Sharp Objects

I, like many others girls throughout the past year, read the book Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I'm typically a fan of thrillers, especially the ones that end every chapter with the realization that you're not moving from your couch for the next couple of hours because you have to turn to the next page. Such was the case with Gone Girl, but with Flynn's other book, Sharp Objects, the thrill just wasn't there.

However, the nightmares definitely were. I've never read a book that would affect my dreams so often. The plots reads as a typical suspense novel with a little bit of horror wrapped in: Journalist girl in a big city returns home to her small town to cover the murder of two little girls, but somehow gets wrapped up in solving the mystery and learning a few not-too-pleasant details about her family and childhood.

The ending was mostly predictable and I grew to hate the main character, as well as strongly question the sanity of Flynn herself (as if I didn't already from reading Gone Girl). All in all, I'd recommend Gone Girl any day, but Sharp Objects was definitely subpar.

Have any of you read this book?

Valentine's Day must-haves

Single or taken, there's something about a day devoted to love that makes me love Valentine's Day. Ok, maybe it's because my birthday is the day after Valentine's Day, but I still love the candy hearts, valentines and cheesy/lovey-dovey things that occur on the 14th. For all things devoted to sappy love stories, hearts and shades of red and pink, here are a few must-haves for V-Day. 

xxo

"Love" bookends: Sure, they may be from the kid's section of Pottery Barn, but what 20-something wouldn't want these holding her book collection together?

"Somewhere in Time:" For anyone who hasn't seen this movie yet, run (do not walk!) to your nearest Target/Walmart/online Netflix subscription so you can watch this movie on Valentine's Day. You'll be swooning over Christopher Reeve's performance, and planning a trip to the Grand Hotel in Michigan, where the movie was filmed.

"Love Story:" Another classic love story, it began the phrase, "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

"Fall in Love for Life:" I originally saw this book in Anthropologie, and stood there for at least five minutes indulging in its first few pages. It tells the love story of a couple married for 73 years.

Heart Tray: Use it as decor, or for a tray to serve fruity pink drinks on Valentine's Day.

Butter London Nail Polish: Spending over $10 for nail polish is a little crazy, but these two colors are not only perfect for the 14th, they're also perfect for the spring!

Doloris Petunia one-of-a-kind earrings: I have had my eye on many things from this Etsy shop since I saw this designer on Cupcakes and Cashmere, and these earrings are at the top of my list. 

The Kennedy Detail

If you've been reading my blog since it's begun, you probably know about my beyond-normal interest in the Kennedy Administration. After reading Mrs. Kennedy and Me this summer, I decided just to go straight into the book written about all of the Secret Service Agents on the Kennedy Detail, appropriately titled The Kennedy Detail. Whereas the first book was written by Jackie Kennedy's agent, Clint Hill, the second book was compiled by all of the surviving agents from the Secret Service assigned to protect the president and his family.

The book begins about two months before the assasination, and even touches on the years following it, detailing the lives and experiences of several agents. I learned not only more than I could have imagined about the Secret Service, but also about that horrible day in Dallas. After finishing the book, I realized just how different things were back then regarding the safety of the president, and how risky the situations were in comparison to the protection provided the Commander in Chief today. But above all, you get to see how the American people loved President Kennedy, how the agents admired him so greatly, and finally, you come to understand the heartbreak they endured after November 22, 1963.

Must read: Mrs. Kennedy and Me

I've been having a Kennedy fetish lately.  Everyone goes through one of these, right?

I'm starting to think it's a little unhealthy, especially because the last two books I've read (and the one I'm currently reading) is based on those few years of Camelot.  But hey, it could be worse... I could have an addiction to the Fifty Shades of Gray series, and what can you learn from that (besides extremely ridiculous sexual jargon)? I stopped at one with that trilogy.

Mrs. Kennedy and Me, on the other hand, is the story of Jackie Kennedy and the Secret Service agent assigned to protect her, Clint Hill. Hill, who is now 80, was with Jackie every single day, including that awful November day in Dallas. The book was eye-opening, and it gives you a raw look at Jackie from someone who knew her better than any other author could begin to explain.

No matter what your politics, we're all enthralled by the Kennedys. This book shows you the true Jackie, and how her grace and unique style will forever be unmatchable by another First Lady.

xxo