In Search of Lost Time

In Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way by Marcel Proust, A Graphic Novel adapted by Stephane Heuet, is a wonderful book to introduce the reader to Proust's epic work. The artwork is beautiful and the story comes alive. I have not read Proust before, and at times I found his writing absolutely brilliant, and other times tedious; it is not necessarily to my taste.

However, I loved reading it in graphic form, in fact I most likely would not have read this novel otherwise. I imagine fans of Proust will love this new addition to his work.

The Secrets of Midwives

The Secrets of Midwives is the debut novel by Sally Hepworth, author of The Things We Keep. I read this book in one sitting, just couldn't put it down. It tells of three generations of midwives, who all have great love and respect for each other even if they have chosen slightly different paths.

This is a good, somewhat predictable, easy read, full of details of midwives lives. Secrets, past and present are slowly revealed to keep the reader engaged until the end. A satisfying read.

The Dream Lover

The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg is historical fiction based on the life of writer George Sand. George Sand, whose real name was Aurore Dupin Dudevant was the first woman writer in France to become an international bestseller. She dressed as a man, smoked cigars, had many lovers and friends, both men and women, and led a fascinating life split between Paris and the French countryside.

Berg is a wonderful writer, she brings Sand to life on the page and the many famous men and women she spent time with, from Chopin, to Flaubert, Hugo and more. However, I felt frustrated reading about Sand's brilliance then watching her time and time again give her love to unworthy men, it was a tiresome pattern, and it made me want to read more of Sand's own books to discover a bit more about her.

A Paris Apartment

A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable is historical fiction based on the life of Marthe de Florian, a renowned courtesan painted by Giovanni Boldini, one of the masters of the Belle Epoque. After her death, her grand daughter shut up her apartment and fled Paris during WWII. It was discovered more than 70 years later full of artwork, furniture and much more that would draw millions at auction.

The novel is set in modern day Paris where April Vogt of Sothebys is sent to organize and catalogue everything in the apartment, and in the past as told in Marthe's journals. Although a great story, not the greatest novel, I wanted better writing, and to care more deeply about the characters.  It was fun to look at the actual pictures of the apartment and its contents online. A worthwhile read for its historical content alone.

The Bookstore

The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler had the potential to be a good book; a love story to old fashioned bookstores, and to New York City itself. Esme, fresh from London, on a scholarship at Columbia, falls in love with rich, blue blooded Mitchell and that's where everything goes wrong.

Mitchell is such a creepy, unlikable character, it was impossible to believe Esme would fall for him and keep coming back to him.  I wish it had been more focused on the bookstore and less on the romance, could hardly wait to be done with this one.

The Well of Lost Plots

The Well of Lost Plots is a Thursday Next novel by Jasper Fforde. I haven't ready the whole series, but so far this is my favorite. Jurisfiction officer Thursday Next is pregnant, her husband has been eradicated and she has been relocated into an unpublished book in the Well of Lost Plots where plot devices are sold on the black market, a misspelling vyrus can mean total destruction for all, and someone is trying to erase her memory.

Fforde's imagination has no bounds and this is a fun adventure through literature for all those who love to read.  A wildly original ride; you may never look at a book the same way again.

Daughter of Fortune

Daughter of Fortune is a book that shows Isabelle Allende's incredible gift for storytelling,. It tells of an orphan girl raised in Chile by an upper class family, then stealing away on a ship to follow her lover to California at the height of the Gold Rush of 1849, in the process she undergoes many changes.

An epic novel, well written and filled with wonderful characters, history, adventure, romance, friendship, family, self-discovery and all you could want from a great story, it's one of Allende's best.

A great read.

H is for Hawk

H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald is a beautifully written memoir filled with nature writing, history, poetry and much more. It defies all genres and stands alone as a brilliant work of literature.

It was written during an intense period of grief after the author lost her father and comes to terms with her own depression through training a goshawk named Mabel.

She refers often to TH White, author of The Once and Future King, who also trained a goshawk and wrote a book about it. This was a tiresome and often disturbing part of the book that I wish hadn't taken up so much of the story.

Overall a beautifully written, yet very heavy book.

The House at Tyneford

The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons is set at a beautiful English country house by the seashore, where 19 year old Elise takes a post as a maid to flee Vienna at the start of WWII. She leaves behind her family and a life of privilege to become a servant in a foreign land. At first lost and lonely, she finds friendship in unexpected places and the beauty of Tyneford House grows on her.

Full of historical details, Solomons transports the reader to another place and time. A wonderful story of English country life before the War changed everything.