"I LIke To Read."

I read a lot. Online... Offline... On bathroom walls... On t-shirts... On Starbucks coffee cups... If there are words (pictures too), I will read it.

My most favorite things to read are women's and fashion magazines. Both domestic and international. And while at Heathrow Airport on my layover coming back to Boston this week, I indulged and picked up the May issue of Vogue UK, grateful not to have to wait till mid-May to buy it in the US.

I love Vogue from the UK. It's very different from the US version. It actually has helpful tips for fashion, beauty and health. And they also allow for "promotional content." So advertiser-based content, which is almost always fun and useful to read.

The next day (yesterday), when I was settled and rested from my trip back home, I headed out to Barnes and Noble to pick up my US magazines for May. They weren't out before I left for Europe, so I hadn't read any of them yet. Here is what I walked out of Barnes and Noble with...



Seven glossies, the newest issue of Everyday Food and a copy of In Bruges. (I didn't get a chance to watch the movie before I went to Bruges. It is HILARIOUS though!)

While I was going along the magazine rack, picking out what I needed, a posh older woman commented on what I was pulling.

"You certainly do read a lot," she noted.

I agreed that I did.

"It's research," I explained with a smile "I am always looking for new things about which to write, and it's helpful if I know what others have already covered."

We then went into a discussion about which domestic women's and fashion magazines were "good reads" and which were "unusable." We agreed that the bad included:

• In Style
• Vogue
• Cosmo (Which I refused to read after the age of 24.)
• W

Sure, Vogue and W are good for "high fashion" reading. But, the content really only inspires and transcends a small collection of people. The pictorials are good, but the first 100 to 200 pages of Vogue (for example) are all ads. And when you work your way through the magazine, there is far more ad space and far less content. I know it is a hard time for the industry, but this is ridiculous. If you must sell more advertising, please take a cue from the Vogue UK and put in "promotional content."

In Style I don't like because they really retread a lot of their content. A LOT! Seriously, I can pick up an issue in February, and in September they will be running a very similar story. Additionally, they seem to have gotten rid of the horoscopes section... Which is one of my favorite sections in any magazine. It's fun and silly, and I love it.

So, which magazines do I think are an excellent read and worth what you pay for them?

• Elle - Fantastic editorials. Great fashion collages.
  
• Harper's Bazaar - Really speaks to women of all ages for fashion. Excellent content.
  
• Women's Health - This is the health and fitness magazine you should be reading over any other. Excellent content, and it has this element of "digital-ness" to it. What I mean is, you get quick facts and information on the first few pages of content... And you can then connect to the more in-depth content inside further pages. It's a very helpful and inspirational magazine.
  

Self and Allure are decent as well. But they can get dull... Allure really focuses on the beauty and health aspects, meaning you will always learn about the newest and latest in procedures and products. Self is great for gym nuts who want to be inspired.

I do read the magazines I don't find helpful, such as Vogue and In Style. All in, I probably read about 12 women's health and fashion magazines a month... And an additional six or seven that are not focused on women's health or fashion.

What can I say? Other than, "I like to read."