readings lately :)

cold cold winter, aka the perfect time to do some reading :) here are a few of my recent reads and recommendations:

this is the story of a happy marriage by ann patchett 

in high school i became particularly fond of bel canto and its opera singing heroine. i was happy to realize that ann patchett's strengths extend well beyond her ability to write a thrilling and accessible novel. this novel was filled with truthful, beautiful sharing about life and loss and love. she articulates her ideas so beautifully, especially in one poignant essay about the power of education and forming your own opinions, as well as one about her divorce as a 25-year-old leading to her happy marriage more than twenty years later. 

almost english by charlotte mendelson was a fun, british read set in a girls' boarding school. perfectly riveting and well-written for the holidays.

the unbearable lightness of being was a particularly poignant read about relationships and love and growing as people... not the happiest read i've experienced but certainly a beautiful one filled with thoughts that have stayed with me since reading them. this book has been around for a while and its stood the test of time for a reason. (also i want to go to prague.)

i've read a few other books lately - the alchemist, a gift from my sweet boyfriend, which was inspirational and lovely to read. we're also reading the hen who dreamed she could fly by sun-mi hwang which is the perfect bedtime read. also my friend charlotte gave me a hilarious (and helpful!) book called adulting which i highly recommend to anyone in their twenties. :) :) next up i'm thinking of reading the hours or maybe some dickens.... this nytimes article really got me thinking about the importance of delving into things with some depth in our age of instant access and bitesize thoughts all over the internet. i was sick yesterday and watched les enfants du paradis as suggested by my coach as inspiration for my debussy set on my upcoming recital. three hours of black and white stylized french film... but you know what? by the end of the three hours, i loved it. 

have you read anything delicious lately? i used to have a russian friend who would skip lunch in order to read... he told me that a good book filled you up like a meal. :) :)