Favorite Books, Blogs and Everything in Between

I love reading. And I love writing. And as uncool as I thought that was back in High School, I now have no shame in admitting these facts.

At the moment I am in a bit of a book-drought, if you will, as I am trying to finish Fifty Shades Freed, the last book from the Fifty Shades series (I know, I am a weird specimen, the only person in the world who hasn't finished it, yada yada yada). But I am nonetheless an avid reader and some books just stay with me long after I finish them, and some blogs I just can't seem to stop going back to every day. So let's get cracking, shall we:


BOOKS

1. The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman
While I have been through stages in my life where I read a few self-help books, I don't particularly enjoy them. This book is far from that. Everyone is their own unique person, and it is not an easy task to learn to spend your life with someone who has their own set of qualities, flaws, likes, dislikes and personality. This book explains beautifully how everyone understands love differently, and how to learn to work with those differences instead of letting them pull us apart. As soon as I got engaged, my mum recommended this book for both my fiancé and I. We both read it and loved it, and try to apply what we learned as much as possible.

2. Orange Is The New Black, Piper Kerman
Can we just talk for a second about how awesome and addictive OITNB is!? I watched the entire season on Netflix in a 48-hour period and soon after, started experiencing a withdrawal syndrome... but managed to get my fix of Red, Taystee, Alex and Pornstache with this entertaining book (the real characters, at least). I haven't finished it yet, as I really don't want to be without them for too long until the second season is released.

3. Committed, Elizabeth Gilbert

Maybe there is a pattern here, seeing that my wedding is coming up, perhaps? This is also a story about, well, commitment and marriage. After her adventures in Eat, Pray, Love (which I also love, because I am cliché like that), Elizabeth Gilbert finally accepts that she might be ready to get married again. She starts another journey, this time exploring what marriage means for different people, and how culture and circumstances affect the way we approach it. A very interesting read with the same self-discovery tone as her best seller.

4. House Rules, Jodi Picoult
It was hard choosing only one of Jodi Picoult's books. She is my favorite author of all time, her books are always impossible to put down for me, and I always become way too involved with her characters. She makes me connect with them in a way no other author has been able to, and she always touches controversial and difficult issues from various points of view, which is something I love about her. In this novel she explores Aspergers syndrome, through the life of a boy who is only able to function when certain conditions are met and certain rules are established, and narrates the impact this has on his entire family.

5. The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown
Together with Jodi Picoult, this is an author whose every single book I absolutely love. Like all of his books, this one also puts into question many of the "truths" we are certain of, it is fast-paced and full of twists. This is one of those books that when finished, you can't stop thinking about for days. In The Lost Symbol his iconic character, Robert Langdon, has yet another deep mystery to solve in order to
stop the secret to "enlightenment" from falling into the wrong hands.

BLOGS

1. Mamamia.com.au
I first discovered this Australian blog in 2009 when I was in New Zealand. I loved how Mia Freedman, its founder, talks about relevant issues from different perspectives and explores motherhood from opposite points of view. It has a huge, faithful community that provides the site with interesting discussions. Very excitingly, one of my articles was published on this blog, and you can go check it out here.

2. SprinkleOfGlitter
From the very first time I started reading this blog, I completely related to it. Louise is a lovely british girl with the most adorable little toddler girl, just a few months younger than my own little boy, and she writes about motherhood from the point of view of a mid-20-year-old, same as me. Also, she does incredible beauty reviews, both on her blog and her YouTube channel, which of course was going to keep me coming back. But her best feature by far is her confidence, she is so happy and satisfied with herself all the time that it's really inspiring.

3. Bubby And Bean
I am completely hopeless when it comes to home decor, design and crafts. That's why Melissa's blog captivated me with her simple instructions, clear details and wonderful tips on all of these topics. Together with great photography and inspiring stories, this blog is a pleasure to read.

4. What The Flicka
Felicity Huffman used to play Lynette Scavo on Desperate Housewives, and now she has taken to blogging with the same free spirits and humor that characterizes her. I specially enjoy her weekly questions in video format, as they are funny yet thought-provoking, and every week she features some of the best responses to them.

5. Song Of Style
Aimee Song is a fashion blogger with a sophisticated style that takes elements from both the relaxed vibe of California girls and the elegance of the ever-so-classy New Yorkers.  Her outfits are always impeccable and are a source of inspiration for any aspiring fashionista.