Here I share a few books I meant to read a long time ago and finally got around to select and start reading. I might be cheating a little here considering I already have finished 4 books of this list, but I'm thinking I'll share another pile of random books from my extensive home library with you again very soon.
You see, I buy many books (secondhand is best) so I pick up various titles either because I've heard of them, I like the fancy cover or because I'm looking for them on purpose and wait patiently for them to be on the shelf of my favourite bookstore. Sometimes, I like a book I see in a fancy store (that sells new books) and I ask the bf to get it from the library of our city if they have it.
1. Miss Charity, Marie-Aude Murail
This is a book the bf got me from the library and it's already gone back to its large home. Originally I saw it in a kid's bookstore and got drawn by the voluminous aspect of it and its author name on the cover.
Marie-Aude Mural is a French writer for young adults and sometimes younger ones and I used to love reading her books as a kid. Miss Charity is a English little girl who lives in London in 1880. Everyone thinks she's weird, she likes animals and being alone.
I thought the book was a bit inspired by Beatrix Potter's biography but I'm not sure. All I can definitely say is that it would have been fantastic for me to have read it when I was younger. It shows little girls that they can become successful and live a happy life through being independant. Beautiful message for younger ones!
2. Shopaholic to the stars, Sophie Kinsella
New in the Shopaholic series. It's not the best story so far but I enjoyed being back in Becky's mind. Luckily there will be a next book as I can't get enough of her stupid mistakes and misunderstandings about what other people might think of her!
For those of you who don't know Becky Bloomwood, she simply is the best shopper out there. She can find in any shop the most exquisite thing and might urgently need to bring it back home this exact second!
Becky needs to move to Hollywood because of her husband! She's excited to be soon walking on red carpets and meet celebrities! As you must have guessed, her American dream doesn't happen as she had planned and she might be on the verge of a divorce...
3. The help, Kathryn Stockett
I had seen the movies many moons ago and plainly cried my eyes out on the sofa as it was so beautiful! The book laid forever on my shelves before I finally decided to pick it up and boy!, I was not disappointed.
The writing is beautiful even if sometimes I couldn't fully understand the maids' southern accent. The way the chapters describe three points of views is brilliant and their stories is at the same time sad and joyful.
I've read that the author actually lived in Mississippi and her family had a maid back in the sixties. She always wondered how she must have felt working for them but never got around to ask her. The book is purely fiction but I guess there must have been some truthful events or feelings in it.
4. The stone cutter, Camilla Läckberg
As an ex-Millenium trilogy fanatic, of course I started - late as usual - to read other Swedish crime fictions. I try to find the books and read them in chronological order and this is the third Patrick Hedström's investigation in Fjällbacka.
A little girl has been found drowned and the chapters are mixed with flashbacks from 1924 when a stone cutter started a secret affair with his rich boss' daughter. Where will it lead? Where will it end? Who did it?
I'm a sucker for this kind of books so I can't be honestly objective. Mysteries and tension. Darkness in the weather and in the protagonists hearts. I just love it! I'm currently reading it so really, WHO did it?
5. The only way is up, Carole Matthews
It's English romance, chick lit crap. I am also a fan of the genre and I'm not afraid to say it. Chick lit is not crap, I shouldn't say that even if sometimes it's so cliché, I don't even finish the books.
Well, what I like about those books is that I'm such an anglophile that I love reading stories about women (or sometimes men... I'm referencing to Mike Gayle's stories here) that are set in modern day Britain. I love reading what they do, how they organize their homes, what they talk about at the pub after their work day etc. I pick up anything that seems to have a great plot and get down with it.
The only way is up is a very stereotyped story about a rich family that loses everything on a Ponzi scheme and has to go and live in a council house. It teaches them love and generosity and blablabla. Okay this was not exceptional but it made me realize that we are actually lucky to have cutlery around. It really describes what is it like to only have a suitcase full of holiday clothes to live with on a daily basis.
It was a good read while being on vacation, I enjoyed it and I did not stop until I was done (except to sleep). I read it in less than 24 hours! I'm insane like that!
6. Where'd you go Bernadette, Maria Semple
I randomly found this title while browsing and got attracted to it because I had seen it a lot on blogs and the like. I had no idea what is was about though so I read the back cover and got intrigued. A mother goes missing and her daughter goes looking for her.
Apparently it's very Seattle's based so it must be interesting to learn more the lifestyle. Maria Semple is also a screenwriter who wrote the Mad about you's script! Everyone seems to love this so it's next on my nightstand!
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