Hair then Books on Books on Books

Morning, lovely ladies! Happy Friday eve :)! We are almost there, y'all, woohoo!

Thank y'all so much yesterday for your opinions and comments. I really was in a tizzy about my hair appointment and each one of you was so sweet to take the time to help me off the cliff. My stylist and I had a long talk after looking at all my pictures and we both decided I didn't want to chop too short because I wanted to maintain versatility. We also played around with the LOB and realized that with my fine hair, blunt ends would not look good so we just took off about 2-3 inches to make it healthy but kept the layers.

I LOVE, love, love  the color and wish my phone was better at showing the different shades. It's a fun brown with a sunny blonde ombre. I ADORE IT! I promise to get more pictures this weekend to do the color justice. The bottom L picture is straight from the salon [anyone else restyle their hair after?] and the bottom right is after I quickly curled it with an iron. I can't wait to play with it more and figure out the best style for the cut. 

As you probably notice, I chickened out on the bangs, I just got too scared to go short. But, I have a fun angled look on the right side of my face for something different. Thank y'all again for your opinions, I truly valued each and every comment. Y'all rock socks < 3

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"Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets: Secrets from her boyfriend: I've always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken. Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur. Secrets she wouldn't share with anyone in the world: I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is. Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.…Until Emma comes face-to-face with Jack Harper, the company's elusive CEO, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her." [picture and summary via goodreads]

This book was sooooo cute, I loved it. Poor Emma's life is not one to be envied and you really feel for her as she experiences ridiculous life situations [especially when she's on the scary plane ride]. Even though we all claim to be honest, we ALL have secrets we keep from our friends and family. I can't IMAGINE if I told someone my secrets and then they ended up being my boss. I'm pretty sure I would pass out on the spot. Kinsella writes such fun female characters and the embarrassing scenes are incredibly uncomfortable and hilarious. This is the perfect plane, beach or pool read.

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"WHITNEY MacALLISTER. Reckless and beautiful, she posses all the wealth and beauty every woman dreams of. DOUGLAS LORD. His good looks and street smarts have made him a success at his chosen profession --- larceny.

She has the cash and the connections. He has the stolen documents leading to a fabulous hidden fortune. It is a business proposition, pure and simple.

But the race to finds the treasure, from Manhattan to Madagascar, is only part of the game. For their fierce and dangerous attraction to each other soon threatens to overwhelm them --- unless their merciless and shadowy rivals kill them first." [picture and summary via goodreads]

So, I realize I turn to Nora Roberts when I need a quick easy read, don't judge me please. Her books are fun to ready even though they are extremely predictable. I was able to figure out this book pretty quickly, but Roberts actually threw in some twists I didn't expect. Whitney is a really well developed character, blessed with wealth and unashamed, yet she has a kind heart so it's hard not to like her, even when she's being a bit of a brat. Her and Lord's 'relationship' had me laughing with their ridiculous antics up until the end. If you want a fluffy book about treasure pick this one up. If you're looking for substance, definitely pass.

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"As long as Newark Eagle-Examiner reporter Carter Ross turns in his stories on deadline, no one bats an eye if he doesn’t wander into the newsroom until 10 or 11 in the morning. So it’s an unpleasant surprise when he’s awakened at 8:38 a.m. by a phone call from his boss, telling him a local policeman was killed and to get the story. Shaking himself awake, Carter heads off to interview the cop’s widow. And then he gets another call: the story’s off, the cop committed suicide.

But Carter can’t understand why a man with a job he loved, a beautiful wife, and plans to take his adorable children to Disney World would suddenly kill himself. And when Carter’s attempts to learn more are repeatedly blocked, it's clear someone knows more than he's saying about the cop's death. The question is, who? And what does he have to hide? Carter, with his usual single-minded devotion to a good story—and to the memory of a Newark policeman—will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth." [picture and summary via good reads].

By now I'm sure you've guessed I'm a sucker for a mystery or crime story. Love me a good twist and turn book, especially when the main character is fun. Carter Ross is one of the more unique and fun characters I've read recently, even though he's pretty plain Joe. I loved the humor Parks gives Ross, it makes the story a lot more fun to read. There were a few moments where I knew exactly where the book was going and then a couple that completely caught me by surprise. Parks writes a great story, filled with intriguing characters while keeping to the normal murder mystery style.

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"Seattle, 1933. Single mother Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son, Daniel, goodnight and departs to work the night-shift at a local hotel. She emerges to discover that a May-Day snow has blanketed the city, and that her son has vanished. Outside, she finds his beloved teddy bear lying face-down on an icy street, the snow covering up any trace of his tracks, or the perpetrator's.

Seattle, 2010. Seattle Herald reporter Claire Aldridge, assigned to cover the May 1 "blackberry winter" storm and its twin, learns of the unsolved abduction and vows to unearth the truth. In the process, she finds that she and Vera may be linked in unexpected ways." [picture and summary via good reads].

I know I'm a few years late with this book, but oh my goodness it is totally worth the hype. Sara Jio is a fantastic writer and really pulls you into the story. Thankfully the different stories are broken up by name so there isn't a chance of getting lost like other books [big pet peeve]. I kept trying to guess the ending of the story and was close but not correct. I loved the way Jio weaved clues in each segment but still kept you guessing until the very end. The book has some incredibility heartbreaking moments, but it also has great characters that make you smile. Give this one a whirl the next time you're looking for a new book to try.

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"Five minutes before her flight is set to take off, Kate Pulaski, failed screenwriter and newly-failed wife, learns that her estranged father killed himself. More shocked than saddened by the news, she reluctantly gives in to her older siblings' request that she join them--and her many half-siblings, and most of her father's five former wives--in Atlanta, their birthplace, for a final farewell.

Written with huge heart and bracing wit, REUNION takes place over the following four days, as family secrets are revealed, personal deceits are uncovered, and Kate--an inveterate liar looking for a way to come clean--slowly begins to acknowledge the overwhelming similarities between herself and the man she never thought she'd claim as an influence, much less a father. Hannah Pittard's "engaging and vigorous"* prose masterfully illuminates the problems that can divide modern families-and the ties that prove impossible to break." [picture and summary via good reads].

This book was weird. I wasn't sure about it at first, but figured why not give it a shot. Six chapters in and I'm ready to put the book down, but of course I had to finish it. I just couldn't relate to Kate, she seems whiny and stupid and just off. But, so did her siblings and their high and mighty voice didn't really win me over either. Definitely skip this book.

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 "When a horrific chairlift accident leaves 17-year-old competitive skier Lily Thomas paralyzed, she must come to grips with the fact that she'll not only be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life, but will never fulfill her lifelong dream of winning Olympic gold. Meanwhile, her wealthy father, who has doted on Lily since her mother died when she was three, is devastated as he watches his only child lose all she once cherished and suffer through the arduous road to recovery. But just as all hope seems lost, Lily meets Teddy, a young man even more badly injured than she, but as doggedly determined to live an enriching life. Danielle Steel is at her best in this powerful story of a father and daughter triumphing together over unthinkable tragedy, creating new lives for themselves and providing hope for others along the way. " [picture and summary via goodreads].

I wasn't 100% sure about this book because I thought it would be too heart breaking and then too sappy but it was really, really good. You can't help but feel for Lily and her father after the accident and I wondered how I would react if I were Lily's parent. There is another heartbreaking story along with Lily's and it just makes the plot that much thicker. Steel does a great job of sharing the heartache but also brings about a new breath of life for each character as they struggle to over come their obstacles. Definitely a must read, in my opinion.

What are some of the books you've read lately? Any must reads?

Linking up with *steph* *megan* *kristin* and *annie*