Currently...

Today is the first installment of my new regular column "Currently." Because I haven't had time to write any feature posts, I'll fill you in periodically on what I've been up to. Always mindful of Austin Kleon's advice in Steal Like an Artist, I ripped off this idea from another blogger.

Currently reading: Another psychological thriller -- In a Dark, Dark Wood  by Ruth Ware. Speaking of psychological thrillers. Go see the movie "Room" based on Emma Donoghue's award winning novel.

Currently wearing: Ann Taylor Hair Calf Ballet Flats. A padded insole makes them super comfortable. A bargain at 40% off!

Currently drinking: Pinot Noir. We recently hosted a wine tasting. Jack Hammer pinot was the hands down favorite wine among our guests. Ghostwriter is another excellent choice at a higher price point. If you live in the Atlanta area I highly recommend shopping at Perrine's wine shop on the westside.

Currently designing: Rustic floral arrangements in recycled jars. Tutorial coming soon.

Currently eating: Trader Joe's Gingerbread Molasses Cookies. They are a holiday item, so stock up now while supply lasts.

May I suggest...

I'm not quite sure what I've been doing lately, but it's taking all my time. In hopes of getting some good reading suggestions from you all for my spring break trip to Tahoe and San Francisco, here's what I've been reading over the past several months.

In no particular order of preference:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Hitchcock-like psychological thriller from the author who penned several trashy romance novels under another name. A page turner that can be read in one or two sittings. For the first time ever, my entire book club read the book. Dreamworks has already bought movie rights. Interviews with Hawkins on NPR and CBS. If you've already read it, please weigh in on who you think might be cast for the film. Hawkins said she can see Michelle Williams as Megan. Rachel is a tough one.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Included in the New York Times Ten Best Books of 2014. I really enjoyed the book, but wasn't as blown away as many others are.

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. Not having been a huge fan of her memoir Eat, Pray, Love, I loved this book. Really long by my standards -- 512 pages. But well written and painstakingly researched. It's worth plodding through.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Blunt. Good story and very well written. This is probably my my favorite recent read.

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by New York Post reporter Susannah Cahalan. My favorite in the non fiction category. Riveting memoir that I could not put down. Probably not a good choice for hypochondriacs. Listen to her interview on NPR too. 

For all of you Tiny Beautiful Things fans, you can now hear Carol Strayed and Steve Almond giving advice on NPR. If something's been eating away at you, this is your chance to get some lovin' from Sugar.

I've already preordered my copy of Go Set a Watchman Harper Lee's prequel that's actually a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird -- one of my all time favorite books. Any chance it's as good? We shall see.

What have you got for me?

p.s. If you have any good restaurant recommendations for San Francisco, please share them here. Thanks!

Book Shelf: Tiny Beautiful Things

I rarely read a book twice, but Cheryl Strayed's Tiny Beautiful Things has made it to my bedside table twice. It's now part of my permanent collection. Cheryl is best know for her national bestseller Wild -- a book I mentioned in my very first blog post.

I never would have stumbled upon Tiny Beautiful Things if a friend hadn't loaned it to me a few years ago. The same friend sent me a nymag article this summer that talks about the book gaining popularity mostly among women as a self-help book.

Tiny Beautiful Things is a compilation of letters Strayed wrote as an advice columnist under the pen name "Sugar" for the literary web site The Rumpus. Cheryl wrote the column for a year unpaid and had no prior experience. Yet she wrote each response with the perfect balance of authority -- mostly using stories from her own life -- and compassion. The subjects run the gamut from dysfunctional relationships, romance, sex, substance abuse, death and more. Each is so beautifully written. In an interview she said she considers them literary essays. They are in my opinion.

I enjoyed the book so much that I suggested it for one of my three book clubs. Everyone loved it. In addition to catching up on our lives and critiquing my latest Stitch Fix, we actually used an interview with the author to guide our discussion. The book contains many of Strayed's famous quotes. My fave is actually her interview response when asked "how can we all be better to each other?" Cheryl said that's it's important not to absorb other people's bad behavior -- jealousy, pettiness, being weird and acting distant. "If this were summed up on a bumper sticker," she said, "it would read: Don't own other people's crap." My new mantra.

As always, we drank lots of wine and presecco, and snacked on these delicious s'mores macaron prepared with love by Elizabeth F.

{beautiful!}

I highly recommend Tiny Beautiful Things. If, for nothing else, it will make you feel better about your life.

I need something good to read. What do you recommend from your summer reading list?