My Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Picks + Book Recommendations

July has been a crazy month for sales. First, there were summer clearance sales and Amazon Prime Day. Now the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has opened up to the public. I am mostly sitting this one out, because I already overspent this month.  However, I still want to highlight a few gems that I think are actually a good value for those of you who are shopping. (Keep in mind that some items may be made specifically for the sale. For more info, check out Xin's post. As far as I can tell, my recommendations seem to be retail items.) My sale picks include these classic stud earrings (I bought mine a few years ago and wear them constantly), these high-waisted leggings (I own 3 pairs of the regular ones), these pretty bow flats (I tried them on in person and found them to run at least half a size large), and these waterproof heels. Personally I bought a lipstick and eyeliner set, which contains one of my favorite eyeliners and a bonus lipstick for the same price as it would normally cost to just buy the eyeliner. I also reordered one of my favorite workout tank tops in white. I wear my red one all the time, and it'd be nice to rotate them.

If you're all shopped out, I have a few book recommendations. When the weather gets too hot, I feel lazy, so I've been spending a lot of time indoors reading my Kindle. The books I enjoyed most recently are:

• The Outsider by Stephen King - I'm a huge Stephen King fan, even though I don't normally like horror as a genre. He's the master of suspense, and this was no exception. I found the first half of the book to be very thought-provoking with its social commentary on our criminal justice system as well as trials in the court of public opinion, similar to during the #metoo movement. The second half is standard Stephen King sci-fi/horror with more sci-fi than horror. Definitely worth a read.
• Ready Player One - I really enjoyed this young adult sci-fi/fantasy! Apparently it got made into a movie recently, which I didn't realize until after I finished the book. Anyway, the characters are a little flat, but the plot is very entertaining and fast-paced enough to make this a quick read. As a nerd, I enjoyed all the references to classic sci-fi/fantasy media as well as 80's pop culture. I guess I'm getting old enough that some of the things I liked as a kid are now retro!
• Crazy Rich Asians - I actually read this book a while ago but have to mention it here, because the movie is coming out on August 15. I'm already planning to go see it in theaters, because it's really one of the first Hollywood movies with a predominantly Asian cast. Anyway, the book is super fun and lighthearted with lots of glamour, fashion, and drama. Definitely a guilty pleasure summer read.

Are you shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? Have you read any of these books? Have a great weekend!