Hello beautiful readers! (all 5 of you)
I love New York City. I love being here and buying books and ice cream on Saturday afternoons and walking around the city and going for brunch on Sunday mornings. I’m also really enjoying the Columbia Publishing Course, and while I don’t have the massive amounts of free time I had before the course started, I have been able to squeeze in some reading since I’ve been here. What I haven’t really had time for is writing review posts. It’s something I hope to get back to after the course is over, but for now I thought I’d just give a little bit about what I’ve been reading since I got here and what I thought about them!
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kahling – I read this on the plane to NYC, and all I can say is that Mindy Kahling is my spirit animal. I follow her on Twitter and was pretty sure I wanted to add her to my dream best friends club (with Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone, and Anna Kendrick), and after reading her book, I definitely want her in there. It’s like she was following me around my whole childhood.
Paper Towns by John Green – I did get around to writing a review for this one, though I admit I don’t think it was proofread, so I can’t get fully behind the grammar and spelling on that one. Sorry bout it. I loved the book, and that’s all you need to know.
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones- Tayari Jones came to speak during the first week of the course, and before her presentation, I wasn’t 100% sure I was going to buy a book, even though she was doing a signing. After her talk, I made a beeline to the table in back to buy the book so I could get her to sign it. Zero regrets, because it was a lovely book that I really enjoyed.
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell – One of the books that’s been on my TBR list for a while, I bought it from The Strand Bookstore this weekend and read it in about two days in between celebrating one of my roommates’ birthday. So so good. A little heartbreaking. Ok, maybe a lot heartbreaking. But worth it. I’m actually kind of sad I don’t have the time to give this one a real review.
Remnants: Season of Wonder by Lisa Tawn Bergen – I downloaded this one on my ereader for free as a reward for signing up for some newsletter, so the stakes were low when I started reading it on the plane over here. I still haven’t finished it yet, but that’s not to say that I’m not going to. Keeping my standards pretty average, I like where it’s going, and definitely want to finish it.
A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin – I’ve literally been reading this thing since Easter, and I’m still chugging along a rate of about one or two chapter a week. The main issue with this book is that while it’s interesting enough for me to enjoy reading it while I’m actively doing so and to want to finish it, it isn’t so engrossing that it prevents me from getting distracted, hence all the books I’ve read since April that aren’t this one. If its anything like that last book, things should pick up for me soon and then I’ll pick up the pace and finish it eventually. Out of sheer determination if nothing else.
That’s it for now! Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!
-Strawberry
Strawberry Blonde Books 
Your New York weekends sound absolutely lovely, I must say. I love Mindy too, but for some reason, her book didn’t resonate with me as much as I’d hoped. That doesn’t stop me from loving her though. 😛 Eleanor & Park was a little heartbreaking, but the way people talk about it, I thought I’d be in tears like TFiOS, but I wasn’t.
I agree – I was thinking tears, but it was more of a minor depression for an hour or so? Still a great read!
Yea, that more accurately describes my experience.. lol I agree though, still a good read. 🙂