A Sunday BotL BotB post! Will wonders never cease? NYC got its first snow of the season (not counting the fluke Halloween weekend storm) yesterday and so I stayed in nearly the whole day, in slippers, drinking coffee and reading on the couch with Chief. It was wonderful. Today Joe and I are going to see Kevin Spacey in Richard III at BAM. I haven’t been to see a show in months, so I’m looking forward to it!
How have you been spending the weekend?
Best of the Looks:
I know we’ve all seen enough coverage of the fashion from the Golden Globes last week, but Evan Rachel Wood’s dress was my favorite by far. It was dramatic, gorgeous, and reminded me of Alexander McQueen.
Madewell’s spring line is out and I really want this dress.
Kendi’s right on the money with her take on 3rd grade. I had jeans exactly that color then, and frequently wore them with a brightly-colored sweater with a horse’s face on it. Trendsetter?
I love Monique’s personal and inspiring post about her hair.
A neat trick at Clothed Much to keep your belts in place.
Best of the Books:
Ten literary traditions for die-hard fans.
Author Sophie Masson dissects cover art among different editions at Writer Unboxed.
Miss Bibliophile unveils some truly unique dolls in the likeness of writers.
A new column on the Ploughshares blog dissects “blurbese,” the often cliche-ridden language of book reviews.
An entertaining post at BookRiot on how to merge bookshelves with your partner–without the fallout.
Today, in protest of the SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) legislation, Wikipedia and other sites (including my new Tumblr!) are “blacked out,” preventing access to information on these sites.
It’s an effective strategy, and I think it accomplishes the goal of forcing the American public to carefully consider how this legislation will influence their daily lives. The Internet is not just Facebook and Downton Abby animated gifs. It’s a vast wealth of information, information that helps us every single day (how many times have I Googled “toxic foods for dogs” in a panic after Chief has eaten yet another sketchy morsel from the sidewalk?), information that most of us take for granted. Think back to when you were growing up, before every household had at least one personal computer–our lives were just different then. And there’s no going back.
If you agree that the bills, if passed, could be irreversibly damaging to the Internet and society, consider signing this petition at Google, or contacting your local representatives. Voting begins on January 24.
I’m likely preaching to the choir, but I think it’s a worthwhile discussion–what would you do if your access to the Internet was limited or censored? Do you think there’s any benefits that can come from the above legislation?
Because I don’t have enough online presence, I decided to start a Tumblr this weekend. It will be a place for me to post brief visual inspirations, fun stuff, and quotes, while the blog will remain the place for longer ruminations and regular features. Check it out here: http://looksnbooks.tumblr.com/
I’m still adjusting and feeling my way around the new world of Tumblr–do any of you guys have an account? Leave your link the comments and I will follow you! What other favorite Tumblrs should I be following?
Hope you’re all having a great long weekend!
It’s Friday the 13th! Has anything crazy happened to you today? I’ve had a pretty pleasant day, and the fact that it’s Friday always helps matters a bit. Also, THREE DAY WEEKEND!! I don’t have any huge plans this weekend, but they do consist of a birthday party, a date night with Joe to see a movie and try out the new bar in our neighborhood, brunch, and Downton Abby! Just enough activities to keep my happy. What’s on your calendar this long weekend?
Best of the Looks:
Jentine’s look just encapsulates everything I’m loving about style right now–a braid, a shiny pencil skirt paired with a utilitarian button down, calf-length boots in cognac, and tights. I’m stealing this.
This Dorothy Perkins dress makes me nostalgic. I don’t know why.
Speaking of Downton Abby, Miss Bibliophile showcases a lovely photo of the ladies, as well as an awesome Design Sponge “Living In…” feature.
Broke & Beautiful gives us the scoop on Miz Mooz shoes on sale–I really wish I could buy the Goldie t-straps in gray. Sigh.
Modcloth’s Sundress of My Life IS the sundress of my life…but not for the price tag. Yet another sigh.
Best of the Books:
Bookriot has the top most miscast literary roles.
Ten musicians who should write novels.
Is Twitter the literary salon of our time?
Lovely vintage book week posters.
Whimsical video of books that come alive at night.
What would Dorian Gray listen to? Stream his mixtape.
I’ve been MIA from the blog this entire week. It’s inexcusable, especially considering that one of my goals for the year was to devote more time and energy to blogging. It’s the second week of January and I’m already failing! Not a great harbinger for things to come.
Anyway, perhaps I can use trying to accomplish one of my other goals, spending more time reading, as an excuse for my lack of blogging. My daily reading routine usually consists of reading on the train to and from work, which adds up to roughly an hour or more every day, but reading on the train is a different experience from reading at home, and I’d like to spend more of my downtime at home reading. Right now, I’m working my way through a 750 page novel calledWinter’s Tale. Written by Mark Helprin in 1983, the book meanders through a kind of alternate reality, where time isn’t linear and New York City only barely resembles the city we know today.
Though Helprin claims he hates magical realism, the book is bursting with it–there’s a horse that can fly, a secret village on a lake only accessible to a chosen few, and a massive cloud wall that swallows up anything in its path and causes it to disappear in both space and time. The narrative shifts from the beginnings of the 20th century to shortly before the year 2000. Though the “future” of the story is a city of televisions and skyscrapers, nothing else resembles the modern world we live in today. It gives a weird and haunting quality to the story, which centers on a thief named Peter Lake who falls in love with Beverly, the consumptive daughter of a newspaper mogul. Their love is enduring, and turns out to have properties that surpass the common boundaries of life and death, time and space.
Helprin’s writing is beautiful and expansive, and in his world, winter is a truly gorgeous season, where everything sparkles and sings. It almost makes me want it to snow! ALMOST.
I initially wanted to create a look based on the book’s qualities of loveliness and dreaminess, but I decided instead to put together a look that will keep you warm in any winter. Cozy’s the word.
What’s your favorite season? Are you longing for snow?
