Current Reads

As a bit of a bibliophile, I always enjoy getting lost in a good read. My tastes lean more towards historical non-fiction, sprinkled with the occasional health & wellness read and classics such as the likes of Joan Didion, Simone De Beauvoir and yes, I've read the complete 50 Shades of Grey trilogy along with a few other erotic novels. I read a great one a few years back called "The Scarlett Letters" about a USC grad turned pro dominatrix. Quite the thrilling, tell-all that many fantasize about, yet few have experienced firsthand. While not a domme myself there were many aspects of the book that I found myself relating to such as the many complexities that come with living a double life and finding the right moment and people to share it with, and the profound sense of empowerment that comes from not only learning to embrace who you are, but doing so despite what the rest of the world around you thinks. 

While I enjoy devouring books on a variety of subjects, lately I tend to lean more towards historical subject matter, particularly the 20th century and all the glamour, mystery and political intrigue that came with the various decades. Some recent favorites that I have enjoyed include:

• The Devil's Chessboard – I have recommended this book to many of my fellow history lovers. By far, one of my favorite reads to date. This one is about Allen Dulles - the long-standing head of the CIA. It chronicles his life starting at the beginning of his career during WW2 - to his heyday unscrupulously running the CIA. If you find the underworld of espionage and all that comes with it thrilling, I highly recommend reading this book. 

• The Spy: Mata Hari – I kept hearing her name come up in the various other books I've read about wartime spies, so naturally I was intrigued and even more so when I discovered that she was the most famous femme fatale and siren of the city during her time. Her story is filled with so many unanswered questions, even to this day, and I have to admit, even I am doubtful about whether or not she was a spy. It's all very murky and somewhat tragic. What I love most about her though; is her fearlessness in a time when women were deeply oppressed, and self-expression was frowned upon, especially when it came to sexuality. She did what she wanted, and she didn't give a damn what people thought about her. That's my kind of woman! 
  

• Perfectly Imperfect – I read this a few years back, and it's remained a favorite and a mainstay on my bookshelf. As a yoga enthusiast, I love the practice beyond the physical benefits it offers. It strengthens body and mind, and Perfectly Imperfect is like a guidebook for incorporating those teachings into your daily life. 
  

• 5th Avenue, 5 AM – This book explores how Breakfast At Tiffany's came to become such a hit sensation despite the controversial subject matter and difficulty finding the right actress. And how Audrey Hepburn and her character Holly Golightly helped shape the modern woman of the 1960s, cementing her role as a fashion icon and reshaping society's views of beauty in an era when the Marilyns and Elizabeths dominated Hollywood. 
  

Other titles currently on my reading list

• Coco Chanel: Sleeping With The Enemy
  

• The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
  

• American Prometheu: Oppenheimer
  

• Venus & Aphrodite: A Biography of Desire
  

• High Society: The Life Of Grace Kelly

• The Swans of 5th Avenue - Truman Capote's swans and his friendship with Babe Paley
  

• The Second Sex by Simone De Beauvoir

What are you currently reading? Let's discuss some of our favorite titles over a bottle of bubbly during our next rendezvous!

xoxo Emma