JGIWC book club

Instant gratification is a very vital part of my existence. When I see something I want, I have on blinders until I get it. I am like a tenacious puppy. Though obtaining my desires may not always be instantaneous, but they are certainly all varying degrees of gratifying.

I have a nook, but I often browse the front tables of Barnes & Noble, looking at the new titles and leafing through paperbacks and hardbacks alike. Supporting the publishing industry is extremely important to me as I someday soon hope to be a part of it.

I look to books every single day for inspiration, reading inside jackets for synopses and skimming the outer bounds for one-line reviews and comments by other authors. Sometimes I'll come across a new book that intrigues me and I have to read it right then and there.

See also: instant gratification.

This happened twice recently; both books I came across inspired current projects from the get-go that I am currently working on. Hence my sudden insatiable hunger for the hundreds of pages in my hands.

The first book is 150 Pounds by Kate Rockland. I discovered it just before a weekend out east and downloaded it to my nook immediately. It's about two rivaling weight bloggers - one who is all about the "thinspo" and fighting the obesity epidemic, the other who embraces her curves (and Twinkies) and wants to help other women to, as well.

How interesting to read a book about blogging! I don't think I've ever known a novel that goes into the act of writing and operating a blog in such detail. Ah, 2012! How I love thee.

This is a fun read with little twists and turns that kept me on my toes. Women's weight and bodies and figures are always such a hugely controversial topic and I really liked seeing each side presented the way that it was. I think we each have our own definition of "healthy" (I know I do) and different ideas about what looks or feels right. It is on so many levels a serious subject matter but this book manages to keep it somewhat light. It's a quick read that I really enjoyed.

The second book is These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen. I stumbled upon it in the Simply Books store, Terminal D (the best terminal, I think we can all agree) at DFW during my layover this past weekend. I knew I had to have it almost immediately. I looked at the price and realized it'd be much cheaper to purchase it on my nook. I left the bookstore to do so but I couldn't connect to the free wifi. (Uh... What the hey, DFW?) I moved to another spot and tried again to no avail. My flight was taking off out of C no way was I leaving D without that book. (If you've ever flown through Dallas before, you know it can be a bit of a rigmarole to get from one terminal to the next.) I ran back to the shop and bit the bullet. I told myself that one day there'll be a gal in an airport buying MY book.

I can't remember the last time I spent a flight reading just one anything, but I couldn't put this book down! I was almost through by the time we landed in New York and finished it the next day. I should mention that I'm a slow reader and often flit around... A magazine here, a Divine Caroline article there. (Have you read my new one yet? Shameless plug!) This book is so good. So relatable. Constantly kept me guessing and wanting more. Even though I'm an ultra-sensitive person, it takes a lot for a book to make me cry. I teared up at the end of this (in public, no less). It's a story about three girls living together in New York. The plot lines are zoned in on their struggles, often showing how gritty life in this city can be, but Manhattan is merely a backdrop to the tales of these girls lives and all they must overcome. I often need a reminder of how far from perfect we all are. Everyone has their own crap simmering just beneath the surface, and we (I) shouldn't be so quick to judge because more often than not there is so much more than meets the eye. I would recommend this to any woman in her 20s or 30s, but especially to all of my fellow city dwellers.

Have you read either? What'd you think?