Over the past year, I’ve made it a goal to start reading again. When I was in grade school, I would come home everyday and read to my “imaginary” class (you did it to). I had a bookshelf that most adults don’t have. As I grew older and went into high school and college I acquired large textbooks that didn’t exactly encourage anymore reading than I was already doing. That is until lately, when I find myself craving a good read. Which brings me to my newest obsession: The Hunger Games, a 3 books series by Suzanne Collins. I just picked up the first book a little over a week ago. I finished it last night, and immediately went to Barnes and Noble for the second book, Catching Fire. It’s all I think about and can only compare my obsession to that of Twilight. They’re must-reads!

Sincerely,

THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW CAB

I finally finished the novel, Little Bee, by Chris Cleave today. I have no idea why it took me so long to read, probably because when I would dedicate time to it, something would come up and I would set it down.

Little Bee is like nothing that I’ve read before. A story about a Nigerian Refugee, tragedy, war,  happiness, love, betrayal, peace and most of all, survival. I think I would have been able to appreciate the story more if I didn’t read it in such choppy parts. Although, it definitely opened my eyes to worldy issues and the struggle some refugees endure for a chance of freedom.
One of my favorite quotes from the book comes from Little Bee herself:

“I ask you right here please to agree with me that a scar is never ugly. That is what the scare makers want us to think. But you and I, we must make an agreement to defy them. We must see all scars as beauty. Okay?” This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived.”

Sincerely,

THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW CAB

As many of you know, I’m more than a fan of Nicholas Sparks and his writing. I’ve blogged about his books before, and I promise if you pick up one, you’ll forever be addicted. I just finished reading Message in a Bottle. I’m probably the only person that hasn’t seen the movie, which is why I was able to read the book.

I just don’t think I could read The Notebook or The Last Song because I’ve already watched the movies. I can’t justify reading a book where I know exactly what’s going to happen. It takes all of the fun out of it. (I tried this with the Twilight Series. I just couldn’t do it).

If you haven’t read Message in a Bottle, wow-do I recommend that you do. The story is so romantic and beautiful. Imagine marrying your best friend, soul-mate, the person you can’t imagine living without,  to have them taken away from you- forever. How do you move on? Do you move on? Can you ever be happy again? Coming from a girl who is in love, this book definitely pulled on my heart. I’ll admit I shed a few tears. Sparks has a way of writing to make you feel like your actually in the story with the characters, witnessing everything and sharing their feelings. Now I have to see the movie. Putting it on my list for this weekend!

I’m waiting for a friend to finish Decision Points by George W. Bush. Politics really interest me and I’d like to read what went on in the President’s mind during one of the most crucial points in history. But at this rate, I’ll finish that in a few days as well.

Any recommendations for some really good reads? I’m dying to dive into some!

Sincerely,

THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW CAB

So, on my list of books to read, was Kendra Wilkinson’s bio, Sliding Into Home. I had watched The Girls Next Door reality series every now and then, but something about the Playboy Mansion interested me. Are these girls really in love with Hugh Hefner? And how are these gorgeous women attracted to someone four times their age?

The Playboy Mansion does a really great job at keeping everything that goes on in the house under wraps and preserving the Playboy image. The only thing the public is really exposed to, is when the girls are out with Hef and what is seen on the show. Nothing sexual or drama filled is allowed to be filmed. But, what goes beyond those mansion gates, is all left to the imagination. That was until Kendra’s book came out.

Lets just say that Kendra cleared up a lot of the unknown. And if you know how she is on the show, you know she definitely didn’t bother censoring anything in the book. She had been through more by the age of 18 than most people will ever experience in a lifetime. From a broken family, alcohol and drug abuse, suicide attempts, and bad boyfriends, Kendra finally found a way to making something of herself.

Now, I know, I always thought that Hef’s girlfriends were such a joke. They pretended they were in love with him to live there and gain public recognition, while Hef was able to keep his image. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Many of the girls, including Kendra, didn’t have a physical connection with Hef when asked to move into the mansion. In Kendra’s case, she was attracted to his personality, his charm, and the power he exuded.

The girls had 9pm curfews every night, unless they went out for a special night, such as Club Night with Hef, that happened every week. The curfew was to ensure that Playboy kept it’s classy reputation. Body guards followed the girls on all trips that they took, to ensure that they didn’t get into any bad situations, were dating other men, or were damaging the Playboy brand.

One of the most shocking things I read in the book was that after every “Club Night” the girls would make their way up to Hef’s room to ‘party’. And I think you know what I mean when I say party. The girlfriends and anyone else who wanted to join would make their way up to the bedroom. Everything from porn and strobe lights were on in the bedroom while each girl took their turn with Hef. Each girl spent about a minute with Hef until there were no more girls and the party was well, over.

It was just so bizarre to read what actually happened behind closed doors. Being Hef’s girlfriend didn’t entail one on one dates or alone time like a normal relationship would. It was like an unsaid known that the girls really didn’t think of Hef as a boyfriend (besides Holly) and that their presence in the house and in the public eye was to help build a brand. When they went out, they all went out together and when they had movie nights it was everyone packed into the theatre. The relationship seemed more business and family orientated then anything. Okay, besides those crazy nights in Hef’s room.  Although, those did end long before Kendra and the rest of the girls left the mansion. One night, no one went to Hef’s room after the club, and from then on Holly had Hef all to herself. And as Kendra put it, she was like, “cool.”

I could just go on and on about the surprises and shocking parts of this book. I loved it and I didn’t want it to end; definitely recommend it as a great read!

Sincerely,

THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW CAB

The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch, is a book that I have been meaning to pick up for some time now. I have heard people rave about this book and I finally got my hands on it this past week. It’s another ‘can’t put it down’ type, but let me tell you, it sure pulls at your heart strings.

The Last Lecture is  about a computer science professor, Randy Pausch, who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. In the little time he is said to have left, Randy decides to give a ‘last lecture’ to over 400 students at Carnegie Mellon University that he titles, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”.

I just finished the book and  I don’t know how many times I started crying on my train rides to and from the city. It truly is a book to live by, or try to. Randy Pausch was a man of great knowledge and instead of feeling bad for himself and the terminal cancer that was going to be taking his life, he embraced it.  He even looked at the bright side of only having a few months left to live. Randy was able to prepare his family and friends for his death unlike if he was in a tragic car accident or had a heart attack. He had the time to leave his children with many videos of them playing together, letters he wrote to each of them, videos of himself just talking to the children, this book, and his last lecture.

The world seems to work in a way that the worst things happen to the greatest people. And Randy Pausch was definitely one of those people. His wife, Jai, is one strong person to be able to make it through something like this. Imagine knowing that this New Years Eve would be the last you would ever get to spend with your husband. And from now on, raising your three children, taking family vacations, or even eating dinner will all be done without him. It just gives me chills.

The book is composed of six parts: The Last Lecture, Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, Adventures and Lessons Learned, Enabling the Dreams of Others, It’s About How To Live Your Life, and Final Remarks.  I learned a great deal in this book and would recommend it to anyone! It’s short, so its perfect for those who view reading as a bit of a chore. It sure makes me want to be a better person, so think if everyone read this.

You can learn more at www.thelastlecture.com as well as purchase the video of Randy’s Last Lecture.

Sincerely,

THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW CAB

As of last night, I knew exactly what I was going to blog about today. That is until The Heroin Diaries of Nikki Sixx fell into my hands.  Prior to last night, I had heard a lot about this book- mainly from those that idolize the band Motley Crue. I knew that if the book had gotten grown men, many who have never finished a book in their lives, to sit down and read it, it must be something worth looking at.

I was borrowing Mommywood, a book by Tori Spelling from a friend, when she also gave the The Heroin Diaries in case my boyfriend wanted to take a look at it. Let’s just say that my boyfriend will have to wait his turn. I absolutely can’t put it down. I even thought about not posting today so that I could try to finish it.  I’m currently half way through the book now and hope to finish it by tonight.

Why the life of a drug, alcohol, and sex addict interests me so much, I’m still not sure. Maybe it’s because deep down I know that if I wasn’t born the fashionista girl that I am, my alter ego would definitely be a hardcore, rocker, tatted up, badass.  So, anytime I can go to a bar with carpet on the walls, adorned with a name you can only picture toothless people in, attached with a scene from a horror film waiting to happen, is definitely something I get some bizarre satisfaction out of.  The lifestyle of a rockstar is so insane, so ridiculous, so entertaining that I would love to be a fly on the wall for just one Saturday night with them.

The Heroin Diaries seriously opens your eyes to the extreme lifestyle of one rockstar from Motley Crue, Nikki Sixx. The book is filled with his personal diaries from the time of his heroin addiction, among many others. The things and events you read about are so above and beyond anything understandable to a normal person. You literally have to read some things over again just to make sure you read it right. Sixx writes down exactly what he is feeling at that exact point in time. He talks about his childhood, his rebellious lifestyle, the music, the girls, the drugs, the alcohol, the loneliness, the withdrawals, the struggle and the hardcore fight to get out.

I don’t care if your idea of a good time is an ugly sweater and a tea party, this is a must read. No matter who you are, where you came from, or what you believe in, it will open your eyes to a completely different world. This book probably helped thousands on the verge of becoming an addict or that already were. He says, “Well it’s simple. If one person reads this book and doesn’t have to go down the same road as me, it was worth sharing my personal hell with them.”

Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EngfEVj0DY4

Sincerely,

THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW CAB

For some reason, I have taken up a great deal of reading lately. I always enjoyed reading when I was younger, but eventually grew out of it. By the time I was in high school, being asked to read a few novels over the quarter was worse than ruining your favorite blouse. And now, I really enjoy it. Especially when it comes to Nicholas Sparks. I can’t get enough of him. So far, I’ve read The Rescue, The Wedding, At First Sight, and The Lucky One. I’m currently in the middle of A Bend in the Road and I just can’t seem to put it down.

Every single one of his books have been a #1 New York Times Bestseller. His books are incredibly romantic, yet manage to keep you wanting more. Unfortunately ladies, he’s married. Go figure, right?

Anyways, my favorite book so far was the first one I read, The Rescue. I could honestly read it again and again. This could be a Twilight Phenomenon all over again. Okay, maybe not that far. But, it’s great. And the others don’t fall far behind. I was actually reading The Wedding. It’s a story that is kind of a sequel of the film and book, The Notebook. I love the movie, so I had to read the so called sequel. The Wedding is a story about Noah and Allie’s daughter, Jane, who marries a man named Wilson. They have been married for 30 years and it seems they are on the path to divorce. To be honest, I almost stopped reading the book a couple of times. I just couldn’t get into reading about a married couple’s problems for 200 pages. But, let me tell you, I am so glad I did. The last few chapters took me by complete surprise. And I even caught myself re-reading those parts because I was so shocked at how great the book was turning out. I definitely recommend it, but you have to patient in the beginning. I promise, you won’t regret it.

All in all, I wanted to dedicate this post to the fabulous books that have occupied a lot of my time during my trips into the city. He’s become one of my favorite writers. I’m continuing on down the list of books Sparks has, but I’m trying my hardest to read them at a slow pace. You know how you try and make something you like so much last? Well that’s exactly like this. So, if you’re looking for a great read, Nicholas Sparks is your guy.

Sincerely,

THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW CAB

While I was in New York, I took up reading at night in order to help me fall asleep. I lived on the Upper West Side and still felt that it was necessary to sleep with a hammer under my pillow and pepper spray next to my bed. If you knew where I grew up, you would understand. I could better classify it as the middle of nowhere, acres of land, where households slept soundly with their doors unlocked. This was New York. And every little noise made me imagine my apartment being broken into. It’s a good thing that never happened because the thief would have been in for a rude awakening. A hammer in any girls hand, or stiletto for that matter, would be dangerous.

Anyways, I started reading a book by Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, from The Real Housewives of New York, called Class With the Countess. This isn’t a book I would normally be thrilled to read, but let’s just say that my selection was limited. I decided to test it out anyways.

To be completely honest, I couldn’t put it down. But I know what you’re thinking, who wants to read a book about how to be polite? Not many. To my defense, it really wasn’t another one of “those” books. The book entailed everything from wearing costume jewelry vs. real jewelery, faking it until you make it, how to be confident, dinner parties, conversation killers, what to do if a guy breaks up with you, and so much more.

I had highlighted some parts that I thought were just great. They really caught my attention because I decided to whip out my highlighter to ensure I wouldn’t forget them.

“Life is unquestionably richer if you can everyone into your corner- from waiters to the service people in stores to men in your life. Winning people over adds spice to life. It makes every encounter special.” (p.5) I truly couldn’t agree more with this statement. And to be honest, this reminds me of the type of person my dad is. He has the gift to make anyone laugh, which I believe to be one of the greatest gifts one could possess.

“The motivating principle in my life is to take chances without fear or hesitation. Jump on the train or you’ll miss it.” (p. 20) Something we should all try to live by because it is oh so true.

“Remember: No matter where you find yourself on the misery scale, there is always someone who is much worse off than you.” (p.28) Now isn’t that the head on the nail.

“Don’t let go of the vision of yourself.” (p. 45)

“If you wear fake diamonds, you might as well fake it in a big way.” (p.77) If the countess can do it, so can we.

“Don’t make others the objects of your wit.” (p. 142)

“Being complimented on an exceptional quality never gets tired.” (p. 242) Don’t be modest, you know getting a compliment on your favorite stilettos never gets old.

I love reading books that I can actually take something away from. And if I learned anything in this book, it’s about how to be a better person. Something we all should strive to do better each day.

Sincerely,

THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW CAB