After letting 2 months slip by between editions of On My Nightstand, I’m dying to share so many reading ideas that it’s tough to narrow them down to just four. Still, I’m forcing myself to choose only a well-edited selection in the hopes that you guys will check out every single one and let me know what you think. In this month’s roundup, we’ve got a business book that turns everything you know about entrepreneurship on its head, a beautifully crafted tale of love and loss, a study of what makes something (or someone) glamorous, and a new magazine that explores the art of being a woman. So get ready to carve out a little extra reading time this month m’dears, because these gems are hard to put down. And as always, leave a comment letting me know what you’re reading lately!
Darling Magazine. This new mag showed up at our office one day, and after diving into it that night as I lay in bed, I’ve shared it with friends, ripped out pages to save and even mailed a couple articles to faraway friends. Darling is a breath of fresh air, replacing the negative messaging and stereotypes found in most women’s mags with intelligent conversation, elegant writing and encouraging words of wisdom. According to its mission statement, Darling is “the art of being a woman… (it) holds the modern mold of woman up to the fire to evoke a discussion on femininity and re-shape an authentic design.” Well, ladies, you’ve certainly succeeded with these first few issues, and I can’t wait to read every single one.
Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes. I still melt when I even think about the characters in this heartbreakingly-beautiful story of an ordinary girl whose life is changed when she meets Will, wheelchair-bound and bitter towards life. I can’t say too much else without giving the plot away (or spontaneously bursting into tears at my desk), so just trust me: this is the one you’re going to want to read over the long Thanksgiving holiday. I devoured it during our trip to Mexico, and I could barely even converse with Adam until I found out the ending.
Rework, by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson. I’d been wanting to read this one for awhile after hearing it recommended by several business people I really respect, and if I’d known what an addictive and quick read it is, I’d have picked it up long before. I’ve read a lot of business books, and even the best of them start to sound really similar after awhile. Not so with Rework, which promotes several of the ideas I’ve long suspected: that meetings can be time-wasters, that you don’t have to work around the clock to succeed, and that a big staff and fancy office are not precursors to becoming great. For anyone who’s even considering ever starting their own business, this is a must-read.
The Power of Glamour: Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion, by Virginia Postrel. If we’re being honest, most of us have a fascination with the idea of glamour… and there are times when we want to have it, own it or be it. But that “it” can be hard to define, and in this image-packed tome, Postrel reveals that while the longing for glamour can be a force for positive ambition and hope, it can also create dangerous illusions. A really interesting cultural examination.
For other book ideas, be sure to check out the last few editions of On My Nightstand!
