Have you ever been reading a book and had to look over your shoulder because you thought the words on the page were only applicable to you, so someone must be following you and writing down your every move? No? Just me? Okay, well thats exactly how I felt reading Bossypants by the one and only amazing Tina Fey.

If you have read this blog for while, you might have noticed that my kindred spirit lies in Liz Lemon, who is Tina Fey's character on 30 Rock. Even before watching 30 Rock, I had a special place in my heart for Ms. Fey because of her characters on Saturday Night Live, Mean Girls, and Baby Mama. She is absolutely one of my favorite actresses, because she is hilarious of course and because she is such a clever writer.

Now I am a little embarrassed to call myself such a huge Tina Fey fan, but then tell you that it took me almost 3 years to finally sit down and read her memoir. But nonetheless, her memoir sounded a bit like what I think mine would sound like...minus SNL, the wit, and the fame obviously. What I mostly related to was the anxious, paranoid, and sarcastic personality she clearly potrays through her writing. As silly as it sounds, I was actually laughing out loud while reading this book, which was awkward at some points because I was sitting on a very crowded plane. Once I finished the book, I actually just got a pen out of my purse, flipped back to the beginning of the book and started to read it again. But the second time, I underlined or starred all the lines/parts that made me laugh or that I related to the most. In one part, she describes being on her honeymoon with her husband on a cruise, when the ship has a fire and everyone has to go out onto the deck so that the cabins can be checked. While anxiously thinking that a fire on a boat obviously means that its about to explode, she writes, "I'll be ready for it to happen, that way it won't happen. It's a burden, being able to control situations with my hyper-vigilance, but its my lot in life" (pg 97). Finally I have found someone else who believes they they can control situations by prepare for something to happen so that in turn the universe does the opposite!

So now I have this book that is completely marked up because just everything she wrote is just loaded with humor and genuine personality. If you have a "books to read" list, then definitely add this to it. If you don't have a "books to read" list, then write "Bossypants by Tina Fey" on a piece of paper, and voila! You have a "books to read" list!

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2015 Birthday Wishlist!

Its coming up on my second favorite time of the year...MY BIRTHDAY! (If you're curious, my first favorite time of the year is December, for obvious reasons.) I am turning the big 2-2 and I think I am excited about it? A lot of my friends who have turned 22 have groaned and griped about it because all the excitement of being 21 is gone. For some reason being 22 just sounds a heck of a lot older and a bit scarier because I will enter the "real world" as a 22 year old next January. However I have to say that the best thing about turning 22 is that I am eligible for a new driver's license so I no longer have to show my 16 year-old-excited-to-have-passed-her-drivers-test-but-sweaty-from-being-so-nervous-self around at bars anymore and have the servers/bartenders say "aww, you're just a baby!"

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But turning 21 last year was great because 21, duh. I didn't want a wild 21st birthday like some people do so John just took me out for nice dinner as my birthday is actually on Valentines Day! This year I am still concocting a plan of what to do to celebrate because my birthday falls on a Saturday. I was thinking since this is my first year living in an apartment, that I might have a party on the night before, and then a small dinner on my actual birthday? I have always been one to extend the birthday celebration as long I could...

Since my birthday is two weeks away from tomorrow, I thought I would share a few gifts I had my eye on! 

1. Love Tanya by Tanya Burr & Girl Online by Zoe Sugg // I love watching YouTube and especially Tanya and Zoe's videos because of their awesome beauty tips and product reviews so I want to check out their books!

2. Old Navy Cozy Socks // I got a pair of these for Christmas (with cats on them!) and they are the most comfortable socks! They are so fuzzy and warm...I would love a pair for every day of the week!

3. Tanya Burr Lip Glosses // I would love these colors the most, from left to right they are Chic, Let's Travel the World, and Afternoon Tea! I have read so many good review on these lip glosses and would love to be able to try them!

4. Sephora and Express Giftcards // I love gift cards because its like being handed an hour and someone saying "go shop". Its the gift of an afternoon to just relax and pick out some awesome clothes or beauty products!

5. Plaid Blanket Scarf from Target // I have been dying to get my hands on one of these before it becomes Spring and too late to wear one!

6. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham & Bossypants by Tina Fey // Both of these ladies are so successful and creative with what they do. They are definitely women I look up to, so I would love to read these books.

Winter Break Book List

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One of my biggest goals over winter break was to read. Not read textbooks or research articles or nutrition facts or notes, but actual novels. As I child, I was always reading, and its a hobby that I know I will cherish for the rest of my life. There is nothing like the feeling of being completely immersed into a story, where the characters start to feel familiar like friends and leave their mark on you permanently. I am completely one to be susceptible to a "book hangover", where you spend days or weeks completely enthralled with a book, and feel like your in a grumpy fog when you part ways with the story in the end. I feel almost guilty when I read here at school though because I might as well have a textbook in my hand if I am going to be reading something. 

Almost as much as I love reading, I love reading book reviews and getting book recommendations. Over break, I read a few books off of Jenn's book review page over on Going the Distance (Thanks Jenn!), as well as a few books that came recommended from my mom! Here is what I read and a few thoughts on them:

1. The Husband's Secret // Liane Moriarty

I loved the plot lines in this book, because you know all along that they will converge at some point, but can't quite put your finger on when/how. This book made me question "What would I do in that situation?" multiple times, and while it was sometimes frustrating, it ultimately makes for an interesting reading experience!

2. Big Little Lies // Liane Moriarty 

Out of the two books by Liane Moriarty that I read, this one was definitely better in my opinion. I absolutely love her style of writing, and while it may be classified at chick lit, I think it is fabulously written. The characters are so well developed that I felt like I was watching them speak in front of me. This book caused me major book hangover! 

3. The House Girl // Tara Conklin

 From the description of this book, I didn't think I would like it...Half of the book is told from the perspective of a driven, uptight lawyer, and I feel like I went through a phase of reading books with similar main characters so I was just feeling unenthused about it. I am glad that the back cover description of a book never stopped me from reading it, because I fell in love with this one! I loved the historical fiction side of it, and it is set only about 25 minutes from where I attend school so that's interesting!

4. The Silver Star // Jeannette Walls
I liked this book, but it was very similar to Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle (which is amazing if you haven't read it yet). While she is a great writer, I just felt like she was trying a bit too hard to recreate her success from her memoir, by writing such a similar story.

5. The Interestings // Meg Wolitzer
This book was LONG, but worth it if you aren't expecting something big to happen. If you go into it with the mindset that you are reading multiple characters' life stories, and its not leading up to a huge, explosive, jaw-dropping finish, then this is a good book. However, I saw online that people hated it because they felt that not enough happened. I was content with the story, but understand it might not be everyone's cup of tea. Another one that caused book hangover for me! 

6. Reconstructing Amelia // Kimberly McCreight
Immediately after reading this book, I would have said that it was great. However, now that I am sat down really thinking about it, I didn't love it. It seemed like it was written by someone who had bitterly watched too many episodes of Gossip Girl. After reading reviews online after I finished it, I saw that a lot of people loved the mystery plot line and were hooked by the turns of the book. So if you love mysteries and can deal with a really depressing Gossip Girl-type story, then this might a better read for you than it was for me! 

What books have you read lately?