Chic Reads
by habituallychic
08 . 04 . 10I have been trying to ignore the feeling that I might be coming down with something in the hope that it would go away but no such luck. Since I am a little under the weather, I thought I would ask you to do more of the work today.
Tory Burch recently posted a fun feature on her blog entitled Tastemaker’s Summer Reading List which I loved. Each tastemaker gave an example of the “Book I’m Reading Now”, “Book that Changed My Life”, and “Book I Give as a Gift.” I loved reading their responses and I hope she doesn’t mind if I borrow her idea today! I’ll start it off and then I want to hear your answers! Those of you who only read my posts in an email or reader will have to come back to the blog and check out what everyone is reading and giving!
Book I’m Reading Now: I always feel like I’m reading nine books at once but Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris is the one currently sitting on my nightstand.
Book that Changed My Life: Beverly Cleary and Judy Bloom changed my life growing up but the two books that really changed my life were The Catcher in The Rye and The Secret History by Donna Tart.
Book I Give as a Gift: I Love Your Style by Amanda Brooks is what I’m giving to my fashion friends.
Now it’s your turn!
N.B. I found the image of the bookshelves on I Suwannee but there was no designer credited. If anyone knows who designed this room, please let me know! Thanks!
26 Comments
Book I’m reading now: One Fifth Aveune by Candace Bushnell. So far it’s cute and easy to read in the car and at lunch.
Book(s) that changed my life: The Harry Potter series. They reminded me reading was fun and all the cool places you could go in them.
Book I give as a gift: I think any of the Post Secret books by Frank Warren are awesome gifts. They start conversations thoughts and encourage secret telling!
book that changed my life: when things fall apart –> best book, recieved it in the mail @ THE most perfect time from one of my closest friends!
*kiss kiss*
Erika
~Tiptoe Butterfly~
I love getting book recommendations, thanks! I’m currently reading ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ the second book of the trilogy. It’s like candy, I can’t put it down!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
Hi Heather, The image is from Nuevo-Estilo.
http://www.nuevo-estilo.es/
I’m not sure if the designer was mentioned in the feature but then again I wasn’t reading because it was in Spanish.
Isn’t the most beautiful set up though?
xx – Christina
Here are more pictures from the space that I dug up from my blog for your viewing pleasure.
http://vivafullhouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/reasons-to-love.html
Have a great day!
book that changed my life: Forever by Judy Blume (I was 16!)
book i’m reading now: The Help (love it!)
book I give as a gift: The Domino Book of Decorating *sigh* or Nora Ephron’s I Feel Bad About My Neck
I am just beginning Father of the Rain by Lily King.
I expect it will be good from the reviews I’ve read.
The book that changed my life would have to be The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth. It is the reason to this day I love to read. (The 1973 original movie is also excellent, but read the book first.)
As for a book to give, I consider The Secret Garden a good one – especially for a young girl. My grandmother gave a copy to me and I always loved it.
Katie – I’ve never read the Harry Potter books. I might have to give them a go sometime!
Erika – I will have to check those out as well! Thanks!
Mary – I keep hearing so much about those books. I might have to break down and see what all the fuss is about! I have been to Stockholm so it would be fun to read books set in that beautiful city!
Full House – Thanks for solving part of the mystery and for sending more photos! I may have to borrow them for tomorrow if I’m still sick! It’s gorgeous!
Marz – I gave “I Feel Bad About My Neck” to my mother and she loved it! It’s definitely a good gift book!
Hope you’d come down with a lurgy!
Book I’m reading: Joan Didion’s Where I was From.
Book that changed my life: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh – I even walked own the aisle to the music from the subsequent series.
Book I gift : Hmm, depends on the person.
Love this post idea!
Reading Now: “Why New Orleans Matters” I had just finished “Zeitun” (about NOLA post Katrina) and highly suggest! They are both great.
Changed Life:
-“You Gotta Keep Dancin'” by Tim Hansel (great for going through a tough time – medical, physical pain or even emotional pain).
-“A Movable Feast” by Hemmingway. Crazy, right? But it helped further fuel my passion to enjoy life in the moment and soak up culture and creativity.
-The Bible – It’s relevancy to today’s times never ceases to amaze me.
Give as Gifts: I tend to give various coffetable books that relate to the recipient: Travel, Art, Design, Etc. And, Gotta Keep Dancin’ when someone needs a pick me up.
This was a fun! Hope you feel better soon!!
Sorry you feel lousy!
Book I am currently reading: With two little ones I don’t really get time to read unless we’re on holiday but I am currently reading Harry Potter to my oldest (who’s 5), a little bit every night!
Book that changed my life: Romeo & Juliet – I did it for my GSCE’s when I was 15 and adored it and so it led me to a life long love of Shakespeare.
Book I would give as a gift: As my friends all seem to be having babies at the moment I would give “Room for Children: Stylish Spaces for Sleep and Play” by Susanna Salk and Kelly Wearstler for inspiration for their little ones new rooms.
Hope you feel better soon!
Book I’m Reading Now: Rabbit, Run by John Updike.
Book that Changed my Life: There’s a few: I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.
Book I Give as Gifts: All three books mentioned above! In hopes they will change someone else’s life, too!
Love these!
Book I’m reading now: Eat, Pray, Love (have to before I see the movie :))
Book that changed my life: To Kill a Mockingbird; I read it in the 7th grade!
Book I give as gifts: Too Blessed for this Mess, The Secret Garden, When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin.
Feel better soon!
Hello!
the designer of this room is Isabel Lopez Quesada, as mentioned earlier it was featured in Nuevo Estilo a couple of months ago.
Personally she is one of my favourite designer (must mention I am Spanish), you should check her website! http://www.isabellopezquesada.com/
Regards,
Gracia
The Secret History is my all time favorite book ever! I recommend it to everyone I can.
Love this!
Book I’m Reading Now: Little Bee by Chris Cleave. Reviewed in one of my magazines are the story of two women who meet in a very special way. Intrigued me enough to get it!
Book that Changed My Life: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer and What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt.
Book I Give as a Gift: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer or a magazine subscription tailored to fit my friend.
Book I’m Reading Now: Off to the Side: A Memoir by Jim Harrison. It’s been great, if not meandering, so far. Next up is Dark Waters by Russell Chatham.
Book that Changed My Life: A Swinger of Birches: Poems of Robert Frost for Young People by Robert Frost. My parents gave me this book when I was a kid and to this day “Birches” is still my favorite Frost poem. It’s still on my bookshelf.
Book I Give as a Gift: Most recently my wife and I gave The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame as a birthday present to the book-happy daughter of my wife’s best friend.
It’s a great book regardless of how old you are.
that room is perfect!!
Reading Now: Little Bee by Chris Cleave. Alice Olive, above, this is a good one. You’ll pour over every word.
Changed my Life: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
Gift: Like I Give a Frock by Michi. Illustrations by Kat Macleod are fun and the text is quirky & hilarious.
Book I’m reading now: Just finished the Fountainhead
Book that changed my life: Autobiography of Frederick Douglass
Book gift: Depends on the person getting the gift! A little lame to give the same book each time.
Book I’m reading now… wish i can find a new one on this list.
Book that changed my life “Out of Africa”
Book i give as a gift “The Beautiful Fall–Saint Laurent, Lagerfield and 70’s paris” or “why Don’t You” by Diana Vreeland.
What a cozy library! The built-ins turn a spacious room into an elegant and functional space.I do loved books!!!Great post!!!inspiring. 🙂
May I say that I absolutely ADORE this room! I dream of one day having an office/library and this is exactly what I want it to look like. I do use the term office loosely so I prefer a chaise to a desk to ensure there will be lots of fun reading and minimum work gets done.
Come by and stay a while
http://xoxoebony.blogspot.com
The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak
Marketed as a teen read here but everywhere else in the world it is an adult book. Beautiful, beautiful story!
Books I am reading now: the Pulitzer Prize winning “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt” by Edmund Morris. A biography that reads like a great novel and one of the best written accounts of old New York. It incorporates Roosevelt’s own letters and diary entries which give great insights into the period. AND: “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love: Stories” by Raymond Carver
Books that changed my life: “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and countless travel books and poetry collections that I began reading as a child.
Books I love to give: “Lush” travel photo or art coffee table books.
Book I am reading now: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (btw, it’s fabulous)
Book that changed my life: The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffineggar (so much better than the film), One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (amazing) and To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (beautiful). I would give any of those as a gift as well!