Inspired by Reading: Where'd You Go, Bernadette

This month's Inspired by Reading Book Club selection is a book that got a lot of buzz when it first came out... Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.  I actually reserved a copy in two or three times when it was new but never got around to reading it before it was due back.  At that point in my life, I had precious little time to read adult books, so I just never could get around to it or so many other books.  I truly adored this book... but it makes me wonder how many other great books that I've missed out along the way.  But, hey, this is why I love book club!

I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a light, fun read!  Because of the way the story unfolds through emails, letters, FBI documents, and even an ER bill it's a truly unique reading experience.  As usual I'm not wanting to give too much away... but I really loved how the author ends up tying the narrative all together at the end.  Curious?  You'll just have to read it for yourself to see what I mean!  I'll just tell you that this is a nice mix of humor, adventure, and mystery... and it's also a great story about family and relationships.

I wasn't immediately sure what direction I wanted to take for my design this time.  I had several inspiration options: the rainy weather of Seattle (I have a rain cloud from Jade Scott that I've been hoarding), the blackberry bramble, the ice of Antarctica (but I had just done a set of icy Honey Do List projects), and, what I finally chose, PENGUINS!

I decided to finally break out the adorable penguin charms that Eric bought me from Jetta Bug Jewelry two Christmases ago.  These are definitely for me... not for sale.  I have a bit of a thing for penguins.  (As a matter of fact our guest bedroom is decorated with a large portion of my penguin collection!)

These are most, but not all of my penguin friends!

Anyway, I've gotten off topic!  I paired my little penguins with some lava rock and crackle quartz crystal rounds and some silver pringle spacers.  (Do these have another "real" name?  I'm not always great at knowing what things are actually called!)  I'm not entirely sure how often I will really wear these, but the penguins make me stupidly happy anyway!

As a sort of post script, I enjoyed this book so much that I immediately requested the author's other books from my library.  I zipped right through her newest title, Today Will be Different, and loved it too!  Now I've just started her first book, This One is Mine.

Oh, and a second funny (to me at least) aside... when I was in Seattle for a library conference a while back I stayed at the Westin hotel where Audrey Griffin and her family stay (and cause quite the commotion) after the mudslide.  Audrey wasn't too impressed, but I thought it was a nice hotel... and I had an incredible view of Puget Sound!