the book of joe by jonathan tropper ::: joe is a writer. joe writes a bestseller about his small hometown and then tries to avoid said hometown for life. unfortunately for joe, his father gets sick and he has to return to a town who's secrets he turned into millions. jonathan tropper is quickly becoming my favorite author. this was the second book of his that i have gotten the chance to read and i cannot say enough good things about his writing style, humor and character development. this book made me laugh out loud and cry even more loudly. please go read this. i'm already waiting for another of his books to arrive in the mail this week.
drowning ruth by christina schwarz ::: if you like stories of messy family tragedies with a bit of a pyschological thriller thrown in, then this book may be for you. schwarz does a wonderful job of creating characters who, while often mysterious, are also likable. the novel describes the mystery behind the death of amanda's younger sister, mathilde. with twists and turns i promise you won't figure out what is going to happen next.
the happiness project by gretchen rubin ::: wow, i loved this book. beyond just reading rubin's own story on her year working towards personal happiness, i found so my great bits of information and happiness-inducing ideas. her own journey made me recognize some of the traits i see in myself, that might be changed for a more peaceful existence. reading this book made me want to be a better daughter, friend, partner and sister. if you're having a week where you're feeling down, pick this up.
the tipping point by malcolm gladwell ::: here's another that's been on the shelves and bestseller lists for years. i, of course, only got to read it last week. i had a lot of ideas about what this book would look like and i had heard a lot of things, both good and bad. gladwell's book is built around case studies. from airwalks, to hushpuppies, or teenage suicide in micronesia to teenage cigarette smoking in the u.s. gladwell offers a great deal of information on all these topics and describes the exact moment when something becomes a trend or fad as "the tipping point." for those of you interested in psychology, i think you'll find gladwell's theories fascinating.
i thought i'd start the week out with some book reviews and do an outfit post tomorrow. hopefully that rain will stop long enough for me to get in a few good shots. i also have two more wily wiley reads posts coming up, but i think i'll stick to just one a week. i'd love to hear your thoughts on what you like best of the blog. i am going to be changing content just a bit, and would love your input.