BuzzSugar

What's Buzzworthy? The Best Books of 2007

BuzzSugar — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:30:21 PST

I love reading under any circumstances, but with the writers' strike likely to roll into next year, I'm going to be needing book recommendations more than ever. So before we flip the calendar to 2008, I wanted to ask you all about your favorite books of 2007.

One of my favorites: Will Allison's What You Have Left, a book I picked up almost by accident at my local library and ended up devouring in a weekend. The novel is essentially a set of interconnected short stories focusing on an estranged father and daughter trying to find their way back to each other, with side appearances from NASCAR, the Confederate flag, and poker machines. It's a small, spare book that manages to be incredibly affecting.

Others from the year that I'd recommend: Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which made me want to make my own cheese; Ann Patchett's Run, which had some of my favorite characters of the year; and Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, as good a follow-up as I could have imagined to The Kite Runner.

So now, what are yours? Just use BuzzSugar's cool bookmarking tool to find your favorites online, write a little blurb about why they stood out to you, and tag them with the phrase Best Books of 2007. Then, next week, I'll feature some of the books here so we can all get our reading lists ready for the coming year.

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What's Your Sunglasses Style? Watch Our Video for Inspiration!

FabSugar — Sat, 26 May 2012 07:53:49 PDT

From cat eye to oversize, to printed or clear - every girl needs an arsenal of standout sunnies to stay eternally chic wherever the sun shines. Whether you're looking for edgy, classic, or quirky shades, we've selected a variety of styles to suit every face and every personality. On Allison: American Apparel top

4 Stylish Outfits to Try Over the Long Memorial Day Weekend!

Allison McNamara — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:11:02 PDT

Memorial Day is coming up this weekend, so that means fun-filled days of sun, barbecuing, and the beach! Accordingly, we've styled up some great outfits to keep you chic all weekend long. For a classic, clean look, try out a crisp LWD, and if you're in the mood to test out Spring's Hawaiian-print trend, then we have the perfect bikini for you. You can also elevate your weekend attire with a maxi dress and structured white blazer. Let us know which Memorial Day outfits you like best! On Allison McNamara: Madewell top.

See How Olivia Palermo Stylishly Elevates Her Stripes With a Short Suit

Allison McNamara — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:38:39 PDT

It's no secret that we adore Olivia Palermo's effortlessly polished style, and last night she showed off a look that is perfect for a hot Summer night. She attended the store opening of Fabergé's flagship store in NYC, and showed us how to elevate a stripe tee with suiting. Of course with Olivia, it's all about awesome, unexpected accessories. She rounded out her look with satin blue Manolo Blahniks and a Faberge silver chain necklace. On Allison McNamara: American Apparel top, Target belt.

I Think I Love You's Allison Pearson on Robert Pattinson's Teen Idol Status and Having SJP Star in Her Movie

Allie Merriam — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:45:10 PST

Allison Pearson is a well-known columnist in the UK thanks to her frequent musings on politics, celebrities, and royals, and she's found additional success in her side career as a novelist. Her first book, I Don't Know How She Does It, is being made into a movie starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and her second was just published in the US. I Think I Love You is Allison's fictional story of Petra, a die-hard Welsh fan of David Cassidy in the '60s. The book, in two parts, focuses on Petra's worship of the teen heartthrob from afar during her adolescent years, and later when her path finally crosses David's as an adult. The subject of idolization certainly is one that girls today can relate to thanks to Twilight and Bieber fever. Allison was in NYC recently on a press tour that included a stop by The Today Show, and I was able to chat with her about modern idols like Robert Pattinson, the life of a writer, meeting SJP, and being married to New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane. Here's more:

TrèsSugar: How did you know the story of a teenage David Cassidy fan was the story you needed to write about as a second novel?
Allison Pearson: I didn't want to write another book because I was completely exhausted having written the first one and I'd done a lot of publicity for it. But I was in Norway with a group of women from the publisher and some journalists, and they said, "You have to write another book." And I said, "No way!" And then they said, "Well what would you write about if you were ever to write it?" . . . All the women around the table were chat, chat, chatting about Donny Osmond, this person, that person, and there was one woman who didn't say anything. The Norway women said David Cassidy was huge in Norway, which I didn't know. We were all chatting, and the woman who stayed very silent, I was thinking she thought we were all ridiculous. Then she looked at me and said, "But he was mine." And I thought, OK! That's it! You have to write it.
TS: It's about such a specific time in girls' lives.
AP: You don't want the boy to get out of the poster on the bedroom wall and come down, really. It's about being in love with someone who will never hurt you because you'll never meet them . . . It's quite a brief period - about a year or so. My daughter, who's quite a huge Robert Pattinson fan, would still claim to be. You know in Twilight, you've got camp Jacob and camp Edward. One of her very good friends admitted that she quite liked Taylor Lautner - the treachery! It's like she's defected from East Germany or something!
TS: Sounds like she's a saboteur!
AP: There's also that funny thing where they don't know if they're in love with the actor or the character. So she was team Edward, but then there was Rob . . . My husband [Anthony Lane], who writes about film for The New Yorker, said, "But he's not a good actor!" She's like, "Daddy, how can you say that!?"

To read more from Allison on modern idols like Robert Pattinson and Justin Bieber, as well as on meeting SJP, just

TS: Has writing this book taught you anything about the nature of fandom? Like that it's a real essential part of growing up?
AP: Yeah, I think it is. It's obviously an important transition phase, but I think it also has this quite terrifying side. To be Leonardo DiCaprio or David Cassidy, to have these people moving toward you like you're lunch, that must be pretty terrifying . . . some of the forces at work in those little girls are not that great. It's demonic really.
TS: What's your take on modern teen idols like Robert Pattinson and Justin Bieber?
AP: My law of teen idols is that all other teen idols apart from your own are ridiculous. You can't see what's so good at all. I think mine was perfect, so . . . I think it's very extreme. They're very androgynous. They're very nonthreatening. If you look at Justin Bieber or Zac Efron in a certain light - Zac Efron looks quite like a young Cassidy. A very sweet face, a certain kind of not masculine not threatening. They're all like that.
TS: The hair seems to be a consistent theme!
AP: Yes, more feminine. Cause Cassidy had beautiful hair.
TS: And moving on to the women they date . . . that must be hard for them!
AP: Everyone hates the girls who they go out with . . . so poor Susan Dey of The Partridge Family, who's absolutely lovely, but everyone just hated her . . . I was out for lunch years ago with my editor, who's a very senior female editor in Britain, and I mentioned Susan Dey, and she said, "Bitch." And I thought all these years later . . . Like Kristen Stewart, exactly. For ages, people will say, "He's not going out with her. He isn't!" Yeah right! Or they pretend. A lot of people are told to pretend.
TS: Switching gears, how did the whole movie project of I Don't Know How She Does It with Sarah Jessica Parker come together?
AP: We were very lucky that they got Aline Brosh-McKenna, who wrote The Devil Wears Prada, to do the screenplay. So that was great. She believes in it passionately - I mean she loves it, she loved the book. I think she really has played a huge role in getting it going . . . And Sarah Jessica Parker agreed to do it. I mean, there is a great deal of affection for her, isn't there? People really love her. And they got this terrific cast together, with Pierce Brosnan!
TS: How was it meeting SJP?
AP: She was lovely! She is a working mom herself, with the girls and the boy. She knows all about that. She's very gracious, and she said, "I know my life's very fortunate and I can work different hours around the children . . . I have huge admiration for working mothers."
TS: And now, being married to another writer, The New Yorker's Anthony Lane, is that helpful to the writing process?
AP: Oh yes, he is just the most fabulous writer. I'm in awe of his skills really. It can be great, but when you're both on deadline it can be not so great. So there's the bit that, yes, we understand the pressure, but there's a little bit of, "Who's writing around here anyway?"

Wear One Mint Green Top 3 Ways

Allison McNamara — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:51:44 PDT

Fashion is totally having a pastel moment thanks to Spring runways at Louis Vuitton, Vera Wang, and Tory Burch. So, we headed over to Intermix's newest location in Brentwood, CA, and styled out one mint green blouse for three different occasions. Whether you want to mix it with rich textures, go colorblocked with a bold bright, or edge it up for a night out, we've got something for everyone in today's installment of Ways to Wear. On Allison McNamara: A.L.C. top, A.L.C. shorts.

3 Romantic Wedding Gowns Perfect For an Outdoor or Garden Wedding

Allison McNamara — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:35:28 PDT

We already showed you the best gowns for a destination wedding, now we're highlighting three perfect gowns for an outdoor or garden wedding. For today's Currently Trending, we headed to Kleinfeld Bridal Salon in NYC and picked out three totally different gowns with romantic, whimsical touches that will look lovely in an outdoor setting. Whether you're a girl who prefers feminine details, dramatic silhouettes, or ethereal gowns, we've got a dress fit to please every bride-to-be! On Allison McNamara: Armani Exchange dress.

Kristen Stewart Test-Drives the Printed Pants Trend in Cannes

Allison McNamara — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:44:41 PDT

After a whirlwind circuit promoting her new movie Snow White and the Huntsman alongside Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart is now at the Cannes Film Festival, and made a very stylish first appearance in the South of France. Kristen tried out Spring's printed pants trend, choosing a pair of primary colored, statement pants by Balenciaga. She kept the rest of her outfit simple with a tailored blazer, white tank top, and classic black heels, while alongside Kirsten Dunst, who looked lovely in white. Watch today's Fab Flash for all the details. On Allison McNamara: Topshop blazer, H&M top, Lia Sophia necklace.

Lea Michele Shows Serious Skin in Her White Dress

Allison McNamara — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:52:45 PDT

Lea Michele turned up the heat in a sleek LWD for the taping of Late Show With David Letterman. The Glee star arrived wearing a metallic blazer and miniskirt but slipped into something a whole lot sexier for the show, choosing this Amen frock with a low neckline and side cutouts. Lea snagged the No. 14 spot on Maxim's Hot 100 list, even beating out Kristen Stewart, who came in at No. 15. Watch today's FabFlash to see Lea's sexy style. On Allison McNamara: Rebecca Taylor dress, Honey Rose & K necklace from Thread on Grandview.

The 10 Most Memorable Celebrity Wedding Gowns

Allison McNamara — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:30:20 PDT

Fresh off of Spring 2012 Bridal Week, we can't stop thinking about gorgeous wedding gowns! Accordingly, we've gathered the 10 most fashionable celebrity wedding gowns, including Victoria Beckham's, Reese Witherspoon's, Gwen Stefani's, and more! Whether you prefer classic, colorful, or embellished, there's a dress for everyone in today's Fab Flash! On Allison McNamara: Madewell top and necklace, Urban Outfitters blazer.