Today’s poll topic was suggested by our host, Haunani, who wants everyone to...
....recommend a great book to add to our summer reading lists, and...
...tell us what fragrance we should wear while reading it.
If you haven't met Haunani, please say hello:
Note: top image is fred vargas by dottorpeni at flickr; some rights reserved.
I’d recommend The Unlikely Lavender Queen by Jeannie Ralson:
http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Lavender-Queen-Unexpected-Blossoming/dp/0767927958
Wear Penhaligon’s Lavendula while reading it!
I’m seconding this one, as I took Melissa’s recommendation a while back. It’s a fun read for a perfumista or anyone, and the picture on the cover is to die for! Lavandula would be the perfect accompanying scent!
This sounds really good, thanks!
I recommend reading The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber – totally engrossing and because of the time frame and subject matter you could wear anything from FM Portrait of a Lady to Bal a Versailles. I would personally suggest wear whatever skanky perfume you prefer as long as its accompanied by a nice big glass of wine.
http://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Petal-White-Harvest-Book/dp/B0017ODVYA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307807972&sr=8-1
Oh, that looks interesting! I love books that take me to another time, place, and/or lifestyle. This one would do all three! Good for those cooler summer days when one can get away with a skanky fragrance. 😉
I have read this one – it’s good and not nearly as titillating as you might think, given the subject matter. (I did find the ending somewhat depressing, though.) And PoaL might work very well for it.
You are right about the book not being titillating – the life of a 19th century prostitute was pretty grim but I found the language and period details completely fascinating.
Good suggestion on the PotL scent by the way!
This sounds like an interesting book – I like historical fiction that ends in the more realistic end of the spectrum.
One of my all-time favorite books! I “met” the author back when Barnes and Noble was doing on-line book clubs. We was wonderful – very willing to explain anything about his book an very interested in reader’s opinions of it. A charming man.
HE was, not we was! 🙂
Fifthing(?) this recommendation, along with PoaL or Bal a Versailles. Or MKK.
It’s a fabulous book. Yes, very depressing but so complete. I love going into a complete and realistic world like that, so vivid and emotive. There’s a 4-part mini-series of it too and, while they couldn’t cram in half the book, I thought it still told a good story.
Also, it has elements of perfume in it.
As for perfume – Penhaligons Lavandula should be worn on one wrist and, yes, BaV on the other!!!
That’s quite a contrast! 🙂
I also endorse Crimson Petal and the White, takes you right into Victorian England and what a journey it is. As it is blockbuster size, you will need a few fragrance choices. Mix it up with Pears Original Soap, Yardley English Lavender, Amaranthine, and the skankiest thing you can stand (which does not necessarily need to be a perfume). The miniseries is good, but I was amazed (showing my age probs) that they brought it to TV it is very explicit.
Non-fiction:
Top of my head suggestions…nice poll 🙂
Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (her other books are good, too. This one is my absolute favorite) [Calamity J]
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson [Miller et Bertaux Spiritus/Land]
The Bluegrass Conspiracy by Sally Denton [Guerlain Derby]
Anything by David Sedaris [Dzing!]
Transformations by Anne Sexton [Iris Pallida]
Lolita by Nabokov [CB I Hate Perfume In the Library]
Blackberries Blackberries by Crystal Wilkinson [Mure et Musc]
Veronica by Mary Gaitskill (her other books are wonderful, too) [Passage d’Enfer]
Guilty Pleasure:
If Tomorrow Comes by Sydney Sheldon [Lady Vengeance]
Great list & pairings!!
Thank you! 🙂
Yes, great list! I’ll have fun looking some of those up, and this is an excellent reminder to me to look back at older books that I never got around to reading, like Lolita and A Walk in the Woods. Thanks!
Thanks, and welcome! 🙂 I live in Lexington and The Bluegrass Conspiracy is still discussed, sometimes in whispers, because a few of the key players are still around…a little juicy.
Hmmm… I like bluegrass, and Derby is a stunning fragrance!
LOVE the Sedaris – Dzing! combo. Perfect!
Agreed!
Thank you both. I LOVE David Sedaris (and Amy, for that matter) and Dzing!
Black March would work with Stiff, too. Great book. Fun and informative.
That’s perfect! 🙂
What a great topic!
I’d like to recommend: “The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific” by J. Maarten Troost.
This book is so funny and you will not believe some of things he and his girlfriend go through. You will not be able to put it down.
If you are a traveler, you will love this true story. But, this is one place I will never ever travel to.
http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Lives-Cannibals-Equatorial-Pacific/dp/0767915305/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307808012&sr=1-1
As for a scent, probably Songes. It would conjure up island paradise while you are living in island hell.
~Dawn
This sounds like a real hoot, and a perfect summer read. Your fragrance pairing sounds well thought out, LOL!
Second the book – it’s a fun read, and the author is clever and hilarious…it takes a while to notice that he has a lot of serious socio-political material in there too. I think it requires something sweet on top, with a skanky underlayer….
Great topic! Here is one in the “fun beach reading” category that I am just finishing: The Likeness by Tana French
http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780670018864-6
It’s a mystery/psychological thriller narrated by an undercover female cop who poses as an (alive) murder victim, set in a shabby chic Georgian house in the Irish countryside and occupied by a group of too-close young intellectuals. (I know, quite the setup.)
Scent while wearing it: Wet Garden by Demeter (which evokes the real thing very well)
I’m also hoping to tackle “The Emperor of Scent” this summer…it’s been on my nightstand for a while.
That sounds like fun! I love mysteries and thrillers, especially quirky ones. Your link also reminds me of trips to visit family in Portland and the inevitable stops at Powell’s Books and The Perfume House.
She’s a wonderful author; have you read “Faithful Place,” her most recent?
Not yet! I just discovered her and am working my way through in order, so that’s next on my list…
Ohhh! I didn’t know a new Tana French was out! Thanks 🙂
My beach reading would be the Sookie Stackhouse series, something light and fun. The scent would be Estee Lauder’s Aliage or Comptoir Sud Pacifique’s Tropical Series Cool Palm.
I haven’t heard of this series, or the CSP Cool Palm. Off to look them up – thanks! I think this poll is going be a wonderful resource for all of us!
Sookie!! I am headed toward book 4 – but do I want to read it before season 4? hmmm
Oh, no! So it’s another TV series that I don’t know about? Off to look it up….
Haunani, it’s the book series that True Blood is based on. I love both the books and TV series.
Just finished reading July and August by Nancy Clark. It’s the last book of a series, but you need not have read the first two to enjoy this one. It covers a long, gentle, summer in New England with an extended family, and the leisurely pace of the novel perfectly expresses what I think is the best of summer: the sense of time stretching out in front of you, endlessly, and then tapering off into the distance.
Here’s an Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/July-August-Novel-ebook/dp/B001AL661U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1307810007&sr=8-2
(Not many reviews listed, and the one negative one says only, “too much description.”)
To wear while reading it: Moschino Funny! or Hermes Jardin sur le Nil, for the effect of white curtains blowing in the breeze blowing in from the vegetable gardens and across the roses…
Just took a peek. These sound lovely and perfect for the summer mood, as do your fragrance choices!
Well, I wouldn’t call it beach reading, but I just recommended to H in another forum Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series. For the first 3 books: NM Mariner for “Over Sea, Under Stone”; CBIHP’s Winter 1972 for “The Dark is Rising”; and Roxana Illuminated’s Greenwitch, for the book of the same name, by which the perfume reportedly was inspired. Still thinking of ‘fumes for books 4 and 5.
Can’t wait to check this out. And you know how I love Neil Morris Mariner! 🙂
I finally took the plunge and ordered a sample of Greenwitch, so I guess that one is your fault. 😉 I *almost* made it through a quarter purchase-free, but between this and one split.. ahh well. Closer than usual, anyway!
The scented life is full of pitfalls, no? 😉
Actually I did read the dark is rising series on a summer holiday at the beach. Well, everyone else actually went down to the beach – I was too busy reading!
Hehe. Well, some of the books are seaside, so in that respect, I guess it works. They’re just not the mindless fluff I associate w/beach reading.
Yeah, I think some were set at the coast.
I think I’ve read one of these, but it was not the first one in the series, and I was a little confused by it. Library should have the series, though, shouldn’t it?
You know, I accidentally started w/the second book, finished out the series, and only THEN discovered the first book, which explained a few things. 😀 I’d think the library would have them, yes.
Oooh! I haven’t read these since I was a kid (when they were some of my favorite books). Now I want to read them again — along with the perfume pairings! Thanks for the suggestions!
They are categorised as children’s fantasy. But I think they are classics in the genre!
My summer afternoon on the porch rec is I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, a charming story that will transport you to a gentle past. Avoid the movie at all costs. The story features Penhaligon’s Bluebell, so you could wear that, or just inhale the warm smell of a summer lawn.
Here’s a link: http://www.amazon.com/I-Capture-Castle-Dodie-Smith/dp/031231616X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307812044&sr=1-1
Oh, and a “skip the movie” recommendation is *always* appreciated! 🙂
I think you’ve recommended this before, and I completely forgot to mark it down. Have rectified that now! 🙂 I do hate when they make a bad movie of a good book. Based on the previews I saw for “The Seeker” (supposedly the movie version of the Dark is Rising), I couldn’t even bear to watch it. A story that has Arthurian legend woven all throughout simply cannot be made to take place in the USA. I was horrified.
Thanks, Rosarita! This sounds like a gem – another one that takes the reader to a different time. And how fun that it features Bluebell!
It is a gem! I’ve recommended it to many friends, all of whom have loved it. A shame about the movie…
This is one of my favorite books!
I recommend reading E.F. Benson’s Queen Lucia (the gateway book for his immense oeuvre) while wearing Ma Griffe. The Lucia series will keep you going all summer and then you can tell us what perfume suits Miss Mapp…
A series of six books, I see. I love getting lost in a series. Your choice of Ma Griffe makes me even more curious….
Oh, I loved the Mapp & Lucia series so much when I read it… about a decade ago?! Time to reread!!
yes, Jessica, it’s time to dig them out again! Enjoy!
and Fred (as we call him) wrote many more novels – some better than others. A character in the Oaklyites has a Proustian moment that may pre-date Proust…
I’ve read this series at least six times – LOVE IT. Seems like EL Azuree might be a good fit – it’s slightly odd, slightly overpowering, and sticks with you.
Wow – SIX times! Now that’s a recommendation!
It’s like chocolate fudge with walnuts – I couldn’t eat it all that often, but the craving comes on annually or so, and when it does, it’s powerful.
I recommend Cloud Atlas… but I have no idea what scent would go with it… It really needs six scents, because there are 6 main stories which are interlinked.
An american surveyor travelling around the colonial cook islands in the mid 19th century
A British dandy composing a masterpiece in pre WW2 Belgium
A lifestyle magazine journalist investigating high-level corporate conspiracy at a shoddy nuclear reactor in upstate new york in the 1970s
An aging raconteur who is trapped in a nightmarish retirement village by his brother in the present day
A genetically engineered fast-food server in a post Korea futuristic state who is chemically ‘ascended’ from naievete and effective slavery by freedom fighters and becomes a messiah figure
And one the last survivors of western civilsation in a distant post apocalyptic future, who witnesses a terrible massacre of natives of what we know now of as hawaii, while trying to recover knowledge from the ancient ruins of a scientific research facility
I can’t think what prfumes would be good, its such a varied book in terms of its tone and genres.. you’d have to wear lots of different ones
I just looked this up. Along with so many others mentioned, it’s going on my list. Sounds incredibly creative! Thanks for the enticing description, Morgan, and I agree that it would be impossible to choose just one fragrance accompaniment!
It really is a masterpiece of writing – I never re-read books, but I think I want to read this one again.
One of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors.
Morgan – this sounds really interesting!
Who is the author and when was it published–recently? Sounds unusual to say the least. Maybe I can get it on my Kindle.
It is recent (2004) – the author is David Mitchell. Highly recommended.
This sounds interesting…your description (dystopian future, genetically modified food and people, tropical setting) makes me think of a book I recently read: “The windup girl” (sorry don’t remember the spelling of the author’s name, so I’m not even trying, starts with Ba…), to wear with Manoumalia, maybe Bulgari Black
Oh, Manoumalia! That is an atmospheric choice! (I recently *finally* decided that I love it, and got myself a bottle.)
I’ll recommend a few, but here’s a fun one for those of you who like a touch of whimsy and magic in your reading:
http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Spells-Bantam-Discovery-Addison/dp/055338483X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307814418&sr=1-1
I loved Garden Spells! It would be perfect for a long summer day spent lounging on the porch or in your own garden. LesNez The Unicorn Spell would be an ideal fragrance partner!
That is on my bookshelf waiting!~
A bit of magic is in your future, then! 🙂
This Spring a good friend recommended the novels by Georgette Heyer, considered the queen of Regency novels. I balked at the idea that they were “romance” novels, but my friend assured me there was absolutely NO bodice ripping in sight!
Well, she was right. They are a must for Austen fans as their plots are very detailed and interesting and the dialogue is witty and sophisticated, while maintaining very true to the era.
Ms. Heyer also wrote a dozen murder mysteries, but they take place in the 1920’s and 1930’s and are written in the classic English murder mystery tradition. Also recommended.
I am also enjoying Steven Saylor’s novels about ancient Rome – they feature a Roman detective but are set in accurate historical settings.
Also, I’m currently reading Rutherfurd’s New York and Superfreakonomics – I love those books – as well as some free classics on my new Kindle!
Great post! Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Rappleyea, what a wonderfully varied list! Do any of them inspire a particular fragrance pairing? BTW, I am *this* close to getting a Kindle or Nook. What model do you (or any of you) recommend?
H – I went with the Kindle because it’s not a back lit LED screen. I’ve read downloaded books on my regular computer before and then saw spots before my eyes for two days! The thing that surprised me the most about the Kindle is that I can download any PDF file to it. I’ve resisted buying one and have been firmly in the “I love REAL books” camp, but I have to say, I love the little thing!
Yes, I’ve read that the back lighting can be hard on the eyes. I’ve ruled out the iPad, so far, because we always take our iBook on trips and it does everything I want. I was in a Barnes & Noble the other day and got to see the newest Nook – I love the touch screen, size, etc. But it sounds like the Kindle has a similar device and it seems to be more popular? I’m a little confused…
I think the regular nook is basically interchangeable w/the Kindle, but then there’s the nook color. I was tempted by that bc of various features… but it has major glare. So, I’ve retreated back into “only paper for me, thanks” again for now. The big nook advantage when I was looking before was that you could lend books to your friends, but maybe Kindle has that ability now too?
I liked that sharing idea, too, but if most of your friends have Kindles, it would have to be interchangeable. Hmmm… looks like there is no choice but to do more research.
H – here’s a good comparison article:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009738-1/kindle-vs-nook-vs-ipad-which-e-book-reader-should-you-buy/
The Kindle lets you share books and sometime later this year, you’ll be able to take books out of libraries with a Kindle.
Boo – because it’s not back-lit, the Kindle has no glare. You can read on it outside in the sun! Also, they use what they call e-ink and it really does look like reading a printed page.
Thanks, Rap!
Rapple – yep, I know…and I think the regular nook is the same (?), just not the color. If they can come up w/a non-backlit color reader, I may finally take the plunge. 😉
Oh, I forgot scents! Hmm…. I guess for New York, PdN’s New York would work. For the Heyer Regencies anything by Penhaligon or I could see L’Heure Bleue or Jicky working as well. And maybe something like Vol de Nuit or Mitsouko for her murder mysteries.
I own a kindle (and an ipad). The kindle (go for the 3G for ease of use) is great – very easy to use, easy to read, esp. outside. I put it in a ziplock baggie and was floating in the pool reading this afternoon! It’s so easy – I got my mom a kindle and not only was she able to ‘get the hang of it’ immediately, she loves it as well! (My friend has a nook 1 and it seemed a bit ‘clunky’ compared to the kindle, but that’s just my opinion.)
What’s really great is that the kindle app can be loaded on many devices – ipad, computer, iphone/itouch, android phones/tables etc. The same books you read on your kindle device, you can read on other platforms. With wireless turned on, it’ll even sync pages for you! I can read on my kindle and then pick up my ipad or iphone (standing in line is way better now) and immediately pick up where I left off on my ipad.
I prefer kindle books over “real” books these days. Even with the ipad (and the apple book reader app), I prefer the kindle app hands down. The animated page turns are great – but it’s slow. It’s really clunky with long books (like The Guide). The kindle app is quick and offers all the features I need!. Love my kindle & kindle app!
CM, I appreciate the time you took to give us this detailed recommendation. I’m sure it will be of use to many of us! And I love the way you mentioned The Guide, so that our conversation is perfumista-legitimate. 🙂
Oh! And the ziploc bag idea is GREAT!
Yes! Thank you for mentioning The Guide for Kindle. It never occurred to me that it might be available for Kindle. You can guess where I’m off to….. 😉
Yep! 😉
Oh, I forgot to add: regarding kindle or nook: take a look at the actual book selection online and see what platform has the ‘most books you want’ available. Remember that both will offer ‘The Classics’ for free or very close to free, so look at contemporary. Amazon has an excellent selection and is usually a bit cheaper (per book) than B&N. I’ve gotten a lot of free stuff there, too.
Any device will work – it’s the content that will make/break your decision for you.
Also, check out your local library as they offer electronic books that you can check out. See what platform(s) they support or plan to support in the future.
If you’re tech savvy, there are tons of sites with content. Kindle reads basic txt files (nook only pdf) so it’s easy to convert content to kindle format.
Makes sense. I wonder if it supports the crossword-solving software that I have on my ‘puter? Hmmm…
(Answering my own question, for those interested) Yes! More info:
http://lisnews.org/new_kindle_new_york_times_crossword_puzzles
Hmmm… fragrance to wear while doing crosswords on a lazy summer day? Maybe Tam Dao for its famous “pencil shavings” aroma. 🙂
Sorry – coming back with more info. There are a few books of NYT crosswords available, but it sounds like solving them might be cumbersome. The daily ones do not appear to be available for Kindle, but they are for iPad/iPhone, Blackberry, and some other things. I would never use a phone for reading – too small for my eyes to comfortably do.
I’ve heard such praise over these books by Georgette Heyer. Looks like now (i.e. summer) is the perfect time to dive right in!
I was really impressed with her writing, Bookgirl. Email me at rappleyea11 at yahoo dot com and I can send you a couple (I ended up with duplicates by buying lots off of eBay).
Done!
Combining art forms is always fun.
A recent book I finished and thought it would’ve been a great summer read was “A Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness.
The supernatural characters have distinctive scents.
Clove and cinnamon are but two of the ingredients in Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s Cimabue and that is the fragrance I think would match this book pretty well.
Hi SMM! Just looked this one up, too. It sounds like a wonderful, adventurous – and romantic – romp. Intriguing that the characters have scents. Thanks for the book rec, and for the reminder to get that Cimabue sample out one day soon!
“A Discovery of Witches” is on my to-read list. I love that the witches have their own delicious scents. I can’t wait to read!
Oooh, I’m so interested in both the book and Cimabue, which I’ve been meaning to try for a while now.
The last book I read was ‘The Virgin Suicides’ by Jeffrey Eugenides. This also has a pretty good screen adaptation directed by Sophia Coppola. Sorry, can’t think of the right scent for it – maybe someone else who has read it can suggest something: trashy-teenage, powdery, innocent and seductive at once. Perhaps Dior’s Cherie?
Love’s Baby Soft or one of the flankers?
Sorry, I haven’t tried that one!
It has teenage (though not really trashy), innocent and powdery all down for sure.
Ooh, Merlin. Just looked it up. Sounds creepy and compelling!
Haunani, it is both! The texture of the writing is great: crisp, witty and evocative, all at once.
Cherie would be perfect! I’ve always meant to read that book, too.
Anais Anais?
Probably too ‘refined’!
For sheer fun fantasy, I just finished reading the most recent book, Con & Conjure, in the Raine Benares series by Lisa Shearin (Amazon link – http://tinyurl.com/3gu5ukm). The heroine is a kickass elf, and in each book there have been laugh-out-loud moments. I’ve really enjoyed them all, and will probably reread the entire series before the next one comes out next spring. I’d recommend reading them in sequence if possible. I think the fragrance I would choose is probably something like Dzing.
Thanks for a great topic today — I’m finding lots of entries for my need-to-read list!
I love the idea of a “kickass elf,”, CeciliaT! And Dzing! is sort of a fantasy scent in a way, too. 🙂 Thank you for chiming in!
I love this idea! I am currently reading The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. It is a tale of the repercussions the past has on the present and features a dilapidated castle, three eccentric sisters, and wartime England. It is excellent so far and I plan on looking up her other novels. I have been wearing Messe de Minuit and CBIHP In the Library ( the protagonist is a book editor with a profound love of books and libraries so it feels right). I am making notes to add to my never ending list of things I want to read- a list I hope to never get to the end of!
This one sounds good too! I think I need to indulge my little one’s begging for a trip to the library soon. 🙂
That sounds very entertaining, FragrantWitch, as do your fragrance choices! Thanks! I’m curious about that CBIHP.
It really does smell like books. I read that books were once made with vanillin which is why they smell so great. ITL is my sister-in-law’s 2nd favorite CB, a very close 2nd to Burning Leaves. I prefer ITL.
Oooh. Book sounds very good…
The Distant Hours is the last book I read and I havent been able to find any that look interesting since.
Perfume to wear while reading-any that Im wearing at the time-usually an old favourite that I spray on-a comfort scent! Today its Allure Sensual, perfect for this dreary damp winters day we seem to be having.
You must be in the Southern Hemisphere, and looking for winter reading, Debbie?
I am! After reading this, I have just put a couple of books on hold at the state library, should only take a few days to become available.
Happy reading, and wishing you a cozy winter!
You had me at “dilapidated castle”. And then “three eccentric sisters”? I must read this!
Me too, Jill!
CBIHP In the Library is perfect for that book!
I just finished “Doc: A Novel” by Mary Doria Russell. I’d have worn “Lonestar Memories” with it, but I don’t have it – yet.
All of her books are amazing and I highly recommend her as an author. Her books span quite a range of places/times but her character development and depth is second to none.
http://www.marydoriarussell.net/
Just looked it up and see it gets great reviews and that it’s about Doc Holliday! What an interesting subject, and Lonestar Memories would no doubt be the fragrance to read by! Thank you.
I’d like to set the scene with a couple lines from my summer-reading pick:
“The still air about us was made turbulent with song, pursuing us as we wandered down into the valley, and the fragrance of the white petals followed us too. It was disturbing, like an enchanted place.”
“I could see Maxim standing at the foot of the stairs, laughing, shaking hands, turning to someone who stood by his side, tall and slim…with dark hair against a white face, someone whose quick eyes saw to the comfort of her guests, who gave an order over her shoulder to a servant, someone who was never awkward, never without grace, who when she danced left a stab of perfume in the air like a white azalea.”
Both of these quotes come from one of my all-time favorite reads, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something with a little romance and suspense against a lush English backdrop. Read while wearing SL Tuberose Criminelle.
http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Daphne-Du-Maurier/dp/0380730405/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307822944&sr=1-1
P.S. This was such a fantastic idea for a post, Haunani! Thanks for letting me play today. 🙂
Perfect perfume for that book – one of my faves although I haven’t read it in forever! Must get for my Kindle! Have you seen the movie with Charles Dance?
I have seen the Charles Dance version, though will confess that the original with Olivier and Fontaine remains far and away my favorite.
Wow – nice intro, BookGirl! I read Rebecca when I was pretty young and loved it, but I’ll bet I’d appreciate it more now. With lines like those, what perfumista could resist? And who can resist Tuberose Criminelle, come to think of it? 🙂
Still SUCH a great book.
One of my favorite books!! Like a numbskull I loaned out my first edition copy. Oh, well.
Sounds beautiful; especially: ‘when she danced left a stab of perfume in the air like a white azalea.”
I have seen this movie more times than I can count, but never read the book. I keep meaning to; perhaps this summer is the perfect time?
Go for it!
Definitely the perfect time! Enjoy!
I would recommend “Prodigal Summer” by Barbara Kingsolver. As for the fragrance, I would recommend AG Eau de Camille (while I don’t have it, I do have Le Chevrefeuille and hear that EdC is even greener). Nature and the outdoors are big themes in this book, and I recall a passage about honeysuckle taking over a farm building – so figured a green honeysuckle would be perfect.
And for people creating to-read lists, I recommend using the goodreads site – you can put things in shelves by “read”, “currently reading” and “to read.” You can also connect with friends and see what they are reading – I get lots of ideas for books that way!
I’ve been noticing Facebook feed from friends using this site. It sounds like a very good idea!
It is very handy – I print out my to read list before going to the library (or you can check it on your smartphone).
Yes, I’ve used goodreads for quite awhile and it’s great. I love keeping up with what friends are reading. 🙂
Love Goodreads, though I just joined a few months ago (late to the party)
Well, you beat me! 🙂
I’m new there, too and keep forgetting to add my books!
Barbara Kingsolver is more than an author; she’s a wordsmith. Her books are pure prose, and utterly beautiful. Prodigal Summer is one of my favorites by her. What about OJ Woman as well to scent that book? The fir note made me think of the connection.
She is amazing – I’ve only started reading her very recently, so just read that and Poisonwood. Need to read of her earlier works now – the to read list keeps growing!
I haven’t tried OJ Woman (one day I will order that Discovery Set!), but just the name itself, for the strong female characters, would seem to fit.
I need to explore Kingsolver more. Honeysuckle taking over a building? That sounds like a perfume dream! Thanks so much for posting your recommendation!
Everyone has selected so many interesting sounding books! I’m reading Youth in Revolt (Journals of Nick Twisp vol. 1) by CD Payne. It’s about this young man’s quest for sex and love, but it is remarkably romantic and irreverent too. Very funny. I can only say to wear something romantic yet with a bit of skank to it, something with the kind of agitated edge – all sweaty nerves and idealism – we all felt when we were that age. Citizen Queen by JHAG or Le Labo Rose 31.
Oh, Ann, I would LOVE to feel that age again (and – as they say – know what I know now)! Thanks for the very entertaining-sounding recommendation. The fragrance selections appear to right on, too!
My husband is my “readers guide” – he is a much more voracious reader than I am. He reads stuff and if he thinks I’ll like it, he passes it on to me. I tend to like off-center novels anyway, but this one is particularly funny for a modern novel. I’ll also throw in another that I really loved in non-fiction called The Worst Hard Times by Timothy Egan – it’s about the dust bowl and just fascinating.
Thanks for the additional recommendation, Ann!
Haunani!
I didn’t know you were hosting! 😉
Hello and what a wonderful job you are doing!
But your amazing at everything you do AND smell lovely doing it.
XOXO ~T
XOXO back to you, Tamara! Perhaps you’ll find a book here that you can enjoy after one of your wonderful long runs!
I’ve got a nonfiction book– Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives by Thomas French.
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Story-Life-Garden-Captives/dp/1401323464
I’ll pair it with Obsession because that’s a favorite of the tigers in the story.
Thank you for this recommendation. I just checked out the reviews, and it sounds like a must-read. Besides, I need to hear more about the tigers and their Obsession. Fascinating!
This book looks fascintating, I just bought it for my Kindle..Thanks..
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster has an “other worldly,” mystical quality that I enjoy any time, but particularly in proximity to the beach. I’d pair it with Lez Nez L’Antimatière.
The Amazon.com description says, it comprises three “haunting and mysterious tales that move at the breathless pace of a thriller.” This sounds like excellent summer reading! Thanks, Nancy! Have not tried that LesNez yet…
I have to suggest 2 books from previous centuries (love that era) both from Wilkie Collins, the first is the Woman in White- a book that kept my interest undiminished to the point of avoiding seeing friends, or even sleep, and the second is the Moonstone the first whodunnit story ever- a favourite of TS Eliot too!
Oh, and I would wear something romantic, like Apres L Onde, or violet based perfumes!
Lexy, these look to be a great escape These are definitely going on my list. Besides, I love any excuse to wear my favorite violet fragrances! Thank you. 🙂
I adored the Woman in White – it kept me a reclusive hermit for about a week too! Was less sure about The Moonstone. Scent-wise, perhaps L’Heure Bleu? The blue hour for me is when shapes are less defined, but some colours become incredibly vivid – an atmosphere not unlike that described in the Woman in White (from what I recall anyway, it was at least ten years ago now ;).
Loved The Moonstone but still haven’t read Lady in White. Need to move that up my “to-read” queue.
I’d like to read both of those again – I remember them being very captivating.
I’ve been reading George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series – A Game of Thrones etc. (I’m on book 3, a Storm of Swords. ) It’s set in a fantasy realm complete with Lords & Kings fighting for the crown, scandal & secrets making their way to the surface, and wrights and Other creatures yet to be discovered. The story unfolds through the point of view of several characters – from the Jon Snow the bastard son of Ned Stark sent to guard the Wall (keeping out what from the North?) to Arya, Ned’s youngest girl who escapes the castle after her father is accused of treason. Good girl Sansa wants to please and believes whole-heartedly in the songs she hears where knights are just and princesses marry handsome lords for love.
I love these books for the depth of character and dvelopment and for the delicious world that’s been created by the author. I find that I want to wear something other worldly. If I had any Alien, that might work. Or perhaps POTL. I think it needs more grit than either of these offer.
The HBO series is also excellent, so catch it if you can.
http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-ebook/dp/B000QCS8TW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1307833795&sr=1-1
Most excellent!
Oh! This is that HBO series I keep hearing raves about! CM, do you prefer the books or the series? And would reading the books first enhance one’s appreciation of the other? Thanks for the rec, and good luck finding the perfect fragrance by which to read!
The books are EXCELLENT! The HBO series is very well done. I think they compliment each other. You get more depth from the books, obviously. The books/series is akin to the Harry Potter books/movies: very well done with some variation.
Thanks, CM!
Plus with the series you get Jason Momoa….
sigh
Uh oh… 😉
Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
This is a fantastic and highly entertaining book. It’s a little hard to describe in capsule terms, but it’s a heroic young girl who goes from rural southern Mexico up into the US (illegally) to gather up a group of seven heroes to help save her little town from drug dealers, after watching “The Magnificent Seven” at her local movie theater. It’s full of painful revelations about racism and poverty but it always keeps an upbeat attitude with surprising acts of generosity, for example by a US Customs agent, and it’s truly funny with a wild happy ending.
There are scenes of catching and eating fish in a tropical lagoon, as well as the incredible Tijuana dump where many people live, pristine lawns of Santa Barbara, and travels up into Illinois, so it’s hard to know a perfume to recommend. Maybe something salty like Fleurs du Sel by Miller Harris for at least parts of it? The book is great both for how revelatory it is and how humane and funny.
Calypso, I love books that highlight the human spirit and how it can rise above the hard things and make a difference. The book sounds fascinating! And Fleurs de Sel (one of my favorite fragrances!) has a kind of earthbound beauty that sounds like a good fit for the story line. Thanks!
Just Kids by Patti Smith – the story of her relationship with soulmate Robert Mapplethorpe and how they came of age together as artist/muse (the lines are blurred as to who plays what role) in New York in the late ’60s and ’70s – think starving artists, the Hotel Chelsea, Warhol, Velvet Underground, androgyny, black and white Polaroids, poetry, and rock ‘n roll… scent pairing – Tabac Blond.
i must read this!
Patti Smith! The book sounds fascinating and just right with Tabac Blond. Thanks for your rec! 🙂
I loved this book! Patti Smith struck me as a Zelig-type figure. I had been a fan of hers before, but didn’t know much about her past, and the range of figures she was connected to amazed me..
A fellow perfumista, Olfactarama, did a wonderful review of this book on her perfume blog:
http://olfactarama.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-review-just-kids-by-patti-smith.html
Thanks for the link!
This one is definitely going on my list.
i’ve been reading a clara bow biography called Runnin’ Wild by david stenn. while wearing jean patou’s joy!
I love a good biography, Mariclare! I like the idea of matching a fragrance from the era, too. Thank you for your recommendation!
I would recommend Hard-Boiled Wonderland, by Haruki Murakami. He’s probably better know for two of his more recent novels – Kafka on the Shore, and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, but I think Hard-Boiled Wonderland might be better for a summer read as it is much shorter. All three are brilliant and worth reading, though. His style is difficult to describe, as he really crosses genres in his own unique way. Hard-Boiled Wonderland is like a combination of California noir detective story, science fiction, fantasy and horror. He’s an amazing author, my very favorite, and I’m sure he’s on the short list for a Nobel.
It’s hard to think of a perfume that is up to this novel. Maybe the Stephen Jones CdG? The meteorite note might be perfect for this.
Hi! If that book is even nearly as good as CdG Stephen Jones, well then – I will have to read it! 🙂 Have not heard of that author, but then I obviously have not been keeping up on what’s out there. Thank you so much for the amazing-sounding rec!
Thanks, jirish, I’ve wanted to try one of his books and this sounds like a great (short!) one to start with.
Nice job on the topic, Haunani: two of my favorite pleasures, books and fragrances, combined. I could keep going, but I’ll try to keep to three recommendations.
1. Possession: A Love Story by A.S. Byatt. This is a tough one to scent because it toggles between modern day and Victorian England. A Penhaligon’s, perhaps? Amaranthine could be a choice: something that is well-behaved on the surface but simmering underneath.
2. The Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian (starting with Master and Commander). I never would have thought I’d get hooked by historical fiction set in the 19th Century British Navy. Definitely a good match for Profumi di Firenze’s Brezza di Mare.
3, A Moveable Feast by Hemingway– best read after seeing Midnight in Paris. Need a manly yet nostalgic fragrance here–maybe Grey Flannel?
O.K., just a few more:
4. The Lord Peter Wimsey mystery series by Dorothy Sayers. I’m not usually a huge “cozy” mystery fan, but these are wonderful. The character of LPW evolves and deepens throughout the series. So something with some evolution. Can’t think of any fragrance right now that wouldn’t go with with the series.
5. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Excellent mystery that has the protagonist detective delving into one of the historical mysteries of Richard III–good or evil? I’m going to go with CBIHP’s In the Library for this one. Several other of Tey’s books are also excellent reads, especially Brat Farrar.
Hi BlackCat! I have Possession in the pile on my nightstand. It looks like a great one to get lost in. And I read The Daughter of Time a while back at my history-buff-husband’s suggestion. I can join you in recommending it! Going to check out the rest, as they sound intriguing. And you mention three great fragrances, too! Thank you for chiming in. 🙂
Oh, I’m so excited you’re going to read Possession. It’s such a great novel. Let me know how you like it!
Possession is one of my all time favorite books! A great read. Also, this is one which I *would* recommend the movie – it has a great cast and was well done.
I’ll have to move it up in my pile. It’s been there so long, I’m sure it’s dusty! Didn’t know about a movie – thanks!
Ooooh–that sounds fab! Can’t wait to see Midnight in Paris and have always wanted to read that particular H-way. Thank you for this rec!
A few weeks ago I finished “Cutting For Stone” by Abraham Verghese. The characters have stayed with me and I enjoyed the story intertwined with medicine. I think Santal de Mysore would be a good perfume companion! Would just bloom in that Ethiopian heat.
OMG, Tiara! I must have been writing my recommendation for this as you were posting! Well, let me say that I second this. 🙂 I like your fragrance pairing, as well.
Just added this one to my virtual cart – the Horn of Africa is one of the most fascinating parts of the world – as much a part of the Middle East as of Africa, but really it’s own planet, almost. Thanks, Tiara and Haunani!
The book taught me some things about that part of the world, for sure. Enjoy!
Another one from me: Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese http://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Stone-Abraham-Verghese/dp/0375714367/ref=pd_sim_b_3
This one is set in the mid-20th century, mostly in Ethiopia, with parts in India and New York. It’s about a family of doctors, and the events and people that interact with them. I very much enjoyed the writing (great characters!), and I learned a bit about Ethiopian culture and history. Some of the descriptions of smells were tantalizing, which should appeal to this audience. To go with it, I will recommend Makeda, a fragrance by EnVoyage Perfumes that I’m trying for the first time tonight! Did you know that Makeda is another name for the famous Queen of Sheba? I didn’t! It’s lovely, by the way!
Note, sorry about the duplicate recommendation. Tiara and I both like this one!
Hi Haunani!
Mmm, books. Though I never “match” my scent to anything ‘cept my mood, I’ll do my best.
I just finished (really quickly) Icelander by Dustin Long. It’s a mildly alternate-reality, literature-oriented mystery. There are footnotes from a bitter editor and tons of wry humor. And in case I scared anyone off with the alt-reality header, rest assured, it really isn’t such a far-fetched universe. In fact, it’s pretty much the same as our but with a slight tweak. I’d wear CdG+SJ for this one–cold, clean, and kind of weird.
Also, it’s worth getting hardcover if you’re getting a corporeal copy. The cover art is gorgeously rendered.
Hi! I know – it’s a pretty artificial set-up, but you are all coming up with some great book-fragrance pairings! I just looked at the Amazon listing, and I love that book cover art! The story sounds as unique as my beloved CdG Stephen Jones. Thank you for your recommendation!
I would like to read the Fred (Fredericka) Vargas shown in the photo, but it’s not cheap. She writes good French mysteries, so Eau Premiere.
Also want to read the new Ann Patchett, State of Wonder; and one by Amy Nutt about a chiropractor turned artist after brain surgery, Shadows Bright as Glass (nonfiction). For these two OJ Woman.
Happy Reading, everyone!
Tulip, I didn’t even see the title of that wonderful photo that Robin chose. Good catch! Thank you for your interesting-sounding recommendations – that State of Wonder intrigues me, as I have this romantic notion about the Amazon region and its mysteries.
Haunani, thanks for hosting and for the great poll topic!
The most recent books I’ve read and enjoyed were by Liza Dalby. Hidden Buddhas takes place in modern Japan and provides unusual insights into Buddhism and Japan, as well as being a good read. A Tale of Murasaki is the largely imagined autobiography of the 11th century author of the world’s first novel, building on her own surviving poems and other writings. I find Liza Dalby’s blend of field study, scholarship and imagination fascinating.
She also has a keen nose for incense and perfume. One character designs perfume for her boutique, another wears a traditional powder incense, zukoh, in her hair, and there are recipes for the incense that Lady Murasaki enters in a classic Heian court incense competition. I’d recommend either zukoh or CdG Kyoto, naturally!
Hi Noz! CdG Kyoto (another favorite of mine) sounds like it was made for the book you describe. I’m sure many of our scented friends will be interested in this one. I certainly would love to learn more about Japan *and* Buddhism. Thank you for your suggestion!
I just finished The Tale of Genji; what odd symmetry! Though I would not recommend it (it’s so long and monotonous I practically forced myself to read it), Heian Japan is just so interesting. I’d love to read a modern take on it.
I’m also curious to see what reasoning the author give Murasaki: to me,. Tale of Genji was QUITE misogynistic, so much so that I was surprised that the author was a woman. I’d love to see someone’s take on that.
However, I would recommend The Pillowbook of Sei Shonagon, translated by Ivan Morris. Shonagon was a contemporary of Murasaki who wrote accounts of the current events (and some charming lists). It was quite a fun read, and very beautiful.
For that one, I’d recommend Iris Ukiyoe. Maybe I’m just a sucker for suggestion, but it smells so intrinsically Japanese to me; I love it.
Thanks for another interesting one, Ol Rait! Iris Ukiyoe is on my “to test” list.
I think I will be adding a few things to my Amazon wish list! Some great suggestions.
I just finished “World War Z” by Max Brooks. Amazing amazing book – it is an oral history of the Zombie war – don’t let that put you off if you’re not a zombie-genre fan – it could be about any war, any time. You really feel like you are reading interviews with survivors of a terrible catastrophe – sorrowful, maddening, uplifting. I was riveted. Perfume would have to be dark stinky stuff, lol.
o
Wish I could delete!!
I don’t have those powers, Tama!
I think I will be adding a few things to my Amazon wish list! Some great suggestions.
I just finished “World War Z” by Max Brooks. Amazing amazing book – it is an oral history of the Zombie war – don’t let that put you off if you’re not a zombie-genre fan – it could be about any war, any time. You really feel like you are reading interviews with survivors of a terrible catastrophe – sorrowful, maddening, uplifting. I was riveted. Perfume would have to be dark stinky stuff, lol. Andy’s Noir Epices, 1740, Patchouli Noir.
On a lighter note, I have been enjoying a series by Juliet Blackwell that begins with Secondhand Spirits, continues with A Cast-off Coven, and is now offering Hexes and Hemlines. The protagonist owns a vintage clothes shop and is a witch. Perfumes could be all the classics like My Sin, Arpege, Joy, etc.
Dear creative Tama, I love that you give us a dark selection and a light alternative! I love the titles in the witch series, and your well-considered fragrance pairings. Thanks!
Thanks for these recs, Tama! What could be better than a series to match my fav vintage Lanvins, and it sounds like my fav protective patchouli forcefield, PG Cozé, would serve me well with the intriguing Z Wars.
Laughing at “protective patchouli forcefield.” 🙂
Me, too – that’s good.
Currently reading “Orchid Fever”, a fascinating exploration of the world of orchid hunting, breeding, showing, and the obsession of the orchid hobby, which takes over many lives completely. Lots of great descriptions of orchid fragrances too! (It has created in me an obsession to taste orchid ice cream, an addictive Turkish delicacy made from a certain orchid’s root.)
http://www.amazon.com/Orchid-Fever-Horticultural-Tale-Lunacy/dp/0679771832
Hi Flora! Thank you for your post! You have reminded me to put this one on my list. (I *need* to find that goodreads site and sign up!) So what fragrance would go well with Orchid Fever?
YSL Nu?
Oh, good one! (Love that fragrance.)
Those orchid ones! Gack, what are they?
Flora, are you liking this as much as Orchid Thief?
You’re thinking of Olympic Orchids. I had the chance to try several from the line. There is one really unusual orchid fragrance that I intend to buy one day!
I wonder if anyone here has read Celia Lyttleton’s The Scent Trail: How One Woman’s Quest for the Perfect Perfume Took Her Around the World?
The author is a journalist who commissioned a bespoke perfume and then spent two years traveling around the world to visit growers of the ingredients (some people have ALL the fun!!). According to the reviews on Amazon, she also interviewed Uncle Serge.
I have not, though I remember hearing about it. Anyone?
It’s on my amazon wishlist, but I have yet to order it.
I read it a couple of years ago and thought it was interesting, both as a travelogue and as a work about perfume. I seem to recall that she got a few facts wrong, but overall I really enjoyed reading it.
Olfactarama reviewed it last month: http://olfactarama.blogspot.com/2011/05/book-review-scent-trail-how-one-womans.html
I really disliked this book. The content is interesting of course if you love perfume, but her attitude about the whole journey seemed wrong — she didn’t use the trip as an opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures to any meaningful degree. In the end it just felt like she’d spent thousands and thousands of dollars to make a single perfume for her own personal use, and who cares? I couldn’t get past the privilege aspect.
So as not to be a total downer: A perfume book I strongly recommend is The Emperor of Scent by Chandler Burr. It’s not just about perfume but also bias and convention in science and nonfiction. It’s really fascinating.
Thanks, Egabbert. It’s good to get an honest “nay” vote, too. I join you in recommending The Emperor of Scent – an interesting read indeed.
I once read Dangerous Liaisons on a trip to Maine while focusing almost exclusively on tuberose scents. Caron’s tuberose ended up being the most closely linked to the trip in my memory, probably because I didn’t continue to wear it after. But this book also does well with Tuberose Gardenia, Carnal Flower, and Tubereuse Criminelle.
Wow, a real life book-fragrance association! Thanks for posting!
Chiming in a bit late with two of my perennial hot-weather favorites:
ENCHANTED APRIL by Elizabeth von Arnim: a quartet of British ladies find that a summer in an Italian castle heals their post-WWI hurts. Full of incredible descriptions of flowers! (Perfume: vintage Coty Les Muses)
COLD COMFORT FARM by Stella Gibbons: a chic and sensible Bright Young Thing spends a summer tidying up the messy lives of her country cousins. (Perfume: Chanel Cuir de Russie)
Can’t wait to take a look at these, Olenska, especially the one that features flowers. Thanks you!
(Um, THANK you.)
I love love love the move of Enchanted April!
Great recommendations, Olenska! Cold Comfort Farm makes me laugh out loud. The Starkadder family is hilariously awful (“something nasty in the woodshed” is my family’s shorthand for the more … off-kilter people we know).
And both of these books have actually had good film adaptations!
Great poll, Haunani!
I am a little freaked out that you had a rec for this title Olenska. I have had it on my bedside table for 3 months now because a friend reported that it was hilarious. She also recommends the DVD with \kate
Great poll, Haunani!
I am a little freaked out that you had a rec for this title Olenska. I have had it on my bedside table for 3 months now because a friend reported that it was hilarious. She also recommends the DVD with KateBeckinsale. I will definitely look up some Cuir de Russie for this read.
Late to the party, but I’ll jump on the Discovery of Witches wagon and add two author suggestions:
Gail Carriger’s HEARTLESS pubs June 28 and is the fourth in the Parasol Protectorate (SOULLESS, CHANGELESS, BLAMELESS), a steampunk-paranormal romance series that is an absolute hoot. Scent – Dark Lady by Possets.
Cara Black’s AIMEE LEDUC series – each mystery revolves around a different Paris arrondissement and incorporates a bit of history with contemporary issues. Scent – Aimee always dabs on Channel No. 5 before she races out the door to her next date with danger.
Oops, make that Chanel, not Channel. Too much coffee . . .
I just did a boo-boo, too. Too little coffee, in my case! Those books sound like great fun, Woodgirl. Thanks!
Just read a great mystery/horror/suspense book called “Jane Was Here.” A reincarnation story, like “Lovely Bones” but edgier. Turn pages obsessively while wearing Tuberose Criminelle because there’s a long-buried crime that gets solved.
Ooh, an edgy reincarnation story? Sounds like good reading to me! And the wintergreen in Tuberose Criminelle should be cooling on a hot summer day. Thanks, Frankie!
I think it’s much easier to recommend summer reading than to recommend the fragrance to wear while reading it. Do you want a fragrance that will be interrupting your attention to the book? I’d think you want something comfortable and pleasant but not distracting, and that could cover a lot of ground for a lot of us. So for the fragrance, I’ll suggest a Marc Jacobs splash – which one is up to you, though I’m partial to the older Rain, Cucumber, or Basil. They’re lovely but light, and by the time they wear off you’ll hopefully be deep, deep in your book.
For summer reading I can easily recommend Eloisa James’ romances. I’m not one of those people who turn up their noses at a paperback romance, but good ones are hard to find. I don’t even care for historical romances but I got sucked into one of James’ books (I recommend you start with the first of the Duchess series, which was my first: Duchess in Love) and fell for the intelligent characters and the deliciously sexual romances. James is a professor of literature by trade but her writing is never stuffy, and the books balance entertainingly between historical “accuracy” (if such a thing is possible) and modern sensibilities. Her characters are very different in their personalities and each book has its own quality. I recommend them – I wish I hadn’t read all her work!
Hi, lemonprint! Don’t you hate it when you love an author and finish all of his or her books? I guess the thing to do is to share the joy, which you just did. 🙂 Sometimes a romance is just the ticket. I will certainly give one of these a try! Thank you for your rec.
I am so thankful for this list to go through. Thank you, Haunani, for suggesting and hosting it!
I am usually a rabid historical fiction and sci-fi/fantasy reader but lately I am just so impatient with any fiction. I don’t know why, but I just can’t let myself sit back and enjoy a trashy summer beach book. So I’ve been reading non-fiction history, biographies and historical diaries/journals. Right now I’m reading “A Diary from Dixie” by Mary Chesnut. I’m pretty well-versed in Civil War history but it is so interesting to hear about the war, as it was happening, from an extremely savvy, educated, well-connected and sympathetic lady of the South. I’m a born Yankee through and through and I can’t help but laugh and nod my head at her descriptions, accurate and none to flattering, of my “countrymen”. She is a very honest diarist and mostly objective, even reporting embarassing moments and gossip about herself. It is also interesting to hear about slaves and slavery in the South in situ, as well as her attitude toward “negroes” and slavery. Sometimes I bristle but I see a whole new “familial” persepctive of how some Southern families, like hes, felt about and associated with their slaves.
Even when I don’t understand who everyone is or exacty what she might mean (due to the diction and syntax of time and place) it is very difficult to put down. I was reading very late into the night last night!
Sorry, I don’t have any fragrance recommendations. But she does mention that General Pickens’ long curly hair is said to be kept soft and supple by something that “smells of Araby” (sandalwood? oud?). And I just read a passage where she was sitting in someone’s garden surrounded by blooming magnolia, rose bushes, ivy and vines and how it was the most glorious smell she had ever been immeresed in. 🙂
LaMaroc, this sounds like a very special nonfiction choice! I loved reading your detailed impressions. And who needs perfume to read by if the book evokes its own wonderful smell “images”? Thank you for your recommendation!
Well, I was watching a lot of “Civil War week” on the History Channel and heard her quoted in almost every show. I finally decided I just needed to read her diary myself. And very glad I did. 🙂
Two recommendations, both simple enough to be beach reads, but with enough depth to maintain your interest:
First, a non-fiction adventure story, “Lost in Shangri-La” by Mitchell Zukoff. At the end of WWII, a plane carrying sightseeing members of the US military (including several women) crashed in the mountains surrounding an unmapped jungle valley in New Guinea. The few survivors had to deal with their injuries, try to contact the outside world for rescue, and avoid Japanese troops still hiding out in the jungle. Oh, and reach some kind of accommodation with the tribes of cannibals that lived in the valley. It’s an amazing story, and both touching and funny when describing the interaction between the survivors and the tribes. When you read about their eventual rescue you’ll say “this should be made into a movie!” And then you’ll find out it was – a documentary made at the time by a filmmaker who parachuted into the valley. It’s not great literature, but it is an amazing story. Perfume? I’ll go with Manoumalia for it’s tropical decay vibe.
Second, an oldie but goodie (and sadly out of print): Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald. Historical fiction at it’s finest. This is the story of Laura, a poor relation who accompanies newlyweds (her cousin and cousin’s husband, whom she had hoped to marry herself) to India in the 1850s, just in time for the Indian Uprising of 1857. A good portion of the book takes place in rural India at the estate of and Englishman who has a hereditary title of Zemindar and whom our heroine finds alternately interesting and infuriating. This novel has memorable characters, excellent writing, plenty of insight into human nature, and introduced me to Indian history. Worth seeking out at your library or used bookstore. Perfume? Kenzo Jungle l’Elephant, because it’s as Laura found India to be: spicy and colorful and not for the faint of heart.
Aparatchick, “Lost in Shangri-La” sounds like a must-read for me. I love books about adventures in exotic places! And the one set in India sounds well worth searching for. Love your well-chosen fragrance accompaniments, too. Thanks so much for chiming in!
Huanani,
Thank you so much for hosting this great poll. I wish I had more time this weekend to read all the posts, but ones I have read sound really interesting.
I have read so many good books lately, but they are not light summer reads. I have read Unbroken by Lauren Hildrebrandt. It was very good. I also just finished the Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman http://www.amazon.com/Imperfectionists-Novel-Random-Readers-Circle/dp/0385343671/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307922988&sr=8-1, which was very interesting. The book is about the people who work at a newspaper, so although I have never tried it, I imagine Byredo M/Mink with its ink scent would be a perfect match.
Ooosp I also meant to mention that I have heard Carl Hassien books are great summer reads. I think most of them take place in South Florida, so I think I’ll wear Creed Virigin Island Water with it’s lime boozy theme while reading one of them this summer.
There are so many Carl Hassien books, cany anyone recommend a good one?
Carl Hiaasen is a state treasure! The classic Hiaasen is “Tourist Season” but “Sick Puppy” and “Stormy Weather” are also terrific.
Hi Tara! There are so many good recommendations in this poll that I’m going to come back later and take the time to make a list of books I want to follow up on. The two books you recommend sound like challenging but rewarding reads. Summer doesn’t *have* to be about light and easy, necessarily, does it? Oh – and your fragrance choices sound perfect! I have seen the Hiaasen books, but haven’t read any yet. I hope someone will pipe up. Thank you for your post!
What a great poll H! I have had such a good time finding reading recs and reminiscing to myself about favorites. If there is a anyone out there who has NOT READ the Hunger Games trilogy- hop to it! It is fantastic. I recommend something kick ass like Bandit to go with. I just finished The Help (which is about to be/is a movie this summer- it was thoughtful and well-done) and could use a nice comforting gourmand- Loukhoum or Chinatown. I just downloaded the new Tana French on my Kindle thanks to the rec above. I will put on something mysterious-maybe Baghari…Happy reading and sniffin.
Hi! How great that you’re already taking advantage of this list! I have The Help in the pile on my nightstand, and have NOT READ the Hunger Games trilogy. Thank you for the thoughtful book and fragrance recommendations!
Highly recommend the trilogy- it is fast and very entertaining 🙂
I loved Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials Trilogy — The Golden Compass (http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Compass-Dark-Materials-Book/dp/0679879242), The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. You will not be able to put them down!
And you can’t go wrong with the All Creatures Great and Small books by James Herriot. They are easily found at used book stores and Friends of the Library book sales. http://www.amazon.com/Creatures-Great-Small-James-Herriot/dp/0312330855/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307937660&sr=8-1.
Hello, kindcrow! Oh, I loved the James Herriot books! What a treat! The others are all new to me. Can’t wait to go check them out on Amazon or goodreads! Thank you so much for your recommendations.
Well, the weekend is coming to a close (boo hoo). Thank you to all who participated in this book and fragrance pairing experiment! I know my reading list just got a LOT longer, and I hope yours did too. And Robin, thank you for this opportunity to do something a little different. Perhaps we can do it again next year? 🙂
If you like gothic mysteries, Sarah Waters is a terrific author. Not too long ago, I read “Fingersmith” and enjoyed it a lot.
Right now, I’m in the middle of “Innocent” by Scott Turow. Lots of suspense that keeps me guessing. It’s one of those novels where you say Oh No he di’int.
Thanks for your suggestions, Taffy! I love good mystery and suspense, and I know I won’t be the only one checking these out! Have a good week, Taffy and everyone. 🙂
One of the best voyage novels: The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron.
It’s a classic and it’s literature at its best. The perfume may be Oxiana by Profumum, or, because now is getting warmer and Oxiana is for spring, I will mention my favourite of the moment, Etat Libre d’Orange Putain des palaces.
I’m a bit late, but I wanted to mention how much I’m enjoying reading Agatha Christie’s autobiography. She didn’t start writing mystery stories until after she was married, who knew? She led a very interesting and adventurous life, she loved to travel. She doesn’t discuss the ten days she went missing (presumably with amnesia, and reportedly, she never discussed this event in her life) but so far I am really enjoying it.
Out of print now I think, but available on your Kindle if you don’t happen to find it at your fave used book store.
What to wear with it? Don’t know, something English and proper yet decidedly adventurous!
Oh Prudietwoshoes, I am reading and enjoying the same book! What a women was Agatha Christie, what an example of optimism and love for life.