Showing posts with label Lauren Graham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lauren Graham. Show all posts
Five Things | July
7/12/2017

Five Things | July



It feels like I only just compiled one of these posts, the reality is of course that the last one went live over a month ago. Today we have a mix of fashion, music, books and life-type things in the mix because why not? 

Changes British Vogue style: Never one to do things by halves it seems, after Alexandra Shulman's departure and Edward Enninful's takeover of the title, we have seen a flurry of staff changes. That may be natural with such a creative endeavour as producing such a notoriously iconic title but it's also bound to ruffle a few feathers, couture or otherwise. The most surprising of all was learning that Lucinda Chambers was dismissed from the title, after twenty five years alongside Alex and another eleven at the magazine. Chambers appeared in an interview with niche publication, Vestoj. It's done the rounds by now and due to legal issues, it has been edited and condensed somewhat. If you want a read, you can do so here. I found this quote particularly poignant: "you're not allowed allowed to fail in fashion-especially in this age of social media, when everything is about leading a successful, amazing life. Nobody today is allowed to fail, instead the prospect causes anxiety and terror. But why can't we celebrate failure? After all, it helps us grow and develop." 

Melodrama: Last month Ella aka Lorde released her second album and it has not disappointed. I'm sure we all know the stories behind this album by now, said to chronicle a house party Lorde threw and the aftermath of it. It looks at love and loss, heartbreak, reminiscence and nostalgia. Most of all it is about survival and the strength we find in our "secret powers". Yellich O'Connor and Jack Antonoff are a perfect pairing and their talents combined make this one treat of a record. My favourite tracks are; Writer In The Dark, Hard Feelings/Loveless and The Louvre but I really love the whole entire thing. 

Without A Doubt: After finishing The People v OJ Simpson last week, I knew I badly wanted to read this book. I think a few of the legal faces involved have written about this trial actually but Marcia's was the one I wanted to read. I'm only about a quarter through it so far but it is good. Really good. If you enjoyed the show, this expands on everything and is equally as fascinating. 

Mindfulness: < It's a word that probably divides a few people. Over the last couple of months I've been making a few lifestyle changes, relating to this word. I'm not going to elaborate beyond that for now but I wanted to talk briefly about mindfulness exercises. There are a bunch of apps, YouTube clips etc so you don't necessarily have to start a subscription. I use Headspace though and find taking ten minutes to do the exercises is such a game changer for me. There are basic exercises to get you used to the initial idea of shifting your focus but also on categories like self esteem, anxiety etc. I actually do two lots of ten minutes, one in the morning and one late afternoon or during the evening. If you're someone who has a mind that doesn't seem to shut off, I highly recommend it.

Wisdom from Lorelai IRL: This quote is from Lauren Graham's newest book and I wanted to share it because it's really apt. Whether or not you're currently on the 'struggle is real' avenue or just feeling a bit lost, keep this in mind. "Life doesn't often spell things out for you or give you exactly what you want when you want it, otherwise it wouldn't be called life, it would be called vending machine. It's hard to say when exactly it will happen, and it's true that whatever you're after may not drop down the moment you spend all your quarters, but someday soon a train is coming. In fact, it may already be on the way. You just don't know yet."
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End of Year Book Club Reads
12/21/2016

End of Year Book Club Reads




It's been a little while since I did a book club update. In fact, I think the last one went up in October. Whoops. Speaking of, if you follow my book-club, I'm thinking of cutting it back to bimonthly so I'll probably assign one or two books and if you want to read them, you can. Anyway, today I have the November+December reads for my own book club as well as Jean's December Book for the Fem Orchestra book club to review and rave about...

Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham-This was arguably one of my most anticipated reads for the year. I love Lauren Graham and that probably is not much of a secret so thank goodness this delivered. I had finished it within twenty four hours, probably as fast as Lorelai Gilmore would inhale a book about coffee. Her collection of essays and anecdotes cover Gilmore Girls (naturally) but also Parenthood and 'everything in between' as she puts it. It's like having a lengthy natter with Lauren, well what I'd imagine it to be like and for that I love it. I will definitely be revisiting this soon because I really read it way too fast. In fact the audiobook may be something I look into as well. 

Autumn* by Ali Smith-Another book club read of mine that I was eagerly anticipating, as I'm quite the Ali Smith fan now. Again it did not disappoint. Ali Smith is releasing four novels themed around the seasons, this being the first. I'm not sure if she wrote this in the days following Brexit and the current state of the world but it certainly seems that way. The story itself explores the political and social injustices of our times which makes it all the more captivating. It follows the relationship of Daniel and Elisabeth, two neighbours turned friends who are only divided by their ages. Elisabeth cares for Daniel in his old age and the story shifts between the period of Elisabeth's adolescence to the present day. I'm not going to ever do this justice in writing. Just read it and discover its brilliance for yourself. Please.

Girls Will Be Girls by Emer O'Toole-This was the final book assigned by Jean for her Fem Orchestra Book Club this year. Admittedly I have been flitting in and out of this one a bit but I am enjoying it. Part memoir, part study of the varying degrees and facets of girlhood that shape our understanding of feminism and what being a woman entails. In the same way as Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates, it can be a bit of a rage-inducing read in that it will make you bemoan the state of the world and the psychological effects that seem at play even as a child. For the most part it is an entertaining, riveting read. I highly recommend it. 

-What have you read lately?

*Review Copy
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