I like Steve Martin.  Not because of any particular movie (although I really loved Parenthood… Yup!) but because he’s one of the few actors-turned-authors who actually writes his own books – no ghost writers here- and he’s pretty darn good at it.  I first fell for him with his novella, Shop Girl.  I’m always so surprised when men write with such sensitivity and perspective – who knew? I kid, I kid…

An Object Of Beauty is a story told from the narrative perspective of Daniel Chester French Franks, an art critic/writer with an unfortunate name and friend of Lacey Yeager, of whom the novel is based.  Lacey is a strong, independent woman who throughout the course of the book rises through the ranks at Sotheby’s.  She is surprisingly released from her duties at the auction house and through a series of love affairs, gallery jobs and eventually opening her own place, a story unfolds of intrigue, theft and love lost.

Nothing about Martin’s book feels forced or intentional.  The fact that the story is steeped in such well researched art history – both classic and contemporary – gives the book so much more depth and beauty and allows the reader a peak inside the monied business side of art, that most of us ignore or don’t even realize exists at such a level.

I highly recommend An Object Of Beauty.  Fun, informative and well written.

xo,

coco

I’m halfway done the challenge and am pretty behind schedule….  BUT, I did officially start in March,  so I’ve decided to make that my end goal, with hopes of ending sooner.

On to the book review!

Last week I finally finished One Day, by David Nicholls.  At first I had no interest in this book, despite the constant rave reviews that I had heard from multiple friends.  You see, I saw the movie previews and as much as I love a Rom-Com, this one just looked like it tipped the cheese scale.  But like they always say, never judge a book by it’s movie…  After final urging from my Mother and Sister, I caved and dug in.  Oh. My. Goodness.  This book had me from, well…. Hello.  From the 90′s references to the voice and relatability of each character, it was pure genius.

Dex and Emma hook up on graduation night.  It’s July 15th 1988, and Emma’s been eyeing Dex for as long as he has been pretending to not be captivated by her.  Life somehow gets in the way of these two exploring their true feelings for each other right away, but the book follows along with them, dipping into their lives on the 15th of July until the book ends in 2007.  Dex becomes a somewhat famous (but mostly hated) TV presenter, Emma, a teacher, both decidedly unhappy, both searching.

Nicholls takes you on hilarious yet heartbreaking journey of the lives of two people who by the end become so real.  This book made me actually laugh out loud and cry my eyes out.  If you have time this holiday season, READ IT!!

I loved this book so much that I’ve reconsidered my initial annoyance with the movie previews and have made a date with my sister and mother to watch it when it comes out on DVD.

xo,

coco

p.s. next up; The Cat’s Table by, Michael Ondaatje

Lowe and I are very visual people.  If you look at notes from our meetings you won’t see a page without a diagram -as horrible as they may be…. When I spied What To Cook And How To Cook It by Jane Hornby and flipped through, I instantly knew it HAD to be mine. Not only are there perfect pictures of the final product of the recipe included, but pictures of all of the ingredients, including step by step shots of the process.

If you’re just starting to learn how to cook, love pretty pictures or are visual like us, this is the book is a must have.  It also includes lists of what kitchen equipment you need, how to tackle a recipe and how to do a proper grocery shop.

Learn more and get it HERE

xo,

coco

pics via

I kept seeing these highlighted quotes on Marcus Troy’s Instagram feed and was intrigued by every single one.  When he mentioned the title of the book that he was quoting, I went straight to my iBook app and downloaded it.

Be Great is a inspirational book by Peter H. Thomas, the founder of Century 21 Canada and Life Pilot (as you can see from above. lol).  Thomas swears by his Five Foundations to an Extraordinary Life and within this book he lays them out with wonderful examples and stories.  I can find ‘self help’ books to be a little much at times, but this book is so motivational that I found myself highlighting something on every couple of pages (just like M.T.).  By teaching through example, readers are enabled to see the real life results of his ideas, making them feel more realistic and tangible.

Here are some of my personal favorite quotes:

“Many people believe that if you are disciplined you aren’t free. I believe the opposite.  To me absolute freedom is total discipline.  Life is about choices, if you want to be free you need to be disciplined to achieve it.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” (a quote taken from Martin Luther King)

“What separates many successful people from the rest of the pack is they can focus on their strengths and not on criticism or failure.” 

“We are what we repeatedly do.”

I highly recommend this book, no matter what stage of life you’re in.  It’s one of those books that you can read over and over and pick up when you need well…  a little pick-me-up!

Pick it up Here, Here or at your local book store

xx,

coco

Last week I decided to break from the classics and have a little fun with some chick-lit.  Spoiled, written by the hilarious minds behind Go Fug Yourself, is a fun read about friendship, family, love and loss.

Brooke Berlin lives a charmed life.  The daughter of Brick, a Hollywood uber-star, Brooke runs her high school and rocks Marchesa.  Just when the year comes when she is to make her acting debut as the lead in her high school play,  everything comes crashing down around her when Brick discovers he has a love child that he never knew about who happens to be the exact same age as Brooke.  Molly lives in Indiana and when her mother tells her just before she dies that her father isn’t a dead army captain, but he’s in fact alive and well living in LA. AND she has a sister, she’s floored.  Let the drama begin!

Spoiled takes you on the bumpy ride through teenage self discovery filled with tons antics and just as much humor.

Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan are hilarious and it is abundantly clear after reading ‘Spoiled’ that their collective sense of humor isn’t strictly based around poking fun at celebrities.  Their book is witty, thoughtful and fun to read.  If you’re looking for a little escape back into the land of the teenage girl, pick up Spoiled.

This week I’m already half way done (and totally obsessed with) Be Great, by Peter H. Thomas.

It’s the first book I’ve read on my iPhone and I must say, it’s ridiculously convenient.

xo,

coco