book recommendations: pt. i

books have always been a constant in my life, but i've never really actively fuelled this interest until recently. i guess life just got in the way... anyways, here are some of my all-time favorite books so grab a cup of tea/coffee and let's get into it!

if you're looking for an easy-breezy read, try where'd you go, bernadette? it's a comedy novel written by maria semple about an agoraphobic architect and mother named bernadette. bernadette is an extremely interesting character and i loved how the author creatively brought out all her little quirks. here's the context to the whole story: before a family trip to antarctica, bernadette suddenly goes missing and her daughter, fifteen-year-old bee, attempts to track her mother down by sorting through and chronologically arranging all the documents, emails, and other notes her mother has left behind

it's a lighthearted and engaging story about a mother-daughter bond that i couldn't put down. i rate this a 3.5/5


if you are looking for something interesting and maybe a little more serious, pick up eleanor oliphant is completely fine by gail honeyman. this book is fun and very relatable. i mean, very, very relatable. the main character, eleanor, is kind of an oddball who loves to mind her own business - she's awkward around people and struggles with putting her thoughts into words. her (mis)adventures told through her unique perspective makes for a hilarious read. but there is a deeper side to this whole story too. the author explores loneliness and kindness in a very heartfelt way and shows the readers that everyone is fighting their own battles...

to all those out there who think that "getting by fine" is all there is to life, give this book a try! i rate this a solid 4/5


if you're looking for some sisterly advice, give so much i want to tell you a go. written by youtuber/actress anna akana (one of my biggest inspirations, tbh), it's a witty and honest book full of relevant, useable advice on literally everything. i feel a lot of self-help books are very similar but anna's is different. her experience and warmth shine through her words and never cease to inspire and empower. by the end of the book, you'd feel like getting off your lazy bum and start hustling just like anna did

all in all, if you feel a little stagnant in life and want a shove, read this. heck, even if you feel you're doing alright now, read this; it'll give you a fresh, new perspective and motivation. an easy 4/5


if you are looking for something deeper, try we never asked for wings by vanessa diffenbaugh. it took me some time to get into the book, but when i did, it was pretty intense. this story tackles a myriad of issues: motherhood, young love, and, most interestingly, undocumented immigration. the main thing that stood out to me was how different and difficult life was for undocumented people, especially families. honestly, it is something that has never weighed heavy on my privileged, ignorant mind... the real pains and fears of a family trying to "live under the radar" woven into a capturing narrative made this a rather impactful read.

this book really opened my eyes to the struggles of undocumented immigrants... excellent themes and a decent storyline, i rate it a 3/5


hope you enjoy these reads as much as i did :)

review: adidas originals p.o.d. system 3.1

if you know me, you'd know that i am a shoe person. ever since forever, shoes have always appealed to me, much more than clothes or food or anything else. i've been steadily working on my collection for years now and my latest additions are the new adidas p.o.d. system 3.1

i didn't actually plan of getting them. in fact, i've been wanting a pair of adidas nmd r1's for the longest time but i couldn't find the shoe in the color variation that i wanted: peach pink

i searched everywhere, online and off, but i couldn't find a single place that sold them... i was a little discouraged, i have to admit. then adidas released the p.o.d. system 3.1. the moment i saw them, i knew i needed to get them. so i did

i recently found out that p.o.d. stands for point of deflection. basically its the design that allows the front and back of the shoe to move independently, giving the wearer a unique and more comfortable fit. in other words, the shoe is made up of three parts: the forefoot, the midfoot, and the heel

the stiffer eva rubber forefoot gives the the shoe some structure

the midfoot plate is made of tpu. its decently flexible and offers excellent support without being too stiff

the boost heel provides lots of cushioning and proves to be comfortable for longer periods of wear

while these p.o.d.'s are my new favorites, there are a couple things i didn't love about them. the laces that came with the shoes were not plain black which i prefer, but this is really just personal preference and these laces can be switched up so, no biggie. also, longer socks work better as the seams can be quite abrasive on the front and back parts of your foot

all in all, it's a comfortable shoe that offers great support and is perfect for all-day wear. I absolutely love the silhouette of the shoe. i feel like it perfectly pulls off a streamlined version of chunky-chic. that probably didn't make any sense but it's a great aesthetic and i'm here for it