reading – marginalia and such

loves & latest: December 10, 2018

monday musings

Loves

Reads

I love a good time-slip and this book is the perfect blend of history, mystery, and romance. I had a serious book hangover after reading it, and can’t wait to read more by Nicola Cornick (she has a long history as a romance writer, but this is her second work of historical fiction). Her first historical novel, House of Shadows, is equally engaging.

Beauty

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure

I love blush. I love blush almost as much as I love lipstick (and that’s saying a lot). Mood Exposure might just bump Benefit Dandelion from my holy grail makeup collection (not least of which, because Hourglass is cruelty free, whereas Benefit is not). It’s the perfect blend of color and highlight, and gives the right amount of glow to my cheeks. It makes me look fresh-faced and ready for the day every time I swipe it on.

I have the mini travel size and I can see it lasting for years, you don’t need much at all to get a good amount of color.

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Podcast

Winter is the perfect time to cozy up with a podcast 🙂

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If you want to hear three lady nerds talk about their favorite books and movies, give us a listen on Podomatic, Apple Podcasts,Google Play, or Spotify.

off the shelf: binge-reading

The last week and a half have involved a lot of reading and resting to get my head back in a good place. I give you the fruits of my (non)labor (with epic hair flip!).

What have you been reading? Any recommendations? 🙂

off the shelf: Re-reading Emma

The “boy” recently upgraded my Nook from an old Color to a lovely (and super light) Glowlight. That said, I have a habit of downloading ebooks and never getting around to reading them (bad TBR habits also translate to digital), so I told myself to start using it or else!

But which book to read first? The struggle is real (booknerds know what I mean). After some thought, I picked Jane Austen’s Emma. It’s been well over 10 years since I first read Emma and, of all the Austens, it’s only one of two that I’ve never reread (the other being Mansfield Park).

photo emma-brock-21_zpsgabnvgxj.jpg — Credit: A solitary elegance, C.E. Brock illustrations

I’d forgotten what a delight it is to read, with all Emma’s schemes and misconceptions. It’s such a modern story. Emma’s views on life and love (and her meddling) can be applied to any modern romcom situation and still be relevant 200 years later. There’s also something to be said for revisiting a classic after so long—my own perception of the story has changed, making for a much more pleasurable experience. Emma is a silly book, but it’s also a deep one, filled with plots and ironies. I’m enjoying it in a way that differs greatly from my enjoyment of Pride and Prejudice, or even Persuasion (my favorite).

a tall order

I am in the mood for a good fantasy novel, but I have a few requirements that are making the search a bit difficult.

I want:

a strong female protagonist
a magical element featuring Fae/Sidhe, but not vampires/werewolves. I am not looking for another Twilight
High fantasy or urban dark fantasy
a love story is fine but I do not want a romance novel
general fantasy fiction or YA

I’m thinking something similar to Holly Black’s Tithe or the kind of strong female characters found in Robin McKinley and Tamora Pierce’s novels.

I will gladly take all recommendations 🙂