It’s been a while since I did one of these posts, huh? For a while there wasn’t much to report on the reading front, and more recently, I just got plain lazy. The truth is that I don’t enjoy writing about books; my idea of a satisfactory review is the title, brief (and I mean BRIEF) description of the subject matter, and my personal ranking of how much I liked/enjoyed the book. Yet, I feel like that’s somehow inadequate for a post like this; I would like to write more, but my laziness always gets the better of me. With that in mind, I thought I would try my preferred “speed round” approach and see if anyone still found it useful/interesting.

– Christopher Hibbert, The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici: Title is self-explanatory; this is a biography of the Florentine House of Medici. I would give it a 4/5. Hibbert is an excellent historian, and he is working with fascinating material in the case of the Medicis, but the books is a bit dry at times.

– Tana French, The Trespasser: Mystery novel of the “cop procedural” sub-genre, set in contemporary Ireland. All of French’s novels are set in the same “universe”, featuring the same police department but with different detectives as protagonists in each case. The protagonist in this book is a WOC, and the crime is reported as a domestic case (though there is, obviously, more to it than first appears). I would give this a 3.5/5. French is one of my fave contemporary mystery writers, but her plots are hit-and-miss for me. This one was more of a “miss”. French writes “good atmosphere”, so that upped the ranking for me.

– Bill Bryson, One Summer: America, 1927. As the title suggests, a book about the events that took place in America during the summer of 1927. If, as for me, that year doesn’t mean much to you, you will be pleasantly surprised by how eventful it was. This was a fantastic read, 5/5. Bryson is one of my favourite writers, period, and has a tremendous knack for weaving together all kinds of stories: Charles Lindbergh’s history-making Transatlantic flight, Babe Ruth’s legendary exploits, Al Capone’s tax trial, Prohibition, the creation of Mount Rushmore, and many, many more.

– Bill Bryson, Troublesome Words. This one is hard to describe, but it’s a cross between a dictionary and a spelling/grammar/syntax textbook. It doesn’t sound like something that would be fun to read, but Bryson somehow succeeds in making it precisely that. It’s best read in short chunks, and probably worth referencing every so often. I would give it 5/5 as a writer’s resource. I thought I was a good writer (and a bit of a snob about others’ sloppy writing), but this book showed me that I have PLENTY of room for improvement.

– Robert Galbraith, Lethal White. Mystery novel of the “private detective” sub-genre, set in contemporary England. This is the 4th novel in the Cormoran Strike series, which I love. I pre-ordered this and received it on its release day and, despite it being 7697353 pages long (actually 656 pages but, trust me, it’s a doorstop-sized thing), I finished it in about 3 days. As for my ranking … it’s tough. I would give it a 3/5, which might be a bit stingy.

OK, I am going to make exception to my earlier comments and talk about this one in a bit more detail.

First off, it is way too long. The mystery itself (once the book got to it) is enjoyable enough, if slightly predictable – and I say that as someone who rarely spots the culprit ahead of the reveal. The details of the whodunit are complicated enough that I did not connect the dots (nor do I usually try, I love the reveal-all scenes in mystery novels and hate spoiling my own fun), but let’s just say that the culprit(s) pinged my radar, big time.

The bigger letdown was the rest of the book, namely the ongoing Cormoran-Robin relationship saga. Pause here for a SPOILER ALERT.

DO NOT READ FURTHER UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE SPOILED.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

So, like, NOTHING gets resolved over six hundred odd pages. Nothing. Robin gets married and subsequently (after six hundred pages) decides to leave her husband, who has no redeeming qualities whatsoever to justify taking that long over the latter decision. Cormoran dates some forgettable character, and Charlotte pops up just long enough to establish what will presumably be the romantic obstacle(s) for the next 2 to 4 books. Cormoran and Robin never talk about their actual feelings for each other, whilst spending countless pages of interior monologue analyzing them in detail. I had hopes for the epilogue, but nope. Still just platonic friends, happy to use work as an excuse to see each other, sublimated lust, etc., etc., etc. Seriously, the progress of this relationship is slower than George RR Martin’s typical publishing schedule. We are FOUR books deep, people. As a reader, I love a slow-burning romance, but this is pushing my limit. I acknowledge that’s a very subjective thing, though.

Also subjective, and possibly polarizing? I don’t know that I actually connect with Robin as a standalone character. I love Cormoran; to me, he stands out as a memorable, charismatic character, but Robin? She could be any number of generic “plucky heroine, haunted by past trauma” characters. Maybe she is meant to be the “everywoman” character that allows the (female) reader to insert themselves into the book but … nah, she doesn’t really do it for me. I wanna work with someone like Cormoran (in a fantasy life, because I’m actually a wuss and would hate to be a private detective in real life), but I don’t want to be Robin. Does that make sense?

Alright, that’s enough blabbing from me. If you’ve read Lethal White, I would love to hear your thoughts. And, as always, if you have reading recc’s, leave them in the comments!

September is not the worst month of the year – no other month can be, as long as January exists – but it might be the most melancholy and also possibly the busiest. As a lover of summer (and also a summer baby), September always comes as a stark reminder that time is passing. Frankly, I’m not fond of such reminders and it’s not even something I can blame on my age; I hated it at 18, and at 28, and I hate it now. And September is busy, hot damn! Kids are back at school (which comes with a whole slew of logistical issues to navigate), the seasonal ramp-up at work is underway, and I am somehow perpetually sleep-deprived even though I’m in bed by 9 every night and have no social life to speak of. Ahem.

September is a weird month, and that’s why my outfits were all over the map. That’s the story I’m going with, anyway.

There are all kinds of things going on here, and I feel like it’s all a reflection of my distracted mood. Kinda holding on to the idea of summer, kinda trying to adjust to a new season, kinda not caring much either way. There are some really cool outfits in the mix, but they mostly feel like (happy) accidents. As I mentioned last month, I have re-dedicated myself to exploring the capsule approach – my own version of it, at least – going forward. I’m pretty stoked about October’s outfits, but I think I can do even better in the coming months.

Why a capsule approach? I find that it really forces me to pay attention to silhouettes and the way that pieces play off each other, and how they make me feel. While I love variety – especially in the long run – it can be distracting and challenging when one is trying to pursue a specific aesthetic (even if mine is not a particularly narrow aesthetic).

So, yeah, I’m pretty excited for October – at least as far as outfits are concerned. And (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

Tell me: what are you excited about this fall? I need some vicarious thrills, people; help a woman out.

What are your best tips for thrifting for your home?

1) As with all thrifting, take your time and check everything. Most thrift stores are a jumbled mess, so you have to dig around.

2) Research your finds. If something looks interesting, Google it. You may have inadvertently hit a goldmine. Or not. Either way, it might help you decide if the sticker price is worth it.

3) Take measurements. I’m guilty of not doing this often enough, and just winging it. But if you’re looking for something to fill a specific hole/spot – a frame, a sofa, whatever – then go to the store armed with the information you need.

4) Trust your instinct. You live in your house, so if you like an item and it makes you happy, then buy it.

Also, keep in mind that houses (like people) evolve over time. With small items in particular, if I really love it, I will buy it even if I don’t have a concrete plan for it at the time. I don’t like clutter, so I don’t recommend mindless hoarding, but I have bought items simply because “I’ll find it a home somewhere/sometime”. And I did, usually sooner than expected.

Is it too late to get married in your 30s?

I can’t really answer that. To start with, too late for what? Also, it depends. Actually, scratch that. My general life philosophy is that it’s never too late to try anything that makes you happy. From that perspective, as long as you’re both still alive and kicking, it’s not too late.

I got married a month shy of my 30th birthday, and had 2 kids before I was 35. Kids more than marriage is a question of timing and, even for that, there is no absolute right answer. There benefits and drawbacks to having kids in your 20s, and your 30s, and your 40s. Finding the best balance (or compromise) is a personal decision.

What is your favourite thrift find? Have you ever decided against buying something only to regret it later?

I honestly don’t know if I can narrow it down to one favourite thing. How about a list of favourite brands that I’ve thrifted, by category:

– Designer: Marni, Dries Van Noten, Rick Owens, Zero+Maria Cornejo, Sarah Pacini, Iris Setlakwe, Armani Collezione, Lela Rose, Burberry.

– Mall brands: Aritzia, Madewell, Anthropologie.

– Shoes: Manolo Blahnik, Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, AGL, Chie Mihara, Stuart Weitzman, Arnold Churgin.

I have experienced a fair bit of thrift regret, but it’s always temporary. Off the top of my head, I can’t think a single item that I still remember and regret not getting months after the fact.

Do you think your style would have evolved in the same way if your job hadn’t changed?

That’s a difficult question. I think so, because I had started to go down this path before I changed jobs. Would it had been the exact same evolution? Hard to say. My current work environment is definitely more casual, which helps me to embrace a less traditional approach to professional dressing that coincides with my overall aesthetic.

How come you are all over Pinterest but don’t have many followers on Instagram?

I am? I mean, that comes as something of a surprise to me, since I’m not on Pinterest. But to answer the question, I have no idea. Possibly because people don’t link to my Instagram or blog on Pinterest? I also don’t buy followers on Instagram, and have nothing to sell, which probably impacts my followers count as well. I try not to get too hung up on that. I don’t care about numbers for numbers’ sake; I care about connecting with people who are interested in the same things I am.

What are your best thrifting tips? How do you make the most of your time thrifting? What are the best stores?

Go often. Honestly, that’s the number 1 tip. I go every week. The merchandise turns over quickly in thrift stores, and they get new stuff every single day. The more you go, the more you find. By going often, you also get to know the store inside and out, which helps you to maximize your time.

My personal approach is to hit up all the areas of interest (usually in the same sequence) and scan quickly for fabrics that stand out, either to the eye or the touch. Sometimes, if I have lots of time, I will meticulously go through each rack; but that’s rare. Using my approach, I’m sure I miss some good stuff, but I’m still able to find lots of things in a relatively short span of time. The key is to develop your eye/touch for quality fabrics. That takes time and practice. So, again, going often is key. Also visit luxury department stores and spend time observing/touching the pieces (in a non-creepy way, haha!). You will learn to quickly recognize quality.

Best stores vary by location. In my area, Goodwills and Value Villages are the best. Both are chain stores, and get the bulk of donations.

How do you find such good scores all the time?

See above. Also, I live in a place with a good thrift scene. I still haven’t quite worked out what makes a town have a good thrift scene, but I have some ideas. Edmonton is generally considered a “blue collar town” – hence my blog title – but it’s actually far more diverse (economically and culturally) than people realize. There are tons of rich folks here … you just don’t necessarily see them/hear about them in the same way that you might in Vancouver or Toronto, let’s say. It’s also a good size – big enough to have a diverse customer base, not so big that there is a lot of competition (both in terms of people consigning their stuff versus donating, as well as thrift competition from resellers) and crazy high prices. Although Value Village is certainly doing its best to change that last part …

Got a question? Drop it in the comments. And stay tuned for Part 3 of my Instagram AMA.