Every day is Independent Bookstore Day to me, at least every day is “Book Day”! The above photo is almost my to be read stack….and I think it is short! I thought I would just do a short post of what is on my list. I never do negative reviews, so you may see a title that doesn’t get space on my blog or in reviews. Being a Pollyanna, perhaps, but too many to read, to read books I don’t enjoy. With a minimum (and yes, it is a minimum) of 12 fashion/lifestyle books per year for nenasnotes The Fashion Book Club plus everything else I want to share…it becomes a bit overwhelming and I’m not a full time book reviewer….well here goes!
I’ve written about my life long book obsession and now I have the privilege of doing book reviews and recommendations on nenasnotes. And nenasnotes The Fashion Book Club will celebrate its first anniversary in May! Where do the years go…I can’t answer that for you.
I have been so fortunate to have The Book Stall as my partner for the monthly nenasnotes The Fashion Book Club. They are fabulous with their cooperation and the staff is extraordinary in their knowledge and helpfulness, (they are not a sponsor of this blog!) I want to start taping my conversations with the authors to share with all of you in some format, probably a nenasnotes podcast….stay tuned for further details, a great way to begin year two! If you are interested in learning more about nenasnotes The Fashion Book Club you can leave your email in the comment section of this blog or email me at nenasnotes1@gmail.com.
The April book selection was the just released Yves Saint Laurent: The Biography by Laurence Benaim, the first originally written in English. A very long and minutely detailed accounting of Saint Laurent’s life…filled with quotes from those who knew this iconic designer. It chronicles his life from birth to death and was sanctioned by Saint Laurent’s late partner, Pierre Bergé. My group loved Saint Laurent’s life timeline as well as notations at the back of the book. It isn’t a one day or one weekend read, extremely through and one that will enhance your growing fashion library. The only negative from my group is that it isn’t illustrated…they do like “pictures” to emphasize the text…I can’t disagree since we are dealing with visual items….clothing and interiors. I hadn’t planned on ending my first year with a Saint Laurent biography having begun the journey last May with Loulou & Yves: The Untold Story of Loulou de la Falaise and the House of Saint Laurent by Christopher Petkanas, who discussed his wonderful book in conversation with me. I profiled the book on the blog last May. I would highly recommend you read both being the fashion savvy readers you are!
Next month’s selection is the newly published POINT OF VIEW: Forty Years in Fashion by Tonne Goodman and yes, it has “pictures”! I haven’t read it as yet…looks fabulous. The cover alone makes it a must have, stunning!
What am I reading right now and will review in detail…Ruth Reichl’s new Memoir Save Me the Plums…so far I am absolutely loving it and highly recommend you put it on you To Be Read list, I know you will love it too. Reichl is an engaging, brilliant and beautiful writer. Do you miss GOURMET as much as I do?!
Here are some my upcoming books in no particular order…full disclosure, I purchase many (all my fashion/lifestyle books), am given Advance Readers Copies (ARC) to review, and also use the Chicago Public Library…I’ve been a Library hound since birth!!!! I, of course, prefer to have a book in my hands but often my ARC’s are ebooks.
Yes, I do read a “cozy” now and again….clears the mind and I like a series when doing them, often I turn to Laura Childs.
I’ll post reviews on each….obviously it will take a bit of time to do them all and this is just the tip of the TBR pile…I obviously need to take a deep breath and jump in….bear with me!
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A ruby in its natural state.
Examples of cut stones.
Natural ruby crystals in marble in the Grainger Hall of Gems at the Field Museum.
From the Field Museum bookstore.
Ninety carats of rubies set in platinum encircled in diamonds on a diamond chain from the Grainger Hall of Gems at the Field Museum. I’m starting to love rubies!!!!
Elizabeth Taylor’s famous Cartier ruby and diamond necklace and earrings gifts from Mike Todd in 1957, Van Cleef and Arpels ring from Richard Burton in 1968.
New York City Ballet performing the Rubies Suite from George Balanchine’s ballet Jewels. I was extremely fortunate to see the premiere in New York in April 1967. It is a stunning piece. Along with Rubies, the other two acts are Diamonds and Emeralds. The next time I saw it performed was at Ravinia many years ago.
This is how I envision the dagger from the pages of Death Among Rubies, a horrible way to use such a magnificent piece.