Hi to all my lovely readers,
I really enjoy reading, listening to music, buying new makeup and clothes, and eating healthy, so I made a new blog to combine all of my favorite things. Please check out: http://nicolethecollegegirl.blogspot.com for all my posts (don't worry I still post weekly book reviews every Sunday).
Thanks!
-NBW
Monday, June 16, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Special Birthday Post: Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally
They're from two different worlds.
He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.
With her dream of becoming a jockey, Savannah isn't exactly one to follow the rules either. She's not going to let someone tell her a girl isn't tough enough to race. Sure, it's dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…
Dear all teen readers, if you want a perfect romance novel that will keep your heart racing the whole time, then this book is a must! Racing Savannah is Kenneally's fourth teen novel, and is by far one of my favorite guilty-pleasure books. Kenneally's novels stand out because she fearlessly portrays the type of romance that every girl wishes she had. From chasing the unattainable boy to perfectly witty comebacks, each of her novels exhibit a well thought-out story that leaves you with a sense of feminine empowerment after finishing each novel. That's just one of the great parts about Kenneally's work. Another aspect of hers that I love is that each of her novels connect, but they do not go as a series, so you don't have to read them in any particular order (hint hint, just watch out for returning character names, even the smaller ones). Racing Savannah is fast-paced and easy to read within a few days because, trust me, I mean it when I say you're not going to want to put it down.
Enjoy this perfect summer read!
~NBW (aka the BIRTHDAY GIRL)
Buy it here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/racing-savannah-miranda-kenneally/1114581342?ean=9781402284762
Check out other novels by Miranda Kenneally:
Catching Jordan: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/catching-jordan-miranda-kenneally/1102463513?ean=9781402262272
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
The Girl With The Brown Crayon: How Children Use Stories to Shape Their Lives by Vivian Gussin Paley
Once again Vivian Paley takes us into the inquiring minds and the dramatic worlds of young children learning in the kindergarten classroom.
As she enters her final year of teaching, Paley tells in this book a story of farewell and a story of self-discovery--through the thoughts and blossoming spirit of Reeny, a little girl with a fondness for the color brown and an astonishing sense of herself. "This brown girl dancing is me," Reeny announces, as her crayoned figures flit across the classroom walls. Soon enough we are drawn into Reeny's remarkable dance of self-revelation and celebration, and into the literary turn it takes when Reeny discovers a kindred spirit in Leo Lionni--a writer of books and a teller of tales. Led by Reeny, Paley takes us on a tour through the landscape of characters created by Lionni. These characters come to dominate a whole year of discussion and debate, as the children argue the virtues and weaknesses of Lionni's creations and his themes of self-definition and an individual's place in the community.
The Girl with the Brown Crayon tells a simple personal story of a teacher and a child, interweaving the themes of race, identity, gender, and the essential human needs to create and to belong. With characteristic charm and wonder, Paley discovers how the unexplored territory unfolding before her and Reeny comes to mark the very essence of school, a common core of reference, something to ponder deeply and expand on extravagantly.
This simple, personal tale tells a story of self-discovery--through the thoughts and blossoming spirit of Reeny, a little girl with a fondness for the color brown and an astonishing sense of herself. Paley interweaves the themes of race, identity, gender, and the essential human needs to create and to belong.
This book is the epitome of why reading is so important for anyone, but especially younger kids. It allows for children to escape from their problems, and it also lets them identify with character that have qualities just like them/are going through similar situations as they are. The best part about this book is that it does not put any character down; the main character, Reeny, finds positive characteristics and strength in everyone, and encourages each of her classmates to use their strengths. I decided to blog about The Girl With The Brown Crayon this week because I had to read it for my Children's Literature class, and I really enjoyed it. It's a neat story that I recommend for everyone. Parents, definitely have your children read this book, but also buy them some Leo Lionni novels too, so they can experience what Paley's students experienced. If your child is younger, read this book to them, but if they are older, let them read it on their own, and then you, the parent, should read this book for yourself afterwards so you can see how great it is. It is a little less than 100 pages, so it might be a bit long for younger kids, but it's a short and easy read for everyone else. Take time to read this great book this upcoming summer (or sooner, of course)!
Happy May!
-NBW
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
Set in Los Angeles in the early 1980's, this coolly mesmerizing novel is a raw, powerful portrait of a lost generation who have experienced sex, drugs, and disaffection at too early an age, in a world shaped by casual nihilism, passivity, and too much money a place devoid of feeling or hope.
Clay comes home for Christmas vacation from his Eastern college and re-enters a landscape of limitless privilege and absolute moral entropy, where everyone drives Porches, dines at Spago, and snorts mountains of cocaine. He tries to renew feelings for his girlfriend, Blair, and for his best friend from high school, Julian, who is careering into hustling and heroin. Clay's holiday turns into a dizzying spiral of desperation that takes him through the relentless parties in glitzy mansions, seedy bars, and underground rock clubs and also into the seamy world of L.A. after dark.
When prompted to choose a book that illustrated a mental illness for my Child and Adolescent Psychopathology class, I decided to choose this book--Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. Books like this reflect so well what is the magic of books; they take to into a world that you might never ever want to go into, and allow you to get an idea of what some experiences are like. In this book, you are taken on a journey of teenage sex and drugs in the '80s. You aren't going to get connected to any characters, but it's a reflection of Clay's, the main character, lack of connection.
A few years ago, I went through a phase where I only read books involving these themes, but this novel outweighs all the others. At the same time, it's such a messed up novel and you just have to read it to see what I'm talking about. Considering its heavy themes, this is not at all a good book for middle schoolers, but I mostly would recommend it for college students and older. It's a short read and can easily be read in a night. From the start of the book, I was intrigued to see how the novel unwinds, and I was left speechless.
Have a great week!
-NBW
Buy it here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/less-than-zero-bret-easton-ellis/1100619413?ean=9780679781493
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Announcing: The NBW Bookshelf is now on Twitter!
Tweet on!
-NBW
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicole Kraus
The authors of the bestselling novel The Nanny Diaries, Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, bring you the story of a girl who gets her heart broken…and figures out a foolproof way to get over her ex.
Over You’s Max Scott had a hard time getting over Hugo, the boy who dumped her. Now it’s Max’s mission to help NYC girls get over their broken hearts fast, and with dignity. Now Max’s life is better than she ever imagined it could be. Her new business, Ex, Inc., is booming. Better still, her friendship with Ben, a truly sweet guy, could turn romantic. But when Hugo reenters the picture, Max realizes that she isn’t over him. At all.
Over You is more than just a great teen read, it's a book that will bring out creativity in readers. Max's business Ex, Inc. is one of the most awesome fictional businesses I've ever read about, so get ready to fall head-over-heels for this novel. Even during her times of pain, you will be routing for Max the whole time. This is a pretty short read that's barely cheesy and will leave eager to see what happens to Max. McLaughlin and Kraus created a wonderful story that evokes girl power, and reflects on the complications of moving on from an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend. I highly recommended this book for middle school and high school girls, however I read it in college and I really enjoyed it, so I hope you do too.
Happy Wednesday!
-NBW
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Palo Alto by James Franco
Now a “provocative” and “impressive” (Variety) film from director Gia Coppola (Francis Ford Coppola’s granddaughter)—starring Emma Roberts, James Franco, Nat Wolff, and Val Kilmer—the fiction debut from James Franco that Voguecalled “compelling and gutsy.”
James Franco’s story collection traces the lives of a group of teenagers as they experiment with vices of all kinds, struggle with their families and one another, and succumb to self-destructive, often heartless nihilism. In “Lockheed” a young woman’s summer—spent working a dull internship—is suddenly upended by a spectacular incident of violence at a house party. In “American History” a high school freshman attempts to impress a girl with a realistic portrayal of a slave owner during a classroom skit—only to have his feigned bigotry avenged. In “I Could Kill Someone,” a lonely teenager buys a gun with the aim of killing his high school tormentor, but begins to wonder about his bully’s own inner life.
These “spare and riveting” (O, The Oprah Magazine) stories are a compelling portrait of lives on the rough fringes of youth. Palo Alto is, “a collection of beautifully written stories” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) that “capture with perfect pitch the impossible exhilaration, the inevitable downbeatness, and the pure confusion of being an adolescent” (Elle).
Features a bonus essay by James Franco on Gia Coppola's film adaptation.
During one of my first few weeks at NYU, I was wondering around the NYU Bookstore and stumbled upon this book. Between the fact that it was written by James Franco, and that it looked like a nicely written book full of teenage angst, I knew I had to buy it. The part I loved most about Palo Alto was it's raw honesty of all the characters. Franco did not let any detail become a small detail in this book of essays. None of the essays are random either, it makes up one larger story. Luckily if you have not had the chance to read Palo Alto yet, it's a very quick read (only 240 pages), so you could easily read it before the film comes out on May 9! I would recommend this book to anyone 17 and up (warning--some parts are very NSFW). I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did, and I can't wait to see how Gia Coppola portrays it in the film version.
Have a great week!
-NBW
Side Note: As I would normally post the trailer for books that have a movie portrayal, I decided not to for this book just because there's something special about imagining the characters in your head as you wish, instead of imaging a character that someone chose for you to imagine. However, after you finish reading the novel, definitely go check out the trailer on Youtube, and get excited that there's less than a month until the film comes out in theaters!
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