Book Review: "The Summer of Skinny Dipping"

I've decided that for 2013 I am going to keep track of every book I read this year. My tastes in books can be pretty all over sometimes, it just depends on what I feel like reading at the time. It should be very interesting to watch.

The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells is my first official read of the year. I am not really into young adult novels anymore. I find it incredibly cliche most of time and very idyllic in the plot lines. However, I had this sitting around and I was intrigued.

sourcebooks

I loved this book and I read it in less than 24 hours. It might have just been the right timing but I really connected with the story and the main character. Essentially, the story is of a 16-year old named Mia who goes with her family to stay at her Aunt's and Uncle's summer house in the Hamptons. Her family life is anything than stellar and she doesn't feel as though she can ever win her mother's approval.

She is looking forward to reuniting with her beloved cousin, and yet she is in for a reality check. Her cousin and her friends are beach beauties with an admiration for smoking and drinking. Mia feels like a black sheep amongst everyone.

She eventually meets someone who changes her world and that story will stay with her forever.

It is such a strong story but I don't want to give too much away, but it does end up being a growing-up and love story. I think I identified with this book so much, because I know how it feels to be lonely even when you're surrounded by people. It is easy to feel like everyone is putting on a facade around you, and that you don't belong. I think everyone will be able to relate to the main character's plight whether it is in their past or what they feel now.

If you have a lazy afternoon to kill, I definitely recommend this book.

Is "Fifty Shades of Grey" Doing Women a Favor?

Now, I have only read the first two out of three in the series but so far, so interesting! Written by E L James, this series gives us a peek into the life of Anastasia Steele and what happens when she meets Christian Grey. It takes place in Seattle for the most part, which is refreshing for any story really. Although Twilight takes place in Washington state so I guess we could say there is a trend beginning to happen. 

Christian Grey is a filthy rich and handsome CEO with some major dirty secrets. Of course as predictable as a romance can be, Anastasia ends up filling in for her best friend who is sick and was supposed to interview Mr. Grey. So Anastasia goes in, spills her coffee and lets just say it is a done deal from there. 

It becomes a world of lavish gifts, fancy dinners, helicopter rides, and sex. A lot of sex. Like unreasonable amounts of it. 

So this is where my title to this post comes in. Come on really? This plot has got to be about the most unrealistic thing I've ever read. Sure, older rich men get with younger girls all the time. That is nothing new, but do they have to both be really good looking? Does he have to be half a crazy person? 

I think what is more unlikely for me is that despite all of the crazy that Christian has under his belt - the two of them are madly in love in the span of a couple weeks. 

I know, I know. It is just a couple of books. However, it has become a huge craze just like the Twilight and Hunger Games series have been. People love to become richly involved in these stories, and is it not possible that this trilogy is giving women a false hope? A hope that one day they will meet a rich man who will buy them a car and have insane sex with? Sure in theory that sounds great, but it isn't real life. At least not for the majority of us. 

If I went through the first book alone and counted how many times the two of them had sex, I'd probably come out with like 30. Remember, the first books is only a few weeks. Could you imagine? And that keeps up well-through the second book - it probably doubles. 

I think it is nice to get lost in a love story, but this is no ordinary love story. In the first book the characters begin to speak about not being able to live without each other. Their love, without giving too much away, is very desperate. That is the feeling I get anyways. They are frantically in love, they are more focused on how afraid they'd be to be without each other. It is probably the most unhealthy relationship you could envision minus any beatings...well, I guess I'll let you be the judge of that. 

Don't get me wrong. I've enjoyed the books so far and I intend on reading the third one. I just think it brings up a topic worth discussing. Let me know what your thoughts are? Have you read the books? Will you?

Book Review: The Great Bridge

I started The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough, probably two months ago. It is over 500 pages and with my schedule it took me a while to finish. I'm very glad I did though, it is a great book and the story is incredible.

I had always heard about David McCullough but never got the chance to read any of his work. What made me happiest about this book was finding out how much research Mr. McCullough really did. There is nothing better than knowing that the author of a book like that really did the work.

I recommend this to anyone who is a history or political buff. Or even if you are just interested in what went on behind the scenes, this is a great read for you. There were some things that totally blew my mind, for example, the two ends of the bridges near land are held by caissons (HUGE bottomless, hollow, blocks. One for each end) and the method for sinking them underground was astonishing.

It may be a little difficult to follow because a lot of the terminology may be foreign to someone who doesn't know engineering or bridges, but with a little concentration, you can understand 98% of it without looking anything up.

The best part of the book for me was how it told the story of the bridge and how it was built, it told the story of the family behind building it, and it gave the political aspect and how it influenced not only the bridge but New York City.

Amazing book!

(picture from bn.com)

Love/Hate Review: St.Tropez Bronzing Mousse

Today I am going to review the St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse for you guys, but beware this is no ordinary review. I've been using this for probably two weeks now and I have such a strong love/hate relationship with this product. No joke.

First let's start with the details - you can buy it at Sephora or at St.Tropez's website. I went to Sephora and I bought the 8oz bottle for $40. Yeah, I know, it is an investment. I will say this though, if you go to St. Tropez's website, no matter where you bought it, they have great videos on how to use all the products in their line.

Okay so here is the good stuff about this product:
- The smell isn't that terrible. They say they have some fancy technology called Aromaguard that helps with that.
- The color is GORGEOUS. I knew that going in, St.Tropez was considered one of the best for self-tanning. The mousse comes out this dark deep brown and to a girl who is pretty pale, that is down right terrifying.
- If you use the applicator glove then it really helps putting this stuff on, it is fool proof though because you can see where you're going and if you go over a spot more than once it is okay. It is only spotty if you miss a spot.
- The color isn't too dark for someone who has lighter skin. Usually, when you have a tan people are always complimenting it or saying their jealous...I didn't get any of that, which I think was a good thing. It wasn't too in your face.

The bad news about this stuff:
-If you're sensitive to smell then you'll probably hate it. I'm pretty sensitive to everything and while it wasn't bad compared to other tanners...it still wasn't great.
- The sticky feeling you get is horrendous. I felt like anything I touched was going to cling to me! There is no transfer of color but I felt so gross!
- You have to wait 4 hours before showering or sweating...that was torture.
-It is expensive....
- If you miss a spot...it is really noticeable.
- The glove is not precise. There was a lot of splotches on my arms in particular, where the skin was thinnest. The application went on even but one you showered the color came off more in some areas.
- It is a ton of work! You have to spread it over your body, you can't rub it in or else it just dissipates!

So in the end this thing is going back. I love the color payoff but the hassle and the stickiness is just not worth it. I would like my $40 back please!

Book Review!

I just finished a really great book about Apple, yes the company, and I wanted to share it! It is called "Inside Apple : How America's Most Admired - and Secretive -  Company Really Works", by Adam Lashinsky. It is an honest look into the company and how Steve Jobs built it and ran it.

Mr. Lashinsky does an amazing job of getting the reader to see Apple for what it is. He lets us see how Apple set itself apart from the rest, and why it has worked for so long. The book also delves into the company's future and new executive employees.

It is really incredible to see the tactics that Mr. Jobs employed throughout the company. What makes this book so stand out, is that the author actually was able to speak with many former employees. Without giving away too much, one of the major characteristics of the company and its employees is its' secrecy. If they are developing a product, the design department will only know about their own information, they won't know anything from the other departments. The secrecy is so intense that in a note about the interviews he conducted, Lashinsky says that some employees were as hesitant to be quoted praising the company as they were criticizing it.

It took me a while to get through the book only because I've been so busy but I give it a 5/5. It is worth reading if you're an Apple fan or even interested in just the company and how it became so successful.