PopSugar Reading Challenge 2017: Q2

Though I read about the same number of books as last quarter, I feel like this one has been a bit of a reading slump, or at least not as many books as I wanted to read these past few months. On the bright side, this quarter was filled with books that surprised me, and are sure to be long time favorites. Here they are: 

The first book in a series you haven't read before

A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you &

A book that's published in 2017: 

Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

Also known as the series I won't shut up about, I've been reading this series most of the quarter and frantically flipped through my print out of the challenge to make sure each book fit into to some slot. It's a new all time favorite. Great for anyone interested in different cultures, drama and hunger and envy inducing descriptions of food.

A book with a title that's a character's name: Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

This was a book where I was upset that I hadn't read it sooner. A quirky family, a lot of heart, and humor make this book a great pick me up. 

A Bestseller from a genre you don't normally read: Life, The Universe, and Everything by Douglas Adams

I had been reading this book during my trip to Cancun and had left it there since I returned and figured this was a great excuse to pick it up again. Adams' joyful Nihilism can make anyone like sci-fi. 

A book with a month or day of the week in the title: A Perfect Yesterday by Ann L. Tucker 

I know this matchup is a bit of a stretch because 'yesterday' isn't actually a day of the week, but this book was shoved in my hands before I could think of if it fit anywhere. Thankfully it's a short and sweet read. 

Up Next: 

A book with multiple authors: Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein 

I've already started diving into this and I'm not sure how it will affect my life, but learning about the psychology of how we make decisions, good and bad, is really interesting. 

A book with one of the four seasons in the title: Three Day Summer by Sarvenaz Tash 

Had to wait for the right weather to start this one, of course. 

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? 

The Perfect Summer Tank Top

I took a few, quick minutes to mess around with my new camera for these photos before heading out to my cousins' dance recital. The photos are bit more hazy than I'd like, but I have plenty of time to get familiar with this one (I mean, I used my old camera for 6 years - yikes!) 

As for my outfit, I'm still on a Madewell kick. I picked up this tank top in their sale, and it's a great staple piece. The mustard color is trendy, but the shape is simple and falls right in between tight and loose; it's easy to tuck into shorts or just leave it be. It makes the getting dressed in this summer heat a little less of a hassle. 

Dressed in: Madewell tank, H&M shorts (similar), Urban Outfitters heels (similar), Bunnyhell's Dorian Gray necklace 

Bad Week, Good Outfit | Camp Collection Romper

When I took these photos it had been (and continued to be) a rough week. Looking for a job is never fun and it's made a bit worse when you're not a patient or optimistic person. Fortunately, this was a pretty good day. I'm not a beach person, but I can get on board when it's barely 75 degrees, it's the middle of the week, and there are maybe 10 people on the beach total. Good company helps too. 

I've been eyeing up the Camp Collection recently and I was lucky enough to get two pieces for my birthday. I struggle with dressing in the summer (there's so few opportunities for layers) but I like the style they've gone with. They have a lot of very simple pieces, but the 70s inspiration makes them a bit more unique and fun to style with modern trends. This Fonda romper is a great example; it's a simple terry item, but has the interesting details of the almost mandarin style collar and trims on the sleeves and shorts. 

It's a new summer staple. 

Dressed in: Camp Collection romper

Fish's Favorites: Spring 2017

This spring has been such a rollercoaster that I rescind all the other times I called my life a roller coaster, because I never truly knew what that meant until now.  I had surgery, graduated college, took what felt like a million trips from the city to home and back and moved out. All to say, even the misery of post-graduation cluelessness is a pleasant break from all the chaos. I'm hoping for a much calmer summer and while we wait for good weather, here's everything I loved in the chaotic quarter of spring: 

Black Tap outfit post, Inked II, and DIY outfit post. 

Wearing: This season has been all about Madewell. They've really hit a sweet spot between trendy and classic, with tons of pieces I could wear for years to come. Everything I've gotten recently has also been great quality, holding up to lots of wear and washes. I hope they keep it up. I've also been wearing my green J. Crew jacket often. Every spring it pops back into my wardrobe, though I may want to get a new lightweight jacket for some variety. 

Listening: For the first half of spring it was all about Leon Bridges. I fell in love with his song River, and listened to it on repeat for days. He has this lovely old school soul and blues mood, which is a great contrast to all the pop and electronic music I listen to. 

The second half belonged to Miike Snow. I rediscovered the song Genghis Khan and had to dive into all of their songs. They have lively beats with extremely interesting music videos I can't stop watching. I think they'll be a staple from now on. 

Applying: On the skincare front I bought the much hyped Bioderma micellar water for makeup remover and the hype is so real. It's super gentle, my eyes have no reaction to it at all, and this bottle is looking like it'll last me forever (or at least a couple more months.) I've also fallen under the spell of the Pixi beauty sleep cream. I've really thought about it since my cruelty-free post, and it has helped keep my skin calm and get my skin to take in some more moisture. It's much needed in skin freak-out moments. 

As for makeup, I've been surprised by the Milani eyeshadow primer. I was convinced there wasn't a drugstore primer that would perform as well as the Nars one, but I have been pleasantly proven wrong. I've also completely switched up my eyebrow routine with this Stila marker. It creates a much softer brow, but gives me the precision to create an exact tail. 

Reading: I don't usually talk about books in my favorites, but this series has taken over my life. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan follows Rachel as she discovers the affluent, extravagant, and insane society her boyfriend's family belongs to. As for plot I'll say no more, but it is an incredibly good read. It's well researched, funny, and keeps you captivated in the drama from start to finish. I haven't been glued to a book series this much since Harry Potter. 

Watching: It was hard to narrow this section down (it could seriously be a whole series of blog posts) but I decided on 3 great ensemble shows that are worth a watch. First off, Golden Girls is truly a classic, and if you're into TV comedies it's a bit of a tragedy if you've never seen it. Four grandmas being sassy, dirty, and heartfelt is just what the soul needs; anytime, anywhere (also it has a great theme song to sing along to.) 

It really hurts my heart that it's been canceled, but I will never stop recommending The Get Down. I've always loved Baz Luhrmann films, but this has so many other elements that make it incredible. The acting is great and the recounting of hip-hop's early days is interesting and makes for some great music throughout the series. It also gets creative with forms of storytelling and there are great nods to how nerd culture influenced hip-hop. 

Lastly, we have BroadChurch. If you follow my Twitter, you may have seen me having the greatest stress of my life watching this series. It's a crime drama set in a small English town, and it really grips you into caring about everyone and desperately wanting justice for this family. Make sure to pick up a stress ball before hitting play though (do they still make those?) .

What's been your obsession lately?