Expats and France

Remarquable!

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from Australia:

Code Name Hélène
by Ariel Lawhon
Historical, WWII, France, Paris | Goodreads

from USA:

French Like Moi
A Midwesterner in Paris
by Scott Dominic Carpenter
Memoir, Travel, France | Goodreads

L'Appart
The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home
by David Lebovitz
Memoir, Travel, Food, France, Paris | Goodreads

Confessions of an Expat in Paris
by Vicki Lesage
Chick-lit, Travel, France, Paris | Goodreads

WATCH OUT:

Emily in Paris
tv series - coming to Netflix
Creator: Darren Star
Stars: Samuel Arnold, Lucas Bravo, Lily Collins
imdb | (details)
A young American woman from the Midwest is hired by a marketing firm in Paris to provide them with an American perspective on things.

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* image source: Le Marche aux Fleurs et la Conciergerie by Eugene Galien Laloue

* part of Paris in July (here)

Literary Wives

Literary Wives
hosted by Ariel, Emily, Angela, and Audra
details here
The premise:

A series in which we discuss books about wives and tackling these questions:

1. What does this book say about wives or about the experience of being a wife?

2. In what way does this woman define “wife”—or in what way is she defined by “wife”?

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I decided to join this reading challenge as I love the idea of it.

I will give my rating and brief comments below on the books read. So, this post will be updated throughout the year. Alerts to new comments will appear on the sidebar caption for this challenge.

I will also include some other "wife" related books read not currently on the official reading list.

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The reading list:

May 2013: American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
-my rating: 4
Had a hard time reading this at first knowing that it was based on Laura Bush. But I liked the main character's personality and growth throughout the book.

June 2013: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
-my rating: 5
Great mix of history, Paris and perspective on Ernest Hemingway.

July 2013: A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
-my rating: 5
Engaging tale of life, love, forgiveness and non-forgiveness that come with harsh realities.

August 2013: The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

October 2013: Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
-my rating: 4
Good dose of lighthouse living, the sea and a perspective on Captain Ahab in Moby Dick.

December 2013: The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon
-my rating: 5
Loved the attention to details of the 1920s.

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February 2014: The Inquisitor’s Wife by Jeanne Kalogridis
-did not read

April 2014: The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman
-my rating: 4.5
Good tale that presents a perspective of WWII in Poland that also includes affects on zoo animals.

June 2014: The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness

August 2014: The World’s Wife: Poems by Carol Ann Duffy

October 2014: Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon

December 2014: The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani

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February 2015: The Last Wife of Henry VIII by Carolly Erickson


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Books read not on the official list above:

The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison
-my rating: 5
Good thriller that gives an interesting perspective on the "do nothing" mode.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
-my rating: 5
Loved the concept of this time travel tale.

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Feel free to comment and let me know if you liked or disliked any of these books, etc.

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress
by Ariel Lawhon

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Release date: January 2014
Publisher: Doubleday
Genre: 1920s, Mystery
Hardback: 320 pages
Rating: 5

Amazon | BarnesNoble

A wickedly entertaining novel that reconstructs one of America’s most famous unsolved mysteries–the disappearance of Justice Joseph Crater in 1930–as seen through the eyes of the three women who knew him best: his wife, his maid, and his mistress. Representing three very different walks of life, Stella, Ritzi and Maria reveal a New York City brimming with seediness and contradictions, a place where women are second-class citizens and greed and desire permeate the lives of those who live on both sides of the law.

On a sultry summer night, as rumors circulated about the judge’s involvement in wide-scale political corruption, Judge Crater stepped into a cab and vanished without a trace. Or did he?

After 39 years of necessary duplicity, Stella Crater is finally ready to reveal what she knows. Sliding into a corner booth at Club Abbey, the site of many absinthe-soaked affairs and the judge’s favorite watering hole back in the day, Stella orders two whiskeys on the rocks—one for her and one in honor of her missing husband. Stirring the ice cubes in the lowball glass, Stella begins to tell a tale—of greed, lust, and deceit. As the novel unfolds and the women slyly break out of their prescribed roles, it becomes clear that each knows more than she has initially let on.

With a layered intensity and tipsy spins through subterranean jazz clubs, THE WIFE, THE MAID, AND THE MISTRESS is a gripping tale that will transport readers to a bygone era. But beneath the Art Deco skyline and amid the intoxicating smell of smoke and whiskey, the question of why Judge Crater vanished lingers seductively until the very last pages.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): vacant elegance
This tale definitely transported me into its world with its attention to details of the time period.

Loved how this story is told via three story lines with the perspectives of women from different classes during the late 1920s in which you a complete picture of the mystery involved. A page turner - indeed!

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* review copy courtesy of publisher via Shelf Awareness

Downton Abbey: The Bedroom

Downton Abbey
The Bedroom
When the day is done and all is tucked in bed, Lady Cora enjoys some quiet time with a book.

She could be reading something like this...

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The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress
by Ariel Lawhon
A tantalizing reimagining of a scandalous mystery that rocked the nation in 1930—Justice Joseph Crater's infamous disappearance—as seen through the eyes of the three women who knew him best.

They say behind every great man, there's a woman. In this case, there are three. Stella Crater, the judge's wife, is the picture of propriety draped in long pearls and the latest Chanel. Ritzi, a leggy showgirl with Broadway aspirations, thinks moonlighting in the judge's bed is the quickest way off the chorus line. Maria Simon, the dutiful maid, has the judge to thank for her husband's recent promotion to detective in the NYPD. Meanwhile, Crater is equally indebted to Tammany Hall leaders and the city's most notorious gangster, Owney "The Killer" Madden.

On a sultry summer night, as rumors circulate about the judge's involvement in wide-scale political corruption, the Honorable Joseph Crater steps into a cab and disappears without a trace. Or does he?

After 39 years of necessary duplicity, Stella Crater is finally ready to reveal what she knows. Sliding into a plush leather banquette at Club Abbey, the site of many absinthe-soaked affairs and the judge's favorite watering hole back in the day, Stella orders two whiskeys on the rocks—one for her and one in honor of her missing husband. Stirring the ice cubes in the lowball glass, Stella begins to tell a tale—of greed, lust, and deceit. As the novel unfolds and the women slyly break out of their prescribed roles, it becomes clear that each knows more than she has initially let on.

With a layered intensity and prose as effervescent as the bubbly that flows every night, The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress is a wickedly entertaining historical mystery that will transport readers to a bygone era with tipsy spins through subterranean jazz clubs and backstage dressing rooms. But beneath the Art Deco skyline and amid the intoxicating smell of smoke and whiskey, the question of why Judge Crater disappeared lingers seductively until a twist in the very last pages.

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
WIN my review copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: August 4, 2013

TO DO: One of the following...

VISIT the author, Ariel Lawhon.

RETURN here and tell me something you found of interest there.

OR

TWEET about this.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)


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Contest has ended - winner is here

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* image source: bedroom scene

~~- TEA at Downton Abbey schedule -~~

Stacking the Shelves - 6.9.13

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

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For Review:

A Spear of Summer Grass
by Deanna Raybourn
courtesy of publisher
sign up to win this here

Bright Young Things:
A Modern Guide to the Roaring Twenties
by Alison Maloney
courtesy of publisher
Thanks Kimberly!

Call Me Zelda
by Erika Robuck
courtesy of publisher
Thanks Courtney!

Headstrong Girls:
A bit of mystery, a bit of love, all inspired by Jane Austen
by Debra Anne Watson, June Williams, Enid Wilson
ebook courtesy of authors
Thanks June and Enid!

Second Glances:
A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice Continues
by Alexa Adams
courtesy of author
Thanks Alexa!
sign up to win this here

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress:
A Novel
by Ariel Lawhon
ARC courtesy of Shelf Awareness

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald
by Therese Anne Fowler
courtesy of publisher
Thanks Stephanie!
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Ivy Granger series for upcoming July tour:
ebooks courtesy of author
Thanks E.J.!

Shadow Sight
Ivy Granger, #1
by E.J. Stevens

Blood and Mistletoe
Ivy Granger #1.5
by E.J. Stevens

Ghost Light
Ivy Granger #2
by E.J. Stevens
to be released: July 9, 2013
sign up to win this on Goodreads here
~*~
Bought:

Pride and Prejudice and Kitties:
A Cat-Lover's Romp through Jane Austen's Classic
by Jane Austen, Pamela Jane, Deborah Guyol
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From Powell's Indiespensable club package (details):
Powell's subscription club delivers the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings.... Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire.

Plus, every package is stocked with exciting surprises!

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena:
A Novel
by Anthony Marra

The Panopticon
by Jenni Fagan (ARC)~*~
* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers