The Little Black Book of Style

The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957

Petite Pattern Book Series

How cute is Petite Pattern Book - Check & Knit (Bnn Pattern Book Series)? I bet they are REALLY fun if you are good with all those jazzy Illustrator computer programs! You can make your own wrapping paper, stationery, whatever!

Late Summer - Early Fall 2007 Reading

An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England: A Novel
The Collection: A Novel
The Way Life Should Be

I enjoyed reading all three of the above. "The Collection" was probably my favorite since I love Coco Chanel history.

Deluxe: How Luxury Lost it's Luster

I obtained an advance copy of Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster in bound galley format and wanted to give anyone interested in reading an update. This is a MUST read for anyone that loves luxury brands and wants to know the "behind the scenes" information. It is SO interesting and informative. Even though I am reading it in an incorrected format, it's still great.

Cottages and Mansions of the Jersey Shore

I know many of you may be surprised to know that NJ is not all Bon Jovi, Springsteen and The Sopranos. It's actually a very beautiful place as can be seen in Cottages and Mansions of the Jersey Shore by Caroline Seebohm.

Useless Information Society

The Book of Useless Information

Did you know (or do you care)...?

• That fish scales are used to make lipstick?
• Why organized crime accounts for ten percent of the United States’s annual income?
• The name of the first CD pressed in the United States?
• The last year that can be written upside-down or right side-up and appear the same?
• The shortest performance ever nominated for an Oscar®?
• How much Elvis weighed at the time of his death?
• What the suits in a deck of cards represent?
• How many Quarter Pounders can be made from one cow?
• How interesting useless information can be?

Summer Reading 2007 Follow-up

I thought I would pop in for my follow up. I have been reading at least 3 books a week since summer started. Must be the weather. There are the ones I can remember off the top of my head. Here are my very short reviews:

Bright Lights Big Ass by Jen Lancaster: If you loved the last one, you'll love this one. Get it! I laughed as much as I did when I read "Bitter is the New Black". It's nice to see Jen hasn't lost her sarcastic sense of humor that I greatly admire.

Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus: Great if you were a child of the 80s and enjoyed the other books by the authors (The Nanny Diaries).

Life's a Beach by Claire Cook: This is a feel good, perfect summer reading book. I literally read it in one day at the beach. Buy this book you will NOT be disappointed.

Because She Can by Bridie Clark: If you've worked in publishing, buy this book. Overall a pretty decent book that's perfect for the beach or the pool. Worth reading.

Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart: Excellent book. Perfect for all ages and a great little memoir of life in the big city in the 1940s.

Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella: Cute as always. You can't go wrong with a book by this author. As long as she keeps writing, I will be reading them!

Rules for Saying Goodbye by Katherine Taylor: Best book I've read in a long time. I can't even tell you how this book spoke to me. Excellent piece of literature.

Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him by Danielle Ganek: Loved it! If you are into the whole NYC gallery scene, you will love this book. I couldn't put it down. The ending was a little predictable but overall I highly recommend it.

I am still working on "Little Pink Slips" by Sally Koslow, (addendum: I liked this one a lot), "Cocktails for Three" by Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella) and "Goodbye Jimmy Choo" by Annie Sanders. The last two were just OK for me but good quick reads for the beach or vacation.

I have shelved 2 longer books, one being "Summer People" which I mentioned a while ago, because it's a little slow moving (addendum: VERY slow moving - I didn't like it at all).

More Summer Reading 2007

Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume
My Summer of Southern Discomfort
LIFE'S A BEACH
Queen of Babble in the Big City
Queen of Babble

Some more books I am going to be reading later this summer.

A Much Married Man
The Headmaster Ritual
Austenland: A Novel
Me and Mr. Darcy: A Novel

Pools by Kelly Klein

This is one of my favorite "coffee table" books ever. I have a first edition but I am thinking of buying another one. Rizzoli just reprinted it and André Balazs hosted the party. Click here to read the article about the party from Fashion Week Daily and click Pools to purchase it!

Photo of Kelly Klein © Patrick McMullan via Fashion Week Daily

Summer 2007 Reading

I have back dated this post because I posted this 5/28/07 on Coterie. The original post is still there but now it's here as well.

The links to these titles are as follows:

On Chesil Beach: A Novel
Dedication
Summer Reading: A Novel

Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him
Sheer Abandon: A Novel
The Shoe Queen
Rules for Saying Goodbye: A Novel
A Charmed Life: Growing Up in Macbeth's Castle (this was originally called Title Deeds)
Later, at the Bar: A Novel in Stories