reading ~ watching ~ listening ~ 9.18.13

 reading... Rules of Civility by Amor Towels

i'm only 4 chapters in, but i'm already in love ~ set in 1938 new york city, Rules of Civility tells the story of a watershed year in the life of an uncompromising twenty-five-year-old named Katey Kontent. armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, Katey embarks on a journey from a wall street secretarial pool through the upper echelons of new york society in search of a brighter future.

this story is beautifully written, every detail makes it easy to see 1930's nyc. Katey is a great character as are those supporting around her. i'm looking forward to learning more about this one year in her life that will surely teach her {and maybe me, through reading} a lot about herself and life.

watching... Revenge 

loosely inspired by one of my favorite stories, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, this soapy mystery-drama was one i watched when it premiered, but for some reason let it fall off my radar as it progressed through season one. thanks to Netflix, i started watching it again {the first two seasons are streaming now}, and wow, i'm so glad i did. btw, season 3 starts at the end of the month! :) 

listening to...Lorde

with the song Royals popping in and out of my ears these past few weeks {thank you Pandora}, i couldn't help but take notice. what i love most {aside from the catchy beat and fabulous vocals} was learning that she wrote it. this 16-year-old {born and raised in new zealand as Ella Yelich-O'Conner} is a seriously talented songwriter and has written something amazing. her 5 song EP, Love Club, was a huge success when it was released earlier this year ~ each song is worth listening to on repeat! i'm definitely looking forward to seeing her career take off once her full length, debut album, Pure Heroine, is released on september 27.    

i'd love to know, what are your reading, watching, listening to??

reading ~ watching ~ listening ~ 1.14.13

reading ~

Luther: The Calling by Neil Cross
this book is a prequel to the dark and thrilling {not to mention altogether fabulous}, BBC series. i've been taking my time with it for a few reasons. for one, the story is kind of scary; that being said, Luther is such an intriguing character, so it's been fascinating getting to know him better through the pages of this oh-so-engaging crime-fiction novel.


watching ~

Downton Abbey, series 3
finally! my favorite imported soaptastic drama is back, and if you're watching, you know it's already been so good. the addition of Shirley MacLaine has been such a treat. Maggie Smith is as brilliant as ever and the whole cast is marvelous {can you tell i'm obsessed in love with this show? LOL!}; from costumes to story lines, i expect this season will be nothing less than fabulous.



listening to ~

Lindsey Stirling
i discovered this amazing musical artist last month thanks to one of her songs being played during yoga class {it was Crystallize}. clearly, i'm late to the party since she's already a youtube sensation and was on a show i don't watch, "America's Got Talent". Lindsey composes, choreographs, and directs all of her original music and videos ~ merging unique violin stylings and electronic dub-step beats with animated contemporary dance. just watch the video below. hopefully you'll understand why i can't get enough of her music!

What I'm Watching: The Rachel Zoe Project Season 2

everyone's favorite stylist is back for a second season. last night was episode 2, and if you missed it, you're bananas. the show is definitely fast-paced and crazy. i always feel so anxious watching, although in last week's episode i already knew what Eva Mendes and Anne Hathaway wore to the Goleden Globes. on last night's ep, team Zoe ventured to new york fashion week...

so what happened? well, Rachel, as usual, stretched herself thin (no pun intended) to attend every show she could, and also got the opportunity to attend a private, early viewing of Diane von Furstenberg's collection (one my faves!). then Taylor, although in nyc, decided she needed to go back to los angeles since she had so a photos shoot to prep for there. because it was in the middle of the whirlwind fashion trip, Rachel is disappointed. Taylor questioned where her job was going, and...

wait! why am recapping all of this for you? visit bravotv.com for all you need to know and be sure to catch The Rachel Zoe Project every monday night-- only by Bravo

oops, sorry. had to do it, LOL! check your local listings for time and channel. :)

xo