My goal to read at least 24 books this year is off to a smooth start, although my list of must-reads is growing faster than I can read them. But such is life. 

The Opposite of Loneliness - I wrote a full review of this book because it is just that good. I highly recommend the collection of short stories for everyone to read. Marina writes with a fresh style that feels like you are listening to your best friend, one who is much wiser than you and can more eloquently describe the situations you are going through. 

Let's Pretend This Never Happened - This is a complete 180 from The Opposite of Loneliness. Another memoir/collection of short stories of sorts that chronicles all of the painfully and hilariously funny awkward moments that make up Jenny Lawson's life. You will laugh so much while reading this that it will give you an ab workout as an added bonus (true story). I thought that I was an awkward person, but reading about Jenny's life made me feel a lot better about myself. Also, you have to read the book to understand why there is a mouse dressed as Hamlet on the cover. 

The Group - Truth be told, I wasn't a fan of this book. It follows the lives of a group of college friends in the 1930s as they navigate life after college as they enter marriage and motherhood. It was difficult to keep up with all of the storilines because each character has their own nickname and I kept getting confused about who is who.

The Lowland - This is the story of two brothers who are inseparable in childhood, but who follow two drastically different paths in life. Lahiri is an expert at crafting vivid, real characters who are three dimensional, including the secondary characters. Family dynamics are never simple and Lahiri flawlessly depicts the relationships of parents, children, in-laws, siblings and the differences between India and America.

What are you reading right now?

In high school, I was one of those kids that looked forward to receiving the summer reading assignment. I rushed to the library, checked the books out, devoured them and had the papers written within the first month of summer. Perhaps I also wanted to get it out of the way so I could move on to my own personal summer reading list. There is something about long days spent by a pool or on a porch that makes me want to get comfortable in a lounge chair and get lost in another world.

On my list for this summer:

Looking for Alaska by John Green

With The Fault in Our Stars coming out this weekend, I'm in a John Green mood. And everyone has told me that Looking for Alaska was their favorite of his.

Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

I couldn't get enough of The Secret History, also by Donna Tart. Mystery, murder, prep schools and teenagers with trust funds make for some of my favorite reading. Goldfinch is another book that has been on almost every "must read" list lately. I've heard that it is a little tedious to get through and it most likely not a pool read.

Longbourn by Jo Baker

This is the Upstairs Downstairs version of Pride and Prejudice that tells about the orphaned housemaid in the Bennett household. I will not pretend nor get my hopes up that this will live up to Pride and Prejudice, but it's nice to read about one of my favorite stories from a different point of view.

For previous book reviews and recommendations, click here.

My mom says there is no such thing as a "normal" family; there are only varying degrees of disfunction. But I would say that the Fox family has more disfunction than most. First, you have Bernadette, an artist/architect/genius, who married a computer engineer/genius. They are an unlikely match, and while they but heads the majority of the time, they stick by each other through it all. And then there is their daughter Bee (short for Balakrishna), who plays the "gifted only child who survived a major childhood heart defect" character. Throw into the mix the "gnats" (hippy prep school moms), the FBI and a psychiatrist into the mix and you have yourself the makings of a brilliant, witty and momentarily heartbreaking story.

I absolutely loved the format of the book, which is written primarily through letters, emails, and other documentation sent back and forth by all of the major characters. You never have one person's version of events and it paints a broader picture.

The jokes, jabs and quibs at the Seattle-Microsoft-hipster families reminds me of Portlandia. Author Maria Semple is one of the writers of Arrested Development, so it is no surprise that she has the sarcastic one-liners down to a science. 

When the story is told through Bernadette's point of view, I never thought she was loosing her mind. I thought she was hilarious and someone who I would like to have in my corner fighting battles against new-age parentals. But then when her husband chimes in, he makes her sound like she is a threat to herself and those around her.

I won't give too much away, but Semple does flash back and explain what led to Bernadette's mental breakdown. It's dangerous to put all of your self-worth into your career, and to define yourself by what you do for a living and the awards you achieve. It's important to remember that you are more than just what you do from 9-5, because jobs are fleeting and one wrong turn and you might watch your career go up in flames

"Where'd You Go Bernadette" is the perfect weekend read, especially if you happen to be snowed in. There are no great stopping places in the book, so be prepared to continue on long into the night. 

Oh, and did I mention there is a trip to Antarctica involved in the plot? How cool is that?

I had high hopes for Larson's tale of Chicago leading up to the World's Fair, and it did not disappoint. And as I flipped through the last thirty or so pages and realized just how many footnotes and references are included, my appreciation and love for the book grew even more. It would have been a terrifying and awe-inspiring tale even if he had embellished the story here and there. But to know that all of the minute details were thoroughly researched and woven into a narrative seamlessly was nothing short of perfection.

To give a little background, Devil in the White City follows the architects and their lofty ambitions to design and organize the Columbian Exhibition, and to make sure that it surpassed the previous world's fair in Paris (when the Eiffel Tower was built.) Despite egos, lack of a solid foundation and the creation of unions, and union strikes, you wouldn't believe that they would be able to pull the grand scheme off, especially in the two years they had to complete the plan. Chicago had much to prove to the east coast cities, especially New York. Chicago wasn't refined, it's main industry was the Union stock yard, to the east coast there was no culture in Chicago. They didn't believe that the most innovative architectural minds could possibly come from Chicago. And by some miracle, Daniel Burnham and John Root achieved the seemingly impossible.

And through all of this, one man almost got away with one of the largest serial killings in our nation's history.

Larson could have done a better job at piecing the narrative together in the beginning. I had a hard time keeping up with all of the different architects and felt like the storyline went back and forth too much. However, once all of the story lines converge at the start of the fair, you won't want to put the book down.

I did love the contrast that was discussed between the "white city" of the fair and the "black city" of Chicago. The fair was seen to be perfect and showcased all that was beautiful and modern in the country, while Chicago was dirty, crowded and home to all the necessary evils of the world.

If you enjoy history or historical fiction, then you have either already read Devil in the White City, or should pick up a copy immediately. However, think before you read it before bed because it won't lead to pleasant dreams.

And now to counterbalance the seriousness, I am off to read "Where'd You Go, Bernadette," which also happens to be about an architect who went off the deep end.

L

I want to start this review off by saying that if you are looking for a fun, lighthearted book to skim while lounging by the pool, then don't pick up "The Storyteller." If you have read any other of Picoult's books, you know what I mean. (Anyone remember "My Sister's Keeper"? They should have sold a box of Kleenex along with it.)

"The Storyteller" centers around one elderly man's wish for forgiveness. Joseph Weber has a long-buried secret that he has to get off his chest. He befriends Sage, a solitary baker who prefers the nocturnal schedule of baking bread and pastries for the early morning customers to dealing with people. After they meet at grief counseling, they strike an unlikely friendship because they both have baggage they would rather not share.

Joseph confesses that he was a Nazi soldier working in one of the concentration camps. Because he knows Sage is a Jew, he believes that her forgiveness of his actions sixty years prior can absolve his sins for the thousands of others that watched murdered. So what is Sage to do? Does she forgive this frail 90 year old man for the heinous crimes that he committed in his youth? I will not spoil any more of the plot, because there are several major twists and turns. 

In high school, my English class did a large unit on Holocaust history and read the classics, Night, Anne Frank, and watched several movies. Never have I read an interpretation from the point of view of a Holocaust survivor's grandchild (Spoiler: Sage's grandmother survived living in Auschwitz.) While not based on a true story, "The Storyteller" faces the issue of forgiveness head on.

Sage is faced with deciding to forgive Joseph, even though she is not the person who truly has the right to forgive; they are all dead. Joseph also begs Sage to help him die. He has lived a long life, survived cancer, buried his wife and believes that he is being punished by continuing to live. Sage is faced with a moral dilemma: Is helping Joseph die the same as what he did to countless Jews? Does he deserve to get his way? 

Have the tissues on hand for this one. The recount of Sage's grandmothers experiences in the concentration camp were the most difficult part to read, however knowing that she ultimately survives, makes it bearable. "The Storyteller" will make you stop and consider the limits of forgiveness and who has the right to forgive whom.

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On a MUCH lighter note, you should head over to Mish Lovin' Life and enter the giveaway that I'm participating in! Everyone love free stuff, am I right? Lots of gift cards up for grabs and even some ad space for the bloggers of you out there.

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I was a working girl this summer, 

which was fine because you can only watch 

daytime television and lay by the pool so long

before getting cabin fever. 

The problem was the lack of time for a proper vacation. 

I started my internship at the Chamber of Commerce 

less than 48 hours after I arrived home from school. 

Which mean that I lived out of my suitcase for at least a week.

Now that my internship is drawing to a close next Wednesday, 

my parents and I are getting our beach vacation.

Keep your fingers crossed that this tropical storm dissipates

because right now they think it is going to be hitting the east coast 

next weekend, right when I want to catch a few rays at St. Simon's Island,

a sleepy barrier island community that is my favorite to visit. 

My must haves for next weekend: 

+the maxi dress I bought earlier this summer 

+Essie polish in Fuji

+A pool read: Grace's biography will be perfect

+Coola face sunscreen

+Warby Parker sunglasses 

(In a perfect world. I'll probably stick with my trusty Target shades.)

+Neutral sandals

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Right now I'm en route to Atlanta to watch the Braves play the Cardinals.

I've never wanted them to win a game so much.

Have a fun weekend!

After spending six months trying to work my way through a comprehensive narrative of Paris' history, I decided that I needed to lighten up the reading material and take a pick off of Lauren Conrad's summer beach reads list. In all fairness to her list, Mindy Kaling's book and "The Paris Wife" were on there so I thought that all of the books were safe bets. I wasn't looking for a literary masterpiece, just something to keep me entertained while I try and ween myself off of binge tv watching. 

Even after reading mostly negative reviews of "Girls in White Dresses" on Amazon, I decided to download it anyways because I had heard people talking about it a lot. Let me save you the $9.99 and beg you not to buy it.

The plot centers around a group of college friends who are trying to cope with their love lives while watching all of their other friends get married and have kids. And after 5 people I know got married the other week, I thought, "Maybe I can relate to this." 

No. I vow never to be as whiny or as dependent on alcohol as these girls. I would say 80% of the book took place at one bar or another, even as several of them became new moms. {Which reminds me of the line from "Sweet Home Alabama" when Reese is all like "You brought a baby...to a bar." Hilarious.}

And then there was the schizophrenic writing style. I'm still not sure exactly who all of the main characters were because Jennifer Close kept jumping from one story line to another like the characters jumped from one desperate relationship to another. 

Anyways, you may be wondering why I took the time to make it to the end. Maybe it is some sort of innate need for closure, or maybe I was just desperate for some event to really bring all of the girls back together and unite all of their stories. But sadly, no. 

The positives about this book: you can read it in about two days. And if you need motivation to stay on the elliptical, but know everyone around will hate you for turning Bravo on, then this is the perfect gym read. It takes about zero concentration.

So the first Summer reading attempt was a bust. Up next on my list is "Z: A novel about Zelda Fitzgerald." I have high hopes for this one. If you are on the lookout for another book, you should definitely read "Tigers in Red Weather" by Liza Kaussmann. It was recommended on Elle. Actually, I'll put together my own summer reading list for you. But only of books that I've read and think are worthy of your time spent away from summer reruns. 

And apparently you can check out e-books from the Valdosta library now? This town and went all high tech while I've been gone. If this is true, I'm going to be one happy camper.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of giving the review

at my mom's literary guild meeting.

{Differences between a literary guild and a book club:

constitution, president, gavel; it's official.}

I've gone a few times before, and really enjoyed it. 

It's a no-commitment kind of deal. 

Someone else reviews a book that they've read 

and you can decided if it's worth your time

to read or not. 

I was the youngest person in attendance by about 40 years. 

That's the way I like it; I feel like I have an old soul. 

The big scuttlebutt at this meeting was the pros and cons 

of notifying members of upcoming meetings via email.

Most of the members are retired school teachers 

and apparently many of them delete their email inbox 

without even reading the messages.

{I could not even understand this because I check my email every hour on the hour.}

It was a pretty heated argument and at a few 

points the president almost lost control of the conversation. 

I reviewed "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain

{You can read a few of my favorite quotes from the book here.}

It's one of my favorite books 

that follows the rise and fall of Earnest Hemingway's first 

marriage to Hadley Richardson. 

If you haven't read it, I suggest getting a copy right away. 

It will make a perfect Christmas break read or gift for 

your travel-loving friends.

Are any of you in book clubs? Thoughts?

-Jess

*p.s. If you haven't checked out our travel page, you're missing out on all of the highlights from our wanderings through Europe. More detailed posts for each city to come soon!

*p.p.s. If you aren't following us on GFC or Twitter...you should remedy that asap. You wouldn't want to  miss out on a single witty post.