Savvy Chic – Anna Johnson
“Everything you love for less!
Anna Johnson is not a tea-bag squeezer, a penny-pincher, or inherently thrifty in any way—but she knows how to enjoy the finer things in life . . . for much, much less! In Savvy Chic, she shares her secrets on how to dress, decorate, entertain, and travel in high style without breaking the piggy bank.
All it takes to live well is taste, style, imagination, and rebellious flair—and Savvy Chic will show you how. Fun, fulfilling, and frugally fabulous, here’s your indispensable guide to five-star elegance on a one-star budget.”
I’ve never been one for memoirs. Generally I find them boring – hearing the details of people’s lives, stories about the time they played in the leaves in the fall as a child followed by the best ice cream ever. Of course, there is always a certain amount of wisdom that can be passed on through the stories of people’s lives but it requires a lot of skill to bring those stories back to life.
On the surface, Savvy Chic by Anna Johnson seems like a book filled with tips and tricks about living a stylish life without having to break the bank, with a few anecdotes from the author mixed in. And yes, for the most part it is that, but it’s really more like a book of memoirs with some advice included in the mix. In the end, I don’t feel I learned very much other than if you want to make your financially humble life richer, it’s all a matter of perspective.
The book is divided into six parts – Clothes, Shelter, Income, Food, Travel and Entertainment. Johnson draws on her experiences from working for magazines such as Vogue, her many travels particularly through Australia, the United States and Europe, as well as her life as a recently divorced single mother who has the financially precarious job of being a writer.
The author grew up quite bohemian, and it’s those sorts of ideals she tries to pass along. Most of the time when you are examining your penniless situation it’s a matter of finding the bohemian romance in simplicity in order to keep your sanity before money finds its way back to you.
This is also seen as a way to get back into life. She suggests rarely watching tv, perhaps once a week (if at all), instead, going out to the opening of art galleries, free concerts or to poetry readings. This is all well and good but it made my TV loving, Glee watching heart get a bit squeamish.
I feel that probably younger readers will have trouble relating to Johnson, and her anecdotes since to us, at lot of her ideals might seem a bit….old fashioned? Unappealing? Maybe a bit too bohemian? I personally didn’t find the memoir side of the book very interesting and made the book a bit of a drag to read.
Something I found strange at first, but eventually though it was funny was the constant reference to something Indian – Indian sheets, Indian shirts, Indian sandals, Indian baskets, Indian saris…
Oh my God we get it, you like Indian stuff.
On a lighter note, the book has been BEAUTIFULLY illustrated by the author herself and added a very cute and quirky look to the book.
Of all the sections I found the travel chapters to be the most useful and interesting, as well the chapter in the Fashion section that made you reason with yourself – do you really need these boots just because they’re on sale? It’s good to get a reminder on how to restrain your impulse shopping.
The opening and closing chapters about our feelings and attitudes toward money and possessions were quite thought provoking – in the end do you own your things or do they own you?
Even if you don’t take every piece of advice given, there’ll be something in this book for everyone. A little change in your ways can do you some good, and save you money too.
Pages: 312
Publication Date: December 2010
Publisher: Harper Collins
Challenge: n/a
Rating:: 
Teaser Quote: “Many large museums and art galleries offer drinks and (free) music on a Friday night. I think there is nothing funnier than looking at masterpieces when rosy and half tanked. That’s probably how half of them were created anyway”.
Guest Post by J. Sciancalepore
The Hunger Games And Casting Names…
Why The Odds Are In Our Favor For The Upcoming Movie
By J. Sciancalepore, author of The War On Destiny
There has been a lot of talk lately about casting for the movie version of The Hunger Games – much of it nervous or negative. I just thought I’d throw in my own two cents. And maybe just a little reassurance. Because one name matters more to me than any of the other ones being hotly debated.
To be clear, I love Suzanne Collins’ dystopian series, consider it my favorite read of the past year, and I (like you, I’m sure) have very clear pictures of the main characters in my head. I’ve also been reading the books aloud to my daughter, trying to offer a unique “voice” for each character. Putting it bluntly, most of the names being bandied about don’t exactly fit what I picture or hear.
Jennifer Lawrence was just recently given the coveted role of Katniss. I haven’t seen her yet in Winter’s Bone (currently sitting in my NetFlix queue), but I recently watched her in the indie drama, The Burning Plain. I was impressed, particularly with her ability to “act with her eyes” – conveying confusion, sadness, betrayal and determination without saying a word. This is essential to the successful portrayal of Katniss.
However, I have to say that Ms. Lawrence seems a little too old to me to play the movie’s 16-year-old protagonist. Jennifer is currently 20, and that’s before cameras start rolling on what should be a multi-year movie trilogy (I say “should be” because parts two-three will only be greenlit if part one turns a profit). Jennifer’s also probably a little too pretty for the part and certainly not olive-skinned with dark hair and gray eyes, though I know make-up professionals can help in that regard. And I have to wonder if she is physical enough for the role. Katniss has an almost primal ferocity, and – though vulnerable – she can hunt, fight and kill.
The other name that had been closely attached to Katniss was, of course, Hailee Steinfeld. I, like everyone else, was wowed by her performance in True Grit. She can clearly inhabit a character, and she is a natural with snappy dialog – true to Katniss’s sardonic side. She may even be a bit closer to “what Katniss should look like” than Ms. Lawrence – attractive but not too pretty, tall and strong, slightly Mediterranean.
I suspect that Lionsgate, the studio providing the movie, was concerned that Hailee was actually too young for the role. She’s currently 14 and would have been placed in numerous “romantic situations,” which would have meant casting younger for Peeta and Gale…or risking some serious ick factor.
Peeta and Gale? Alex Pettyfer, Josh Hutcherson and several of the other names being rumored for the two men in Katniss’s life also seem “too pretty” to me. Peeta isn’t supposed to be a chiseled stud – he’s a big lug with an honest face (more along the lines of Cory Monteith, aka Finn from Glee). And Gale should be his polar opposite…grungy, tough, fiery…but still not perfect and coifed.
I’m not so sure about the names people have proposed for Haymitch, either. Hugh Laurie, Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges…they’re all fantastic actors. But c’mon, all of them have only been mentioned because they’ve successfully played drunks/addicts before and they’re all damn funny. But, Haymitch is supposed to be in his early 40s, an ex-athlete gone to pot. Jeff’s clearly too old, whereas Hugh and RDJr. still look in the peak of health. Of the two, I’d choose Robert, who has “bulked up” for movie roles before and would certainly bring lots of personality. Someone posted a very interesting suggestion in the comments at EW.com recently: Philip Seymour Hoffman. I’m not positive about that, but I’m intrigued.
It may be because her character is the one true over-the-top caricature in the bunch, but I actually love all the big-name choices being associated with Effie Trinket. Kristin Chenoweth, fabulous. Christine Baranski, great. Emily Blunt (ala Devil Wears Prada), brilliant. Great choices, any and all. I’ll give Kristin the edge, though.
Were it up to me, Katniss would have been played by an amazing unknown, about whom we have no preconceptions, much like Ms. Steinfeld was a few short months ago. Likely Gale and Peeta too. (If I was casting the leads for a film adaptation of The War On Destiny, that’s how I’d approach it!) But, when investing millions of dollars, the studio generally wants the closest it can get to a sure thing. And that means familiar names.
The one name that heartens me the most about the movie version of The Hunger Games, however, is actually that of its director, Gary Ross.
A screenwriter, who has dabbled in directing. A guy who makes smart, sensitive movies, not big sci-fi SFX flicks or edgy actioners. An unexpected choice. An odd choice. A great choice!
He has actually only directed two movies, Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, but both were good-to-great with applicable parallels to The Hunger Games. The former featured a teen-led rebellion against a seemingly perfect but tightly-controlled world (President Snow would have loved it!), whereas the latter was a strong adaptation of a beloved book written by a noted female author (sound familiar?).
And here’s the most important thing to keep in mind – both of his previous movies were extremely well cast. Pleasantville featured Reese Witherspoon, Tobey Maguire, Joan Allen and William H. Macy; Seabiscuit starred Chris Cooper, Jeff Bridges, Tobey (again) and Elizabeth Banks. Though these are “name brand” stars, they are all actors’ actors. Thoughtfully selected. Well directed.
(Side note: is Ross one of those superstitious directors who likes to cast the same actor in every movie he makes? If so, whom would Tobey Maguire play? Maybe someone on Katniss’s prep team!)
Obviously, this is no guarantee of a successful film franchise, but it bodes well that the studio (and, from what I’ve read, Suzanne Collins) endorsed Mr. Ross over a slew of younger, edgier Hollywood directors. It demonstrates that they know the action of The Hunger Games – brutal, thrilling, heart-pumping – is important, but it’s the underlying emotions that make the story great. To borrow a phrase from the Games, the odds are ever in our favor.
I look forward to seeing how it all comes together.
—-
Thanks J! Check out The War on Destiny at www.thewarondestiny.com
If you haven’t yet, read our little chat with J. Sciancalepore here.
Cover of the Week #27
You should never judge a book by its cover.
Sure….but they never said we couldn’t admire them. Cover of the Week pays homage to the beautiful and eye catching graphics that grace the covers of our young adult titles.
This week’s cover of the week goes to Vicious Little Darlings by Katherine Easer
Release Date: June 2011
Katniss Cast in THG Movie & COFA news
It’s official, Jennifer Lawrence has been cast as Katniss in the upcoming adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games! I’m personally very happy with that decision. With Katniss now cast there’s plenty of speculation about who will play Peeta. We’ll have a guest post up soon that discusses the various casting rumors.
In City of Fallen Angels news – Australian fans can now pre order their copy from booktopia.com and receive a bonus letter written from Jace to Clary during City of Glass, which is exclusive to booktopia.com. This letter was previously only available through Barnes and Noble for U.S. readers but is now available for Australian fans too. Yay!
Pubsicle #11 + Giveaway
Flavor of the week : Orange Penguin Delight
Pubsicle is a weekly meme that combines our two favorite things – ice cream and books. We hand the reigns over to some of our awesome publishers as they highlight what upcoming releases they’re excited about.
Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the upcoming prom. Scholarship student, Lizzie Bennett, can neither afford nor is interested in designer dresses and shoes, but her best friend Jane is; especially as her crush, Charles Bingley, is returning from a semester in the UK.
Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend Will Darcy, who’d snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie, either, and she assumes it is because her family has no money. But if Will Darcy is such a jerk, why does Lizzie find herself so drawn to him?
Will Lizzie’s pride and Darcy’s prejudice keep them apart, or will they overcome their mutual distrust and accept their attraction? Elizabeth Eulberg has created a delightful modern-day romp through the well known parlour rooms of Jane Austen’s world, it is a love story to entertain and engage as much now as then.
Australian Release Date: March 2011
Elizabeth Eulberg was born and raised in Wisconsin before heading off to college in Syracuse and making a career in the New York City book biz. She lives outside of Manhattan with her three guitars, two keyboards, and one drumstick. In researching the book (The Lonely Hearts Club), she tried swearing off boys forever. It didn’t work.
Website:
Reviews:
The Queen’s Lady by Eve Edwards
1584 – Surrey, England
When Lady Jane Rievaulx begins service to the Queen at Richmond Palace, she is thrilled at the court’s newest arrival . . . Master James Lacey.
Despite her previous courtship with his older brother, James is the man she truly loves. And for his part, he cannot deny his fascination with her. However, James is setting sail on a treacherous journey to the Americas, seeking absolution for what he sees as past sins.
But when Lady Jane is forced into a terrible situation by her own family, there is only one man to save her. Will Master James return to his lady ¬- before it’s too late?
Release date: March 2011
Eve Edwards has a doctorate from Oxford University and thinks researching a large part of the fun for writing historical fiction. She has visited Tudor houses, attended jousts and eaten Elizabethan banquets to get the sights, sounds and tastes right for this book. And, yes, she can testify that it is possible to eat neatly without the modern invention of the fork. She lives in Oxford and is married with three children.
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Reviews:
Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
IN HER DREAMS HE’S SEDUCTIVE, CHARMING AND UNDOUBTEBLY DANGEROUS . . .
Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life, but when a devastatingly handsome boy appears at her school, she feels every urge she’s ever denied burning through her at his slightest glance.
Theia does not understand why she dreamed of Haden Black before they met, by as the Haden of both the day and the night beckons her forward, Theia knows she cannot resist him – even when she discovers what he truly is; and even if the cost of that knowledge is her soul.
. . . IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT TO FALL
Australian Release date: March 2011
Gwen Hayes lives in the Pacific Northwest with her real life hero, their children, and the pets that own them. Baffled by the fact that not everyone has people talking to each other in their head all the time, Gwen decided maybe she should start writing down what they say. She told her family she wanted to be a writer in 2007, they all nodded, and the adventures began.
She writes books for teen readers about love, angst, and saving the world, FALLING UNDER is her debut novel.
You can also find Gwen every other Friday at The Fictionistas, the coolest YA blog in the whole universe, and just about every day she’s tweeting something nonsensical on her Twitter page. She also keeps her blog updated with the latest news.
Website:
Reviews:
Giveaway
Thanks to Penguin Australia, we have 3 prize packs to giveaway!
Included in the prize pack is a copy of Prom & Prejudice, The Queen’s Lady, Falling Under.
The Nitty Gritty:
- Simply fill out the form below with your name, email, and mailing address. We randomly draw the winners using random.org.
- Giveaway is open worldwide
- Ends on April 12, 2011.
Visit Penguin Australia’s online space for Teens at Between the Lines.
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