Book Review: Fat Girl Walking (and a Giveaway!)

Disclosure: I received an advance review copy of Fat Girl Walking via temporary eBook from the publisher, and all opinions are my own.

Until her publisher reached out about her book, I'd never heard of Brittany Gibbons or read her blog.  Or so I thought... remember the woman who slept with her husband every day for a year?  That's her.  I only knew about her for gimmicky "morning news show" stunts that randomly made their way into my Newsfeed.  When I got her book, however, I was very pleasantly surprised to find I absolutely loved it, laughing and insisting on reading portions of it out loud to Dan.

Fat Girl Walking was refreshing and honest.  It reminded me vaguely in tone of the book that The Bloggess wrote (but more coherent) in its no-holds-barred, explicit confessional form.  While I've never considered myself a "fat" girl, I could wholeheartedly relate to her body image adventures and more.  I've been technically "overweight" and about 20 pounds heavier than I really want to be for a few years now, and I don't often like what I see in the mirror.  (Stomach, upper arms, BLERGH.)  And now, with a wedding in less than a few months, I'm increasingly self-conscious.  Reading Brittany's book made me remember to feel beautiful and confident, because I'm truthfully the happiest I've ever been.  Here's an excerpt from Brittany (used with permission) that really brings it home for me:

NOW WHAT?

My fitness and body aspirations at thirty are different from my aspirations at twenty. At twenty, I just assumed I’d work out until I was so tiny, people became concerned for my health and I’d roll my eyes at them from my Victoria’s Secret bras and Abercrombie jeans. Now I just want to maintain my current weight so I don’t need to buy new clothes. When you look at weight loss, it’s often clothing driven. Weddings, vacations, and high school reunions, all things you are supposed to be thin for. But what if you have a gorgeous wedding dress in your current size, loads of flattering bathing suits, and a killer pair of jeans? Starving myself has suddenly become a moot point. I have options; I’m no longer a fashion pariah. So where does that leave my weight? Well, unless I’m sitting atop you, what I weigh is really none of your business.

I like to put good food in my mouth, and while I am aware of the calories I ingest, instead of cutting them I make them count. I have a full-on love affair with food, appreciating the different cultures and processes within it. In fact, I take entire vacations around eating. It’s how I remember where I’ve been; I’ve either eaten, thrown up, or started my period without the proper supplies there.

Beignets with my best friend in New Orleans. Too much rum on the beaches of Playa del Carmen on our second honeymoon. Orlando, Florida, the city of emergency men’s tube sock maxi-pads.

You see, these flabby parts aren’t problem areas; they’re parts of a scrapbook.

This book was an easy read, and an entertaining one at that.  I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I was laughing out loud; Dan was my witness.  Her stories about marriage and pregnancy were insightful (and hilarious) for this soon-to-be-newlywed.  I also think, since I wasn't acquainted with Brittany before, that this book helps to show a side of her beyond the publicity given by the media.  If I'd only known her as "plus-size bikini girl" or "year of sex with her husband girl", I think I would have written her off.  Now, since I read the book first, I find myself drawn to her blog and her unabashed sense of self.  So if you're biased against Brittany because you've only seen her on GMA or read snark about her on GOMI, I say you need to read the book.  Because I kind of adore her, and she gives me hope.

Enter to win your own copy of the book:

a Rafflecopter giveaway Or if you just can't wait, get your own copy here:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062343033/ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=harpercollinsus-20

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fat-girl-walking-brittany-gibbons/1120554060?ean=9780062343031

HarperCollins: http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062343031/fat-girl-walking

Disclosure: I received an advance review copy of Fat Girl Walking via temporary eBook from the publisher, and all opinions are my own.

My Latest GoodReads

I used to post the books I've been reading about every 6 months, but I've forgotten to do a post on this since February!  Oops...  So keep in mind that this is about 10 months worth of reading for me.  Because there are so many, I'm not going to give a summary of them all, but if you have any questions please ask me! :)  I've put a * next to the ones I recommend you check out.

FICTION: *Changing Course by Aly Martinez  (Okay, note here: I actually know Aly, and if you like romance novels you NEED to check out her books!) The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman Living Reed: A Novel of Korea by Pearl S. Buck The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman
*Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos The One (The Selection, #3) by Keira Cass

NON-FICTION: Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup *L.A. Son by Roy Choi *Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls *A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn *Yes Please by Amy Poehler

PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Sparkle: The Girl's Guide to Living a Deliciously Dazzling, Wildly Effervescent, Kick-Ass Life by Cara Alwill Leyba Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam *Daring Greatly by Brene Brown Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure by Tim Harford
Have you read any of these books?  Got any I should read?

Latest Reads

I haven't posted what I've read since October!  I will note that I am reading less for fun than before I started my MBA, so there's that.  And I just joined a book club, so that may be my one book per month "for fun" reading.  Plus my Food+Wine and O Magazines, of course!

One catalyst to reading more has been the combination of my library's eBook borrowing system and my iPad Mini.  The portability of my iPad plus the OverDrive app has made borrowing books for free super-easy.  Sure, I have to wait a while to get a book that's got a waiting list, but there's plenty to read in the meantime.  I rarely pay to read books anymore.

FICTION

• Reached by Ally Condie:  Okay, so I had to read this to find out the ending to the trilogy, which I nearly universally panned in my previous reading update.  This was the worst of the bunch, and I only skimmed/read it to find out the conclusion.  Bof!
• Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant by Veronica Roth:  I wanted to read this YA trilogy (I know, I read all these dystopian future YA books) before the first movie comes out.  I really like the actress Shailene Woodley, so I hoped the books would be decent for her sake.  I enjoyed Divergent a lot!  It isn't as good as The Hunger Games, and sometimes things in all of these books sound like they came from The Giver (also coming to film), but this one was pretty exciting.  I even liked the love story.  I did not enjoy the 2nd and 3rd books nearly as much, and I disliked the ending of it all.  The Hunger Games books were far superior, but these are probably the next best out there in the genre.
• Delirium, Pandemonium, Requiem by Lauren Oliver:  I'm torn on these books.  I did get excited and into them sometimes, but I also didn't feel the heroine was strong enough.  The book was all about lust and feeling, without being sexy or heart-wrenching.  I wish they were better.  Also, in similar fashion, the first book was the best and the other two felt forced.

Note:   My disappointment in these trilogies, after enjoying the Hunger Games so much, has put me off the YA train for a while.  Which is probably good, given I am nearly 30 years old.

NON-FICTION

• Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson:  I follow The Bloggess, and she's generally hilarious.  She is a whole level of weird that I thoroughly enjoy, including her taxidermy memes.  (Long story.)  I never read her book until my book club chose it for our first round.  I'm glad they did; it was super easy, very funny, and a really enjoyable memoir to read.  It's one of my favorites in this bunch.
• Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons in Food and Love from a Year in Paris by Ann Mah:  Oh, Ann.  I really enjoyed reading this book, and it made my stomach growl.  The author was living my dream, living in Paris and EATING.  Except she disappointed me a little bit in her unwillingness to try things.  I'm a very picky eater, but I try everything at least once, for the most part.  I wanted Ann to be more open to the experience, and even to be a bit tougher.  I know how hard it is having a long-distance relationship with someone in a combat zone.  For real.  So I wanted her to be less "woe is me" and more "holy sh*t I am having the time of my life in France eating"... it's almost like she included the whining so we wouldn't judge her for having a good time while her husband was on a voluntary assignment in the Middle East.  She basically gets to be a modern day Julia Child, following her husband's international job... embrace it and carpe diem, girl!
• Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown:  I didn't enjoy this book as much as I was hoping, but I think it has everything to do with age.  I would have enjoyed it more at age 23 than 28... it would have been more relevant and hit closer to home.  I like the style of the book, talking about all the things that young people go through as we venture out on our own, but given I was just beyond the target demographic it didn't fit for me.  But I do want my younger sister to read it!

• Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell:  LOVED this book, another favorite of the bunch.  I love to get my nerd on with Malcolm Gladwell and other statistics/analysis correlation books like Freakonomics.  I am fascinated by the idea that something like the month you're born can impact your life's path... there are things we don't think about that impact us and create the successes we see like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, professional athletes, and so on.  I wasn't disappointed, and I recommend this one.  It makes for great conversation starters too, unless you tell someone that their kid has like no chance of playing professional hockey because he was born in July.  They might get mad at you.
• QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life by John G. Miller:  This is super short, recommended at a training event I attended.  I am trying to communicate better, and this was a great little tutorial in how to ask better questions and get to the meaning behind what people say.
• The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks:  I really liked the first 1/2 or 2/3 of this book.  To me, it was similar to other books I enjoy, only it follows two fictional characters as it relates fun facts and research to the human condition.  Once the characters got older, the storyline got more contrived and they lost me.  I finished it, but it wasn't as good as I'd hoped.

Still Reading:   A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

I'm still working my way through Howard Zinn, in the midst of all this.  I tend to read it a chapter at a time, whenever I feel like it.  It's fantastic though, and makes me think about all the things we never learn in school because of political correctness.

What are you reading lately?

Me Before You... and a bunch of other books

I've actually been reading quite a bit before bedtime, given that most everything else I read these days is for work or school.  I recently discovered the Overdrive app for iPad, and I can check out a ton of books for FREE via my library and read them.  W00t!

But I actually want to talk about a book my coworker lent me, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.  OMG.  This book just blew me away!  Was it realistic?  No.  Did I laugh and cry and laugh?  Yes.  I read it in two nights and absolutely couldn't put it down.

Me Before You is about a rather boring/ordinary young woman who takes a job as a caretaker for a wealthy paraplegic who used to have a high-powered career and lifestyle.  But it's not what you think it is.  It's never what you think it is!  It's a beautiful story about friendship and people and making the most of the life that you have.  I don't want to give it away, but this book made me simultaneously sad, happy, and furious  It's just one of the best books I've read in a while.  I know a lot of book clubs are picking this one up, and it's one of the few mainstream book club books I've really loved.



Other books I've read since my last book posts, and a brief thought on them since I'm talking about books for once in ages...

FICTION

• The Selection & The Elite by Kiera Cass:  My friend Jen blogged about these YA books, so I downloaded them for my Kindle and read them both on flights for work.  I have this thing for dystopic future love triangle books like The Hunger Games, and this one is kind of like The Bachelor set in a weird future like that.  I really enjoy these despite the typical love triangle angle (Why do YA books all have love triangles?  Hello, Twilight and Hunger Games.)  and controlling government in a weird future society thing.
• One Thousand and One Nights retold by Hanan Al-Shaykh:  This retelling was supposed to be really great, but I found it to be very dull and uninteresting.
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore:  This is part of a series, but since the sequels don't follow the same characters, I read it as a stand-alone.  This is a YA fantasy book about Seven Kingdoms where some individuals are born with graces, or special talents that make them both special and dangerous.  I enjoyed this read, not bad!
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein:  This book was slow for me to get through, but centers around two young women working for the British in WWII shot down over France.  I didn't like the ending and felt generally confused, but it's not uninteresting to read.  Another YA book I found.
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli:  More YA.  Why didn't I read this when I was younger?  We all knew a Stargirl, brought down by the popular kids because she was too different.  Because she was determined to be herself.  This is a great book that needs to be read by more kids.  Period.
• Matched & Crossed by Ally Condie:  These books aren't very good.  They kind of feel like a rip-off of The Giver plus a weak love triangle.  Basically, in this YA dystopic future, individuals are matched with their future spouse, and some aren't matched at all.  They live in a controlled society, where some members are views as tainted or less desirable, like a caste system.  I keep reading these just to figure out the ending, but I view them like junk food books.  I have one more to go, and my expectations remain low.
• Every Day & Six Earlier Days by David Levithan:  These, too, are in the YA department.  Sensing a trend?  I think I like reading YA because the books are easy to read and typically quick... they are my candy.  This book (and prequel novella) are about a being called A that spends each day in a different body.  It's a fascinating premise, and the book doesn't disappoint.   I recommend it, though I'm not sure how I feel about the ending.  There's no sequel planned, so it's kind of different from other YA series that tend to work in trilogies.
• World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks:  LOVE this book.  So much better than the movie, and I wish they'd make another movie that tells the diverse oral histories within this book.  Duke and I watch The Walking Dead, and while I'm not a fan of horror, this books reads like an actual report of the zombie epidemic, and the characters read as real people with incredible stories.  I really felt like I was reading a documentary.  I highly recommend this book!!!

NON-FICTION

• The Omnivore's Dilemma & In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan:  My cousin S likes Michael Pollan's books, and I've read other food books like Fast Food Nation.  I really liked The Omnivore's Dilemma.  It just makes you think about the American food landscape, sustainability, and what we put in our mouths.  Seriously FASCINATING and I can't stop referencing it and recommending it.  In Defense of Food, on the other hand, felt too political and opinionated to me.  I just didn't feel the same way about it, and I never finished it.  I gave up.  But I still recommend the first book!!!
• The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman:  Before I read this book, the only thing I knew about the Hmong people I learned from that Clint Eastwood movie Gran Turino.  This book is about a special needs Hmong child and the cultural obstacles the doctors and social workers encounter in dealing with her family and the Hmong people.  Coming from a mixed race background myself, I saw how things being lost in translation could literally impact the lives.

Currently Reading:  A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn... this one will take me a bit!

Book Reviews... The Art of Eating In, Lean In, & Julia's Cats

I've actually done alright reading some books lately, y'all!  (You can always see what I'm checking out on my Goodreads.)  Here's are a few I finished recently...

My friend Lindsey recommended The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway.  The author reminded her of me (a half-Asian foodie who loves cooking!) and she was spot on.  In the book, NYC-dweller Cathy chronicles her decision to swear off restaurants for two years.  It wasn't just about finances or health, but to rediscover the joy of cooking.  She definitely splurged on good ingredients, navigated the social challenges of her quest, and discovered some very unconventional paths to a good meal.  The book wasn't a literary masterpiece, but I found quite a few inspiring and interesting tidbits to glean from it.

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I do read quite a few books for professional development; my career is important to me!  But many of the books I read aimed at women were disappointing; I felt like I could get the same advice by reading cliche women's magazines.  But when I heard the buzz (and controversy) around Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, I had to give it a shot.

I loved it.  I loved Sheryl's TEDTalk before, which inspired her to write, and this is one of the few books aimed at women about career that I loved.  I don't have an Ivy League education, and I probably won't end up a COO, but I just felt like I could relate to her story.  Learning she was married and divorced young made me feel better.   Hearing her mistakes made me realize you can recover and learn and grow.  You can push yourself to achieve in a man's world, you just have to do things a bit differently.  (It's just the truth.)

I see myself re-reading this when I need encouragement and motivation to push myself, as I start a family, as I move up in the career.  I highly recommend it, no matter your career path, because I think we could all benefit from leaning in.

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My friend CP and HP sent me Julia's Cats: Julia Child's Life in the Company of Cats when my dear kitten Barley passed away.  I happened to be reading it when my old girl Cally passed, and learning that my beloved Julia Child had a tortie too made me love her even more!  The book is a quick, easy read about how much Julia loved her cats, introduced to her first in Paris as a solution to a mouse problem.

I found a favorite quote out of the book too:

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Read any good books lately?

Media Monday Frenzy

It's a Media Monday frenzy!  It's probably the cold and dark weather of winter that has me spending more time in front of a screen or reading books, but I'm digging it nonetheless.

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FILM:  First off, I saw the movie Silver Linings Playbook with Duke.  It's kind of a hard film to describe, sort of an indie dark romantic comedy... but it struck both myself and Duke because of the subject around mental illness and depression.  It was ultimately a happy movie, and I recommend that people who like films such as Little Miss Sunshine check out this flick.

I also bought Pitch Perfect on DVD so I could enjoy that silliness over and over.  :)  I forgot how hilarious Fat Amy is!  I have been practicing my horizontal running.

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TV:  I am so glad that new TV is back... my favorites are American Horror Story Asylum, Revenge, Don't Trust the B- in Apartment 23, and The Mindy Project.  I also catch up on Grey's Anatomy, Glee, The New Normal, and of course The Office/Parks & Rec.  I could probably talk about each of these at length, so if you want to discuss, leave a comment.

What Would the Dowager Countess Do? (source)

Also, you may have noticed Downton Abbey is not on this list.  Well, that's because I watched it with the Brits.  I KNOW EVERYTHING.   So I'm not watching along on PBS, but when the Blu-Ray comes out later this month, I'll probably rewatch it all over.  I definitely think this season is stronger than the second!

I have two newer addictions, however.  I started watching the emotional roller coaster that is The Biggest Loser.  I don't know why.  It's just captivating TV.  I think it's because I love Jillian Michaels, but I'm not sure.

The other addiction is... Dexter.  Yup, another great show I just haven't been watching.  So Duke and I are starting from the beginning (we're in Season 2), and I'm also catching up on the last couple of seasons of House M.D.  I know, we're behind the times.  I'm behind on Mad Men too.   But at some point this TV overload has to end.  I should just make a list of TV shows to watch when I'm retired and have more time.  Now I resort to catching up with TV while I cook breakfast and eat it over the sink in the kitchen.  Blah.  I need to stop and exercise more.

BOOKS:  But I still read!  After seeing Life of Pi in theaters, I decided to read the book.  I really enjoyed it.  It was harder to follow than the movie, but it was very imaginative and worth the time.  I don't know why I never read it before, since it has been on my Kindle forever.  If you like magical realism, this is great.

A less interesting read was The Calligrapher's Daughter.  I wanted to love it.  It's about Korea, after all, in a time my grandparents lived through.  But I just didn't connect.  It moved sporadically, storylines didn't feel tied up, and it was ultimately slow.  Not bad, just slow.

Lastly, my favorite of the bunch, was The Tipping Point.  This was a quick read for me, and I loved it like I loved Freakonomics.  It made me think a lot about the people I know in my life, the path of trends, and influencers in my life.  If you like books like Freakonomics, this is a definite must-read.  The Power of Habit was another good one along the same vein.  In fact, someone from work borrowed that one and hasn't returned it.  Huh.  Must track it down.

Anyone else read or watch something good lately?

Books Lately

Let's talk about BOOKS!  Here's a peek at what's been happening on my Goodreads lately.

Non-Fiction:
Freakonomics:  I love interesting statistics stories.  That is, knowing the WHY behind things in our crazy, flawed, human world.  Despite critics, this is just fascinating to read, because it looks at things from a totally different viewpoint, more seemingly objective.  Anyways, this book is hard to explain, but if you're a nerd like me (and not overly conservative), you'll probably dig it.  I'll be picking up its sequel at some point.

Soldier's Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point:  I loved this book.  I've always been a reader, and seeing my alma mater, West Point, through a "civilian" viewpoint and within its humanities courses no less, I think it gives readers an inside look into the academy and what it's like to be a young person there in a time of conflict.  I just drew so many comparisons between the book and my life, I couldn't put it down.  Definitely something worth checking out if you're at all curious.

In My Father's Country:  I read this book after seeing the author on The Daily Show or some other program.  I felt like it might be an inspiring title to read, and help me understand some of our struggles in the Afghanistan conflict... but in truth, it had way too many love life details (how many soldiers will fall in love with her?) versus Afghanistan reminiscences.  I liked it when the author talked about cultural barriers and challenges, but she really lost me on some of the other things.  It wasn't what I expected; it was just okay.

Fiction:
The Caster Chronicles (Books 1-4):  I read these books after seeing a movie preview for the first one.  It's definitely in the same genre as Twilight... have you seen the Teen Paranormal Romance section at Barnes & Noble?  I liked these because of the setting in a small Southern town, which reminded me a lot of my time near Savannah, Georgia.  It was focused around teenagers and witchcraft, to summarize it a bit.  Quick, easy, and fairly satisfying reading.

The Mortal Instruments (Books 1-3):  I read these because they also fit into Teen Paranormal Romance, a genre I am planning to abandon soon.  I mean, the rest just aren't as good as the The Hunger Games.  This one, however, was weird.  I only read the first three books.  I had issues with the potential incest, self-mutilation, and overall lack of awesome characters.  At least Caster Chronicles had some people I grew attached to; in this series, none of the above.  Blah.  If I hadn't bought these books in a bundle on my Kindle, I'd have only read the first one before ditching.

The Giver:  I read this a few times when I was younger, but rereading it again as an adult gave me such a different perspective!  If you dig The Hunger Games, this is a quick read that you might like.  It's set in the future, in a sort of Utopian society.  Rumor has it they may be making it into a new movie, after about two decades of trying.  It could be good.

Read anything good lately?

Book Review: The Paris Wife

Looking to meet new friends in the area, I was this.close to joining a book club.  I actually bought the book for my Kindle, but never joined the club.

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After reading a bunch of books for business, it was time for a "fun" read.  The Paris Wife by Paula McLain was already paid for, and it was a bestseller, so I dove right in.  The book is written from the point of view of Hadley Hemingway, first wife of Ernest Hemingway.

My review?  Mixed.  It was an easy and engaging book to read, and I kept using Wikipedia to read the histories of these real-life (but fictionally portrayed) characters.  Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and more!  What an interesting time to be alive, exploring Europe, and living in a time where people of little means could still live fabulous lives.

But at the same time (spoiler alert!) the book made me incredibly sad.  It actually made me greatly dislike Ernest Hemingway.  I read a couple of his books in high school, but didn't know much about his life until I angrily dove into Wikipedia while reading this novel.  His treatment of Hadley just made me furious, and it hurt me so much I texted my boyfriend Duke to vent about it!

So in retrospect, I'd have to give this book a favorable review, because I was so interested in the people and the time period, and I became so emotionally tied to it... but at the end of reading it, I didn't feel satisfied.  I wanted things to be different, and I'd hoped for something better in the end.  Instead, it just made me sad.

The Power of Habit

I've been reading a lot lately, but mostly books related to marketing for work.  I read an article about The Power of Habit in the New York Times, and it intrigued me.  I decided to read it, even though I wasn't sure how applicable it would be to my job.

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I was wrong.  In fact, after I read it, everyone at work wanted to borrow it!

The Power of Habit is all about the science behind how habits are formed, and how we can change them.  Ever wonder how some people can quit smoking cold turkey, while others end up smoking their whole lives?   Ever wonder how some people fail at diets and stay obese, and others undergo incredible transformations?

This book is just fascinating... and it really made me a bit more introspective.  For example, I have always had issues with portion control.  I eat too much, too fast.  It started when I went to West Point, and we only have 15 minutes to eat.  We used to say, "Eat now, taste later!" as we hurried off to classes.  Well, I gained weight consistently from that point on, with the exception of my semester in France where I ate more slowly to fit in, and a year in Iraq where I made working out a part of my daily routine.

The more we learn about our habits, the more easily we can change them.  I learned that my brain creates habits so that I can make fewer decisions later on, keeping my brain alert and ready for other more "urgent" decisions.  So if I ate four slices of pizza, I would continue to eat four slices of pizza because my brain said so... until the day I experimented by eating that pizza with a knife and fork to slow down.  I ate TWO slices and was full.  You have to make a conscious effort to stop yourself from succumbing to built-in habits!

I'd recommend this book to anyone... smokers, those trying to lose weight, marketers, curious intellects, or those trying to change their lives.

Dragon Child on "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother"

After much hesitation, I finally read Amy Chua's controversial book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. This self-described satirical memoir chronicles Chua's decision to raise her children in the "Chinese style" of parenting, which is basically the complete opposite of the popular "attachment parenting"  and laissez-faire parenting permeating in the U.S. these days.  While some praised Chua for speaking about her strict parenting rules and stories, others accused her of being downright abusive... mostly those who had not grown up with nor prescribe the sort of parenting she wrote about.  These days, it seems like parents want to be friends with their kids.  Not so in immigrant households.

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I hesitated to read this book because of my own upbringing.  As the half-Korean daughter of an American father and immigrant mother, I felt like I had a wonderful childhood; but when I described to friends and coworkers the additional homework given to me after school by my mother (starting in kindergarten) and the numerous tutors who kept me from receiving the dreaded A- (mentioned on Glee as the"Asian F") they act as if I didn't have an idyllic experience at all.

I wouldn't say that my mother was completely like Amy Chua.  I was allowed sleepovers, provided I had finished my homework and extra credit and musical practice.  (She stopped enforcing musical practice after middle school.  I had quit piano to take up clarinet, though I was pretty good at it despite lacking musicality.)  But our family did sometimes refer to Mom as "The Dragon Lady", and my academic career was not easy.  I don't even think I was naturally bright, I just worked at it ALL THE TIME.

I did have my first tutors and after-school lessons in kindergarten and 1st grade.  My mother always felt like I should be ahead of my grade level; she bought me the books "Everything Your 3rd/4th Grader Needs to Know" when I was in 1st grade.  While my fellow 1st graders were just learning to read, I was sent to the kindergarten to read books aloud to the younger kids.  Video games were banned; I played with Brainquest flashcards and Reader Rabbit/Math Blaster.  We did not celebrate anything but 1st place.  I cried in shame for days when I got my first B+, a mid-term grade in 4th grade science.  I was pushed by my math tutor to memorize multiplication tables well before the subject ever came up in school.  I hated my piano lessons and the timed practices.  I took solace in Girl Scouts and sports, my time away from academia.  I quit choir to focus on more "practical" endeavors.  I didn't have close friends until high school; I spent the time reading instead.  I had a t-shirt that said, "Future Harvard Freshman".

My mother was not abusive, even as the Dragon Lady.  Sure, there were screaming matches.  I do remember her chasing me with a spatula once, yelling that I needed to practice piano.  She was overly and embarrassingly involved, going to the high school to ensure I was placed in all of the most difficult Honors classes, even convincing them to waive prerequisites; I would do the work over the summer under her supervision.  I was forced to participate against my will on the spelling team to improve my SAT English score.  She was angry when I used free elective time to take painting class instead of an additional "academic" class.  I always remember my Dad being the affectionate parent, doling hugs and kisses all the time.  I don't remember it being that way with my Mom; she was an authority figure.

As I got older, I was allowed to be left to my own devices so long as my grades remained straight A's.  If I faltered, my free time was spent in tutoring.

My "American" friends didn't understand it.  They thought it was cruel, that my parents were terribly strict.  They assumed I was miserable.  Only my friends with Asian mothers understood it, and we compared stories regularly.

But I excelled.  Looking back, I don't know how I managed the list of activities I participated in, the difficult course load, varsity athletics, and a part-time job.  I even had a boyfriend, once I was sixteen.  I was always ahead of my grade level in reading, mathematics, even speaking pretty fluent French by the time I graduated.  I got into a top tier university, the most difficult school to gain admittance to the year I applied.  I graduated from that school with honors (despite some horrifying B's and C's on my report card!) and am headed in a great direction with my career.

On my 1st birthday, with a bib displaying my future alma mater.

My sister, on the other hand, did not take to this parenting method whatsoever.  Chua's daughters had a very similar reaction.  I was obedient, academic, driven, and persistent. Younger, Sissy was rebellious, resistant, dramatic, and fought it every step of the way.  In fact, I sometimes feel that my mother was the Dragon Lady with me, and not Sissy; Sissy didn't have to deal with the same pressures that I did, because she fought so violently against them.  It frustrated me that my parents could not stand their ground with her, but would enforce their standards upon me.  I obeyed, however grudgingly.

Unlike Chua, my mother was not Ivy League-educated or raised in America.  Although extremely intelligent (she learned the Cyrillic alphabet for a weeklong trip to Russia), she never got to finish college, mostly because she had me.  The Dragon Lady did not want her children to miss the opportunities that she had.  She never wanted to be our friend; in fact, she endured endless rounds of us screaming how much we hated her.  (Children are cruel.)  But now, as I reflect, I'm so glad I had a caring, involved mother.  She did prepare me for the world... I know what winning feels like, and I know what losing feels like.  I'm not overly sensitive, nor do I feel any sense of entitlement.  I respect my elders, even when I feel they are wrong.  I am realistic and practical.  I am driven.

Once, looking back on all the fights we'd had over schoolwork, I asked my Mom if she still thought her method was the right thing.  She looked at me very matter-of-factly and said, "You went to West Point, didn't you?"

I realized that she endured that torture, being the "mean" parent, because "tough love" was the way she showed how much she cared.  She was willing to sacrifice the "Gilmore Girls" relationship with her daughter in order to help me succeed.  She celebrated our achievements and held us through disappointments.  After over twenty years of patience and pushing, I had proven to her that it was all worth it through my acceptance and matriculation from a top university, which would help me for the rest of my career.

And after over twenty years of dealing with a Dragon Lady, I count her as one of my best friends.

Shades of Grey

(I promise I'll keep it PG-13 up in here!)

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After hearing about the hype surrounding the Shades of Grey trilogy, I decided to go ahead and read the books.  It was an entertaining beach read, though the characters have some inconsistencies.  The storyline for these books began in the Twilight fan fiction domain, but they are definitely a very adult, erotic series.

I'm not going to give it all away, but there's a lot of BDSM/kinky stuff going on (excessive, as in nearly every chapter), but that's not why I'm convinced women across the nation have become obsessed.  What they're obsessed with, just as they were with Twilight, is the fantasy that a woman can actually change and tame a man.  And in both cases, the man is dangerous, volatile, filthy rich, and drop-dead gorgeous.

My opinion is that Shades of Grey is Beauty & the Beast meets Twilight meets porn.  And if you dig that sort of thing, read them, then check out another vampire series I've read, The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Oh, and if you want a good laugh, check out Ellen Degeneres and Gilbert Gottfried 'reading' excerpts of Shades of Grey.  :)

Design*Sponge at Home

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Have you ever heard of Design*Sponge?  Oh, I die!  It is THE home of all things design, home, DIY, and more...  If you want a daily dose of sensory overload and amazing ideas (PIN THEM!), you've got to check it out.

I didn't have coffee table books... until now.   My cousin SS sent me a lovely birthday gift of Design*Sponge at Home, a book with an incredible amount of inspiration and design at my fingertips.  It has taken up permanent residence on my coffee table, and I'm more motivated to keep the table clear as a result.  Aesthetics, people!

I love following design blogs and finding inspiration, especially ideas that can fit into my budget with a little creativity.  I haven't really worked on decorating my current living space, since I anticipate a move in the coming months, but I'm stocking away ideas on my Pinterest boards for when the chance to redecorate comes my way.

This book is a great gift for the person in your life who loves home decor!

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The Colette Sewing Handbook

For my birthday, my little sister sent me an amazing present... The Colette Sewing Handbook!

I've been a fan of Colette patterns and sewing tips for a long time, but I didn't actually have any other their patterns.  This book actually comes with FIVE of them, and a beautifully bound book of sewing advice, tips, and tutorials.  I love flipping through the pages, and it's going to have a permanent home near my sewing machine.  I'll keep you posted when I do my first project!  I'm loving their new patterns for this spring, and I am sure I'll be investing in a couple of them in the future.

Oh, and my sis also sent me a hilarious cookie cake... even though she didn't include her name, I knew it was her.

What? I haven't been blogging?

What?  I haven't been blogging?  It's not my fault!  I blame...

THIS.

And THIS.

And sewing some of THIS.

But I'm not complaining a single bit!  :)

The Hunger Games

People have been bugging me to read 'The Hunger Games' trilogy forever.  (The same way they've been bugging me to read the 'A Song of Ice & Fire' series!)  And since the movie previews are out, and I hate watching movies before I read the books, I decided to start.

And within 48 hours, I'd read all three books.  I couldn't STOP.

I'm not going to go into the plot, because it's complex, and I don't want to give away any stories.  I will say that I spent the first few pages of the book convinced that Katniss, the protagonist, was a boy, but was pleasantly surprised she wasn't.  Girl power!  I enjoyed the first book the best... the rest of the books kind of lost my interest over time (like The Matrix sequels), even though I desperately wanted to know how it concludes.  I predicted a lot of the events that unfolded, including which of the two boys in her love triangle she ends up with!

If you like books like 'Dune' and 'The Giver', I think you'll like this series.  I love young-adult fiction...  it's accessible to everyone, and everyone has felt like an adolescent at some point, so you can relate to the characters.  It's driven by emotion, not practicality, like a teenager.

Now I can't wait to see the movie!

(Sidenote: I also can't wait to see the latest Pixar movie next year, 'Brave'.  More girl power!)

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by @mindykaling

OMG, you guys...  YES, another funny girl book by another awesome chick on NBC!

Mindy Kaling is a writer and actress on 'The Office', one of my favorite shows; I even have a Dwight bobblehead doll on my desk at work.  And her first book, 'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)' had me laughing out loud and causing other passengers on my plane to stare.

I want to be friends with Mindy Kaling the same way she wants to be friends with Beyonce.  I love her blog, we both love fashion/shopping, and I can totally relate to her experience with immigrant parents, being unpopular in school, and living the single careerwoman life.  I LOVED it!  The stories are sometimes a little disjointed, but I couldn't put this book  down.  I read it in a day, and I may even read it again!  I hope she keeps writing, because I'll eat up every word.

Oh, and in both Mindy Kaling and Tina Fey's books, they go ON AND ON about how AMAZING Amy Poehler is.  So come on, Amy Poehler, I want to read YOUR book!

Bossypants by Tina Fey

I had already ready excerpts of Tina Fey's 'Bossypants' before I bought the book on my Kindle, but I was in the middle of reading a bunch of business books and wouldn't let myself buy it.  Then I got a gift certificate for Amazon and I just couldn't help myself!

I love Tina Fey.  I love that she gave us 'Mean Girls'.  I love that she was badass on SNL with Weekend Update and her phenomenal Sarah Palin impersonations.  (You betcha!)  And now she's kicking butt on '30 Rock'!  How awesome is she?

She's a writer, and she's built her comedy career through hard work, intelligence, and this extremely likeable charm.  The book is a great insight into her early life, the beginning of her career, and all the funny little stories along the way.  (She even talks about getting glammed up and the joys of Photoshop!)  Tina Fey rocks.  'Bossypants' is a quick, easy read, perfect for a plane ride or quiet Sunday.  If you like Tina, you won't be disappointed.  She's not as outrageous as Chelsea Handler or Kathy Griffin (other women in comedy I read) but I like it that way.

The Small House Book @tumbleweedhouse

I received The Small House Book via Amazon this weekend, and I read it straight through in a sitting.  The pictures alone were worth ordering the book for, especially the real photos of little houses across the U.S. and the story of how Jay Shafer came to 'live smaller'.

Now don't get me wrong, this girl will never compost, live without indoor plumbing and AC, or give up her closet of clothes and shoes.  But I am inspired.

It's GIVEAWAY Time!!! Which book will you choose?

Alright, Aubreyland, it's time for a GIVEAWAY!  Why?  Because I'm feeling generous.


I think you know that I love baking, sewing, and style...  so I'm going to give you the CHOICE of which of these books you would like to win!  The first book is all the basics for sewing with step-by-step instructions and pictures, the second a book of cupcake recipes that will make you look like a baking rock star, and the last is a guide to creating the perfect wardrobe by my favorite style blogger!  I own all of these books personally, and I can't wait to send a brand-spanking-new copy to one of you, courtesy of ME!

The New Complete Guide to Sewing

Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor

What I Wore: Four Seasons, One Closet, Endless Recipes for Personal Style

TO ENTER:

- Mandatory: You MUST follow Adventures in Aubreyland on Google Friend Connect AND on Facebook...  Leave me a comment below letting me know which book you would like to win and why!

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

(leave an additional comment for each with the URL!)
- Mention this giveaway on your blog
- RT this giveaway! – @aubreyland325
-"Share" this blog giveaway on your Facebook!

Contest ends on Sunday, October 9th at 11:59pm EST and is only open to residents of the United States.  One comment will be chosen at random (using  a random number generator) and the chosen book will ship directly to the winner as a gift!  Good luck!

@noreservations Medium Raw

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Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, is Anthony Bourdain's follow-up to Kitchen Confidential.  Written almost a decade after the first book, it's a must-read if you liked his earlier work or are a fan of Bourdain on TV.

I must admit, I was supposed to be reading books for work... but then after reading Kitchen Confidential, I went headfirst into Medium Raw without skipping a beat.

In the book, Bourdain isn't so much giving a continuation of the linear story he told in Kitchen Confidential, but sharing a collection of essays... some are responses to things he wrote a decade earlier, others are new experiences, and many are his opinions and experiences with other chefs.  I don't know how to explain it, but I suppose if you've ever seen the show No Reservations you know the reason the book is so good...  Bourdain is honest, unapologetic, and a REAL person.  You can tell how he has grown up, tell how his daughter has affected his views, see how fame has changed his life.  And yet in spite of the changes in his world, he has remained himself at the core, with a real gift for story-telling.  I had a blast reading this.

I've starting following Bourdain's Travel Channel blog, as well as his Twitter account, and I am never disappointed.  But it's not that I'm obsessed with Bourdain as a person.  I'm just obsessed with living vicariously through his senses... all the amazing food he gets to taste, the sights around the world he gets to see, the smells, the sounds.  Bourdain has a way with words that really transports me to someplace else.  If I ever got to meet him in person, I would be ecstatic... but if not, I already feel like I know him and will continue to read so long as he continues to share with the world his culinary and life experiences!