Nook Books

Recently, one of my co-workers asked me about my favorite Christmas gift. I was SO excited about my Christmas Nook! I have a MacBook and an iPhone, so I did not want a tablet. All I was looking for was an e-reader with a primary focus on books.

Ultimately I settled on the Nook SimpleTouch with Glowlight. I could not have been happier with my decision! I LOVE my Nook and I have already read and finished 3 books since getting it for Christmas.  I have a protective turquoise cover on it. Between New Years and heading back to school, I enjoyed wrapping myself up and snuggling with my Nook Books.

I love reading and I'm usually carting around books, especially when we go on vacation (I'm known for having 3-5 books on every vacation. Who really wants to carry those around with you on flights and when traveling?!). I clearly have gotten on the e-reader trend pretty late. I always just liked the feel of a book and knowing how far I had read and still had to go. Silly me just needed to try out an e-reader to know that you get BOTH of those with an e-reader! Needless to say, I'm absolutely a convert!

One day I was snuggled up in my National Aquarium Lilly Pulitzer Murfee scarf. I get questions about this scarf all the time! It is chock full of sea animals and was specially designed for the National Aquarium in Baltimore. (If you go to the Aquarium's gift website, you can actually still order them. Look for the PDF link in the bottom right corner!) In comments I was reading on Instagram, a few of y'all out there have this scarf too!

Who out there has a Nook too? Don't you just LOVE it?!

xxKatie

Book Review: Georgia Bottoms

I had seen this book reviewed on Amazon awhile ago and pinned it to my "Books"board on Pinterest after it got my interest. Over a year later, I have finally been able to read it and I was a BIG fan!

It's a sassy and steamy book about Miss Georgia Bottoms of Six Points, Alabama. She has quite the love life and "rotation". I don't want to give too much of it away for those of you who will want to read it, but I definitely recommend it. 

Not a major literary work, but a fun, easy, light read--perfect for vacation! It's among the first for-pleasure books I've read in awhile (read: spring break-ish) and I really liked it. I actually read it during the flight home for Thanksgiving. It was a quick page-turner and had some big drama turning points in the story that were funny and wild. 

I'd put this book along the same lines as Dorothea Benton Frank books with a quirky Southern flair about a woman who you can't help but like! I want to look into reading some of Mark Childress' other books after picking up Georgia Bottoms now for sure!

xxKatie

Books Books Books

I wish I had (more) time during the school year to read books for fun. Actually, I wish I had more time during the school year period. I have many a-to-do-list item that could be checked off if only the day were a mere 4 hours longer. Namely sleep, but I'd have so much more time to get ahead instead of play catch up with assignments and reading.

Here are a few books I wish I could be reading:

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

I haven't read a Nicky Sparks novel recently, and this one come with decent reviews. Not to mention, the main character's name is Katie, so I was pretty much sold.

The Price of Everything by Eduardo Porter

I try to keep a business book on my shelf to stay "current" with business reading. I've read Nudge and Predictably Irrational over the summer so I think this is next on my list. I also think it'll be a good combination of the two that I read this summer!

How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O'Neal

I think this may end up being one of those silly ladies' novels, but I'm still interested in reading it nonetheless. I just like the title mostly...is there a rule of not judging a book by it's title? I don't think so...

Has anyone read these? Can you make any recommendations in general of books you've loved recently?

xxKatie

P.S.: Be sure to enter the Gybe-ho giveaway! Only a few more days!!

Weekly Gratitude

Yet another week I hardly remember...this next coming week is my last full one at home! CAROLINA BOUND SO SOON! I can't wait for what the rest of the summer has in store for me!



1. Thanks to rain. I think you're coming around and fingers-crossed with knock out alllllll this INSANE heat. I would prefer the state of Maryland to not be "white hot" on Weather.com.
2. Thanks to the Market House for FINALLY OPENING. Woo, it's sure taken a long time but these vendors are pretty yummy and I hope they stay!!
3. Thanks to the South Carolina State Fair for posting their performers!!!! It's like I can FEEL being back at school already!!!!
4. Thanks to everyone's patience last week with all the emails--I PROMISE I will get back to you as soon as I can!!
5. Thanks to knocking another book off of the book list! #anotheronebitesthedust
6. Thanks to my floor for being such a great shelf for stuff. With all of our family in town, we "joked" (as in said in a joking tone but really meant) that no one wanted to stay in my room. Well, humph, my room wasn't looking for any new tenants! Take that y'all!
7. Thanks to ALL the packing I've done for school. Not.
8. Thanks to my job, internships and getting ready for the next few weeks for keeping me busy. A friend of mine from school, (Timmy, I'm not sure if you read LBP but here's your shoutout) and I were talking that we've just about hit the ready-to-go-back point. Both of us were glad to have been home for the summer, more than thankful, but we're both ready to see everyone!!
9. Thanks to my fabulous friend for being able to talk me down this week! It's been one of the most hectic I've had all summer--and I'm not even in school ANYMORE!
10. Thanks to everyone who participated in my boots poll! I'm excited to post more--kinda a fun reader input option on facebook! Feel free to let your opinion be known! Not a facebook fan yet--JOIN THE CLUB!

xxKatie

Spring Break: Books

Little known fact: I LOVE to read. I read tons of books over the summer and I hate that I can't really read during the school year. I take complete advantage of any break and extra time that I get apart from school to read a bunch, this spring break isn't any different. The Target book section isn't huge, so I was a little bit nervous about my prospects when I went shopping there a few days ago. I browsed and browsed and was lucky enough to find two books that sound SO me:

1. The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean

I know you're never supposed to judge a book by its cover...but come on! Just the title drew me in! It sounds so cute, and takes place in North Carolina! Even on the cover it says, "Never underestimate the power of vintage...", naturally I was sold!

2. There's Cake in My Future by Kim Gruenefelder

Anyone remember Southern Weddings Week? I did a post all about the southern tradition of cake pulls, and that's what this story is all about. A bride carefully organizes all the cake pulls to go to certain people for specific reasons, but somehow it gets all mixed up! I'm really looking forward to this beach read! 

Anyone read either of these? I can't wait to dive in! Both have 4.5 star ratings on Amazon so I'm pretty excited! Less than a week until SB2011!

xxKatie

No School for South Carolina!

Best post-birthday news ever: Because of winter weather conditions, the University of South Carolina Columbia campus will be closed Monday, Jan. 10. Please monitor this site for updates.


No school for me for a snow day! I wasn't even taking the "threat" of a wintry mix seriously because it wasn't like freezing yesterday. It's going to be a great little day before the semester starts!! Now I get to prepare my room, try to meet with teachers, and look up my future Westie all day long! I'm quite the lucky girl (along with 28,000 of my good ole' Gamecock friends) aren't I?!

xxKatie

P.S.: I was a big Peter Rabbit fan (thanks Dad!) when I was little, so I couldn't pass up this picture!

Good Read

Hey everyone! I've been swamped with schoolwork and organizations on campus that I haven't had too much time. Since I'm not one for partying Friday nights prove perfect timing for blogging! For one of my classes called University 101, I'm reading a book called How Starbucks Saved My Life. U101 is sort of an "intro to college-get used to south carolina-we'll help you out with adjusting-extended orientation" type of class. All the instructors are on the administration or faculty of the school in all different disciplines. Along with the instructors there are peer leaders who are students themselves, typically juniors or seniors, that can relate to the freshman. I'm really luck because I have both a great teacher and peer leader!

We're reading this book because it tackles diversity, crossing barriers, and some social taboos. I'm only about 4 chapters into it, but I'm loving it so far. Its certainly a quick and easy read that will keep your attention! The movie's "in process" according to IMDB.com too!

PS. Anyone watch the season premier of Grey's? I missed it because I was at the Ole Miss/USC game (totally worth it!)!!

xxKatie

Read Up: A Guide to Books on Preppy-ness.

Alright, so we've all heard about the Preppy lifestyle. But how does it get passed down? From grandmother to daughter to daughter to daughter Preppy has been and will be around for generations. (Mark my words!) But besides word of mouth, is the life of a Preppie recorded anywhere? Well, to answer the question yes, in many places. Or should I say pages?

Thankfully, someone had the brainy idea to start publishing books on how to be preppy. (Note: I've only read a couple of these myself, I found the rest on the web!!) Some titles include:

• The Preppy Handbook (Duh. Will be abbreviated from now on as TPH for future refrences)


• Tipsy in Madras: An 80's Guide to Preppy Drinking (by Johnnie and Mitzy-kind of a sequel to TPH- and I just love the title)
  
• Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Entertaining (written by THE prep herself, or highess, Lilly Pulitzer, but is extremely sincere, since it is written more like a diary then anything else)


• Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Holidays (A guide to throwing parties?!? I want to buy this one! The Christmas season IS coming up everyone...)
  
• A Privlaged Life: Celebrating WASP Style (Maybe, I don't want to read this one..., it does however, come "Highly Recommended" from Gail on Amazon.com)


• The Catcher in the Rye (Holden Caulfield was the original preppy bad boy)


• A Seperate Peace (basically the written-but-unwritten code of rules for boarding school- just remember: don't push your friends or break their legs.)

Also, a preppy characterisic is liking to read. This is supposed to be ground into you in high school, but some HS's don't. TPH says, "The school hopes that, upon graduation, you will be a well-rounded young Prep, familiar with the right vacation spots and customs, articulate and witty in conversation, understanding of literary and historical refrences [Holden Caulfield is one of the MOST referenced characters in all of Literature, in my opinion], proficient in the Prep vocation you pursue, capable of making at least one astute comment on any given subject [leave that to your liberal arts colleges, that's why they have a core curriculum...right?]--in short everything necessary for membership at a good country club". Cute right? (Preps know how to write EXTREMELY long sentences...)

Try one of these books anytime soon. If your high school didn't prepare you for the real world, hopefully these books might. Give TPH a look first and it should guide you for awhile, if not forever, and embrace your inner prep!

xx Katie