Read The Rainbow

August 21, 2015August 21, 2015 ~ Taylor Justine ~ 2 Comments

I love rainbows because… rainbows. They’re perfect and bright and fun and beautiful. And when they’re in the form of a book rainbow? Don’t even try to find something prettier!

So I put my commitment pants on, and for an entire week on Instagram, I posted photos of my most photogenic books lined up in all their ombre glory!

{Pink & Red} For pink being my favorite color, I really don’t own enough blush books. But in the end, I really love the way this photo came out. Reached turned out to be the perfect transition between pink and red, which makes me so happy!

{Orange} Not sure if you can tell, but I REALLY struggled with finding enough orange books. So a couple guys – Brown, Zusak and Larsson – ditched their equally present other colors and made an appearance in this photo. Thank God for HP7!

{Yellow} I was most surprised to find that out of all the photos I needed to take, I had enough books for this shot. I definitely assumed I’d end up with an orange/yellow combo, but I did it! Success!

{Green} This may be one of my absolute favorites of the group. I love the transition from teal to yellow-green, and all of the gorgeous shades in the middle!

{Blue} Similarly to the photo above, the color palette of my blues makes me want to walk around as the heart eyes emoji!

{Purple} It’s almost scientifically proven that there’s no way not to love purple, especially when it looks like this.

{Black} Black books are the LBD of literature. They’re effortlessly classic and gorgeous. And they all look fab together!

{Grey} I’ve had the same thought on almost every photo, but I seriously adore almost all of the books in this shot! So much YA love all in one place.

{White} Clean and bright and perfect!

Now if only my actual book shelves looked like this… Happy Rainbow Reading!

Just Take My Money {HP Edition}

April 19, 2015April 19, 2015 ~ Taylor Justine ~ 2 Comments

There are certain franchises that can literally take the money out of my pocket without asking. If you’ve been around Novels and Nail Polish at all (especially recently), you can probably tell that Harry Potter is number one on this list for me. Merch, books, movies, you name it. I’ll buy anything and everything HP related, and I ain’t even mad!

Last month, Scholastic and Bloomsbury released the cover for the first fully illustrated Harry Potter book, HP and the Sorcerer’s (or Philosopher’s) Stone. You excited? Because I AM! This illustrated series gives the massive army of bookworms another 7 years of excitement and anticipation, which is something we thrive on. October 6 – start your countdown now.

You better start working on your book nerd game if looking at the cover art below doesn’t get you all hot and bothered!

And if you’ve missed some of the images they’ve released from inside the book, take a look below:

Now that’s what I call magical! Happy Reading!

Little Bit of Book Cover Envy

January 11, 2015January 11, 2015 ~ Taylor Justine ~ 2 Comments

There are so many reasons I am thankful to be a citizen of the United States. As cheesy as it sounds, it really is the land of opportunity. But that doesn’t mean I don’t get a little green with envy at some of the other incredible places around the globe, especially when it come to today’s topic: International Book Editions.

Is it just me or does it seem like cover designers in other countries can be so much more creative sometimes?? Gone are the days of block letter book titles and pretty girls on the cover. While we all would love to say we try not to judge books by their covers, it happens to the best of us (and quite often)!

I’ve scrounged the internet for some of the covers I’ve seen over the years that make me cry tears of joy and jealousy!

The Lunar Chronicles

These babies are beauties. I adore our American covers, and I didn’t think they could be outdone. Boy, was I wrong. One of the reasons I adore blogging and creating images is because of the visual effect they have on people. The German covers for this series strike a chord in me like no other cover I’ve seen. I must have them, even though I speak ZERO German!

US + Spanish + Italian + Bulgarian Covers

German Lunar Chronicles Book Covers — The Lunar Chronicles: German Covers

The Grisha Trilogy

When I read this trilogy by the incredible Leigh Bardugo, I fell and fell hard. Thankfully the UK covers aren’t too different, but they do have a brighter, more colorful wash to them.

Harry Potter

There are so many versions of the Harry Potter series that I can’t pick my favorites, although I am currently in love with my Kazu Kibuishi box set! Each cover holds its own version of magic.

UK + French +US Covers — UK + French + US Covers

My True Love Gave To Me

One book that comes to mind as we leave the holiday season is My True Love Gave To Me. It’s a compilation of adorable holiday stories, and the UK version boasts PINK-edged pages. So much book lust.

Are there any international covers you wish you had, even if you don’t speak the language? Happy Reading!

A Fall Fairytale

November 19, 2014November 19, 2014 ~ Taylor Justine ~ 3 Comments

I have a little story for you today. Picture this…

Once upon a time, a fair maiden lived in the enchanted southern region of California. She longed to see something she’d only heard tell of in her mother’s stories: Autumn. You see, where she lived, there was only one season: warm. But she knew there was a way to make her dream a reality, by making the pilgrimage to the mystical Tree of Fall.

And you know what? She did just that, and there she was rewarded with leaves of scarlet, gold and orange. She was filled with joy and contentment , and she lived happily ever after.

The ‘once upon a time’ of that story was this past weekend, the magical princess is me and the ‘Tree of Fall’ is the ONLY tree on my street that makes it look like November. All I wanted was a few pictures of my new TBR list additions with the pretty fall leaves, but that’s a tall order in SoCal. All of the damn leaves by my house are GREEN, just as the sky is still blue. But I found the perfect tree, which allowed me to take the perfect pictures.

Have you read either of these contemporaries? I’d love to hear what you think of them! Happy Reading!

Classics Favoritism

September 13, 2014September 13, 2014 ~ Taylor Justine ~ 3 Comments

I’ve recently become aware of an interesting phenomenon that I have decided to dub “Classics Favoritism.” While all men may be created equal, literary works are not, and this has become apparent in the misguided distribution of redesigned book covers.

So many of us book lovers find joy and inspiration in beautiful redesigned covers of our favorite classic novels. I must admit, my obsession with lusting over fresh Classics began the moment I laid eyes on the F. Scott Fitzgerald beauties by Coralie Bickford-Smith. I mean, come on! If that doesn’t say opulence and jazz, I don’t know what does.

Since that day, I’ve scoured each and every publishing website to find new, beautiful covers to decorate my shelf. But the more I looked, a sad realization dawned on me. What am I supposed to do with 10 COPIES OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE? Does Little Women end differently in the pretty Penguin Threads edition, or does Beth live in the Mr. Boddington version? While I can appreciate purchasing pretty books, at what point does it become excessive? These words generally never come out of my shopaholic mouth, but I really got to wondering.

Why not branch out from the Jane Austens of the world? I will say though, the Leanne Shapton Jane Austen collection is GORGEOUS:

Jane Austen Collection by Leanne Shapton

Maybe this rant is coming from a place of jealousy that my favorite classic, Gone With The Wind, isn’t one of the lucky ones handed a new cover every 6 months. Even so, I believe I have a valid argument, supported by photographic evidence below. I invite you to gaze upon a couple collages of Classics that seem to find themselves lucky enough to get all of the cover redesigns. I will begin with Little Women:

This book is one of my favorite children’s classics, and I’m also a HUGE fan of its musical theatre adaptation. I own the Penguin Threads edition of this novel, and it is one of my prized possessions without a doubt! The other two shown above, Mr. Boddington for Anthropology and Anna Bond’s Puffin in Bloom covers for Rifle Paper Co., are equally gorgeous, and fill me with the knee-jerk reaction of an impulse buy waiting to happen. It was coming down from that high that actually inspired this post!

Pride and Prejudice. What is there to say about this work of art that hasn’t already been said? I read it in high school, and (here comes unpopular book lovers opinion time) didn’t particularly enjoy it. It required a book report and hideous video project, in which I played Mr. Darcy because I was the “theatrical one.” I haven’t be able to force myself to read it again as an adult, but buying one of these pretty versions (Mr. Boddington, Penguin Classics Couture Deluxe Edition and White’s Fine Edition) might help!

Other lucky classics include novels by the Bronte Sisters:

Wuthering Heights

Jane Eyre

In the end, I will probably still end up with multiple versions of these beloved classics. I’ll be the first to admit that I can truly admire pretty things, and these covers are just that: WORKS OF ART.

Do you collect redesigned classics? Are they to read or to act as decor/art? Happy Reading!

{Note: These gorgeous pictures were found via the most amazing searches of Google and Pinterest. I do not claim any of them as my own!}

The Road To The Testing

June 3, 2014August 4, 2014 ~ Taylor Justine ~ Leave a comment

We’re in the age of dystopian fiction, and I love it! So much of the genre’s criticism is that once you’ve read one, you’ve read them all, but honestly, I can’t read them fast enough! Prior to finding The Testing, I fell in love with Marie Lu’s Legend trilogy, so I was hungry for a series that would capture my attention like that did. The Testing, and its sequel Independent Study, grabbed me right away, and have me anxiously waiting the third installment that comes out later this month.

My favorite way to describe The Testing is an “intellectual Hunger Games.” It follows Cia Vale, a girl who has just entered adulthood and is chosen for The Testing, a rigorous process designed to find the best and brightest future leaders. Right before she leaves her family and home behind, her father gives her a cryptic warning about not trusting anyone. Alone and scared, Cia has to figure out how to survive and if she can even trust someone from her childhood. Suspense, romance and adventure mix with a totally relatable heroine to give us a series you can’t put down.

One striking trait that Cia possesses is her distinct combination of intelligence and common sense. Too often, characters are portrayed with either one or the other, but rarely both. And with her strength comes a true sense of self. Cia knows how she was raised, sticking to her moral compass through very trying tasks, and she never once wavers. That’s probably one of my favorite aspects of the book.

Tools I used // Julep's Brit + Sephora by OPI's I Blue My Curfew — Tools I used // Julep’s Brit + Sephora by OPI’s I Blue My Curfew

Now let’s break down the products I used and techniques I employed to create this mani. Obviously I found Brit, the perfect matte silver in my huge Julep Nail Polish collection. I debated putting a top coat on it to give an overall shiny look, but I really liked the dimension created by leaving it matte. For the blue, I used one of the mini Sephora by OPI Cinderella collection nail polishes in I Blue My Curfew.

My favorite trick from this manicure came with the product I used to create the partial french mani & lightening bolt from the book’s cover – a silver SHARPIE! I read about this trick many moons ago on The Beauty Department, but hadn’t tried it out until today. It definitely gives you so much control because you’re basically drawing on your nails. You also have the security of knowing that a mess-up can be wiped away with a bit of rubbing alcohol, which thankfully doesn’t ruin the base polish.

Now for the small downsides. Even though I waited much longer than I thought was needed to allow the Sharpie to dry, I still found the top coat smearing the silver a tad. Also, I noticed the pen smudged the base polish a bit, which left a bumpy texture. When it comes to the nail lacquer, I have mixed feelings with this particular Julep polish. It chips, quick. Within 24 hours, both my thumbs had huge pieces missing, mainly because I didn’t put a top coat on. I have a matte top coat from Sephora, but I’ve never used it with a matte nail polish and didn’t want to risk it this time around. I’ll definitely post an update once I try it!

Have you read The Testing? Do you love the dystopian genre, or do you think its been overdone? Happy Reading!

Novels and Nail Polish

A pretty, little blog that celebrates well-written books and beautiful nail polish.

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