Review: Triumph by Lizzie Harwood

Title: Triumph
Author: Lizzie Harwood
Publisher: Editor Deluxe Press
Publication Date: February 23, 2015
ISBN:
Number of Pages: 138
How I Got It: direct from author
Format: Kindle

Goodreads Summary: 
Triumph: Collected Stories offers a glimpse into the lives of contemporary women around the world on the verge of breakdowns or breakthroughs.
Who doesn’t know a gone girl or a complicated woman? A mother, sister, friend, or even that girl who looks back at you in the mirror. Love or defriend them, we all know them.
In this bouquet of short stories, you’ll meet a gang of gutsy gals, mothers-on-the-edge and anti-heroines, including Betty and Alabama, who feature in the forthcoming series, Polaroids.
Prose like Katherine Mansfield on vodka shots, by a writer who could be Lena Dunham’s weird Antipodean cousin or Gillian Flynn’s doppelgänger.

My Review:

I do not know of any other short story compilation that features female anti-heroes. As a lover of female authors and characters, I was glad to have the opportunity to explore such a work. Author Lizzie Harwood provides much more than the typical female characters that populate much of what is considered women's fiction. There is no "will they or won't they get together in the end" here. This collection is more "will she or won't she throw herself in front of a train at the end." It was as if Harwood hovered above the earth and randomly choose a handful of women from across the globe, then imagined what would a day or weekend look like for them? Which leads one to wonder that while Harwood's stories are fiction, how far from the truth are they really? I would definitely recommend this collection and hope that it will be released as a paperback. I would have loved to read this while daydreaming at the beach or poolside this summer.

** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

Masterpiece Monday:: Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 

Title: Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic
Author: Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter
Publisher: V & A Publishing 
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
ISBN:9781851778263
Number of Pages: 160
How I Got It: direct from publisher
Format: hardback

Publicist's Summary:
Thea Porter (1927–2000) came to epitomize bohemian chic in the 1960s and ’70s, using an eclectic mix of luxurious fabrics for her signature flowing dresses that became favorites of stylish women everywhere. Faye Dunaway, Joan Collins, Barbra Streisand, and Elizabeth Taylor were fans; Vogue’s Diana Vreeland championed her clothes; and today vintage Thea Porter is worn by Kate Moss, Nicole Richie, and other fashionistas. This first book devoted to the UK-based fashion designer features new photography of her fabulous clothes and jewelry as well as press clippings, sketches, and excerpts from an unpublished memoir she wrote about her aesthetics, philosophies, and work.
My Review:
I admit...I had never heard of Thea Porter before I read this book, and it's no wonder since this is the first book devoted to her. From her beginnings in Damascus and Beirut through London, New York, Los Angeles, and Paris, this book chronicles the life and evolution of the designer and her bohemian collections. This stylish visual biography contains Porter's sketches (some of her younger ones done on lined notebook paper,) magazine features (lots of Vogue highlights,) personal photographs, and sassy quotes. Detailed descriptions of her pieces as well as the places and people that influenced her accompany the rich, gorgeous photography. The photos alone had me doing some online searches for vintage Thea Porter. I am so happy to have this book on my coffee table and I recommend it to anyone with a love of fashion or interest in trends and their histories.

Note About the Author:
Laura McLaws Helms is a New York-based fashion historian. She is curator of Thea Porter at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London. Venetia Porter is assistant keeper at the British Museum. She is Thea Porter's daughter.

Buy: Amazon

Book Talk with R and T: Close to Destiny Movie Cast

Tamara and I have been having a fun week featuring Adria Cimino's latest release, Close to Destiny, as our latest "Book Talk with R and T" selection.
Today I'm sharing my dream movie cast.

Goldie Hawn as dreamy, mystical Destiny: 

 Leighton Meester as tortured, broken Kat:

John Mayer as slutball Paul:

Did you picture your movie cast while you read this book? Who did you imagine? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to read my review and enter the giveaway. Also, check out Tamara's great interview with Adria. 


**all photos from IMDB**

Book Talk with R & T: Close to Destiny by Adria Cimino (Review and Giveaway!)

It's time for another Book Talk with R & T! 

This week we will be featuring:

Title: Close to Destiny
Author: Adria J. Cimino
Publisher: Velvet Morning Press
Publication Date: March 2, 2015
ISBN: 9780692346945
Number of Pages: 212
How I Got It: direct from author
Format: Kindle 
Goodreads Summary:
Does déjà vu have a deeper meaning?A puzzling gift from a stranger in a hat shop. Whisperings and footsteps in a dim luxury hotel. Dreams that transport to elegant parties where champagne flows like water. Kat is both frightened and intrigued by the events that have plagued her since she arrived in London, in a final effort to save herself from anorexia and recover from her latest suicide attempt.
Most disturbing is an encounter with a mysterious woman who introduces Kat to Will. And this lovely messenger has information she desperately wants to share with Kat: an incident from more than a century ago that could transform Kat’s future. But will Kat listen?
A story of the role of destiny in life... and of righting the wrongs of the past.

My Review: 
In recovery for anorexia and a suicide attempt, Katherine is relying on her journal and charcoal drawings as her current forms of therapy. While on a trip to London to promote her art, she becomes intwined in the strange goings on at her hotel. After meeting a woman named Destiny, she finds herself involved in a family feud and faced with the possibility of past lives. I loved the settings in this story: grand hotels, intimate apartment sitting rooms, and bustling little tea rooms. I also found the storyline to be a combination soap opera (who's related to who and how are they involved) and seance (past lives, predictions, love stories.) I read this short novel in a single morning and would recommend this fast read to anyone stuck in a reading rut. 

Be sure to enter our giveaway below for a chance to win your copy:



** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **
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