Partake in Parties

Partake in Parties
doing things party-ish
* read - watch - listen - craft - puzzle - etcetera etcetera *

JANUARY:

The Last Party
by Clare Mackintosh
Mystery, Thriller | Published: 2022 | Goodreads
FEBRUARY:

The Hunting Party
by Lucy Foley
Mystery, Thriller, Scotland | Published: 2018 | Goodreads
MARCH: The Headmistress' Party

Vilette
by Charlotte Bronte
Classic, Victorian, Gothic | Published: first 1853 | Goodreads
APRIL: aka Fiesta

The Sun Also Rises
by Ernest Hemingway
Classic, Historical, Spain | Published: first 1926 | Goodreads
MAY:

JUNE:

JULY:

AUGUST:

SEPTEMBER:

OCTOBER:

NOVEMBER:

DECEMBER:

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* header image source: cover of Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland

Reading Wrap Up: March 2022

READING WRAP UP
(books from the tbr)

An Honest Lie
by Tarryn Fisher
Thriller, Mystery | Release date: April 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
past and present collision makes for a thrilling tale
“I’m going to kill her. You’d better come if you want to save her.”

Lorraine—“Rainy”—lives at the top of Tiger Mountain. Remote, moody, cloistered in pine trees and fog, it’s a sanctuary, a new life. She can hide from the disturbing past she wants to forget.

If she’s allowed to.

When Rainy reluctantly agrees to a girls’ weekend in Vegas, she’s prepared for an exhausting parade of shots and slot machines. But after a wild night, her friend Braithe doesn’t come back to the hotel room.

And then Rainy gets the text message, sent from Braithe’s phone: someone has her. But Rainy is who they really want, and Rainy knows why.

What follows is a twisted, shocking journey on the knife-edge of life and death. If she wants to save Braithe—and herself—the only way is to step back into the past.

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The Maid
by Nita Prose
Mystery, Thriller | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 5
fun mystery with quirky protagonist
Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

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The Paris Apartment
by Lucy Foley
Mystery, Thriller, Paris | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
some underbelly and dark goings on
Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge

Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.

Explore: Paris

Explore The World 2022
through books, films, etc. March: Paris

READ:

The Paris Apartment
by Lucy Foley
Mystery, Thriller, Paris | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 4

FLIP THROUGH:

The Little Pleasures of Paris
by Leslie Jonath
illustrated by Lizzy Stewart
Travel, France, Art | Published: 2016 | Goodreads | my rating: 5
Take an enchanting tour of Paris's most charming places, objects, and pasttimes in this lovingly compiled Francophile handbook. Organized by season, The Little Pleasures of Paris takes the reader through a year's worth of quintessentially Parisian experiences, from secret gardens bursting with roses to exotic plumage at the city's bird market, candied violets at Paris's oldest sweet shop, dazzling colors in the stained glass at Sainte-Chapelle, and more. The friendly text and whimsical illustrations make this delightful volume a poetic letter to the City of Light. Unusual details that might otherwise go unnoticed are celebrated and offer a uniquely intimate perspective in this triomphe of je ne sais quoi and joi de vivre!

VIRTUAL VISIT: Heygo with Florent (here), my virtual postcard pics

Saint-Eustache church

Stravinsky Fountain near Centre Pompidou
VISIT bookstore: someday...

Halle Saint Pierre
(details)
Specializing in writings on art, artists' books and works concerning all forms of contemporary non-standard creation, the Halle Saint Pierre bookstore also functions as a resource and documentation centre. Its specificity comes from the networks it has set up with private and public institutions in France and abroad. The bookstore publishes or co-publishes exhibition catalogs and organizes exhibitions of raw and singular art.

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* part of Explore the World (here)
* image source: bookstore

Lovely Books and Things - 3.13.22

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update

Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

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HAPPY THINGS:

1. Picking out a pie(s) for upcoming Pi Day on Monday
2. The start of the Tournament of Books (here)
3. Window displays - Louis Vuitton chess theme at Macy's and garden theme at Julie Haas Artist below

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Bought:

Mrs. Mohr Goes Missing
by Maryla Szymiczkowa
translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones
Mystery, Historical, Poland | Published: 2020 (first 2015) | Goodreads

Bought: from Book of the Month club - get yours with my referral link (here)

The Paris Apartment
by Lucy Foley
Mystery, Thriller, Paris | Published: 2022 | Goodreads

Library: audiobook

Gallant
by V.E. Schwab
illustrated by Manuel Sumberac
Fantasy, YA, Gothic | Published: 2022 | Goodreads

Library:

March Was Made of Yarn
edited by David Karashima, Elmer Luke
Short Stories, Japan | Published: 2012 | Goodreads
~*~
Live Author event: hosted by Book Passage - Ferry Building

The Torqued Man
by Peter Mann
Historical, WWII, Germany | Published: 2022 | Goodreads
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AND watched: Mostly British Film Festival (details)

Mothering Sunday (2021)
Director: Eva Husson
Screenplay: Alice Birch
Based on book: Graham Swift
Stars: Odessa Young, Josh O'Connor
Drama, Romance, England | imdb | my rating: 5

A maid living in post-World War I England secretly plans to meet with the man she loves before he leaves to marry another woman.

The Duke (2020)
Director: Roger Michell
Screenplay: Richard Bean, Clive Coleman
Stars: Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren
Biography, Comedy, Drama, England | imdb | my rating: 5

In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60 year old taxi driver, steals Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London.

Nobody Has to Know (2021)
aka L'ombre d'un mensonge
Director/Writer: Bouli Lanners
Stars: Michelle Fairley, Bouli Lanners
Drama, Scotland | imdb | my rating: 5

Phil, a robust middle-aged man suffers a stroke, causing him to lose his memory. Millie, who takes care of him, tells him falsely that they were secretly in love before his accident.

June Again (2020)
Director/Writer: JJ Winlove
Stars: Noni Hazlehurst, Claudia Karvan, Stephen Curry
Drama, Australia | imdb | my rating: 5

During a fleeting bout of lucidity from her dementia, June Wilton has precious little time to bring together her estranged children, save the family business, and rekindle an old flame.


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* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

Thanks for stopping by :-)

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The Guest List
by Lucy Foley
narrated by Jot Davies, Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Aoife McMahon, Sarah Ovens, Rich Keeble

Published: 2020
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Hardback: 320
Rating: 5
Goodreads
Island: off the coast of Ireland

First sentence(s):
The lights go out.

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom a rising television star. The bride
a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine in a remote location. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?

My two-bits:

Multiple points of view of unreliable and unlikable characters in a wedding celebration setting make this an intrigueing read.

There is a tinge of Irish folklore and hints of a haunted isle that create a creepy vibe.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of Reese's Book Club 2020 (here)

* part of Summertime time ( schedule )

Reese's Book Club 2020

Reese's Book Club
@ReesesBookClub

2020

JANUARY:

Such A Fun Age
by Kiley Reid
Contemporary | Goodreads | my rating: 5
FEBRUARY:

The Scent Keeper
by Erica Bauermeister
Women's Fiction | Goodreads | my rating: 5
MARCH:

The Jetsetters
by Amanda Eyre Ward
Women's Fiction, Travel | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4
APRIL:

Untamed
by Glennon Doyle
Memoir, Self-help | Goodreads | my rating: 5
MAY:

The Henna Artist
by Alka Joshi
Historical, India | Goodreads | my rating: 5
JUNE and JULY:

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
Memoir, Race | Goodreads | my rating: 4

The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Mystery, Thriller | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

AUGUST:

Everything Inside
by Edwidge Danticat
Short Stories | Goodreads | my rating: tba

You Should See Me in a Crown
by Leah Johnson
YA, LGBTQ | Goodreads | my rating: tba

SEPTEMBER:

The Last Story of Mina Lee
by Nancy Jooyun Kim
Contemporary, Mystery, Korean | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4

Furia
by Yamile Saied Méndez
YA, Sports, South America | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

OCTOBER:

His Only Wife
by Peace Adzo Medie
Contemporary, Feminism, Western Africa, Ghana | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4

Fable
by Adrienne Young
YA, Fantasy | Goodreads

NOVEMBER:

Group:
How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life
by Christie Tate
Memoir, Psychology | Goodreads

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow
by Laura Taylor Namey
YA, Romance, Travel | Goodreads

DECEMBER:

The Chicken Sisters
by K.J. Dell'Antonia
Chick-lit | Goodreads | my rating: tba

The Light In Hidden Places
by Sharon Cameron
YA, Historical, Poland | Goodreads | my rating: tba
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* header image source: reese