The Girls from Corona Del Mar by Rufi Thorpe

I adored this book and blew through it in no time. I’m really into stories that delve into the complexities of lifelong friendships. The story is about a young girl who totally idolizes her best friend and thinks she is perfect but after a series of unfortunate incidents her “perfect” friend begins to unravel. The book follows them into adulthood and it was funny, shocking and sad. Highly recommend it.

 

Last Night at the Blue Angel by Rebecca Rotert

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking. It alternates between the perspectives of a young girl in 1960’s Chicago and her mother from her childhood onwards. The mother is an aspiring jazz singer with a difficult upbringing which has led her to be a reckless adult. Unfortunately, those who love her are often affected negatively by her behavior. There are so many memorable characters in this book that really help you to get immersed in the story.

 

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeanette Walls

I loved this book so much. It focuses on the author’s eccentric, nomadic parents. She starts right from her first memory and goes up to the present day, detailing her family’s struggle with poverty, crime, addiction and homelessness. The book grabs you right from the first page and you can’t help but admire the author’s ability to tell the truth about her difficult past and relationship with her parents so openly.

 

#GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso

I know this one is super trendy and everyone’s talked about it but I totally understand why now that I’ve read it. It’s the super interesting account of how Sophia Amoruso started Nasty Gal and her story is crazy impressive, especially considering her humble roots. Any girl interested in fashion or business will love this book. It’s very “girl power” and gives lots of helpful advice on how to put yourself out there and go for what you want.

 

I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villain by Courtney Robertson

This is a totally trashy read and I’m half embarrassed to be blogging about it. I don’t normally follow the Bachelor but I happened to get hooked on Courtney and Ben’s season by my old roommate. I loved to hate Courtney but I heard this book was juicy so I gave it a shot. It’s a really funny, interesting and in depth account of her experience with Ben and the Bachelor and it’s also speckled with tidbits from other seasons and contestants. It’s a light read but really fun. If you like the Bachelor and especially if you saw this season, you’ll enjoy it.

 

Two Kisses for Maddy by Matt Logelin

Several years ago I recalled seeing the author of this book being interviewed by Oprah and I knew it would be a great read. This man’s wife gave birth to their first child and a day later, before even seeing the baby, she suffered a pulmonary embolism and died. The book is the father’s story of being a single new parent to his baby daughter while also grieving the loss of his wife. This book is very well written and as you can imagine, a total tear jerker.

 

 Not that Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

I really, really like Lena Dunham. I love Girls and although I can find her a little pretentious at times, I always find her interviews interesting to read. I had no idea what to expect from her book because I’d heard that much like her show, the book was either a love it or hate it type of read. I loved it! There were a lot of things about the book that were definitely shock worthy or could make one squeamish but there is no denying that she is a great writer. As a woman her age, I appreciated her stories, related to some of them and found them entertaining.

 

What are you reading lately?

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