Red Reviews: September

September! The best month for fashion magazines. I look forward to these issues every year, not only because they're massive, but because it's one of the things that really kicks off the end of summer, which, let's be honest, usually overstays its welcome.

15. It's fine. I think her hair looks amazing (dammit now I want to cut mine again!) but the dress, besides being sparkly, which I always love, is just not good. It's just too little fabric. Why, when you have sequins, would you go small?

14. Looks like someone was late. 

13. I love Emma Watson. I think she is just so wonderful...but who allowed her hair to look like this? It's not even Hermione bad...it's windswept bad. Which sucks because I think she looks great otherwise and the pink highlights on the cover really work with her and that dress.

12. Does anyone know when the FALL FASHION! issue of InStyle comes out? Anyone? Bueller? My biggest problem with this cover is that Anne Hathaway looks way older than she really is. 

11. Nervous to rank Queen Bey so low, but there is some stiff competition this month. Her smizing is on fleek and I like the color scheme of the cover, but I'm not so sure about the dress. Or, more specifically, the boob/hip parts of the dress. What I do love is the minimal amount of wording on the cover.

10. This is actually the summer issue of Zink, but Karlie Kloss is awesome so I wanted to include. She is everywhere right now and I think she deserves it all. I love how into healthy living she is, but she also is just a really really good model. You can always tell it's her, but not in a distracting way and she never looks flat. 

9. Very pretty and I especially love the top and the eye makeup. Also, apparently I really like pink writing on magazine covers. Who knew!?

8. Again, a limited color scheme really stands out: black, white, red. Which is cool because Katy Perry isn't exactly known for any of those hues. The shapes on the cover are what I really like with that fan in front of her face making it strikingly different, but it also draws our gaze to her eyes, which are sensational.

7. This cover feels very breathy. It's soft with the pink background and light purple writing, her dress is soft, and her hair is the definition of sex hair. Again, I want to cut my hair, grr!

6. This cover screams the '60s to me. Or, rather, it feels like a robot from the future has been sent back and is trying to work the mod look. I wonder if that is what the creative director was going for. 

5. I think Keira Knightley is one of the coolest, most talented, and most beautiful people out there. And whoa, she really took a 180 from how she is usually seen, which is awesome. She is the Arnold Schwarzenegger part sent from the future to stop mod Mileybot. 

4. Remember when Gigi Hadid was just another Real Housekid of Beverly Hills? And now she's on the cover of the September issue of W magazine. And looking amazing rocking some Kelly Kapowski hair. Oh, and look at that- pink. 

3. Incredible. I love this so much! And man, Taylor Swift is having an incredible year(s). There is so much to love about this cover: the black and white theme, the piano, the Taylor Swift at the same angle as the piano (!), her hair, her makeup, how they kind of whitewashed her face a little with the light, ahhhhh! I love it. 

2. Beautiful and striking. The photograph itself is great (that blurred background!) and it's also Kristen Stewart, who we should all know by now I love.

1. Those eyes. That's what won this the top position for the month. But also, this cover combines the great parts of so many other magazines to make the ultimate: a blurred green background, great hair, perfect eyes and eye makeup, a beautiful piece of clothing, and striking colors.

All right! That's 15 different covers...now, which one is your favorite??

Book Boos: August

August has been a busy month and I spent some of it out of town at two tennis tournaments where I didn't read at all. So, I'm happy with what I completed during such a packed month!

7. Swerve by Vicki Pettersson (ARC). Don't get me wrong, I did like this book even though it's in the last spot for the month. It's non stop action, but like shows like Dexter sometimes, you just have to stop and think "Um, HOW is this possible?" If you don't worry too much about the hows or care too much about the whys, this book is kinda like a horror movie. 

6. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick (Audio). This book is almost like the prequel (with different characters) to 13 REASONS WHY. This is the story, with clues, leading up to the planned suicide of a teen. Heavy stuff. 

 

 

5. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Audio then eBook). I was torn with this book. I loved the first and third parts, but the middle lost me for a bit. I did enjoy the characters and bonus points for an awesome cover. Also, funny story: I've been recommending this as a "clean" young teen book for about a year now at the advisement of a coworker at the bookstore, but they totally have sex in this book! Woohoo, but oops. 

4. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (Audio). While I did imagine Leonardo DiCaprio the entire time I listened to this, a bit was lost by just hearing the words and not seeing them being acted out. I do love this story as I love any story where two people fall in love in one night. At my old (not really) age, it's what I hope for most. 

3. Yes Please by Amy Poehler (Audio). I listened to this on the long drive from Virginia to Ohio and it had me cracking up in my car. I liked the way she presented her stories with a good mixture of reminiscing, bits, and stories from the present. I especially liked hearing stories about her SNL days.

2. Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith (ARC). Jennifer E. Smith writes very good, satisfying books. And she (or her publisher/editor?) is a fan ofthe oxford comma, so bonus points there. I loved this story of two teens spending their last night before heading off to college trying to decide if they should break up or stay together long distance. 

1. In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware (ARC). Gotta love an unreliable narrator! I had received this ARC and wanted to read it, but once I saw that cover, I moved it to the top of my list and I am so glad I did. Great story of a woman trying to remember exactly what happened at her old friend's hen weekend. Had me guessing until the end! What a great debut!