Book Review: Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang

At age 24, you might think you’re grown, but the truth is, life’s only getting started.

At the beginning of Days of Distraction, we meet our protagonist, a young tech writer working in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley who is overworked, underappreciated, and on the brink of a full-on quarter-life crisis. Her workplace is toxic and filled with back-biters watching each other’s every move, ready to strike. She works hard, maybe harder sometimes than her peers, yet her requests for advancement and a well-earned pay raise are punted from manager to manager, each one promising, as the last, to discuss it with someone higher-up.

Her family life is sad and disjointed; her father and mother have gone through hot-and-cold phases their entire marriage, and now, her parents are on their coldest streak yet. So cold in fact, that her father fled the country in search of a new life in the family’s native China.

Despite the other two-thirds of her life being somewhat of a mess, her love life is great, or, as great as can be expected. Her longtime boyfriend, who we soon learn is named J, deeply loves her and thinks he knows her inside and out. And in many ways, they need each other to survive. When she is anxious, he is calm. When she craves control, he basks in spontaneity. He flies by the seat of his pants, and she grounds him. For many years, there has never been one without the other.

When J decides to accept a graduate assistant position in upstate New York, he asks our protagonist to join him, and she, failing to find any clear direction in her life, welcomes the change of pace and readily agrees.

But once there, living in a temporary dwelling filled with other peoples’ possessions, things start to unravel. With few job prospects, no friends, and far too much time home alone, she starts to question her place in the world. A world that, now that she is older and removed from the culturally-diverse cocoon of San Francisco, has made abundantly clear her existence as a woman of color first, and a woman second. It makes her, for the first time, wonder about her very humanity, and the structural integrity of her interracial relationship, which is getting more precarious by the minute. No longer does she feel she can share every part of herself with J, who has lived free from complications of any kind. Caught in the middle between Chinese and American, sharp tech writer and floundering freelancer, and independent woman and dependent partner, our protagonist is left to question, and ultimately solidify, her own identity. But what she gains, and, more importantly, loses, in the process might be what actually defines her.

Written in brilliant. sporadic prose, Days of Distraction is an important, slow-burning novel about the growing pains of adulthood, the significance of acceptance, and the powerful decision to choose love, in all of its many forms, in the face of adversity.

The Good: There is so, so much to love about this book. Alexandra Chang’s decision to forgo traditional chapters in favor of strategic breaks was hard to adjust to at first, but each block of text feels like a standalone snapshot of the protagonist’s life, like little one-off pieces of a puzzle that come together to form a bigger picture. I also found it refreshing that the reader isn’t subjected to a massive information dump in the first couple of chapters. Instead, we have to earn everything. even character names, by continuing the story. Chang’s voice is so strong in this, and her prose very interesting to read.

The Bad: I can’t think of anything I wish there was more of in this book. Every character we’re introduced to feels fully-fleshed out and multi-dimensional, and all questions that were posed throughout the book are answered in due course. The ending also feels complete.

Bottom Line: I loved this book, and felt myself really relating to the main character. Some of the questions she asks herself throughout the book are the same ones I asked myself at her age. I could relate to the complications of her relationship with J, especially when situations made her feel uncomfortable, and he didn’t know how to react in a helpful way. I understood her inability to stop excessively worrying about everyone around her. And, most importantly, I understood her feelings of trying to find her place as a woman of color in a world that doesn’t always readily make space for everyone who wants it. Chang is a phenomenal writer, and by the end of the book, I started to wonder if Days of Distraction isn’t at least in some ways autobiographical. If you’re wondering if you should read this book, the answer from me is a resounding yes!

Buy Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang HERE!

Book Review: Outlawed

The year was 1894 when Ada, a young wife on the lamb, become an outlaw.

It wasn’t always her destiny, to outpace Johnny Law and take up a life of thievery. She’d had dreams of becoming a master midwife like her mama, who could not only help bring new lives into the world but also ail the sick with her vast knowledge of tonics and tinctures. But a year into her marriage at 17, Ada discovered, with great fear and disappointment, that she was barren. And in a small town like hers where barren women are routinely accused of witchcraft - a hangable offense - being barren is the last thing a young woman wants to be. So, Ada decided to run - away from the close-minded town where she had lived all her life, and through the doors of a convent. Once there, she made plans to take her vows and live out the rest of her days with the Sisters of the Holy Child, many of which, shared the same childless predicament as Ada. But as time passed, Ada found herself feeling restless in the safe but suffocating walls of the convent. Was it really her fate to escape one situation where too much was expected of her, only to be pushed into another? Or, was there more that life could offer?

Deep in the throes of a full-on existential crisis, Ada once again fled, armed with the name of another group that might take her in: the Hole in the Wall Gang, a collective of notorious robbers and highwaymen led by an infamous figure known only as The Kid. And though the Hole in the Wall Gang was every bit as tough and intimidating as the rumors suggested, one crucial thing set them apart from all the rest: this ragtag team of criminals was all-female, and had plans to upend the male-driven society that cast them out in the first place.

Ada’s acceptance into the group was slow-going at first, and, thanks to some major life-threatening mishaps, nearly nonexistent. But when The Kid, charismatic and fearless, hatched an outrageous plan to put the Gang on top for good, Ada and the other women resolved to band together to make it happen. That is, if it didn’t first get them all killed.

Outlawed by Anna North, widely described as a Western for people who don’t read Westerns, is the female-forward, often bittersweet tale of the power of chosen family, self-empowerment, and how bold choices - both good and bad - have lasting effects that shape the people we become, long after the dust has settled.

The Good: Right off the bat, I loved the concept for this novel. I fall firmly in the category as someone who’s never been a fan of Westerns, but the plot was so original and so outside of the box, I knew I had to read it. I also quite enjoyed North’s writing style. For as heavy as the book could’ve been, North managed to create prose that flowed quickly and felt all at once like a light read and something much meatier - and that’s no easy feat!

The Bad: While I adored this book from start to finish, what I would have loved to see much more of were scenes with the gang members both all together, and separately. When big decisions were being made, why were some of the women easy to predict, while others were wildcards? What really brought this gang together, and how had they managed to make it work for so long? By the end of the book, I felt like I really only understood a few of the many characters. Also, while I understand that romance isn’t supposed to be a major part of Ada’s overall journey to self-discovery and actualization, I would have loved to see more of it. But that’s just the natural rom-com lover in me talking.

Bottom Line: This was a fast read that pulled me into the story immediately, and had me wishing, as many books do, that it was at least 100 pages longer. There was just so much potential there to see other adventures play out before the grand finale. Outlawed is one of those books that may not stay with you forever, but it does force you to be in the moment when you’re reading it. It’s also perfect for people like me who tend to avoid content that’s too cringe-y or anxiety-inducing. The built-up suspense is too great - you’ll find yourself speeding ahead just to see what happens next. This was my first finished book of 2021, and I couldn’t have asked for a better book to start off the new year!

Buy Outlawed by Anna North HERE!

Book Review: In a Holidaze

Childhood friends Mae and Theo were made for each other - or, so say their parents, all college friends themselves who have been rooting for the union since the kids were in diapers. There are just two problems: 1. Mae sees Theo as more of a brother than a potential lover and 2. Mae’s been in love with Andrew, Theo’s brother, for almost two decades. Ever since the kids were born, the families have been meeting up for Christmas in Park City, Utah where Theo’s parents own a cabin. One night, after far too much eggnog and a journey to rock bottom, Mae gives in to Theo’s flirty overtures, and the two share a sloppy kiss that Mae immediately regrets. The next morning, Theo, usually warm and open, gives her the cold shoulder reserved only for his many conquests, and Andrew, the love of her life, congratulates her on finally making things official with his brother. To top it all off (as if things couldn’t be any more dire), an announcement is made that the decades-old cabin, a safe-haven for Mae and the rest of the gang, is in need of a laundry list of repairs - the only option is to sell. Mae is devastated. Though she knows the relationships formed there over the years are rock solid on their own, the yearly tradition of going to the cabin is the only thing that ensures they all have a reason to come together.

On her last day in Park City, quite possibly for good, Mae is left with her thoughts, forced to confront the ramifications of a romantic mistake, the prospect of life changing forever, and no escape from the dead-end job waiting for her when she gets home. In a moment of desperation, Mae implores the universe to show her what will make her happy. A moment later, she finds herself thrown back in time - before Christmas, before the kiss, and before her life officially went up in flames. Mae realizes she’s been given the gift of a do-over - a second chance to keep a friendship alive, save the cabin, and maybe, just maybe, get the relationship she was meant for all along. But is what she wants to make her happy the same as what she needs?

In a Holidaze by the writing duo Christina Lauren is the hilarious, sometimes bittersweet story of a young woman’s fervent pursuit of happiness over the holidays, and the family - both biological and chosen - who help her get there…with a few twists, turns, and false-starts along the way!

The Good: I loved the way the authors were able to inject all the warmth and coziness of a holiday rom-com into this novel without the shallow cheesiness you sometimes get with books in this genre. As the reader, you really get a sense that the characters all really know and love each other, and that this chosen family is very close. I also appreciated that everyone included in the story has a purpose in some way, they aren’t just throwaway background characters you see mentioned a couple of times and then never again. The romantic scenes between the two main characters felt really realistic, and Christina Lauren did a great job of swiftly pulling you into the most intimate moments to make you feel like you’re actually there.

The Bad: While I appreciated the “groundhog day” aspect of this novel, I felt like it didn’t have the effect that the authors intended. In my opinion, either Mae should’ve been taken back in time more often, or only once. She felt a lot of anxiety about making the wrong choice and getting “reset” in a way, but I felt like there was so much build-up around it that ultimately wasn’t necessary. I also wish there were more scenes with Theo, perhaps a scene leading up to their kiss or maybe a few scenes from Christmases past to demonstrate more of Theo’s flirty personality. The story begins right after their kiss, but it would’ve been nice to see what sparked the moment; maybe then the reader would understand why that time, of all times, Mae would choose to cross that line with a person she’s never looked at romantically.

Bottom Line: This was a perfect and fast read to get me into the holiday mood (and also get me out of the reading funk I’ve been in lately). Sure, it’s got an ending that you can predict, and it’s not the deepest novel on the shelves at the moment, but it made me laugh, it made me smile, and I truly couldn’t put it down until I reached the very last page. If you’re looking for a super fun, festive read this holiday season that comes with a twist, I highly recommend this one!

Find In a Holidaze HERE!

Book Review: Eat a Peach

Momofuku: a name that has become synonymous with fine dining, lasting-power, and culinary prestige throughout New York City and the food world at large. Perhaps it’s the nearly two-decades-old noodle bar that comes to mind for you, or the equally-famous powerhouse Milk Bar, or the countless other projects chef David Chang has had a hand in over the years. Either way, for newcomers to the food scene and veterans alike, everyone knows that name, Momofuku.

If you frequent the food documentary section of Netflix, you might be familiar with shows like Ugly Delicious and The Mind of a Chef in which David Chang and his lively personality take center stage. Or maybe you’ve watched him work the evening talk show circuit eating hot wings with Jimmy Fallon or quipping with Stephen Colbert. In interviews and on his shows he comes off as open and out-there, an uninhibited thought-sharer. And maybe you think you know him. But in his new memoir Eat a Peach (co-written with Gabe Ulla), Chang makes it clear: you don’t, not entirely anyway.

It’s easy to look at the immense success of David Chang and expect any words printed on pages that were bound into a book and marketed as a memoir to be absolute gospel on how to rocket-launch your way to the top of the food business pyramid. But Chang insists that what he’s put together should be considered a testament to what not to do when starting a business. He even comically goes so far as to say to any aspiring restauranteur he meets who wants to follow in his footsteps that they shouldn’t open a restaurant at all, but of course, they always do. And after making my way through Eat a Peach, I can tell that the very-young Dave Chang probably would not have taken his older self’s advice either. After all, where would he be now if he didn’t take the figurative leap, expecting, but also maybe not, that there would be a net somewhere at the bottom to catch him?

At its core, this memoir is an outline of the lightning-fast, winding ladder of Chang’s success, as well as the near-constant, almost catastrophic at times unraveling of his personal life. The latter stems from what Chang bravely reveals as a bipolar disorder diagnosis in his mid-twenties. Eat a Peach is a fantastic tour through creative trial and error, lucky breaks and maximized opportunities, tremendously long nights of screaming fights and inner turmoil, the struggles of maintaining good mental health and balance, and learning to celebrate your achievements and the achievements of others while staving off imposter syndrome. Every high, low, and manic episode in between has been laid out for the world to read.

I loved and admired every minute of it.

The Good: This book is so incredibly honest in the way that only truly excellent memoirs can and should be. Chang goes all in, even when he writes about how difficult it is to do so. His voice is strong, conversational, and full of life. I walked into reading this memoir with an intentionally-bare knowledge of his backstory, and now, I feel like I understand who he is very well. Chang admits his faults, accepts his flaws, and also perhaps for the first time in his life, unapologetically embraces his highest achievements without keeping an eye on the floor, waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop. He also has done his part, contributing to what I think is finally a full-speed movement towards de-stigmatizing mental health disorders, simply by laying out his own life story (so far).

The Bad: Chang explicitly says at the beginning of the book that there will be no chronology. And I respect that. But as someone coming into this not knowing much about Chang and his accomplishments, mentioning projects out of order in reference to other projects became a little confusing and hard to follow. Also, David Chang loves a good footnote. They’re everywhere and if I’m being honest, a little distracting and not always necessary. A parenthesis would do just fine. (And if you read this site regularly, you know how much I love a good parenthesis moment). Those asterisks commanding me to tilt my head down to the bottom of the page pulled me out of my rhythm every time.

Bottom Line: Chang’s raw honesty and insistence that what he’s writing should not be considered a recipe for success is exactly what I think makes this book a total success. His story is fascinating and inspiring, but even the most attractive histories can be hidden in shallow vanity projects. Eat a Peach is far from a vanity project and instead serves as a true extension of David Chang as his most authentic self: a hard-working, flawed human being searching for approval and striving for greatness just like the rest of us.

Buy this book.

I’ve received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

Book Review: Oona Out of Order

If you could visit parts of your life, past or present, would you change anything, or just let things happen? In Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore, 19-year-old Oona discovers that every year on her birthday (which also happens to be New Year’s Eve), her mind leaps to a different year of her adult life, sometimes in the past, sometimes in the future. Her physical age fluctuates, but her mental age only progresses by one year each leap. What follows is a continuous cycle of learning, heartbreaks, charming meet-cutes, a lot of growth, back-sliding, and anything and everything in between.

The Good: I have always been a fan of romantic comedies with a hint of science fiction and time travel, so this book had me hooked before I even started reading. Montimore managed to sprinkle nostalgia throughout the early and mid-life leaps without being cheesy or heavy-handed, and even made me homesick for a future that Oona lives in her lifetime, but we haven’t seen yet. The dialogue was strong, witty, and compelling, and flowed beautifully. Oona’s relationships developed at a great pace throughout the book, and felt fully-formed in a way that also didn’t feel rushed.

The Bad: While I loved the dynamics of all of Oona’s relationships, the one I wish the book had paid a little bit more attention to was the one she had with her mother. There were a few scenes in which I just couldn’t understand why there was so much tension between them. Did it have more to do with events that occurred before the time-traveling? Was there some subconscious resentment from her mother that Oona could re-live moments of her life while her mother could not? Maybe those are questions that the reader has to answer for themselves.

Bottom Line: Oona Out of Order is hands down one of my favorite books of 2020. It made me think, it made me feel, and it had the power to transport me to another time when I was looking any and everywhere for a tiny escape.

Throughout reading it, I tried to put myself in Oona’s shoes, especially as she tried her hardest to change certain outcomes. Is fate real? Should we still attempt to make a plan for our lives, or should we just enjoy the ups and downs for what they are? This line of thinking has been especially important for me while we’ve all been hunkering down. Life is short, and I think we need to stop trying to control or speed up what we just can’t. Stay safe, allow yourself the time to process mistakes, ramp up the happy moments, and just...be.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone looking to smile, laugh, or reflect on the complexities of life and love.

Buy Oona Out of Order HERE.

Book Review: Beach Read by Emily Henry

What happens when an author of happy endings suddenly stops believing in them? January Andrews is broke, recently-single, and suffering from a serious bout of writer’s block when she finds herself moving into the beach house that, up until her father’s untimely death, she never knew existed. To top things off, she’s staring down the barrel of a tight deadline for her next manuscript, AND suddenly living next door to her literary arch-nemesis, Augustus Everett, a man who she’s convinced never took her or her writing seriously. But when the two strike up a deal to step out of their comfort zones and into each other’s genres, things take an interesting turn, and an unlikely kinship forms between them. Is there more to Gus than striking looks and a superiority complex? Will January ever find all the answers she’s desperate for? And can the pair help put each other back together again without expecting Happily Ever After? They’ve got three months to find out.

The Good: Beach Read is a love letter to the rom-com enthusiast. All the classic boxes are checked: two characters who start off hating each other eventually seeing eye-to-eye, the picture-perfect setting for falling in love: a quaint beach house situated in a small summer town, the quirky yet slightly broken heroine dealing with internal (and external) conflict interacting with the handsome, brooding antagonist wrestling with even more conflict, and plenty of the witty banter you’d expect of the genre. Emily Henry’s writing style is strong, enjoyable, and full of subtle and not-so-subtle pop culture references that make it fun to read.

The Bad: While I found myself returning to this book often to see how the plot would advance, I also found myself skipping considerable chunks of chapters. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the story or disliked the characters, it was more that I never found enough depth in scenes to keep me fully absorbed. I felt as though there weren’t enough truly meaty examples of why I should believe that Gus was truly out to get January when they were younger - enough for her to consider him her literary mortal enemy. I also found it interesting that for as many interactions as the characters must have had in college, January would expect Gus not to recognize her when they meet again. They shared several classes it seems, and January even makes it a point to say that Gus would go out of his way to critique her work. Only seven or eight years have passed since they’ve seen each other last. Surely the two of them wouldn’t have changed drastically, looks-wise.

Bottom Line: I really enjoyed Beach Read. It was light and fun, and the romantic scenes are pretty palpable. Is it a book that I see myself returning to again? Probably not. But it’s a pleasant beach companion PERFECT for the summer season. I couldn’t imagine a more apt title for a book than this one!

Find Beach Read by Emily Henry HERE

On My Bookshelf: The Very Short Story Starter by John Gillard

If you're an aspiring author like me, then you're constantly grappling with what to write and how to write it. It's a daily struggle for me, a person who knows she wants to write, but doesn't know where to start. Enter: The Very Short Story Starter.

I stumbled across this workbook of sorts one day while perusing the university bookstore for as many pieces of varying writing styles and subjects as I could.  I had magazines, literary journals, and a memoir or two all in my possession at one point or another when I wandered over to the "Writing and Publishing" section. There I found this book, unlike any I'd seen before, just filled to the brim with creative writing prompts with unique starters, and limits. If the prompt says keep it to 500 words, you need to figure out a way to make that happen. If there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I often struggle with brevity, with getting to the point as quickly and effectively as possible. As I thumbed through to land on prompts such as "Imagine you are on a train or at a train station when a murder takes place" and "Go to a local coffee shop, order your favorite drink, and write a story inspired by an incident in a coffee shop before you finish your drink" I knew it was coming home with me.

NOW, let's talk about the book's effectiveness. This is not necessarily a quick activity book. While you are prompted to write short works of prose, the assignments you choose are meant to make you sit down and write. And that's a good thing. Many of the prompts provided are entertaining and thought provoking, and really help to get the creative juices flowing. And if you're worried about whether or not this book may lean heavily on the side of fiction or non-fiction, rest assured that there are plenty of prompts that can benefit anyone. My advice? Write in pencil. You never know how very small a number 500 is until you're writing in pen and getting dangerously close to 430 with no story ending in sight.

The good: This book offers an enriching opportunity to hone your writing skills and think creatively. If you're struggling to get started in the world of writing, or just want to jump-start a stagnant writing project or two, this book does wonders to get your brain back in the proper mindset.

The bad: While the book's introduction section does go into detail about why flash fiction has started to gain in popularity (we live in a busy world, and people like short reads they can easily digest on their daily commute, or on a park bench while sipping a latte), the book sort of throws you right into the deep end without easing you in with some simpler prompts to get you ready.

Bottom Line I've thoroughly enjoyed this book so far. It's forced me to put down my phone, turn off the television, and just write. Some prompts have been more compelling to follow-through on than others, but overall, it's done exactly what it has promised: get me problem-solving my writing projects in a way that makes me feel creative and productive. All my aspiring writers should TOTALLY take advantage of Gillard's fantastic resource.

You can buy The Very Short Story Starter: 101 Flash Fiction Prompts by John Gillard HERE.

BOOK REVIEW: Breaking Breads: A New World of Israeli Baking

I feel like I've said this before, but it bears repeating: I am a cookbook lover. You know this about me. But one thing that I am not is a cookbook hoarder. I don't have the space for it. But more than that, I've realized that my life has to be about more than just collecting. The books the adorn these shelves must be able to earn their keep. So last Spring, I took a long, hard look at my bookshelf and made some tough decisions. I went through each cookbook that I have accumulated in the past four years. If I loved it for the pictures, but hadn't marked any recipes, it had to go. If I bought it, read it once, then literally forgot that I had it, it had to go. If I hated it because the recipes were completely inconsistent, out it went. And so on. The process took a bit longer than I thought that it would, but in the end, it felt like a well-needed cleanse. I had donated books that were perfect, but not necessarily perfect for me, and freed up beloved real estate on my shelves. This left room for my absolute favorite time of the year: Fall Cookbook Season!  And number one on the list of new titles for Sydney's Library? Breaking Breads!

You may know Uri Scheft as the owner of Breads Bakery, or you may be more familiar with what he has made so popular both in New York, and with literally every online food publication: chocolate babka. People lose their minds over it, and you'll see tons of recipes all over the place trying to replicate it, but there's nothing better than the real deal, so now you can make it in your jammies in the comfort of your own home forever.

Uri was born in Israel, but moved all the way across the world to Denmark during his formative years. This blending of two cultures (mixed in with the handful of cultures from countries that he's lived in as an adult) gives his writing and recipes a sense of well-roundedness that is sometimes very hard to come by. For many, it will be an introduction to spice blends and flavor combinations that will both surprise and entice them.  For me, that's the sign of a real winner. And you know I love me some fresh bread, so it's like a win-win.

Let's get this out of the way first: this book is not for beginners. Nor is it, I'm afraid, for bakers with very little patience. For starters, bread is never quick and it makes you wait. For hours. And hours. And Uri, who is truly an artist, not only wants your bread creations to taste good, but he also pushes and encourages you to become your own resident bread artist at home. It is challenging, it is sometimes confusing, and it's also very delicious. And while the instructions can seem a little daunting (and at times you may feel like you have completely lost your will and ability to finish the project), Uri gives very detailed step-by-step instructional photos to help keep you on track. I needed those. Desperately.

I also enjoy that this book has tons of variety. Of course the core of this book is bread (flatbreads, challahs, babkas, etc), but you've also got cookies, hummus, and  great recipes for things like preserved lemons and babaghanouj. After completing a five-hour recipe for bread, you will want to take advantage of something quick and relatively easy to ease yourself back into the kitchen.

So, if you've made it this far, let me break it down for you:

The Good: This book is going to teach you how to make bread, or else. You will learn about yourself, and learn about your strengths and varying levels of patience. I also love how absolutely thorough and thoughtful Uri was when writing this book. It's got everything from proper bread storage tips, to words of encouragement, to alternative designs and creations for when you want to deviate a little from the recipe. Every question is covered.

The Bad: There's nothing bad about this book, really. One thing that I wish had been included was bolded estimates at the top indicating  how long each recipe would take altogether. Of course, I understand that each kitchen is different so therefore proofing times will be different, but a ballpark number  would've been so wonderful. I also wish that some instructions had been explained a little bit clearer, but I have always been able to soldier on and put something tasty on the table.

Overall: This was a book that I was so excited about, and my expectations were totally exceeded. Almost every recipe in this book has been bookmarked for further endeavors in the DD kitchen. This is my favorite book of Fall 2016, and I urge you to buy it for every patient baker you know. Once they've got it in their hands, encourage them to make the Sticky Pull-Apart Cinnamon Challah Braid (pg. 56), because it is my favorite and I need more people to talk about it with for hours and hours.

You can buy it here!

P.S. HAPPY THANKSGIVING, GUYS!!! I have 100000 pies to make.

WEEKEND READS

What am I looking forward to this week? Brooklyn  will be on my doorstep in TWO DAYS. I told you last week that the book changed my life, and when I heard that they were making a movie....well, I could barely contain myself. Unfortunately, going to see it in theaters proved to be much more difficult than say, if I wanted to see Zoolander 2, so I resigned to wait until it came out on DVD. AND THAT DAY IS FAST APPROACHING. I've been re-reading the book in anticipation of comparisons, and literally crossing out the days in my calendar. So stoked.

Here's what else I've been reading this week:

Using food to fight the power? I’m all about it! How Suffragists Used Cookbooks as a Recipe for Subversion. 

Do you dye Easter eggs? I haven’t done it in agessss, but I might start this year now that I’ve seen these awesome minimalist designs! So rad.

Learning to arrange flowers is on my eternal to-do list. Here’s a fun article about supermarket flower hacks!

Donut + Macaroon= The Macaronut is upon us. Silly? Yes. Delicious? I’m thinking also yes, yes, and yes.

I'm  definitely teetering on the line between ‘too much’ and ‘just enough’ clutter every single day of my life; Strike the Right Balance: Having Just Enough 'Good Clutter' .

Have you pre-ordered Sweeter Off the Vine yet?? Yossy Arefi is one of my favorite food photographers/bloggers ever! You HAVE to buy this book. March 22nd, get here faster!!

How's your Sunday going? Mine's rainy, and I'm feeling very sleepy/content.

WEEKEND READS

An Ode to Downton Abbey

O DA

Why is it that you have to go away?

Indefinitely, I'd love for you to stay

But at least I still get to press "play..."

ONE LAST TIME

Guys, I'm totally not ready for Downton Abbey to be over! It's been my staple January show for FOUR YEARS (I got in on the fun two years into the game), and I'm just not ready to part with it. Sure, I know shows can't last forever, but six seasons just doesn't feel like enough. And what I don't want is for the finale to end and everyone just goes about living their lives, leaving me to use my own imagination as to how each person gets on. I'd rather the finale last four hours tonight and just show me how every single person lives a super long, happy life, then passes away. Or at LEAST to show what happens to Downton during World War Two. Perhaps they take in some children from London? I feel like there's good material there. At any rate, I'm not ready to say goodbye. Are you?

Let's procrastinate the inevitable adieu of one of the greatest shows on television together.

Here are some of my favorite reads of the week:

-Brooklyn the movie may not have won last week at the Oscars, but it won every award in my book. Here's a nice comparison of Brooklyn then vs. Brooklyn now. P.S. Have you read the book? Get on it. Brooklyn: A Novel changed everything for me.

-Prepare yourselves: Marimekko is coming to Target NEXT MONTH. TOO AMPED.

-I’m in the market for some new specs, and was looking for companies that are different from the usual suspects. Thanks, Brit + Co!

-This beats 4 pretzels in a foil package any day: Air France + Daniel Boulud = Best In-Flight Meals Ever.

-I always love a good food photography app, and this new one by the LINE Corporation, "Foodie," looks promising! Have you guys tried it yet?

Happy Sunday/ Happy Last Time That We'll Ever See A New Episode of Downton Abbey...Day!