We have to stop meeting like this.

It's actually really embarrassing how long it has been since I last blogged. A little over one year. So much has happened since we last spoke A YEAR AGO. Let me see if I can break it down for you:

1. I quit my job in publishing and started working at a non-profit 5 months ago
2. I read a butt load of books - yes, I said buttload (Checkout my shelf here)

3. My sister got married in August and I started losing clumps of hair and a significant amount of eyelashes and I looked like a broken doll.

You can't tell because I had some major fake eyelashes :)

4. My hair stopped falling out, and my eyelashes finally grew back by November. Thank goodness.
5. I got invited to be part of the fashion club at work - I'll tell you more about that later.
6. My brother had his third baby - a beautiful baby girl - and I died and went to heaven.
7. Oooo, I bought a sewing machine.
8. I started making more DIY crafts.

My roommate said this one day and I couldn't get it out of my head! I used acrylic paint, stencils for the letters, and drew the little worm :) and I gave it to my bff for her birthday

Bought this Ralph Lauren pillow from TJ Maxx for $16! I looked up monogram letters online and cut out stencils and then taped them onto the pillow before painting them on with fabric paint. I got the idea from Lauren Conrad. She says to use fancy sticky paper, but you don't need it!

9. Pipes burst outside our apt, and flooded our kitchen.

10. Gossip Girl ended and I didn't know what to do with myself.
11. I turned 27 and thought about how when I was 18 I thought I would have figured things out by now and then laughed at my naivete.
12. Other things happened that I am sure were important in my life, but I just can't remember them right now.

But anyway, hi! Great to be back. I guess I should tell you what I'm reading right now, right? Have you guys heard of We Need to Talk about Kevin? Well, I read that book for bookclub a couple of months ago and I couldn't stand it. It was the worst book ever and I wanted to throw it out the window so many times. So, Lionel Shriver wrote that book and I thought I would never read a book by her ever again - but alas, I picked up The Post-Birthday World, and I actually like it. It's kind of like that movie Sideways with Gwenyth Paltrow - where there are two storylines that branch off based on this one decision the protagonist chooses in the beginning. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm hoping that it won't be all messed up in the end and that I won't regret telling you guys that I liked it. So, as of right now, you guys should totally read it. But I'll let you know if the ending sucks and save you the disappointment.

Until next time!
xoxo
mc

The Joy of Books

Love this video!

Looking for the 50% solution

A great article on Publisher's Weekly about the rise in ebooks and their role in the industry.
Stay tuned for an update on the books I've been reading :)

YA Comes of Age - Publisher's Weekly Article

Great article about Young Adult Fiction on Publisher's Marketplace - Check it out and tell me what you think!
What are your favorite YA books?

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/48916-ya-comes-of-age.html

Autumn in New York

The falling leaves, the crisp cool air, the tourists, and this incessant internal nagging to craft lets me know it's time to bring out the fall wardrobe and start stocking up on Joann's and Michael's coupons. It's also the time when I get to settle back into my more regular reading groove. Summer is great, but there is so much to do! There is never enough time to really sink your teeth into a bunch of great books. And you book lovers know, nothing feels better than curling up on your couch under a warm blanket, or finding a quiet, cozy coffee shop and immersing yourself into your book's pages for a few hours.
 
I'm not complaining or making excuses (me? excuses for being a neglectful blogger? never!), but work has been crazy since April and I've had to take work home with me (which as an editorial assistant consists of reading and reading and more reading!) so instead of being able to slip one of the (too) many books off my shelves at home, I've had to read pages and pages of manuscripts and proposals - SO this list is just shameful, especially since the last time I posted was basically the end of August!


State of Wonder by Ann Patchett: Not as good as Bel Canto, but I was not disappointed. Patchett is an exquisite story teller and although some parts were a bit...unrealistic...I really enjoyed reading this book and, as always, became completely invested in her characters. Grade: A-

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (September Book Club Pick): *Shout out!* I love my book club - it is full of intelligent, friendly, challenging, inviting, funny women who I am lucky to have as friends and fellow book clubbers. AND they all work in publishing which is just the cherry on top!* ANYWAY - I liked this book. Friendship, Love, Jealousy, Regret, Hope - all with the backdrop of good ol' New York. Grade: A

I Am Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell: Okay, so I've had a copy of this book on my shelf FOREVER! My ex-roommate gave it to me - one of our mutual friends (one of the lovely ladies in my book club) was the editor of this book - and told me it was really good. But of course, I then put it on my "to-read" pile and never got to it. Fast-forward to my friend bringing it into work and telling me I just had to read it. What else was there to do but read it? It was not what I was expecting - perhaps a bit vulgar for the faint of heart, well written and hypnotizing. Grade: B

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman: Why am I always drawn to stories about people in publishing? Love this short-story-esque book about ex-pats and an international English language newspaper. Grade: A-

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach:  I am NOT a sports person, so don't think, just because this is a coming-of-age novel based on the story of a boy and his college baseball career, that it isn't your cup of tea. I loved the characters, the conflict, and all the storylines. I would recommend it. Grade: A

Afterword
I've been really into teen fiction as of late, so I'm in the middle of reading three books (which I never do):
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Shatter Me by Tareheh Mafi
Wings by Aprilynne Pike