asking for trouble

July Round Up

july wallpaper

Goodbye July! You were not very summery.

Fave 5 from the blog

New stuff in my shops

Reading

My library got in a ton of new ebooks so I went a bit mad. Now with Goodreads ratings – I’m Marceline on there too.

Perfidia by James Ellroy ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read all his books as a student until they kept getting longer and longer and verging into self-parody. This is a prequel to the LA Quartet with lots of familiar characters set around the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was a fun (violent, awful) read but also full of spoilers for the future books so I don’t really know why it exists.

The Beach by Alex Garland ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I saw a few references to this recently and realised I’d never read it (mostly out of snobbery). I totally get why everyone was obsessed with it – it’s gripping and very vivid. The ending was less exciting than I was expecting though.

Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This started really fun with great modern parallels and then it all went a bit too madcap.

The Stylist by Rosie Nixon ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Basically The Devil Wears Prada but with stylists. Better written than most but also suffers from pushing things into cartoonish.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I suppose there must be people who don’t like Amy Poehler but it seems impossible. This is so warm and funny and encouraging.

The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Unlike this. The chapters on The Office and his other TV work were really great and he’s had a very interesting life but too much Serious Acting talk and religion. I skimmed a lot.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I felt like I already knew everything about this book but it’s both more and less crazy than I imagined. She is extremely bossy and obsessed with tidying, and no-one needs to chat to their possessions this much, but there’s a lot of good advice in here, especially about things you feel guilty about throwing out. It’s a very similar process to how I decluttered before moving house and how I keep things tidy but I’m inspired to do more.

li.st highlights

On My Wish List

july wish list

Pusheen Constellation Tee | Nintendo Villains Vans
Bananya Plush Coin Case | Fuji Stickers

I would own the top two already but Hey Chickadee’s shipping would put me in customs duty hell and I forgot to try on the Vans last time I was in Glasgow!

marceline

Hello! I’m Marceline Smith, the designer and owner of Asking For Trouble. I create illustrated stationery, accessories and gifts using my cute characters inspired by Japanese kawaii. This is my business and personal blog where I write about my creative doings, inspirations, travels, Japan trips and daily life. Read more »


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