{ STYLING NOTES + GIVEAWAY } A LITTLE LATE SUMMER READING...

{ "Jeune Fille Avec Tiare" by Henri Matisse / BaubleBar bracelets / Everybody Rise by Stephanie Clifford / Baublebar signet ring / Target desk lamp / Maison Scotch Sweatshirt }

Okay, let must just say now that I know making copious purchases now slightly goes against my "summer mantra" that involves shopping less and doing more. But you know what? Reading is doing! And on that note, I've actually been tearing through books this summer. I just crushed (fellow Seattleite and New York Times reporter) Stephanie Clifford's excellent debut novel, Everybody Rise, over my trip to Idaho. Is it ironic that I read a book about making it in New York when I was taking a vacation from trying to make it in New York? Perhaps.

Set in the monied, glamorous world of pre-recession 2006 Manhattan, the book follows the ambitious and (sometimes painfully) relatable rise and fall of smart and charming social climber Evelyn Beegan. Her ambitions to infiltrate New York's highest social strata are at first driven by her job building up an elite social network online, but she's quickly absorbed by the parties, vacation homes and tempestuous relationships she navigates with old money socialites, bankers and their pearl-clutching families. As many reviewers have put it, think of Everybody Rise as Edith Wharton in the modern era. I found it every bit as juicy as Gossip Girl's early seasons, but with a heavy dose of realism and a heroine with whom you can actually identify.

As an NYC transplant, it's easy to put myself in the shoes of Evelyn and imagine that I might do and think a lot like she does as she deals with demanding numbers-driven startup bosses, Regina George-like women you love and hate at the same time and personal trauma you'd rather forget than face. However, this is a witty, fast-paced and entertaining story to which anyone who's ever been an outsider can relate. It's a deliciously colorful peek into a Manhattan I can only imagine, and the kind of book you pick up and kind of want to tear through over one long, lazy day under your AC.

Speaking of AC—I've been on a major design kick in my room as of late, and recently snagged a couple of really inexpensive indulgences to make my little room a bit more chic: a brass reading lamp (from Target!) for my bedside table and yet another Henri Matisse print (this one will hang above the head of my bed). And to wear whilst cozied on my blue-and-white bed digesting all the drama of Everybody Rise? This cool and kind of appropriately themed "Woke Up In Paradise" sweatshirt from Maison Scotch and one of the essential-yet-subtle accessories of the upper crust: a monogrammed signet ring.

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF EVERYBODY RISE AND A $50 GIFT CARD TO BAUBLEBAR?

Simply leave a comment below answering this question: What were you doing in 2006? A winner will be selected at random on Thursday August 27, 2015. This giveaway is open to US addresses only. Prizing and samples provided by St. Martin’s Press.

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*

DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by St Martin's Press, and I received compensation for hosting this giveaway. Thank you for supporting the content that keeps SHUT UP I LOVE THAT running!