Enchantments

I'm not wiccan or currently practicing witchcraft, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the hell out of this book! The author is irreverent, funny, blunt, and honest - in short, everything I love in a non-fiction author. Divided into two sections, Enchantments covers witchy implements (alters, herbs, colors, stars, calendars, etc) and magical intentions (astrology, money drawing, attraction, etc.). Threaded in amongst all this fun knowledge are wonderful drawings and keen insight on modern witchcraft and whimsy. Even if that's not your bag, there's a lot of fun stuff about astrology, herbs, and cleaning that can be implemented in your life; this guide is as useful as you want it to be. A fun read that will reach a wide audience. 

One Dark Throne

I thought this was a very good follow up novel to the first (Three Dark Crowns) and it left me absolutely ravenous for the next installment! This is a fun and inventive young adult fantasy series and while it has the usual tropes; love triangles, teenage melodrama, sibling rivalry, fantastic settings, etc., it still stood out. The three queens (triplets separated at a young age to live within communities that shared their same powers) must battle during their sixteenth year and only one will be victorious and become the new de-facto queen of the whole island. The other two will be lost to history. Things get interesting though in this book and the one everyone thought would be the victor isn't looking too hot. Suddenly it's anyone's game. More excitement, more romance, more drama. I'm eating this series up!

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Even though this book is well over a century old it still holds up! It's funny, witty, and remarkably insightful into the head of a mischievous young boy. The games, and clothes, and manners may have changed; but kids would still be easily able to relate to the games that Tom Sawyer and his friend Huckleberry Finn play. From pirates to adventurers, they know how to have fun with practically nothing but their imagination. And the trouble, lord these two boys know how to get in trouble and worry their families half to death. From running away, getting lost in caves, witnessing a murder and more, Tom Sawyer is the king of trouble. A must read classic!

My Life as a Goddess

I will admit, I had no idea who Guy was before I read this book, not even an iota. After reading this though, I am in awe that I somehow completely overlooked his whole career. He's so funny! How did our paths never cross? Part memoir, part humor, part history and pop culture lesson; this memoir is unique and entirely fun to read. I'm a huge fan of footnotes and there are A TON of footnotes; humorous asides, sarcastic comments, clarification, etc.  It's genius! The stories I enjoyed the most were the ones where Guy is rehashing his youth growing up in a quasi-Jewish home in the redneck hills of California as a giant gay child. It's humorous, real, raw at parts, but he never loses levity. Another great celebrity memoir by someone you  may or may not have heard of, but are certainly glad you did by the end of the book.

84, Charing Cross Road

This was SUCH an adorable book. I had seen the movie as a small child but it's been years since I thought of it. Also, I didn't realize that this is nonfiction and the correspondence is all real. Until I got to the epilogue I thought for sure I was reading fiction, talk about getting your mind blown! 84, Charing Cross Road is a quaint little antiquarian bookstore in England and an unlikely correspondence blooms between one of the booksellers and an American bibliophile. It starts simple, inquiring about old hard to find editions and it quickly blossoms into friendship with Helene sending over cases of food (it is during the 50s and rations are still in full effect in Britain.). It's witty, engaging, and heartfelt; the correspondence lasts decades and it's amazing how a simple act of inquiring about books can draw people who live thousands of miles apart, together. I'm definitely going to re-watch the movie!

Get Jiro

This graphic novel didn't come to my attention until the unfortunate passing of Anthony Bourdain. It's published by Vertigo and it's decidedly different from any other comics on the market. In this near futuristic society freedom of expression is limited to food, that is where advances are and that's all people seem to care about. Rival foodie gangs struggle for power and in this hell-scape Jiro sets up a small unassuming sushi shop where his insane talents are quickly noticed by the top two crime lords who will stop at nothing to get him and his talents. It was alright, definitely inventive but overall not really my cup of tea.

The Beauty Suit

Fascinating experiment that forces critical thinking. Lauren Shields spends the better part of a year covering her hair (hats and scarves) as well as wearing long sleeves and non-revealing clothing. She spends more time talking about some of the major religions and cultures that practice modesty, myths and misconceptions about them, and what she learns by applying all this to her experiment. She doesn't want to dress in another culture's wardrobe because she (rightly) doesn't want to appropriate their dress. She spends more time talking about feminism and other cultures then she does on her own experiment, but I was okay with that. It was informative, exciting, and she did a good job being respectful of other religions and cultures while exploring how badass and feministic they can be.