There’s no point in looking fantastic if the whole effect is shot to hell when you open your mouth. I love looking good and having nice things as much as the next girl, but I also make a point of reading at least 2-3 books each week. Although I know not everyone has that kind of time, I can’t be alone in my desire to improve my mind.

For that reason, I’m going to start sharing the highlights of my reading list in hopes that someone else can enjoy the books as much as I did. First up - one of my all-time favorites, Frank Herbert’s Dune.

I’ll warn you right now that Dune is a sci-fi classic. That said, you’d be making a terrible mistake to avoid it for that reason. If you’re not accustomed to reading sci-fi or fantasy novels, you’ll probably find the first 20-30 pages to be a little rough. Once you get a feel for the world Herbert’s created, though, you’ll be right at home.

I first read Dune when I was about 11, and I didn’t really understand a lot of what I read. It was a great story, but when I re-read it recently, I was blown away all over again. If you enjoy stories of power struggles with a lot of underlying psychology and spirituality, you’ll love Dune.

Girl tip for reading sci-fi: Picture the lead male (and the lead is nearly always a male) as the hottest man imaginable - your imaginary fantasy man or future husband. Sci-fi heroes tend to be incredibly brainy, dashing, amazing men, so getting a good mental picture going from the start is a sure-fi way to add another element of awesomeness to the reading experience.

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