Red Glasses » Books

From Book to Look: Shantaram

Caroline — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:09:37 +0000

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is the story of an escaped Australian convict who finds his way to India and lives for many years under a false identity. From what I can tell, it’s based pretty closely on the author’s life. He lives in slums. He learns the local languages. He works for the Bombay mafia. He even goes to war in Afghanistan. The book is nearly 950 pages and took me forever to read. Which pissed me off because I want to read 50 books this year – hey, a girl’s gotta have goals – but it was worthwhile. Though there are slightly maudlin reflections in the book that didn’t add much for me, the plot of the book is absolutely riveting.

The version I read didn’t have the pretty cover below. This one’s prettier than the one I read. And to match it, a colour-block outfit, no?

Get the book: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Get the look: Topshop tank top, Kenneth Jay Lane necklace, Topshop Jade Paperbag Waist midi skirt & NO.6 Huarache woven clog

From Book to Look: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

Caroline — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:16:38 +0000

There was a certain all-American aesthetic simplicity in Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. But the underlying plot of the book certainly destroys that concept of all-American normalcy… The perfect family is never so perfect, etc. A very readable and emotionally engaging book that deserves the praise it got from critics.

This book was really nature-focused as well, and I really see the characters wearing simple, practical outfits.

Get the book: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

Get the look: 1-Carven t-shirt / 2-Melissa Odabash hat / 3- Boy by Band of Outsiders chinos / 4-Nixon Time Teller watch / 5-Topshop sandals

From Book to Look: Je l’aimais

Caroline — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:40:36 +0000

Je l’aimais is an incredibly powerful novella by one of my favourite French authors, Anna Gavalda. Called Someone I Loved in its English translation, the book is about the unravelling of relationships, adultery and its nasty but sometimes valuable consequences. It is heart-wrenching to read, but beautiful overall.

This outfit matches the cover and I can also picture the main character, Chloé, wearing this. It’s simple but classic, comfortable yet chic.

Get the book: Je l’aimais by Anna Gavalda (English version: Someone I Loved)

Get the look: 1-Acne tunic /2-Dannijo earrings /3- Essie “Nice is Nice” polish /4- R13 jeans /5- Mulberry Alexa bag / 6- Lanvin ballet flats

Decorate and Undecorate

Caroline — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:22:08 +0000

Two interior design books I’m excited to get my hands on have contrasting titles: Decorate by Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick and Undecorate by Christiane Lemieux.

Holly Becker is the author of the blog Decor8 which I’ve read and loved for many years. I find it seriously lovely to see a blogger get recognition for her years of hard work. I’m certain Decorate will not disappoint those who have come to love Holly’s aesthetic. In Decorate she’s collected more than a thousand tips from top designers like Kelly Wearstler and Jonathan Adler. The book promises to be a bible for interior decor lovers and anyone needing some inspiration for their own home.

On the other hand, Undecorate encourages readers to throw out the rules. Lemieux, the founder of DwellStudio (the creators of my much adored duvet cover), encourages readers to eschew perfection in order to create spaces full of contrasts and personal touches. I find this “real people, real homes” approach so inspiring.

A couple of photos from Decorate (via Amazon):

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A couple of photos from Undecorate (via Scribd):

From Book to Look: The Withdrawal Method

Caroline — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:40:22 +0000

Some Can-lit for you today. Pasha Malla is the young-ish author who penned The Withdrawal Method, a well-written collection of short stories that spans a wide variety of narrators and plot lines. In all honesty, while the stories were interesting and original, the book left me feeling a bit melancholy. It was all tinged with sadness. So while I loved the electric blue cover of this book, I don’t think it does justice to its moody contents. All the more reason not to judge a book by its cover.

Get the book: The Withdrawal Method by Pasha Malla

Get the look: Bottega Veneta dress, Chan Luu necklace, ASOS ring, ASOS earrings, Marc by Marc Jacob bag, Yves Saint Laurent heels

From Book to Look: The Feast of the Goat

Caroline — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:29:36 +0000

This fascinating book about the 30-year dictatorship in the Dominican Republic was written by this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa. This book difficult to read (Trujillo was a truly evil dictator!) and it’s quite long, but I would highly recommend it if you’re interested in the history of Latin America.

Get the book: The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa

Get the look: Natalie Brown fern shaped neck piece, Henrik Vibskov dress, Balenciaga bag & Marc by Marc Jacobs thong sandals

From Book to Look: The Imperfectionists

Caroline — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:25:26 +0000

Tom Rachman’s The Imperfectionists charts the downward spiral of a Herald Tribune-esque newspaper based in Rome from its creation in the heyday of newspapers to today’s circulation-reduced, digitally-oriented times. Each chapter features a different employee of the newspaper and their personal and professional lives. As a journalism grad who ended up working in marketing and business, I get a bit sentimental about what my life would have been had I followed that path. This book was fascinating to me for that reason but I think just anybody who loves a good novel would love The Imperfectionists. What I especially loved were the characters and how well-developed and interesting they and their stories were.

I pictured the outfit as something a busy reporter would wear; practical without being plain. I mean, after all, the book is set in Rome, one of the fashion capitals of the world, right?

Get the book: The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

Get the look: Topshop shirt, Kate Spade iPad cover, Marc by Marc Jacobs watch, Topshop skirt, Topshop shoe boots & Ileana Makri earrings

From Book to Look: The Big Moo

Caroline — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:51:57 +0000

Stop trying to be perfect and start being remarkable. Seth Godin is an extremely popular business inspiration writer and with good reason. A spin-off of his book The Purple Cow, The Big Moo is his collection of 33 inspiring stories contributed by successful entrepreneurs. It’s about the simple insights that can be gained when you think outside of the box. Don’t be like everyone else; find a way to be different, to be remarkable. The Boo and I were reading a lot of Seth Godin in 2008, when he launched his agency Remarkable (or Remarquable as we call it in French). The name is no coincidence.

I highly recommend this book, even if you don’t usually read business books: above all it’s about creativity and taking risks, which can apply to all aspects of life. Ever the digitally savvy guy, Godin provides a free excerpt of the book so you can see what it’s all about before you buy.

Get the book: The Big Moo edited by Seth Godin

Get the look: Acne shirt, Mulberry satchel, Topshop cardigan, YSL ring, Miu Miu pumps & Jenni Kayne skirt

From Book to Look: Bad Behavior

Caroline — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:51:13 +0000

Mary Gaitskill is a discovery for me. Truth be told I’m only three-quarters of the way through this book of short stories, but it’s enough to say that I want to read all her other books. Bad Behavior features dark, twisted, sordid affairs. People lost in their thoughts and struggling with their memories and perversions. Her writing is very tight and free of any embellishments. Raw and to the point. Love love love this book!

And I love the outfit. I love long, baggy sweaters over skinny jeans. Simple handbags and shoes. It’s classic and simple. Would you wear this outfit?

Get the book: Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill

Get the look: Joseph tunic, Givenchy bag, 3.1 Phillip Lim necklace, Vince skinny jeans & Marc Jacobs oxfords

From Book to Look: A Visit from the Goon Squad

Caroline — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:48:35 +0000

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan is the first book I finished on my iPad. So I didn’t get to physically feel a book in my hands, glance at its lovely cover every day. But I found it super comfortable and convenient to read a book on the iPad. I highly recommend it (or the Kindle, or any other e-reader really).

This is the best book I’ve read in many months. It’s about rock n’ roll. The circuity of relationships. Technology. Ageing. And it’s funny: really funny and quirky. One of the chapters is a Powerpoint presentation. What’s not to love?

And so here’s the book cover in outfit form. It’s a “going to a show” outfit. Something one of the characters would wear. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t wear leather shorts myself. Not that I don’t think they’re nice, it’s that they take guts to wear. But this outfit would make them easier to pull off, no?

Get the book: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Get the look: Zoe Karssen t-shirt, House of Harlow ring, Alexander Wang leather shorts, Matthew Williamson belted cardigan, Alexander Wang wedges, Alexander Wang bag & House of Harlow earrings