To live in a book...

To say it's been a crazy couple of weeks is a severe understatement. We knew this France thing was coming, but all of a sudden it kind of got put into overdrive. So I'm going to take a brief break from the crazy and give you a book review. I've had this one for a few months and haven't gotten around to reading/reviewing it due to the crazy, but it seems like time, since I'm so not lugging this book with me to France. So here goes.

If I had a dollar for every time I wanted to transport myself and live in the setting of a book I was reading, I could afford the psychiatric help I so obviously need. Now, much to the chagrin of my husband, I can (sort of), thanks to "Novel Interiors: Living in Enchanted Rooms Inspired by Literature." The book is a beautiful hardback with lovely, lovely pictures.

Except it would be a whole lot more appealing if I had actually read any of these books. Make my home look like Sons and Lovers? Um, what? No. I want Vianne's little apartment above the chocolaterie in France a la the book Chocolat (okay, actually this one might sort of be happening). I want Rachel's New York City apartment in Something Borrowed. Hell, I want to convert my two-bedroom condo into Hogwarts castle in its entirety, with every last ghost, ghoul, and trick staircase. Is that so much to ask?

Plus, the tips were just kind of useless: Open shelving. Earthy palettes. Utilize metallics. The tips are either completely obvious, or completely a matter of taste. There weren't any great secrets. No hints or secrets to turn our house into a book. It's a pretty coffee table book, but not good for much more than decoration.

The Verdict: The idea of this was so, so good. The execution falls so flat. Guess I'll just keep living at Hogwarts in my mind.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my (brutally) honest review.