"The Curated Closet" by Anuschka Rees

This is a necessity for ladies seeking to update their closet and wardrobe.  Unlike other books that are just full of fashion fads that are here today, gone tomorrow, this book focuses on the reader.  There are multiple prompts, quizzes, and activities for the reader to fill out.  Readers will analyze their current wardrobe, their body shape / type, their colors, their styles, and--most important of all--their lifestyle.  Readers will figure out what energy they want to put into the world and then how to build outfits around that.  There is an emphasis on making one's closet fit one's lifestyle.  In other words, if someone works at a corporate job five days a week and goes out socially once a month, it does not make sense to have more "going out clothes" than "work clothes".  As Rees says, one must shop for their real life...not their fantasy life.  The author also helps readers curate outfit uniforms, capsule wardrobes, essentials, basics, statement pieces, and more.  There is even a section on seams, fabric quality, fit, and shopping advice.  A curated closet is full of go-to pieces that can be worn in multiple combinations.  Don't waste money on fast fashion that wears out and can not be combined into multiple outfits.  Rees wants readers to curate a closet that is perfect for them.  I can not recommend this book enough!

"A Change of Heart" by Claire Sylvia with William Novak

This phenomenal book is the memoir of Claire Sylvia...the woman who got a heart-lung transplant.  It tells her remarkable story both before and after the transplant.  Plagued with a heart issue from childhood, Claire is tired and sick for most of her life.  As a professional dancer, this is incredibly difficult.  When Claire can no longer keep pushing on and is at death's door, she gets approved for a transplant.  The identity of her donor is confidential yet Claire has dreams about the donor.  She has so much information about the donor that she ends up tracking down the donor's family and amazing them with the information she has (which was not disclosed to her since hospitals have a strict donor confidentiality policy).  Claire also has physical and mental changes from the transplant--craving beer and chicken nuggets when she normally did not like those foods.  Claire even starts a support group for others in the transplant process.  There she learns that she is not alone in the changes she is experiencing.  This book really makes readers think of what the heart really is.  Is it just a pump or is it something more?  Is the brain the only part of the body that carries memories or is the concept of other parts of the body holding memories (i.e.- "cellular memory") the true reality?  Where does the spirit go when one dies, and how is it related to the physical body?  Questions like these and more are addressed both from Claire's own personal experience, the experience of those in her transplant support group, and scientific discoveries referenced at the end of the book. 

"Dresses to Dream about" by Christian Siriano

This coffee-table-style book is hard cover and full color.  It chronicles about two dozen of Siriano's most iconic and famous dresses.  There are the actual dresses on mannequins, the sketches, images of fabrics being tailored, and then some information / quotes related to each dress in question.  While I could appreciate the dresses as art, I wouldn't necessarily say that I could picture myself wearing many of them.  First of all, many of them are so fancy I would be incredibly overdressed should I wear them.  Secondly, many of them do not appear to be functional or flattering.  For instance, many dresses are sleeveless with unflattering top sections that would likely cause anyone larger than a size 0 spill out of.  Nevertheless, this was a fun book and gave me some fashion inspiration.

"Bloom" by Kro Maclear and illustrated by Julie Morstad

What a fun and inspiring little book this is!  Hard cover and full color, this children's book is all about the story of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli.  Elsa grew up in the 1920s/1930s and loved flowers.  She sought to see the beautiful in everyday life.  In spite of discouragement from friends and family, Elsa decided to take on a fashion career as an artist.  While she didn't "make it big" until in her late 30s, Elsa never gave up.  She introduced shocking pink colors into fashion and came up with one-of-a-kind designs that gave Paris something to talk about.  

"How to Dress for Succes" by Edith Head

This is one of the few books that, while it has more words than pictures, it gets the message of fashion across rather well.  Edith gives age-old advice for how women can use their wardrobe to achieve success (whether that be in business, marriage, family, etc).  The tips are both practical as well as comical as Edith gives examples of outfits that scream success vs failure.  Readers will get an idea of how to start dressing for success by defining what it is they want, observing how others acts / behave / dress, analyzing their own bodies / shapes / colors, making an inventory of their closet, and so on.  There are even chapters on how to dress one's children and husband.  Overall, this book was such a fun delight to read.  Whether you like it or not, people will and do judge you based on appearances.  Why not use that to your advantage?  As someone who has dressed many famous celebrities, Edith can attest to the fact that even the most sought-after movie-star has her own flaws - she just dresses well enough to hide them while simultaneously drawing attention to her best features.  Pick up this short fun book today if you want to learn how to dress for success! 

"How to Never Look Fat Again" by Charla Krupp

This book is equal parts humor and equal parts genuine fashion advice.  The basic premise is that women can look either slim or fat depending on what they choose to wear.  Countless examples and photos prove this examples.  The woman at the same height and weight can look drastically heavier or slimmer based on her attire.  Issues such as big busts, large rears, bellies, thick calves, flabby arms, thick ankles, wide shoulders, thick necks, back fat, muffin tops, and more are covered.  There are various lists of what to do vs not do, as well as examples from celebrities.  While I like the overall idea of using clothes to slim down, I appreciated how Krupp encouraged readers to exercise and eat healthy such that they can get closer to their ideal weight that's best for them.

"Classic Style" by Kate Schelter

Full of beautiful watercolor paintings, this book is a delight.  Kate gives readers a biography of her life, how she met her husband, what family she came from, what makes her happy, and so on.  There are sections on different accessories (hats vs sunglasses vs bracelets vs shoes), as well as how to handle special occasions (vacations vs going to the beach vs working out vs going to work).  There is an emphasis on getting a choice few items of clothing that are classics.  Classics are those pieces of clothes that fit you great, make you feel like a million bucks, and go with lots of different outfits.  Kate discourages readers from buying something that they only intend on wearing once or buying excess because there is a "sale".  Find what works for you and rock it!

"Style" by Lauren Conrad

This is a fun hardcover book with all things style from celebrity personality Lauren Conrad.  After a brief intro on Lauren herself, the book dives right into specific fashion styles.  There is a lot of mini-dresses, jeans, short skirts, tee shirts, high heels, sleeveless tops, and so on.  Hair and makeup and also covered in later chapters.  While there are some sections on how to make outfits work both at the office and at parties, I would say that this book is more for fun 20-year-old outfits than it is for professional women outfits.  Also, Lauren has a very particular body shape.  What looks flattering on her would not necessarily look good on women with fuller figures.  Long story short, while I had fun flipping through this book, I personally would not wear the outfits Lauren showcases.

"Style" by Kate Spade

This small slim book is very cute.  It talks about the essentials of style.  There is a large emphasis on dresses and skirts, as well as accessories.  Spade explains how clothes should fit, when to wear white, how to rock a black dress, how high heels should be, and much more.  The emphasis is on effortless style that looks good, feels good, and fits good.  The font is a fun style and the illustrations are equally stylish.  Spade also has an introduction to how she came to find her own style.  This includes various references to books, movies, historical figures, and more.  Spade wants readers to know that it is okay to "copy" others.  One does not have to figure out every aspect of style on their own.  Classic pieces are classic for a reason. 

"The Style of Movement" by Deborah Ory and Ken Browar

This book is truly inspirational and great for coffee tables.  It is a heavy hardcover book with glossy full color pages.  While there is some text and writings on the style of movement, as well as various inspirational quotes, the vast majority of this book is images.  Dancers move about in their fantastic outfits and perfect moments are captured in time.  The models themselves are very diverse and come from dance companies all across the world.  Some are men, some are women, and multiple ethnicities are represented.  While I found many photos to be breathtaking, I would not say they inspired my personal fashion choices so much.  The dancers are understandably fit and mostly devoid of curves.  So while they look great, I could not imagine their outfits fitting me the same.  Nonetheless, I really liked this book and enjoyed many of the dresses, especially those with flowers embellished on.

"The Negotiation Fieldbook" by Grande Lum

This book is truly a one-stop-shop for all things negotiation.  Written by negotiation experts, it walks the layperson through the aspects of how to create win-win situations.  There are several worksheets and examples included to help readers apply the knowledge they learn to their specific situation.  There is also a glossary in the back to assist with the various negotiation terms.  Readers will learn how to understand what it is they want and how that ties in with what others want.  They will learn key tactics--some fair and some unfair--that are commonly used in the industry.  While the main idea is creating a win-win scenario, this book also asks some tough questions of the reader that will make them really see the other perspective and decide if what they are asking for is really the best.  A great business read if you ask me!

"The Missing Gospels" by Darrell L Bock, PhD

This is a fascinating book about some of the writings of Christianity that did not make it into the New Testament.  While I had expected full "missing gospel" texts to be included, this book had more of selective quotations interspersed between academic debates.  There is the Gospel of Thomas, the Letters of Clement, and well as some really obscure writings I had never heard of...some of which include Jesus laughing above his own crucifixion or wooden crosses verbally speaking at Jesus' tomb.  The author is a respected academic in the evangelical movement.  His main intent is to show how the "missing gospels" support the validity of the New Testament and--where they don't--that they are false.  While I found this to be rather biased, I was not surprised given the author's background.  Nevertheless, I did learn a lot about the religious and spiritual climate of the first few centuries following Jesus' passing from this earth.  Christianity isn't just what's in the New Testament.  Read Bock's book to learn about the alternative Christian books that often don't get the spotlight.

"Millionaire Success Habits" by Dean Graziosi

I got this book at a real estate seminar and for the most part have enjoyed it.  It's all about the habits that set apart successful people from those who are stuck in life.  Dean shares his personal life story of how he grew up with struggles - both financial and developmental.  The point is that if Dean can make something of himself, so can you.  Many of the habits in this book make sense.  Decide what motivates you, find your dream, set goals, reward yourself for a job well done, delegate out what you are not good at / don't like, silence the inner critic in your head, ignore negative people, and so on.  What I liked was how positive Dean was in the entire book.  He doesn't baby readers by promising riches and fame.  Rather, he outlines clear no-nonsense tips for getting ahead in life.  Master that and the success will follow.

"Zealot" by Reza Aslan

I listened to this book as an audio book CD while driving around in my vehicle.  The purpose of this book isn't to sway readers in any one religious direction.  Rather, the purpose is for readers to understand the history and politics that Jesus grew up in.  Hence the subtitle of "the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth."  On that note, Aslan distinguishes between Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus the Christ.  He gathers evidence from the time and other historical documents to paint a picture of both Jesus' childhood and his day-to-day life as an adult.  The historical accuracy of many New Testament books comes into question as certain events do not align with what scholars note as commonplace.  This isn't even to mention miracles, which Aslan has no problem with; after all, even Josephus notes the miracles of Honi the Circle Maker.  What Aslan does find fault with is the notion that Pilate--a man known for his excessive cruelty and haphazard execution of Jews--would even bother to waste his time giving Jesus a trial.  Aslan notes the political upheaval in the aftermath of the destruction of the Temple and the need to both absolve the Romans and make Christianity appealing to the Gentile masses.  Aslan also discusses the early church disagreements between Paul and James / Peter.  Aslan goes so far as to say that Paul invented Christianity...not Jesus or any of the disciples.  This book is highly thought-provoking and will make readers question their deeply held religious beliefs.  Do you believe something because you have tested its historical accuracy, or do you believe something because it aligns with your worldview and makes you feel safe?

"Dating God" by Daniel P. Horan

I thought this book would be a good relaxing read on spirituality.  Comparing the pursuit of God to dating makes much sense in my mind, so I gave this book a go.  I liked how short it was (less than 200 pages) and how each chapter is standalone.  I can read a chapter, reflect for a while, then move on to the next chapter without missing a beat.  Each chapter begins with a quote, delves into Horan's spiritual commentary and insight, then ends with a summary and discussion questions.  This is a great book to be part of a book club / study with friends.  Since Horan is of the Catholic Order, he does talk a lot about "the Christ".  However, I would argue that the underlying ideas in this book apply to God in general and, as such, would appeal to readers of various religions.  Take time to be alone, meditate on life, serve others, steward the earth, and maybe--just maybe--you'll find God along the way.