B Beach Read-y

Every week I have my dvr fully stocked of a new show to record almost every night and I find myself indulging in The Hills, The City and The Real Housewives of New Jersey (there, I admit it). But what is better than surrending your brain to nonsense television, is curling in bed with a good book. As summer has now come around it is time to start working on my beach reads

Beach reads are the book version of reality television. Really no thought process involved, the story may be completely made up but once you're engrossed, you just can't stop! My impulse buying is a regular contender on my blog and the purchases don't just limit to clothing and accessories. I am an avid shopper on Amazon.com, where I believe you can buy/find anything! Amazon are clever ones with their great "reccommendation" section, its like they can read my mind!

In result, I have created this pile of books to read on my nightstand. The pile keeps growing but I have found no time to start tackling the pile but soon enough time will come, I'll be on the beach with my toes in the sand and my dvr will have to survive on its own for a week because these books need to be read! I'm always looking for a good beach read so I thought I'd share my list with you and ask for you to share yours-- guaranteed it will be on my doorstep by the end of the week, thanks Amazon!

Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison
A year ago I picked up Shoe Addicts Anonymous in the small bookstore near the beach I was visiting. I needed another beach read and thought I could relate pretty well to the subject. In result, I found a new favorite beach read author and put Beth Harbison's new book on pre-order! This story is about a friendship that was ended over a rumor and now reuniting at their 20th high school reunion their paths cross. It seems as the book jacket says that "Hope in a jar: We all need it."

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
Another book I was anxiously waiting the release of. Emily Giffin wrote Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Baby Proof- an adorable series that takes you by surprise. This is her most recent book that I couldn't wait until the beach to start. So while I should be productive around the house or doing schoolwork, Emily Giffin has me caught up in a world where two very different woman's lives collide after a tragic accident.

Is there a pattern here...?

Heat Wave by Richard Castle
Here's one that will throw a wrench in the system and catch you off guard. The name Richard Castle may sound familar to you if find yourself flipping channels on Monday nights. Richard Castle is the lead charachter on the ABC show cleverly titled Castle. The story is about a murder mystery writer who begins shadowing a NYPD detective to gain inspiration to write his next book. This is that book! ABC you're brilliant bringing the tv show to life-- his second book Naked Heat is set to be released in September.

Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan
While Amazon.com gets me in trouble with a mouse I can't help but suckered into bookstores and book aisles. It's a known fact that when you walk into Target, you are bound to walk out with 90% of your purchase not necessities. My problem yesterday, walked in to buy new pillows came out with a new book to add to the night stand. I couldn't resist the teasing story of four friends and their journey through college, could you?

B Prepared

When I go to tell someone about what I am working towards I typically always get the question, "what do you want to do after you graduate?" My always open answer is I want to be part of the fashion industry. "Good luck" was a recent response I received. This kind of response typically might upset some but for me it motivates. I am always looking for as much advice as possible that I can consume during the next year countdown till graduation. This morning I was looking at internships (a typical everyday activity for me) and I came across this article posted by freeinternships.com from Ed2010. The article gives you a checklist of things to do before an interview with a potential magazine employer. I found it very helpful and thought must of my readers would too. If you are not aiming to be apart of the fashion industry or work for a magazine I still suggest you read it and take what may be relevant to your desired field.

I came across an amazing section on Ed2010 called “Unsolicited Advice,” and it had a great article called “10 Things to Know Before You Interview” written by Kristin Granero. Because Ed2010 is geared towards those working towards a career in editorial, this article is for you, future fashion magazine editors!
Resume: Check. Perfect interview outfit: Check. Remembering to read the masthead before the interview? Whoops! In this competitive industry, it’s hard enough to land a meeting, let alone the job, and the last thing you want to do is look unprepared. Ed feels your pre- (and post) interview pain,so he put together this list of things to know before you go.

“1. How to correctly spell the name of the magazine. Before you meet the editor, you’ll need a killer cover letter. It seems pretty simple, but add a “the” or a capital letter where it doesn’t belong and an editor may not think you belong, either. So remember, it’s Time magazine, not Time Magazine, and CosmoGIRL, not COSMOgirl.

2. The most popular sections. Though the features change from month to month, all magazines contain recurring columns that help distinguish them from other mags. A few examples are Newsweek’s “My Turn,” Ladies’ Home Journal’s “Can This Marriage Be Saved?,” and New York’s “Intelligencer.” If you’re not aware of these defining sections, an editor won’t think you know enough about the magazine to pitch relevant ideas or nail their voice—and you won’t get the gig.

3. The names of the editors. Your interviewer will likely refer to these very important staffers by their first names, and you don’t want to get caught looking puzzled when a Vogue editor mentions Anna. Review the masthead to familiarize yourself with the major players and the more junior editors in the specific department to which you’re applying.

4. The magazine’s audience. Finding out the reader’s average age and the target age (which aren’t always the same), as well as their sex, will help you figure out what types of subjects/celebrities they’d cover. For instance, you wouldn’t find much info on the Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen divorce drama in Seventeen, so pitching an idea on that will get you nowhere with that pub. Check out the magazine’s Web site for the media kit which usually contains this info for advertisers.

5. The dress code. Though that suit worked on your friend’s accounting firm interview, resist borrowing her lucky duds; even at magazines like Consumer Reports and BusinessWeek, you don’t have to be quite as formally dressed. And if you’re applying to a fashion magazine, like Marie Claire or W, show your fashion sense in your interview outfit. And if you’re up for a teen mag job, your clothes should be young and fun—but still appropriate, of course (save your jeans for once you get the job, and put away the cleavage!).

6. Total circulation. Do 2 million subscribe, another million pick it up on the newsstand, and another 3 million read their friends’ or doctors’ copies? If that’s the case, and you mistakenly say the circ. hovers around 100,000, you’re out. You can find this info for free on the Magazine Publishers of America’s (MPA) Web site, magazine.org.

7. Some of the magazine’s recent big stories. If you’re interviewing at Vanity Fair, you better know about the hubbub the semi-nude Miley Cyrus photos created. Editors commonly ask candidates about specific articles they’ve liked or think should have been approached differently. To be prepared, you should read as many back issues as possible (six is a good goal). It’s also smart to be on the up-and-up about any media buzz the mag has garnered; a google news search can help.

8. Its competitors. Though a magazine’s competition (mags in the same niche going after the same readership) isn’t usually the focus of an interview, it can come up. You should know what and who the magazine you’re applying to is up against, as well as what makes it unique from the others (this is also where those special columns and sections come into play). You wouldn’t want to pitch a story for American Baby that Babytalk featured the month before, but you do want to be able to suggest ideas that will give your mag a competitive edge.

9. What each position does within the publication. It’s hard enough deciding exactly what it it is you want to do with the rest of your life; the last thing you need is to settle on a title only to learn that the responsibilities aren’t at all what you wanted. An editorial assistant at a huge magazine may offer few writing opportunities, and even may be 100% administrative. If that’s not the kind of dues-paying you’re into, a mag with a smaller staff may be more your bag. Carefully read the descriptions in the postings, and ask your contacts if they know what duties people in that position at that mag usually have.

10. Its Web content. Now more than ever, magazines are relying on their Web brands to make their presence known and gain readers. At the very least, you should know the mag’s URL (and it’s not always straightforward; it’s redbookmag.com, not redbook.com, for instance), as well as any special features it has (like Cosmopolitan.com’s 30-day blogs). And, especially for teen mags, you should know about its MySpace and Facebook pages.”

Like I said in my last year of school I get alot of questions concerning my after school plans. While some say "you can do it" and others like told above say "good luck" my response is, it is important to do what you love. No matter how hard the industry might be, if you love it you will find your niche and be successful.

Also, check out this post by Free People on their blog about how Urbn, Inc is one of the most creative places in business!

B Reads

I am such a sucker for a good bookstore. While I can get lost in any Barnes and Noble or Borders, I also always find myself getting tempted with Amazon's one click ordering. And since I did finally take the plunge to join Amazon Prime I thought I must take advantage of this and order order order! Just thought I'd share what is on my reading list currently:

If you have to cry, go outside: and other things your mother never told you. By Kelly Cutrone.
If you have been a Hills and City addict the past handful of years you have seen this boss from hell turned mentor to now mogul in work! Kelly Cutrone is known for leading young fashionistas such as Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port into fashion industry success. While her tactics may seem harsh to the viewing world, there is nothing but praise for Kelly. I will be sure to pass on the wisdom I hope to learn in her first book!

Sweet Little Lies. By Lauren Conrad.
Do. Not. Judge. Me! I admittedly bought LC's first book L.A. Candy last year and admittedly finished it rather quickly. Her writing is easy to follow and entertaining. Following the life of a girl on a reality tv show, something that Lauren knows very well, you can't help but get sucked up in the drama just as the shows this may/or may not be based on. If you are looking for a fun easy spring read then I do recommend taking the plunge into Conrad's novels. Review of the second to come..

And while I go ahead and enjoy these two new hardcovers I continue to anxiously await the releases and shipments of the following:
-The September Issue DVD (Releasing February 23rd, 2010)
-Heart of the Matter By Emily Griffin (Releasing May 11th, 2010)
-Last Night at Chateau Marmont By Lauren Weisberger (Releasing May 25th, 2010)

B Reading

Just like my shopping addiction my reading addiction was one where I'd even get myself into trouble. When I was young and my parents would send me to clean my room, instead of cleaning, I would sit on top of the pile of clothes on my bed and read. Eventually my mother would walk in to check on my progress, notice nothing changed and would take my book away. Yes this happens. Some parents have to force their kids to read but my parents would take my books away when I wasn't doing what I needed to do.

One of my favorite kind of stores is book stores. Why is it that stores and libraries are some of the only places where quiet is always found? Just yesterday I had some time to kill before class and decided to take a breeze through Barnes and Noble... trouble. (Do you notice a pattern yet? I need to avoid all kinds of retails when I have time to kill, I will never learn.)

My first decision of what I "needed" as I walked into the gorgeous green doors of B&N was a new school planner. It was getting that time where before we notice it will be 2010! Can you believe it? I feel like just yesterday it was the turning to the millennium.. dun dun dun. B&N has a great business strategy for this particular store for placing the magazines right at the entrance. I couldn't pass up the most recent issue of Vogue. I don't know how I hadn't stumbled upon it till then, this really got me thinking about magazine subscriptions. Sorry, another topic for a later date. So as I was browsing the magazine section I picked up Vogue of course, InStyle, and Everyday with Rachael Ray since I have found myself cooking more and more.

Onto my search for the planners/organziers section I ran into the New Fiction section and couldn't pass up the opportunity to purchase Sophie Kinsella's new book Twenties Girl. Sophie Kinsella was the author of the Confessions of a Shopaholic series (don't let the movie discourage you) and a few other fiction novels. All I have enjoyed reading! If you have already read them all then try reading books by Madeleine Wickham. This is the same author but books under another name. Tricky huh?

So I don't know where I ran into the biography section in B&N. I think I just took myself there... I love biographies. They are such an interesting story and so great to be a part of history! My first choice to read a biography on was Jackie Kennedy Onassis but I wasn't quite sure about the few I found and decided to do a little more research. I decided on reading a biography on Audrey Hepburn. Who doesn't LOVE Holly Golightly?! I have the seen the TV made movie based on her life with Jennifer Love Hewitt but wanted to learn more and I think we all know books are always better than the movie! I'll keep you updated on my progress on Enchantment The Life of Audrey Hepburn by Donald Spoto.

Finally, I did make it to the planner section, on my way to organizing my next bookstore trip. Maybe if I go in with a list I can stay focused? We'll see...