<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Books Distilled</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.booksdistilled.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com</link>
	<description>Helping you discover books you&#039;ll love</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:32 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Book Review:  The Year of the Gadfly</title>
		<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/05/17/book-review-the-year-of-the-gadfly/</link>
		<comments>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/05/17/book-review-the-year-of-the-gadfly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brooke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contemporary Literature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jennifer miller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tlc book tours]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[year of the gadfly]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksdistilled.com/?p=14278</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Year of the Gadfly, by Jennifer Miller, is a spectacular read.
You may have noticed I haven’t quite been keeping to a regular posting schedule (okay, that’s an understatement).  Predictably, I sort of forgot I was supposed to review this book until last Friday night.  Luckily, it proved engaging enough for me to finish it in 48 hours.
This novel is told from the points of view of three characters, all with connections to the illustrious New England prep school Mariana Academy.
Iris is a current freshman, and recently moved with her parents into the house of the former headmaster of Mariana, a friend of her father’s.  Iris is a one-of-a-kind character.  She deals with her best friend’s recent suicide by conjuring the presence of Edward Murrow, famous journalist, and carrying on long, in-depth conversations with him as she pitches article ideas to Mariana’s less-than-receptive. student paper editor.  When she stumbles onto Mariana&#8217;s ...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/05/17/book-review-the-year-of-the-gadfly/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Posts Distilled:  Brighter Than the Sun</title>
		<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/05/02/posts-distilled-brighter-than-the-sun/</link>
		<comments>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/05/02/posts-distilled-brighter-than-the-sun/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2012 18:19:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brooke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Posts Distilled]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksdistilled.com/?p=14275</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160;
Here in New York it&#8217;s been cloudy and rainy (and about fifty degrees) for what feels like forever.
A few things to let the sun in&#8230;
Katherine McPhee singing &#8220;Brighter than the Sun&#8221; on Smash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYrwpSZNc0Q
10 Books to Fuel Your Springtime Wanderlust on Flavorwire.  If it&#8217;s rainy and cold, read a book about where you want to be.
 And if you&#8217;re ambitious&#8230;write one.  My Secret Writing Device:  Escapism, by Sarah Selecky.
This Is Why I&#8217;ll Never Be an Adult.  (Warning:  you will laugh out loud helplessly, so if you&#8217;re at work, give your colleagues a quick head&#8217;s-up.)
 
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/05/02/posts-distilled-brighter-than-the-sun/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Book Review:  The Song Remains the Same</title>
		<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/04/16/book-review-the-song-remains-the-same/</link>
		<comments>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/04/16/book-review-the-song-remains-the-same/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brooke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contemporary Literature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[allison winn scotch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the song remains the same]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tlc book tours]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksdistilled.com/?p=14272</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nell Slattery wakes up in a hospital room after a plane crash with no memory of her life.  As she re-meets her husband Peter, her mother, and her sister Rory (with whom, she learns, she owns an art gallery), Nell begins to suspect that the stories they each tell her aren&#8217;t altogether true.
The Song Remains the Same is Nell&#8217;s story as she tries to separate out who she is and who she was:  she feels no affinity for the gallery business; her closet of neutral clothes bores her; the couch she allegedly picked out appears hideous to her now.  Armed only with her new friend Anderson, the only other survivor, she sets out to reclaim her memory and her life.
Her journey quickly becomes public when she agrees to appear on a series called American Profiles.  She&#8217;s become America&#8217;s darling: an instant celebrity on the cover of People before she can ...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/04/16/book-review-the-song-remains-the-same/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Posts Distilled:  A Picture&#8217;s Worth a Thousand Words</title>
		<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/04/12/posts-distilled-a-pictures-worth-a-thousand-words/</link>
		<comments>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/04/12/posts-distilled-a-pictures-worth-a-thousand-words/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brooke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Posts Distilled]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[answering oliver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[super 7 travel shots]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksdistilled.com/?p=14233</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve been listening to the song &#8220;Far Away,&#8221; by Ingrid Michaelson, a lot lately.

Since I can&#8217;t really go far away at the moment, for now I live vicariously through some crazy bloggers traveling the world.  There&#8217;s a trend amongst travel bloggers posting their &#8220;super 7&#8243; travel shots.  They&#8217;re beautiful and inspiring&#8230;check them out.
Answering Oliver, by Devon Mills.  Devon&#8217;s currently in New Zealand (I think&#8230;) and I love reading about her adventures.  My favorite:
GQ Trippin, by Gerard and Kieu (GQ, get it??).  Their photos of India are breathtaking.  My favorite:
Travel Budget Couple, by Geneva and Carol.  Their photos are mostly in Guatemala.  My favorite:
&#160;
Wandering Off, by Sarah.  Fun photos mostly in Las Vegas.  My favorite:
&#160;
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/04/12/posts-distilled-a-pictures-worth-a-thousand-words/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Book Review:  Friends Like Us</title>
		<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/04/09/book-review-friends-like-us/</link>
		<comments>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/04/09/book-review-friends-like-us/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brooke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contemporary Literature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[friends like us]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lauren fox]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksdistilled.com/?p=14226</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Friends Like Us, by Lauren Fox, is a perfect weekend read.
Willa and her roommate, Jane, do everything together.  Just out of college and working menial jobs while trying to pursue their dreams&#8211;Willa proofs ad copy while drawing comics; Jane cleans houses and writes poetry about it&#8211;they spend their odd off hours doing as many free things as Milwaukee has to offer.  When Willa reconnects with her high school best friend, Ben, he forms an instant third to their tight group.
But that summer, things start to go wrong.  Jane and Ben start dating, and Willa fears losing both of her best friends.  Jane&#8217;s father leaves her mother, plunging Jane into depression.  Willa&#8217;s brother, Seth, has been dumped by the woman he was hoping to marry.  Willa thinks she has the solution to each of these problems&#8211;insert herself into Jane and Ben&#8217;s relationship at every turn; give Jane a shoulder to lean ...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/04/09/book-review-friends-like-us/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Posts Distilled:  Simplicity</title>
		<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/03/30/posts-distilled-simplicity/</link>
		<comments>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/03/30/posts-distilled-simplicity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brooke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Posts Distilled]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksdistilled.com/?p=11761</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Last week I led a Lenten retreat, and the theme was simplicity.  Here are some of my favorite posts on the topic.
Breathe, by Rob Bell.  This video always brings be back to the simplest of actions:  breath.  Bell discusses how breath can be viewed as holy.
How to Be Less Busy in a Busy World, by Leo Babauta.  I&#8217;m sure I&#8217;ve linked to this post before, but it&#8217;s one of my favorite blog posts of all time.  Enjoy.  Breathe!
Lovely Books, by Tammy Stroebel.  She shares the three books that have changed her.
On Daring to be Happy (Glitter Pens Optional), by Caroline McGraw.  My good friend Caroline shares an unusual evening of making Valentines.
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/03/30/posts-distilled-simplicity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Guest Post:  Review of Girlchild</title>
		<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/03/27/guest-post-review-of-girlchild/</link>
		<comments>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/03/27/guest-post-review-of-girlchild/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:18:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brooke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contemporary Literature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[girlchild]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tupelo hassman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[washington independent review of books]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksdistilled.com/?p=11759</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Friends,
It&#8217;s been too long!
I apologize for the long stretch of silence from Books Distilled.  Things have been a bit crazy!  I&#8217;ve been reading up a storm, though, so I&#8217;m looking forward to writing about all the books I&#8217;ve been encountering.
&#160;
Please enjoy my first book review for the Washington Independent Review of Books on Tupelo Hassman&#8217;s debut novel, Girlchild.
&#160;
Stay tuned for more great books!
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/03/27/guest-post-review-of-girlchild/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Book Review:  The Stuff That Never Happened</title>
		<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/02/27/book-review-the-stuff-that-never-happened/</link>
		<comments>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/02/27/book-review-the-stuff-that-never-happened/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brooke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contemporary Literature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book lady's blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[maddie dawson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the stuff that never happened]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksdistilled.com/?p=5747</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[

The Story
The Stuff That Never Happened, by Maddie Dawson, is narrated by Annabelle McKay.  Mother of two kids that have recently flown the coop&#8211;Nicky&#8217;s a freshman in college and Sophie, newly married and expecting, lives in New York City&#8211;she settles back into married life with her husband, Grant, in their ancient New Hampshire farmhouse.
The only problem is that Grant, a community college professor and labor historian writing his first book, is hardly ever home.  When he is, he indulges her in sex every Wednesday morning (at precisely 7:00am) and nags her to take on &#8220;real art&#8221;&#8211;assuming that her work illustrating children&#8217;s books isn&#8217;t what she&#8217;s always wanted to do.
When Annabelle rushes to NYC to care for Sophie, whose husband is shooting a documentary in Brazil and who has been placed on bedrest due to a high-risk pregnancy, she runs into a former lover in the market.  Her affair with Jeremiah ...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/02/27/book-review-the-stuff-that-never-happened/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Book Review:  The Widower&#8217;s Tale</title>
		<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/02/20/book-review-the-widowers-tale/</link>
		<comments>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/02/20/book-review-the-widowers-tale/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brooke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contemporary Literature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[julia glass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the widower's tale]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksdistilled.com/?p=4748</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
&#160;
Okay, folks, I have to do something I rarely do:  post a negative review.
I can&#8217;t help it.  I did my best with this book, I really did.  It had its merits, which I will list.  But oh, did it have its detriments.  I don&#8217;t know why I keep reading books by Julia Glass. I&#8217;ve read Three Junes (her first novel, for which she won a National Book Award) and The Whole World Over.  Her books have several things in common:  they&#8217;re very long.  They have fantastic characters.  And little to nothing actually happens to those characters. I know she&#8217;s super popular, so if you have a different opinion&#8211;by all means, I&#8217;d love to duke it out in the comments!  (The New York Times Book Review thought this book was brilliant, though they admit that &#8220;one might wish that The Widower’s Tale did more than just edge up to the nexus ...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/02/20/book-review-the-widowers-tale/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Author Interview:  AJ O&#8217;Connell</title>
		<link>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/02/16/author-interview-aj-oconnell/</link>
		<comments>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/02/16/author-interview-aj-oconnell/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brooke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.booksdistilled.com/?p=3955</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160;
If you missed it on Monday, check out my review of my friend AJ&#8217;s new book on Kindle, Beware the Hawk. Without further adieu, the lady herself!
&#160;
How did you come up with the idea for this piece? 
Beware the Hawk is more than a decade old, or at least the idea that sparked the novella is more than a decade old. I dreamed up the idea while I was riding the bus back and forth from Boston and New York to my parents’ home in Connecticut.
I was a year out of college, and working in Boston. I couldn&#8217;t afford a car so I spent a lot of time on public transit, listening to mix-tapes on my Walkman and daydreaming. This was a few years before Sept. 11, and there wasn&#8217;t any real security.  I remember thinking, as I lugged my bags through various stations and terminals that I could be carrying ...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.booksdistilled.com/2012/02/16/author-interview-aj-oconnell/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

