Hello Everyone! My summer book club as come to an end, with the leaves starting to change, and the weather turning I decided now would be the perfect time to launch a monthly book club. Mostly because I enjoyed the accountability the Summer Book Club gave me in my own reading, but also because I really like books and found this was a nice way to tap back into my literature/creative writing side without necessarily needing to talk about fashion. For those of you who are exclusively here for the fashion and beauty content, don’t worry that’s not going anywhere. This will be a supplemental post at the end of each month for anyone who is following along or simply wants a book review/recommendation.
I’ll be posting at the end of each month with my thoughts and reviews of the books as well as the pick for the next month. Most of the books will fall within easy reading territory (chick-lit, YA, and fantasy (possibly), nothing too dense and nothing too serious as this is supposed to be fun. If I wanted to re slog my way through the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe (while fantastic and I recommend everyone doing it once in their lives) I would be more inclined to sign up for an online literature course through a university.
Schedule:
Unlike the Summer book club, where there were six books over the course of three months. I think with things like school starting again, the world ramping back up and all the uncertainty the looming colder weather holds, one book a month seems about the right pace. I’ll be sharing any additional reading I’ve done as well incase you are like me and do read a book or two a week or just want to see some other options. This will also only run from September until the end of May, so there is a bit of time off for those who want and because the Summer Book Club will take over in June!
Each post will go up on the 30th (except for February which will be the 28th) and of course will contain the next book, the length, links to the audio book as well as the kindle version (not sponsored) and some other book recommendations that I’ve read that month!
The first book I’ve selected is Tales from the Back Row by Amy Odell
I choose this book for two reasons. First, September is Fashion month and second, because it’s quite short. I had to theme this book (sorry) because this is after all at it’s very core a fashion blog, and you guys know how much I love the whole romance around fashion month. Whether or not it’s actually is as glamorous as it seems in the street style photography, I still love the whole production of it. I also liked that it was short, so those of you who are either headed back to school or have munchkins going back to school can ease into your new schedules without a 500 page book to add to you lives. Though I seriously recommend listening to the books on audible and setting them to run a bit faster – I personally listen at 1.5x the speed so I can still follow to story but it’s not moving so slow that I zone out and loose track.
I’ll be posting about Tales from the Back Row at the end of the month (legit on the 30th) so stay tuned!
Length: 240
“Funny and fearless, Tales from the Back Row is a keenly observed collection of personal essays about what it’s really like to be a young woman working in the fashion industry.
In Tales from the Back Row, Cosmopolitan.com editor Amy Odell takes readers behind the stage of New York’s hottest fashion shows to meet the world’s most influential models, designers, celebrities, editors, and photographers.
But first, she has to push her way through the crowds outside, where we see the lengths people go to be noticed by the lurking paparazzi, and weave her way through the packed venue, from the very back row to the front. And as Amy climbs the ladder (with tips about how you can, too), she introduces an industry powered by larger-than-life characters: she meets the intimidating Anna Wintour and the surprisingly gracious Rachel Zoe, not to mention the hilarious Chelsea Handler, and more.
As she describes the allure of Alexander Wang’s ripped tights and Marchesa’s Oscar-worthy dresses, Amy artfully layers in something else: ultimately this book is about how the fashion industry is an exaggerated mirror of human fallibility—reflecting our desperate desire to belong, to make a mark, to be included. For Amy is the first to admit that as much as she is embarrassed by the thrill she gets when she receives an invitation to an exclusive after-party, she can’t help but RSVP “yes.”” (Good Reads)
xoxo S
