Random Thursday - Fun Summer Reads!

Welcome to this week's Random Thursday with Lin, Sarah - and me! Thanks to everyone who joined in our inaugural RT link-up last week, welcome back to those of you who decided to join in again, and "nice to meet you" to everyone who's just joining us!

First of all, sorry this post is a day late! I haven't yet gotten ahead of the game, since this is a new thing for me, and I lost a night to dilating eye drops. I'm hoping that that whole "better late than never" thing is true, cos I will also tell you now that this will not be the only time this happens! Anyway, on to this week's Random Thursday topic, which is.....

 
This topic is right up my alley (and no, I didn't pick it!), since I love books. I love reading them, looking at them - and buying them! However, I don't really have what I'd call "summer reads." I have a pile of books that I go through as the mood strikes me. So instead of sharing books about summer or that you probably saw on supermarket shelves and top 10 lists throughout the season, I'm going to share a couple of books I have enjoyed or am reading at the moment. On the plus side, this means you don't have to rush to get through them in the next couple of weeks before it's officially fall!

1. COMPACTS AND COSMETICS - Madeleine Marsh

If you are a makeup junkie - particularly if you find the social context of historical makeup trends fascinating - this book is a must read. I first heard about it in one of Lisa Eldridge's videos... and she explains it much better than I ever could. So here it is:

2. UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN - Frances Mayes

I know a lot of you probably know this title from the movie rather than the book. But trust me, that old rule about the book being better is definitely true in this case. I haven't read this in years - I first picked it up in high school, which was longer ago than I'd care to admit - but I loved that it really gave me a sense of Italy. Not just of what it's like to be a tourist there, but the subtle differences that you only learn by spending months - if not years - somewhere new. It's whimsical and will definitely make you want to go to Italy. (Fair warning, it will also make you hungry.)

3. THE RUM DIARY - Hunter S. Thompson

Above is the movie poster because Johnny Depp, but it's based on a book by Hunter S. Thompson. Yep, the Gonzo king himself. It was his first book (and probably most coherent) and one of his few works of fiction. This one is sort of a summer book, in the sense that it is set on a tropical island and includes a lot of rum drinking. Okay, so you have to really want to see it...

4. LET'S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED - Jenny Larson

I nearly forgot this one! I got it for my birthday, and have purposely been allowing myself to read only a little bit at a time - because I never want it to end! As bloggers, many of you will already be familiar with The Bloggess, but if you're not, it's time you got on that. Like, now. She's witty, hilarious, occasionally medicated and always entertaining. 

That's it for this week's Random Thursday - hope to see you again next week! If you want to see more of what I'm reading, head over to my book blog, Backlist Books - I haven't had much time to read since the move, but it has a lot of reviews of old faves, and I'll be getting back to it soon!

Don't forget to link up below!