BuzzSugar

What's Buzzworthy? Book Club Books

BuzzSugar — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:00:00 PST

As the writers' strike seems to have no clear end in sight, now might be a good time to start a book club! There are so many books I've been meaning to read for ages, and I think a book club might be just the thing to make me sit down and read them. Now I just need some suggestions.

Some books that I think would generate great discussion - especially among women - include Elizabeth Gilbert's fabulous memoir Eat, Pray, Love, and the biblically-set novel The Red Tent. I also think it might be beneficial to check out some of the books that are about to be made into movies, since it's often hard to read the books after having seen the movie.

I'd suggest Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees (soon to star Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifah) and the classic novel Revolutionary Road (opening in December with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the lead roles).

What book club books are your favorites? If you're a seasoned book club member, what would you suggest for all different levels of book club members (beginners, intermediates, advanced readers)? Just use BuzzSugar's cool bookmarking tool to find your favorites online, write a little blurb about why you think they make good fodder for book clubs, and tag them with the phrase book club books. Next week I'll feature some of the books here so we can all get our reading lists ready for the coming year.

Gone Glamping: Where Glamour Meets Camping

Michele Foley — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:12:40 PDT

Even with my tips on how to rough it and still look red-carpet ready, some of you are still not into the idea of camping. I don't blame you either - pitching a tent, forgoing a shower, and smelling like campfire isn't for everyone. For those people, there's "glamping," which provides the glamour and amenities you'd expect from a hotel or resort, but puts you smack dab in the middle of the wilderness.

Guests get to feel close to nature and enjoy all the same outdoor activities like hiking, horseback riding, and kayaking, but at the end of the day fall asleep in a luxury heated tent. Make no mistake, it's not cheap - accommodations start at $80/night and, depending on the locale and amenities, can quickly move upwards into the hundreds. But if you are looking for a fitness-minded Summer trip this season and aren't into sleeping on the ground, one of these places may have your name on it.

Be Like Prince William and Kate Middleton and Try Out a Tipi With These 6 Tips!

Elka Karl — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 06:00:00 PDT

While on their whirlwind tour of Canada, Prince William and Kate Middleton spent time in a tipi at Blachford Lake, Canada. Tipis are conical tents that were originally made of animal skins and used by Native Americans on the Great Plains. Today, they're most often made from canvas and can be found for sale at specialty shops as well as modern retailers like Design Within Reach.

Want to explore one for yourself? Here are a few options.

Stay at a campground or "glamping" site that provides tipis and yurts, like Sussex Tipi Holidays in the UK.
Look for a tipi on eBay. This one is less than $250 and would be a great spot for guests to hang out in at backyard Summer parties.
Buy a durable and high-quality tipi from Colorado Yurt Company. Their goods are proven to be tough and reliable and are perfect for the serious investor.
Go majorly modern with the Gandia Blasco Tipi (pictured to the right). With an anodized aluminum frame and white nautical yacht fabric shade, this tipi features a streamlined, pared-down shape that's gorgeous (and expensive, at just under $12,000).
Get a cute indoor tipi for your kiddo. I love the modern look of the tipis offered by Etsy seller NickMaxMama. This Abstract Heart Tipi ($145) is particularly divine.
Add floral swagger to your festival camp site or backyard with the Cath Kidston Cowboy Teepee Tent ($120). It's designed to sleep three people and features a fun red flag.

Happy Hour: 2009 Innocent Bystander Victoria Moscato

YumSugar — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:15:46 PDT

Despite the fact that many guests in Aspen had a chance to hit up the tasting tent five times, the last 30 minutes of the last Grand Tasting on Sunday rapidly deteriorated into a crowded, debaucherous food and wine free-for-all. In the midst of it all, we stumbled upon an Australian wine table that had been completely abandoned: there the whites and rosés sat, on ice, ready to be enjoyed, but there was no one there to pour them. It was as though the whole wine team suddenly took off, afraid they would miss their 15-hour flights back to Australia.
As the old adage goes, one person's trash is another person's treasure. While we still had the time, we dug into quite a few varietals. The most beautiful to stare at and to drink turned out to be the 2009 Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato ($10 for 375 ml) from Victoria, Australia. I've long loved the sparkle of a good Moscato d'Asti, but I'd never before come across a sparkling pink Moscato. The combination of Muscat Alexandria and Black Muscat contribute to the ballet slipper hue, and the wine is wildly easy to drink, with a floral-spicy perfume, red fruit flavor, and long, lingering, well-rounded finish. I can't wait to seek it out here in San Francisco. Have you ever had a sparkling pink Muscat?