College Dorm Decorating Tips

Check out these dorm rooms.

I could definitely learn a few tricks from these college students.

Look Ma, No Hands!

...is actually the name of a coffee shop / bike repair shop (okay, it's mum, but I haven't yet embraced that Britishism) not far from my apartment. On that note, check out this video on biking with no hands (I have to admit, I like it until the end...)

The National Book Award

Have you heard about the National Book Award debacle? The Awards will be announced on November 16th. Here are the nominees (with an error on the YA section--more on that later):

Fiction
THE SOJOURN by Andrew Krivak,
THE TIGER'S WIFE by Tea Obreht
THE BUDDHA IN THE ATTIC by Julie Otsuka
BINOCULAR VISION by Edith Pearlman
SALVAGE THE BONES by Jesmyn Ward

Non-Fiction
THE CONVERT: A Tale of Exile and Extremism by Deborah Baker
LOVE AND CAPITAL: Karl & Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution by Mary Gabriel
THE SWERVE: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
MALCOLM X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable
RADIOACTIVE: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss

Poetry
HEAD OFF & SPLIT by Nikki Finney
THE CHAMELEON COUCH by Yusef Komunyakaa
DOUBLE SHADOWS by Carl Phillips
TONIGHT NO POETRY WILL SERVE: POEMS 2007-2010 by Adrienne Rich
DEVOTIONS by Bruce Smith,

Young People's Literature
MY NAME IS NOT EASY by Debby Dahl Edwardson
INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai
FLESH AND BLOOD SO CHEAP: THE TRIANGLE FIRE AND ITS LEGACY by Alfred Marrin
SHINE by Lauren Myracle*
OKAY FOR NOW by Gary D. Schmidt

*So, it turns out that SHINE was listed in error. What they meant to say was that CHIME by Franny Billingsley was on the list. Here is a PW article on the blunder, and here is author (and wife of Myracle's agent, Barry Goldblatt) Libba Bray's take on the situation. 

 

Mindy Kaling Article

Have you see Mindy Kaling's article about romantic comedies in The New Yorker? It's hilarious and so true. Click here to read it.

And if you're not sure who Mindy Kaling is, watch this video.

Great Commercial

I am in love with this:

Monday Music: Desk Concert

Check out NPR's desk concert, featuring Wilco. I love them. And the drummer is playing on a book....

You can even download the whole thing for free! Who doesn't love free things?

Who wants a manfriend?

How cute are these manfriends that are selling on etsy? Are you more of a Craig fan or a Kenneth fan?

Books!

Daily Candy posted this list of 101 books they can't live without.

What books can't you live without?

Fall Flats

I'm obsessed with flats. The only problem is that regardless of price, they wear out quickly. Now that it's fall, I'm trying to scout out some new options. Here are a few that look like they could be both cute and functional, in a variety of prices.

J. Crew Cece Tweed Ballet Flats - $99 (on sale)

 

 Land's End Canvas Mackenzie Plaintoe Ballet Flat - $68 (there's a lovely green shade on sale for just $33)

Two-Toned Marais Flats - $64

BC Limousine Flat from American Eagle - $45

Uptown Pumps from Boden - $118

Books: A Visit from the Goon Squad, Just Kids, Remains of the Day, State of Wonder

Having won the Pulitzer Prize earlier this year, I'd been curious about this book for a while. Then, just as I was about to pick it up, I had several friends tell me how disappointed they'd been with it. I think, as a result, I lowered my expectations quite a bit, and ended up enjoying it much more than I expected to.

While I didn't love any of the characters--most of them are deeply flawed--Egan's writing style was impeccable. I was truly impressed with the intricate way she wove the stories together and jumped around in time and locales. Her sentences are often poetic, and her observations astute.

The book is more interwoven short stories than novel, and the characters are hard to relate to. However, it's a quick read, and one I think that's worth picking up.

I have to admit that when I picked this up, I didn't know much about Patti Smith. My dad had given me a copy of her album "Land" a few years ago, and she just sounded so angry and harsh, that I don't think I ever listened to the album the entire way through.

Reading this made me want to revisit the album. I never realized quite how much an emphasis Smith put on words; the lyrics always came first.

While at times her lifestyle is a bit too out there for me, I found her story compelling and ultimately a really satisfying read. I'd recommend this if you're interested in reading more about the Chelsea Hotel and beat generation poets of New York in the 1960s and 70s.

Just Kids won the Pulitzer in 2010.

I loved Never Let Me Go. So, when my book club suggested reading The Remains of the Day, I thought the writing style might be similarly enjoyable. While The Remains of the Day is also incredibly well-written, the story and the writing style could not me more different. Kazuo Ishiguro's pacing in this novel is quite slow, but it's done in a very smart way.

The narrator, a British butler who worked in a grand house during WWII, is not necessarily likable, but he is interesting. And, as the story progresses, the reader discovers he's not necessarily reliable either. But this is the genius of the book.

I loved Bel Canto, so when a friend told me that State of Wonder was the best book she'd read all summer, I immediately went out and bought a copy. I wasn't disappointed. Ann Patchett's writing is lyrical, and the story is complex and interesting. While I didn't walk away feeling happy at the end, I felt that reading this novel was time really well spent. I'd highly recommend it. 

Peach Cake

This weekend I had a few nectarines that were getting a bit overripe. I found this recipe (again in Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?) 

I served it for dessert last night, but I think it might make a better coffee cake than dessert. For a slightly healthier version, I'd recommend swapping out the sour cream for some fat free (or reduced fat) greek yogurt.

Provencal Lamb Roast

First, why is it so hard to take appetizing-looking pictures of food? I have a lot of respect for photographers who specialize in food. Second, this was delicious; I promise.

To celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving, last night we roasted a leg of lamb. A while back, my friend Kristen gave me a copy of Ina Garten's How Easy is That? cookbook. I've been loving it; I haven't made a single recipe from it that I haven't enjoyed, and have made several of them multiple times.

I was a bit skeptical of this particular recipe as it called for honey, and I'm not normally a big fan of meat dishes that are sweet. However, I'm so glad I tried it. I couldn't taste the honey at all. In fact, the lamb was more spicy and tangy from the mustard and vinegar than it was sweet.

The best part was how simple it was to make. I'd highly recommend this for a dinner party. Prep before your guests come, and leave it for an hour + while you socialize with guests.

Click here for the recipe.Be warned, I only used half of the salt she recommended for the recipe and it still felt like overkill.

Sunday Song

I heard "Look at Miss Ohio" by Gillian Welch a few weeks ago for the first time and really fell in love with the song, though I'm not sure her version is my favorite. Here's a decent cover by Blind Pilot.

On Beauty Video

I like this video.

Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young singing Will Smith...

Jimmy Fallon is pretty talented...

Hidden Posters of Notting Hill Gate

When I was younger, I was obsessed with the idea of finding a secret passageway, or lost civilization. I guess part of me is still interested in this sort of thing, which is why, when I read that vintage posters were discovered in an abandoned London tube station (specifically, Notting Hill Gate), I was pretty intrigued.


Can you imagine exploring an abandoned tube stop?

Maurice Sendak Article

This is an interesting article about Maurice Sendak, the author of Where the Wild Things Are.

He has a lot of great quotes in it. While I don't particularly agree with his view on e-books, I did appreciate the comment: "I hate them. It's like making believe there's another kind of sex. There isn't another kind of sex. There isn't another kind of book! A book is a book is a book."