fiction this year... better keep up to date. The way I interpreted the back teaser, I thought it would be similar to Barbara Wood's The Blessing Stone - following a specimen through the ages & looking at all the people it touched. Now that I've finished, I can safely say, that was the general idea (as Theodore Decker explains somewhat lengthily & roundaboutly those last 20 pages). Guys this book was DEEP. It's been a long time since I read one like this & days later I'm still thinking about it.

A couple thoughts & PLEASE I'd l.o.v.e to discuss in the comments!! & warning - if you haven't read The Goldfinch yet, this may cause a few spoilers.

The Narrator: I didn't quite trust Theo. As a first person narration, I didn't quite realize til the very end that Theo was literally writing the pages to this book as we were reading them. Given his admittedly heavy drug use throughout the narration, I couldn't help but feel that he was mis-communicating details, or perhaps leaving them out entirely on purpose. Theo had a need to prove himself: to his father, to Pippa, to The Barbours, et. al. Do you think he may also have felt a deep need to prove himself to we, his reader, & purposely twisted his story to do so? But then, aren't we all guilty of twisting our stories? Human Nature, yes?

How'd you feel about Theo? Did you trust him?

The Length: Now I'm no Fiction Pulitzer Prize Winning Author, but this little book didn't feel so little. I guess the only place I would have cut some pages was in Nevada.. but then again, it was imperative to see the relationship grow & turn between Theo & his father.

Was there any place to cut or was The Goldfinch the perfect length?

Boris: Did any of you see this coming!?!? I didn't. I was reading this part in Siesta Key when BAM. & then I was like, THEO GET WITH THE PROGRAM! I mean yes, I knew Boris was acting weird when Theo's father died, but I thought he was being a chicken. You know? All talk, no game. Wow.

Did you know that all the anxiety & angst that Theo was feeling about The Golfinch in New York was completely unnecessary? WAS it even unnecessary?

The Girls: Pippa, Kitsey. Pippa, Kitsey. Pippa, Kitsey. It was like ping-pong! I felt awful for Kitsey for a long time, until I realized she was using Theo as much as he was using her. I don't know, obviously I root for true love (Pippa) but also, isn't true love just the scariest thing you could ever encounter? Man. This was one I don't want to touch with a ten foot pole. I'm pretty glad that Tarrt really did leave it up to the readers decision in the end.

Who did you let Theo choose in your ending? Pippa or Kitsey?

The Painting: Have you ever seen a piece of art (or literature) that connected to your soul the way that The Goldfinch connected with Theo? I haven't, yet, but.. how incredible. I love that art & literature & really so many things that we create outlive us. That's a cool, cool thing.

What were your thoughts about the power of the painting?

I'll keep it there for now. Overall, I really loved The Goldfinch. What I think is really amazing & magical about literature is that you carry an entire world between two hard back covers. All new places, things, rules, an entire society that exists purely out of the imagination of one person's mind. Donna Tarrt made a slue of in depth characters with layers & levels so utterly human we could relate to them. That is true talent.

What was your overall thought on the book?

Fun sidenote: I love the name Theo. Mostly because one of my best friend's name is Teddy (I thought this was short for Theodore Gumbleton III the whole first year I knew him... turns out its short for Edward).

Next up to discuss: + UPDATE!!! Prisoner of Heaven. I'm super excited because this is part of a triplet series rotating around my favorite book Shadow of the Wind. We've started a real book club in conjunction! August is #GIRLBOSS. Let's talk about it in August! Happy Summer Reading!

P.S. I'm trying to expand these posts to a real thing. Anyone want to read with me? We can make appetizers & desserts & discuss over fine (read: heavily discounted) wines. Think about it :)

The written word.

I inhale books. My bookshelves are home to several genres: magical fairytales, autobiographies, plays, and classics, every Jane Austen, a couple Hemingways, of course the Potter Heptalogy & as of yesterday the Hunger Games trilogy.

I love books because they transport you into a new world. A world that is guided by a set of unknowns: unfamiliar laws, incredible rules, new love, and heartbreaking loss. You know the characters more than you may even know your best friends. You hear their every thought. See their every move. In most of my favorite books, there are mystical creatures lurking around every page corner. You paint an entire world, a new landscape, a whole LIFE within your mind that is inhabited by these characters. And they live there, forever. Never to leave the confines of their hardbacked cover.

I love books. But with four years of ridiculous studying, too much coffee and lots of textbook chapters clouding my eyes- I let that love go unnourished. And I had forgotten. Until yesterday afternoon, while laying in the sun I picked up my first post-grad book. It was closed by dinner.

And a piece of my identity had been rediscovered.

The written word: my magical simplicity.