REVIEW | Malice in Ovenland by Micheline Hess

What makes you decide to read a book? Could it be the beautifully illustrated cover that lures you in? Or would it be the catchy title that piques your curiosity? More than likely you've glazed over the contents and jacket cover, convinced the subject matter is one you can't pass up on reading more about. Any or all of these could be why the comic book Malice in Ovenland Vol. 1 by Micheline Hess made its way from my nightstand to my daughter's backpack. While it's no secret that we both love to read comic books and discuss them with each other, we rarely come across heroines that look like her. So when I was given the opportunity to read Malice in Ovenland and share it with my readers, I could not wait to talk to you guys about it!

REVIEW | I'm Judging You: The Do Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi

Some days when perusing the wonderful digital world of the Internet, we can find ourselves overwhelmed with the flux of reality star tell-alls, celebrities behaving badly, and the latest pop culture craze. Social media and modern technology makes it very easy to stay connected to all of these things with just the touch of an index finger or thumb. Other days, we just can't with the shenanigans. We're over who's engaged to who, who's divorcing who, and we don't want to read another twitter rant from "that guy" from "that show." On those days when I just "could not," I knew I could look to Luvvie Ajayi and her humor blog, Awesomely Luvvie, to deliver a word or two to help me cope with all the things.

 If you are unfamiliar with Luvvie Ajayi, she's an award-winning writer who's known for sharing her witty and candid commentary on pop culture and current events. Reading an update from Luvvie's site or social media feels like talking to a good girlfriend who keeps it all the way real with you. You know the friend who gives a hug when you need it and tough love when you need it all the more? That's Luvvie. So when I learned that she would be giving more of that kinda love in her debut book, I'm Judging You: A Do Better Manual, I knew I had to read it.

 

INTERVIEW | Postcards from Venus by Trisha R Thomas

As readers we often look for our likenesses in the books we devour, hoping to find ourselves within the carefully crafted characters of an author's literary work. We long for characters that leap from the pages and experience life in many ways that we do, facing similar challenges as we find hope in their triumphs or eventual "happily ever afters." 

I found bits of myself within the richness of a character by the name of Venus as I read Nappily Ever After last holiday season. She's a woman who, like many of us, took the first step of embracing change in her life by cutting her hair. Venus really left an impression on me, causing me to do some deep introspection (and long to cut my hair). Has this also been you? How many times have you tried to change the outlook on your life by changing up your hair?

Being so moved by a character that you find yourself trying to keep up with her, continuing her series and even following her creator on social media to find her whereabouts are not strange actions for book lovers like us. So you can imagine how elated I was in receiving the opportunity to talk to author Trisha R. Thomas more about the Nappily Series and her latest installment to the series, Postcards to Venus.

Fall Style Inspiration | Styling a Shirt Dress

How is the weather where you are? Are you guys breaking out the jackets, sweaters, and booties yet? Unfortunately it's still relatively warm here in the south, with the occasional breeze. So when we're in between seasonal temperatures, I love finding ways to style pieces that transition well--like the shirt dress.

The shirt dress is one of my favorite wardrobe pieces. It's one of the easiest articles of clothing to dress up or down with minimal effort. And to be completely real with you, it's a ready-made complete outfit for me. And like I mentioned before, it transitions well throughout the seasons, depending on how you style it. In the fall, I love stepping out in one of my favorite shirt dresses with tights and booties, ready to go out wherever. If you are too a fan of the shirt dress, check out the outfit inspiration below.