Get Lit: A Few Magazines

May Details, April & May American Vogue

I've always loved reading magazines. I could spend hours getting lost in their content. One of the reasons I didn't want a tablet device was because I prefer to have the print editions of my books and magazines. There's something special about flipping through the pages, smelling the perfume ads, taking notes in the margins and having it to keep on your bookshelf. 

When I was little, I would cut up my subscriptions and make my own magazine creations. I'd write articles and pretend I was a fashion/beauty editor. I remember putting scotch tape over the pages I did myself to try and mimic the glossy effect. We didn't have a laminating machine at the Roman residence.

Having this blog and using sites like Polyvore allow me to feel like that little girl in her bedroom, dreaming of bigger things. Real magazines are my touch of nostalgia and I hope they never cease to exist in the publishing world.

Now Playing: "Don't Swallow the Cup" by The National

*So good!

Get Lit: New to the Bookshelf!

I Don't Care About Your Band by Julie Klausner
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
One Day by David Nicholls
White Girl Problems by Babe Walker
My Boyfriend Wrote a Book About Me by Hilary Winston
Normal Gets You Nowhere by Kelly Cutrone

I'm the type of reader who will get through multiple books in a month but then go an extended period of time without opening anything. At the moment, I'm on a reading kick- specifically chick lit. My recent purchases are far from pretentious but they're what I enjoy and actually similar to the material that I love to write about.

Now Playing: "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead

New to the Bookshelf: Funny Ladies!

No One Belongs Here More Than You. Stories by Miranda July
I'm a fan of Miranda July's view of the world. She's highly intelligent and her sense of humor is quirky and so entertaining. I really enjoyed her work in Me and You and Everyone We Know. I'm excited to read her stories.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
I absolutely love Mindy Kaling on The Office (as both a writer and an actress). Her tweets are also one of my favorites to follow. I'm confident that this book will inspire some of my own writing!










Now Playing: "Grey Room" by Damien Rice

Get Lit: NEW TO THE BOOKSHELF!

Yesterday afternoon, I ran some of my usual errands. I went to the bank, bought some wine and then stopped at Borders. I'm really sad that Borders is closing. It's one of the last book stores in my area (and I live in a large city). As someone who spent a lot of her childhood in libraries, it pains me to see that there aren't many places left to buy books. I suppose that it's a sign of the times. The internet is changing the way brick and mortar stores are operating. I question how any stores are surviving these days. Between online retailers and the economy, I wonder how much longer traditional malls will survive. But back to the books...

I spent a couple hours inside the store. The sales weren't that great but I wanted to enjoy the experience of just browsing. Being inside a book store is one of my favorite things to do. It's very relaxing to let your mind wander. My favorite section is Metaphysical Studies. As a total weirdo, I love all things New Age. While in my little niche of the store, there was a guy whose phone rang with my favorite ringtone; Jack Horkheimer's Star Gazer theme song (Arabesque No. 1 by Isao Tomita)! It made me smile to be around like-minded individuals but also sad to think that these types of encounters would be far and few between when I'm stuck ordering from Amazon. When Jack Horkheimer passed away last year, I tried for days to try and find that ringtone! I contemplated asking the man where he found the tune but I was too immersed in Coast to Coast Ghosts by Leslie Rule.

There were so many things I wanted but I only picked up a few of the books & magazines that I knew I'd get around to reading right away.

1. Rider Tarot Deck
One of my best friends, Valerie, and I both love tarot. She gave me a check for my 25th birthday to go towards a new deck. I finally got around to getting it!

2. Sydney Omarr's Aquarius (Day-by-Day Astrological Guide for 2012)
For the past few years, I've bought this book. It's a nice little day-by-day guide to the stars. I highly recommend picking up a copy of your sign's forecast.

3. She Walks in Beauty (A Woman's Journey Through Poems) by Caroline Kennedy
The title jumped out at me because I thought it sounded poetic... turns out I was right. It's an interesting book that includes various poems that correspond to a woman's life. I think it's always good to read about other people's life experiences. With age comes wisdom. Caroline Kennedy surely has lived a life worth reading about.

4. Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Hair Cut by Rob Sheffield
I love memoirs. It's probably my favorite genre of literature. A book that talks about life and interweaves music into its core is something I will always give a shot. I haven't read Sheffield's first book yet (I probably should have) but I'm sure this will be good.

5. Harvard Review
This magazine/book is full of interesting thoughts from some of the most gifted people in the country. I enjoy reading into the minds of the highly intellectual. Call me an elitist.

6. Life by Keith Richards
I've heard great things about this book. As I mentioned before, I love a good memoir and who better to read about than someone who has seen it all? Fame is such an unnatural thing. Many people want it but if you step back and realize what it implies, I don't think it's something to aspire towards. A little recognition and notoriety are great but fame on such a grand level seems like a very daunting existence. To not know who is interested in you for "the right reasons" and to have no privacy at all sounds like a death sentence to me.

7. Christie's International Real Estate
If you read my blog regularly, you have probably noticed that I'm into architecture and homes. Maybe it's materialistic but I am intrigued by the lifestyles of the uber wealthy (and conversely people who have nothing). It's fascinating to see how people choose to decorate and how it relates back to their personalities and self-expression.

8. Wine Spectator
I love a good bottle of vino. As I get older, I'm trying to be a better cook. It's nice to know what to serve with what at dinner parties. A magazine is a lot easier (and cheaper) than enrolling in a random "extended learning" course.







Now Playing: "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" by Led Zeppelin