Bookshelf

Jean Harlow

The pile of books by my bed has grown smaller over the summer, helped along by a self-imposed ban on buying any new books until the pile is gone. Yet it would probably be even smaller without my frequent trips to the library. Oh, well. Here are the some of the books I've read this season. 

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald—Therese Anne Fowler

A fictionalized retelling of Zelda Fitzgerald’s life from Zelda’s point of view. Often depicted by biographers as a crazy woman who was a burden to her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald, this book paints a more sympathetic portrait of the famed flapper. Disclosure: I normally don’t read novels about famous people whom I like (main reason I still haven’t read The Paris Wife) but was given an advance copy of this book by a friend. As a work of fiction the novel was all right but if you want to know about the real Zelda then check out some of the many non-fiction accounts out there.

The Anatomist’s Wife—Anna Lee Huber

The first book of a new historical mystery series. In 1830 Scotland, Lady Darby (Keira) is a painter and a social outcast; the widow of an anatomist whom it is believed did experiments on the dead with Keira’s help. While living with her sister and brother-in-law a murder is committed during a house party, and Keira finds herself working alongside the arrogant enquiry agent Sebastian Gage to try and catch the murderer. I am a big fan of this genre and loved this book. Can’t wait to read the next instalment.

The Uninvited Guest—Sadie Jones

At a large manor house in the English countryside, a family’s birthday celebrations are interrupted by the arrival of a group of survivors from a nearby train wreck. Soon secrets from the past surface, class barriers are broken, and identities are revealed. If you're looking for a typical mystery novel with likable characters, this is not the book for you. Filled with a dash of surrealism, it's an excellent ghost story that I quite liked.

The Ladies of the Corridor—Dorothy Parker and Arnaud D’Usseau

In a residence hotel on the Upper East Side lives a group of lonely women, some single, some widowed, whose long days are broken up by reading the latest mystery novel or going to the movies. In the lobby they sit, gossipping about the residents and killing time. Surprisingly, this was the first time I had read this play (don’t know how that happened) and it being a work by Mrs. Parker, I of course liked it. Also kinda made me wish that these type of hotels still existed.

The Expats: A Novel—Chris Pavone

Kate Moore is a former CIA agent living in Luxembourg with her husband and children, attempting to start over as a stay-at-home mom. But when an American couple arrives in town whose story doesn’t add up, Kate finds herself being pulled back into her old life. I enjoyed the aspects about living abroad in Europe but often found myself wondering how Kate could have ever been a secret agent with the amount of mistakes she makes. Not a good sign for a spy when the reader knows something is up before she does.

My Berlin Kitchen: A Love Story (with Recipes)—Luisa Weiss

Born in Berlin to an American father and an Italian mother, Weiss spent her childhood shuffling between two continents, speaking multiple languages. Through it all the kitchen remained her one constant and this memoir explores her love of cooking and the particular foods and dishes that remind her of key moments in her life. The book made me want to try some of the recipes that are included but started to feel long about half way through.

For previous Bookshelf posts, go here, here, here, and here.