Currently reading
Roman Blood
Progress:
171/401 pages
Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child
Progress:
208/557 pages
Avant-gardes du XXe siècle: arts & littérature, 1905-1930
Caesar's Commentaries: On the Gallic War and On the Civil War
Les bûchers de Bocanegra
The Songs of the Kings
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories: Volumes I and II
The Hobbit
La Mare au Diable (French Edition)
Read this many years ago. It's actually in my Ipod to listen to when I go back to work.
 - George Sand)
Shylock's Daughter: A Novel of Love in Venice
My favourite Erica Jong's novel. I haven't read this in many years but the memories are good ones. I loved the timelessness of the storytelling, the out of time, out of body experience, Shakespeare in Venice and how the heroine slips into Jessica's persona trying to live up to what she knows of the play's history. I'm definitely gonna reread it this year.
Robert Des Noms Propres (Le Livre de Poche) (French Edition)
Un Nothomb moyen. Beaucoup de jeux de forme et peu de matière en bout de ligne. La trame 'tragique' de l'héroine qui au bout du compte devient ce qu'elle était destinée à devenir. Nothomb se met en scene de nouveau mais comme un personnage accessoire, l'Auteur, avec une majuscule, qui devient l'objet d'obsession, de convoitise et ultimement l'objet ultime à posséder. La réflexion sur l'obsession, la fixation sur des personnalités publiques est malheureusement superficielle et n'ajoute rien au roman. Nothomb fait habituellement mieux.
Indiana (Oxford World's Classics)
Premier roman de Sand sans "l'aide" d'un auteur masculin. Elle vole de ses propres ailes et publie Indiana, roman de jeunesse, de quête, de formation où l'on trouve les thèmes chers à Sand qui reviendront tout au long de sa longue carrière d'écrivain. Le sort des femmes, leurs rôles, leurs avenirs, leur indépendances. Le style n'est pas encore là, il y a définitement des lourdeurs de descriptions, des passages où la démarche pédagogique est mise à l'avant mais Sand réussi à créer un personnage de chair et de sang, Indiana, 'mariée' à un vieux colonel et qui sera séduite par un amant sans scrupules. A l'encontre d'Aurore Dupin qui se transforme en George Sand, libre et libérée, le destin d'Indiana est plus tragique et mortel.
 - George Sand)
French Fiction in the Mitterrand Years: Memory, Narrative, Desire (Oxford Studies in Modern European Culture)
You will never ever forget your first contact with the Malaussene family. Never. From le Petit (the youngest boy of this rag tag family of misfits) to the latest baby named Verdun because she doesn't just yell she howls like the bombs at the battle of Verdun, to Clara, sweet Clara to Benjamin who heads the family because he isn't really given the choice and makes due and because it's in his nature to be the scapegoat for everyone his family included. This first novel featuring the Malaussene family establishes Benjamin's status as the perfect scapegoat (he ends up in jail for bombings he has nothing to do with unless being there is reason enough. In Benjamin's case, it is. Au bonheur des ogres is this sideways holiday fairy tale where ogres are heroes and being different is something to be celebrated not hidden. One of my all time favourite series of novels starts with this quirky opening bow where amidts all the drama Benjamin finds love without looking for it.
 - Colin Davis;Elizabeth Fallaize)
Ruddy Gore: Phryne Fisher #7 (Phryne Fisher Mysteries)
A solid Phryne Fisher. This one set in the theater world where Phryne untangles quite a bit of yarns to get to the truth. Good use of Gilbert and Sullivan both in the set up of the theater and the plot line. This one opens a new chapter in Phryne's series, it introduces I believe new recurring characters, Lin Chung in particular and although the portrayal of Chinese people is a bit cringe worthy (reflects the times at least), it does set up something like an ideal universe (and let's be honest Phryne is living in a kinda ideal 1928 year with lots of glossing over things. I liked it, I kinda figured out the mysteries since the plot line follows a G & S opera/play. This is a good series so far and it hasn't lost any of its shiny appeal.
Death of an Expert Witness (Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Series #6)
Sixth Adam Dalgliesh novel. My month of reading the next novel in the series thing continues. I know I read this one many, many years ago but I didn't remember anything. Nothing. So the culprit was a surprise, the plot is quite muddy and with a sluggish pace. Dalgliesh is mostly a tool of the plot here nothing more. Which is rare. Usually we get some insight in his head, some glimpse of his inner emotion, here almost none at all. Overall it's a solid, yet strangely constructed plot with some innovative twists for the time.
Freeze My Margarita: A Sam Jones Novel
Almost 4 stars. It's a entertaining romp of a chase for Sam who is hired to created mobiles for a reprise of Midsummer night dream. The actors, the director, the theater's people are all locked in a who did what and why struggle. Sam gets caught by the drama and kinda find someone who matches her wit and dry humor. It's a fun read, the fauna of the theater is well done. The culprit is not who I thought it was and it also wasn't an unlikely suspects. So win-win. A good plot, good atmosphere and cool characters. Not 4 stars because of the repetitive use of Johnny Cash's Boy named Sue. It felt pasted on like in a bad song fic.
The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian
There are parts that are brilliant. Others glide over huge parts of history like the reader obviously knows all about it. Lane Fox spends a lot of time on the fall of the Republic, the Civil Wars (Julius, Mark Antony, Octavian, etc) then spends only a few chapters on the whole post Octavian/Augustus period. Even less time is spent on Trajan and Hadrian. But overall it's a good book on classical world. The reader needs to have a base and an overall view of who is who and did what because Lane Fox assumes that the reader knows stuff and takes a few short cuts that can leave the more neophyte reader a bit dazed and confused.
Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate)
This was a disappointment. There are parts I liked a lot and parts that bored me to tears. All the food related parts are interesting, vivid and fun. Her quest for the best chocolate chip cookie, her love of croissant and her discoveries of a local bakery are all interesting and worth reading. It's the very egocentric and me, all about me, my ego and see how me is torn apart about living in Paris or New York. The Sex in the City drama type of narrative is boring. Annoying. I think I should have stick to her articles or blog not this blah travel memoirs thing that has some good food articles sections (the reason for the two stars).
 - Amy Thomas)
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures
This is quite unique. A graphic novel, and it is a novel do not be fool by the pretty pictures, with a scrapbooking, vintage twist. It is the box that makes the novel in this case. The story is not new, girl want to go to college, can't no money, goes to work, meets bad boy, miracle happens, college, New York, Paris, return of the bad boy, parent is dying, goes home, meets good, bland boy again who became succesful man, love, marriage, the end. Pretty conventional, but it's set in the 1920’s, she wants to be a writer, it's Paris of Hemingway, Sylvia Beach and Joyce. It's the dream like era right before the crash. It's conventional but with lots of background literarure history. And it's very pretty. The four stars is for the detailed, painfully historically, vintage box that captures the era the story is set in. The story itself well we have all read it before but not quite presented this way.
Reservations for Two (Harlequin Superromance)
Again, the food saves the book for me. That and the obvious love of the author for Chicago and Polish cuisine. The heroine is strong, smart, driven, good at what she does. She unfortunately doesn't deserve the hero, who is a douchebag.He kinda redeems himself somewhat but he is still a douchebag and kinda of a stalker. I didn't like the male character at all. The point of view waves a bit from Tilly to Dan in the same page which makes it a bit awkward at times. The good parts are the restaurant scenes, Tilly talking about her love of food, of cooking. The whole he almost destroys her restaurant but wants to date her is hicky from the start for me and his stubbornness to not write a new review is annoying to the power of a hundred. So 3 stars for the strong heroine and the food, 1 star for the douchebag hero.
The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing: From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator (Vish Puri Mysteries)
I get hungry reading Vish Puri's books. Not a bad thing but when it's the main attraction because the plot that started out as a really good idea devolves into a mumbo-jumbo of a mess, the food is what saves it and keeps me reading. So we have this professor who is murdered in broad day light by Kali. This professor is a guru, con men hunter. Revealing how 'magic' works. There this line of plot, add a plot line about a spiritual guru who is know to be a con man, it stills good. Political powers, stuff happens. Then it gets lost. The whole part at the guru retreat was so disconnected and kinda done for kicks. The resolution of the mystery is penalized by this 'religious' diversion. The whole B plot of Rumi and her mother in law hunting down thieves was also thin. So less then stellar effort but worth it for the characters and the food. I rounded it out to 3 stars but more like 2.5 stars
 - Tarquin Hall)
Black Arrow
Very good installment in a series that gets better with each new novel. Akitada moves to the Northern part of the empire, newly assigned governor of Echigo. A cold, isolated place where the local lord is the law. Lots of intrigues, some good characters development, new friends and foes add to the already mismatched team supporting Akitada in his new post. Parker succeeds in bringing new readers into an existing series quite easily, you don't need to start with the first book, you can start with this one and go back. She also makes faithful readers comfortable and happy to meet old friends again.
Vita romana / la vie quotidienne dans la rome antique
Still a very good reference books for every day life in Roman times. First published in the 1950's, it's not a glossy, colour picture book. Still the information is well organized. Paoli touches on every aspects of Roman life throughout the early times, the Republic and the Empire eras. Learned a lot, took copious notes and got lots and lots of ideas for my writing. Not recent but still a very well written introduction to Roman every day life.
The Fireman Who Loved Me: A Bachelor Firemen Novel
I gave it two stars right after finishing it but after sleeping on it. Nope, two stars is too much.I read this on the strength of the novella (which is cute, adorable and fun). This one looks at Fire Chief Brody and his 'courtship' with Melissa, news producer. Right from the start, the use of the dead horse trope of the bachelor auction and buying a 'date' for her grand daughter was borderline but the grand daughter character saved it. Melissa and Brody courtship is okay it's the other things that made me go... WHAT??Surprise dominatrix sex games between two secondary characters that are the villains of the piece. WHAT? If I wanted to read Fifty Shades of Grey I would, nothing wrong with it but springing it in a cute, adorable series made me go WTF.The whole grand mother meddling and ultimately criminal action made this book jump the shark. Add the returning exs and you have the kitchen sink. I finished it because... well.. I finish books if only to rant about them. *g*So read the cute novella that starts the series but go no further even if Brody and Melissa are interesting but it's not enough since it's buried in a lot of rubbish.
