10 Nooks And Their Perfect Books

Books may well be the only true magic. —Alice Hoffman

WHAT WE LOVE THIS WEEK

Reading nooks. So much so that were money no object we'd have one in every room. (Can we all just agree now that we'd make darling millionaires?) How lovely would it be to have a nook to match your mood, or better yet, the book you're reading?

We're nothing if not dreamers, so come along with us as we pair some of our favorite spots with the perfect read—starting with the nook above. Could be the lighting and the wood pallets that have us pining for Tom, Rusty, and The Medicine Lodge. Hope there's a copy of The Bartender's Tale on those shelves.

Something about this space has us itchin for a reread of Rules of Civility.

Think of the writing Cassandra Mortmain could have done in this colorfully whimsical spot? As if they read our minds, Wednesday Books is releasing a new, fabulously yellow edition of I Capture the Castle this fall. 

Pardon us while we take a moment to swoon over this sofa. Pretty sure we'd never leave this spot so a stack is in order: A Gentlemen in Moscow, Big Little Lies, and Lucia, Lucia ought to get us started. Then bring on Anna Karenina.

The Happiness Project. Although it wouldn't be much of a project if we dwelt in this lovely abode.

Not to be obvious, but A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Hemingway, McCarthy, or Bragg. Personal favorites:  A Farewell To Arms, All the Pretty Horses, and All Over but the 'Shoutin'.

This one feels made for lighter fare, as in Boden, Magnolia Journal, or Real Simple.

Definitely Jane. Let's start with Persuasion and not stop till we've reread them all.

The Rosie Project. And waiting above on those cheery shelves? Ginny Moon and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. 

Feel free to play along—which reads would you pair with these nooks? Have other cozy spots that are your favorites? Please share!

Where We Love Is Home

"Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than a magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration." —Charles Dickens  

Let’s pretend it’s Tuesday.  And while we’re pretending, let’s imagine I’m on the ball. After a bevy of new reviews, Rachel’s prophetic words “don’t get used to it” crashed home. So please pardon us while we wallow in our blogging inefficiency.  Better yet, never mind us; let’s talk kid stuff even though it’s Thursday, not Tuesday.  

I’m trying to raise children that don’t have to recover from their childhood. When she was just 3 or 4, my daughter Abigail was a unicorn for Halloween—a glittered alicorn head cap and a totally white faux-fir body suit. We’d have to coax the magic off her every couple days. She wore it to the Beary Fun pre-school, in the backyard to play on her little tikes toys, to the dinner table, and at nap time. She even attempted to worship Jesus in the church house in her mythical costume. Little did I realize then that Abbey’s innocent obsession with a white-horned horse would morph into one of my favorite memories of her when she was small. Her predilection captured the magicalness of childhood, the magicalness of her. Turns out that Laurel Snyder’s Orphan Island also catches the bewitching aspects of being a blissfully happy kid.

The enchanted island is home to nine (rotating) orphans who live in harmony with subdued animals, abundant fresh foods, a sky filled with dancing shapes, and wind that cradles the children in safe arms. Balance abounds. And the orphans, devoid of physically present parents, fill up on love, laughter and joy.  There is no mistaking the familiar and comfortable feeling of home on Orphan Island. Until there is a disruption in the balance. My boys just had to learn what would happen next and begged for more chapters, for more time on Orphan Island.  I was curious too. Props to Snyder who gives orphans a voice—to send the message that love and home are, in fact, synonymous.  

Posted by Tracy

Books with Integrity

"When you give someone a book, you don't give him just paper, ink, and glue. You give him the possibility of a whole new world." —Christopher Marley

Isn’t it about time we throw some kindness around? Rae and I are itchin to give somethin away almost as much as we’re itchin to get away. And why not hand off two of our favorite things: books and burritos. (Well, Mexican food anyway.) If you’re hungry for a satiating new read, a bowl full of barbacoa, or a chicken burrito that’s bigger than your head, give us a shout out. For each step of the giveaway process you complete, you’ll be one entry closer to a 30 dollar Chipotle gift card and two brand new 5 star winners that are 2@27 approved.

Here’s how to enter:

  • If you’re on Facebook and haven’t already liked our page, click here and hit like. Already a fan? Comment below and let us know!
  • Click here and sign up to receive our enlightening emails or leave a comment saying you’re already a subscriber.
  • Follow us on Instagram and like our giveaway post.
  • Tag a friend in an individual comment on our Instagram post—each additional comment is an extra entry, unlike the guac this go around. 
  • Giveaway ends at midnight pacific time on Friday, August 18th. Winner announced here on Saturday, the 19th. 

Weekly Wrap-Up

"I like good strong words that mean something." —Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

WHAT WE LOVE THIS WEEK

The V&A Collector's Editions by Puffin Classics. Five favorite children's classics get gorgeous new covers inspired by the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of the work of William Morris, designed by illustrator Liz Catchpole. Along with this lovely copy of Little Women, the have Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, and The Wind in the Willows. Swoon.

Rifle Paper Co. + Chatbooks. More swooning.

New favorite baby shower gift.

This. We wholeheartedly concur. 

Make back-to-school magical with these. 

Speaking of magical.

Perfect gift and great reminder for your little bookworm.

Literary weddings. Be still our bookish hearts.

This almost makes us want an e-reader. Almost.

You. Which is why we're announcing a new giveaway on Monday. Meet you back here then!

Oh Happy Day

“Years from now, when all the junk they got is broken and long forgotten, you'll still have your stars.” 

Now Tray's got me contemplating all the classics I've yet to read and lamenting another summer gone by without conquering Anna Karenina. And yes, I'm aware summer isn't over (as in 110 degrees aware), but it's safe to say Anna ain't happening this year. Sigh. This is the point where I repeat Tray's and my new mantra: "Don't matta cuz we're goin to London!" October can't get here fast enough. Nor can cooler weather. Which for me and this lovely desert I live in, is one and the same. 

So today, whilst dreaming of chilly temps and London streets, I'll pay homage to the geniuses who invented air-conditioning and movie theaters and Coke Zero. And most of all, to Jeannette Walls for her beautiful book that now graces big screens everywhere. Throw in some popcorn and Milk Duds and it will be a happy day, indeed.

*Make it an even happier day and reread Tray's post on this stunning memoir.

Posted by Rachel

I Inhaled Frequently. That was the Point.

“Unless you’re ashamed of yourself now and then, you’re not honest.”  William Faulkner 

I rarely feel shame. (After all, I won the parent lottery.) But if I’m being frank like Mr. Faulkner, I feel a twinge of humiliation for having never read certain books. Anna Karenina, One Hundred Years of Solitude, As I Lay Dying (sorry William), Night, and The Color Purple are titles that automatically leave me shamefaced. Imagine my relief when I found myself with a little free time in untouched nature with Elie Wiesel’s most famous novel. Like the crisp mountain air, I slowly inhaled the holocaust survivor’s story. 

The Nobel Committee referred to Wiesel as “a messenger to mankind.” His story about surviving Nazi death camps as a teenage Jew is both horrifying and sobering. Despite a natural propensity to be faithful, Wiesel endures a long night of doubt and despair and anguish. He was unafraid to ask the question “Where was God at Auschwitz?” This makes Wiesel a uniquely believable witness because he is so morally honest. He reminds me that indifference is likely worse than hatred, hope is hard to extinguish, and resiliency is a close relative to determination. Shame aside, like The Diary of Anne Frank, everyone should read this book. Wiesel himself said, “Where Anne Frank’s book ends, mine begins.” 

Props to Arianna non Grande for not feeling ashamed.

Posted by Tracy

Housekeeping

Housekeeping ain't no joke. —Louisa May Alcott

Just spent four glorious days in the mountains escaping the desert heat and the daily grind. Now I'm back to both and to distract myself from the pains of re-entry, I did a little housekeeping...of the blog variety. I recommend it over real housekeeping any day.

As I tend to be a faster reader than reviewer, I've added several new books to our bookshelves (especially under the fiction tab) in advance of their reviews. If you're itching for a new read and are tired of waiting on me, feel free to use our rating system to choose your next book. I'm a giver that way.

As for me, I'll just be here reminiscing about that time when I actually had time to peruse Boden and Magnolia Journal and read You May Already Be A Winner. Speaking of being a winner, you may already be one too because we've got another fun giveaway coming real soon. Stay tuned. 

Posted by Rachel

Based On A True Story You Almost Won't Believe Is True

“Months later, in a different world, Nechuma will look back on this evening, the last Passover when they were nearly all together, and wish with every cell in her body that she could relive it…She will replay it all, over and over again, every beautiful moment of it, and savor it, like the last perfect klapsa pears of the season.” 

Pardon us while we bask in our blogging proficiency. Three book reviews in three days, who even are we? All I can say is don't get used to it. Odds are we can't keep up this pace but let's all enjoy it while it lasts, shall we? 

At fifteen, Georgia Hunter attended a family reunion that would alter the trajectory of her life. Having only recently learned that her grandfather was a Holocaust survivor, she was stunned to learn he wasn't alone: his parents, four siblings, their spouses and children all survived as well. Thus began her quest to piece together the indelible history of her family—retracing the harrowing footsteps of each member as they fought to survive the atrocities of war and find each other again.

We Were the Lucky Ones, though written as fiction, is the result of Hunter's years-long research and the facts of the family's history were not altered. While the writing felt clunky at times and I didn't always love her format, the Kurc's story is so compelling that in the end none of that mattered. This tale, with it's ode to the triumph of the human spirit, is one of the most inspiring I've read in a long, long while. 

*When you finish the book, you'll want to read Hunter's blog for more on her family's incredible history.

Posted by Rachel