Loving Hugo Marston

In case you think I've stopped reading in order to rant and rave against fat ugly hateful evil men in corrupt government positions, you'd be wrong.

In between rants, raves, letter writing and phone calls to members of congress, there's always time for a good book.  

A girl makes time to do what needs to be done AND what she wants to do.  Otherwise, its just making excuses.

So.

Here's my latest - 

I have had a huge crush on Hugo Marston since Mark Pryor introduced him in THE BOOKSELLER in 2012.

I'm a fan of Mr. Pryor's work and have enjoyed everything he's written, but as far as fictional boyfriends go, Hugo owns my heart.  And he's back!  Yay!  

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to enjoy the first in this new series and it was worth the wait.

Description from NetGalley.com

Hugo Marston, former head of security at the U.S. embassy in Paris, has retired and is ready to realize his lifelong dream of owning a mystery and antiquarian bookshop. But when a blackmail scheme targeting a chocolatier leads to murder, Hugo is again called to investigate in the first Paris Bookshop Mystery for readers of Charles Finch, Tasha Alexander, and Lev AC Rosen.

Hugo has led an exciting life as an FBI profiler and the US embassy’s head of security, but now he’s ready to embrace a quieter existence as a bookseller in the Marais district of Paris. His former employer, however, has other plans for him. A prominent American citizen is the COO of a boutique chocolate emporium in Paris, where they’ve received a mysterious and threatening note. A blackmailer who goes by the name The Shadow wants half a million euros or else their “darkest secret will be revealed.”

Eclat de Chocolat is housed in a chateau dating back to the 1700s. The building, which served as a convent in the first half of the twentieth century, where the angelic Sister Evangeline and her order of nuns helped countless orphans during World War II, has been beautifully converted into a chocolate factory. So what dark secrets could a chocolatier be hiding? The COO has no idea.

Involving his friend, Lieutenant Camille Lerens, Hugo begins to investigate. But soon a second note appears on the premises, canceling the blackmail threat. The same day, the body of an employee is found in an old graveyard behind the chocolatier. Now Hugo and Lerens have a murder on their hands, but is it connected to the blackmail attempt? As they dig for secrets and motives, it becomes clear The Shadow’s grave work has just begun . . .

Tuesday ramblings

 It's a dreary day in the NC mountains.

A perfect day, I think, to curl up in bed with coffee, cookies, and Annabelle spread across my feet.

In my continuing attempts to limit what I hear coming out of the mouth of The Village Idiot, who becomes crazier and more dangerous by the day, I'm still limiting my Facebook time.  (Here's where I insert my chant:  "VOTE!  VOTE!  VOTE!")

I'm doing a lot of cooking 

and baking 

and reading.

Last night I finished an ARC of a debut novel that blew me away.

One of those books containing passages so lovely that you have to re-read and savor each word.

 

"In this intimate debut novel, a woman returns to her small Southern hometown in the wake of her mother's sudden death--only to find the past upended by stunning family secrets.

Lila Bruce Breedlove never quite felt at home in Wesleyan, Georgia, especially after her father's untimely death when she was a child. Both she and her brother, Henry, fled north after high school, establishing fulfilling lives and relationships of their own, steeped in art and culture. In contrast, their younger sister, Abigail, opted to remain in Georgia to dote on their domineering, larger-than-life mother, Geneva. Yet, despite their years-long independence, Lila and Henry both know they've never quite reckoned with their upbringing.

Now, when their elderly mother dies suddenly and strangely, found among the dense vines of the muscadine arbor behind the family estate, they must travel back to the town that raised them. But as Lila and Henry uncover more about Geneva's death, shocking truths are revealed that upend the Bruces' history as they know it, sending the pair on an extraordinary journey to chase a truth that will dramatically alter the course of their lives.

With deep compassion and sharp wit, Pamela Terry brings to life the culture and expectations of a small Southern town that values appearance over authenticity--and where the struggle to live honestly can lead to devastating consequences."

The description does not do the book justice.

It's this and so much more. 

What makes a book special?  Sets it apart from other books you read and enjoy?

It's characters that have dimension and personality.

It's the author's voice and word choice.

Phrasing and pacing.

Descriptions that place you so deeply in the story you're able to actually see the scene being described.  And feel it.

Pamela Terry is an author I think we're going to be hearing a lot about in the future.

"The Sweet Taste of Muscadines" won't be available until March - AND it'll be worth the wait. Not to worry - I'll be back to remind you! 

I was lucky enough to run across it at NetGalley and even luckier when my request to read it was granted.  

It's one of those books I'll be sharing with friends and family.

While I was up way past my bedtime reading Ms. Terry's book, two books by two of my favorite authors popped up on my Kindle.  (Have I mentioned how much I love the magic of my Kindle?)

Natasha Lester's "The Paris Secret," 

and Mark Pryor's "The French Widow," (the 9th book in the Hugo Marston series)

Now to decide which to read first . . . 

Wishing you a good day!

(Teeshirt available here)

Are you registered to vote?  

Need to check your registration?

Considering voting by mail?

Need to know where your polling place is?

Here's EVERYTHING you need -  https://www.vote.org/

No Resolutions! But . . . A long time dream coming true

As I mentioned yesterday, no resolutions for me this year other than my one word resolution that Laura Lippman prompts each year.



I chose the word "Persist."



That word covers a lot of territory in my world these days.



But I'm not here to talk about New Year's resolutions.



I am here to tell you I have big plans for the upcoming year.






I am usually registered for Bouchercon by now and that's what you would hear me squealing about for the next several months.



But.



No Bouchercon for me this year and that does make me sad, because it means I'll go at least one whole year without seeing many dear friends.



But.



I can't afford two big trips,



and




You may have heard - - -



I'm going to Paris!



Paris!









My very first time.













Am I excited?!



Pfftttt!



What do you think?!



It's Paris!








I am over the moon excited!



And, those of you who know me, know that I like the planning of a trip every bit as much as I do the trip itself.


And part of my planning is to read.


To read all about where I'm going.


I like to know about a place's culture, its customs, its architecture, its history, what's fun to shop for, where to shop, what to see, what to do, what to eat - you know - everything!








And though I love a list of things I want to do, and places I want to go, I don't plan my days out too much.


I "might" say, okay, today I'm going to go to the such & such museum.


And I'll do that.


But the things I do on the way to the museum, and the things I do after the museum are probably going to be totally up in the air and left up to whimsy and serendipity.


And. If I miss the museum? Well, there's the next day. Right?





And where I end up often it depends of where my camera takes me. My camera and I are going to have such a great time!











My camera is itching to capture the Notre-Dame gargoyles









View Paris through the Musée d'Orsay clock window







To ride the carousels







I aim to keep my camera happy.







We're going to eat too many macarons










Sit in sidewalk cafes and drink coffee and hot chocolate








Buy too many souvenirs!
















And write about it all







I'm going to be traveling with two of my favorite women - my friends Lesa (I "think" you guys might know her?? 😉😉 Pretty sure you do.) and Vickie, who I've known since my Atlanta days and who you've heard me speak of.



And two more friends of Vickie's, Kathy and Lisa, who I have not formally met yet, but have heard Vickie talk about for years and years, so I do feel as though I know them.


We're staying in an apartment that Vickie has stayed in before, and it looks delightful!


I'm especially tickled about the neighborhood, Belleville. One that's not in a touristy section of the city.


Not that I'm not one to play tourist! You know better.



Honey! I am the most touristy tourist you've ever seen. And never try to pretend otherwise.








There's too much to see and if I hesitate in asking the locals where they might recommend I go for certain things, I'm likely to miss out on some pretty fabulous stuff.  Can't have that!



But the Belleville neighborhood just sounds like the kind of place I'm going to feel comfortable and I intend to do a good bit of exploring right outside our apartment door in addition to all the things one just does when one is in Paris. Droite?!




Belleville means "Beautiful Town." It was ignored during much of the Paris modernisation of the 60s and 70s, so retains much of its French originality and is home to many aspiring artists and art galleries.


It's home to two parks. The Parc des Buttes Chaumont and the smaller, less well-known Parc de Belleville which is situated between the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont and the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Parc de Belleville features the longest waterfall fountain in Paris and a stunning panoramic view of the city.





Parc des Buttes Chaumont







Parc de Belleville







Père Lachaise Cemetery



According to WikiPedia, "Parc de Belleville also prides itself on its display of annual flowers. The gardeners prepare the flower beds two years in advance, in tight collaboration with the horticultural center of Rungis. Their compositions have received prizes numerous times at the Concours des Décorations Florales Estivales (Summer Floral Decoration Competition), which takes place each year in September." It just so happens we'll be there in September.


Also from WikiPedia, "French singer Édith Piaf grew up in Belleville and, according to legend, was born under a lamppost on the steps of the Rue de Belleville. A commemorative plaque can be found at number 72."



In addition to reading about Paris in travel and reference books (even cookbooks), I love reading novels in which Paris is featured.







I recently finished reading Mark Pryor's mystery series set in Paris featuring protagonist Hugo Marston, which I loved reading and highly recommend.


Now I'm planning on taking a look at The Malaussene Saga, a series written by Daniel Pennac, which is set in Belleville.


I started my Paris novel reading odyssey - electronic and print - almost immediately when we first started talking about this trip. If you're interested, here's a list of what I've read so far, in addition to all of Mark Pryor's novels:


The Dress Thief by Anita Hughes


From a Paris Balcony by Ella Carey


Hidden in Paris by Corine Gantz


I'll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable


The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown


The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George


A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable


The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell


The Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey


The Race for Paris by Meg Waite Clayton


The Paris Effect by K.S.R. Burns


The Paris Wife by Paula McLain


Letters from Paris by Juliet Blackwell


Paris, He Said by Christine Sneed


Mission to Paris by Alan Furst


The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin


and two books I have to mention - non-fiction treasures that weren't in my stacks when I took the above picture.


Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach and the wonderful, OH so wonderful (I love this book) Shakespeare and Company: A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart edited by Krista Halverson.








You just know we're going to be visiting Shakespeare and Company!



And this is pretty much where this story was going to end.



Except.



We went to Birmingham for Christmas with Donald's family.


While we were there I took a day to browse and shop in the wonderful 2nd and Charles Bookstore.





I love this place!


It's huge, but beautifully laid out so you're able to find what you're looking for, or you can just enjoy wandering, getting lost, sitting down to look through a treasure you came across, or just rest and enjoy every booklover's dream store.







I spent a glorious four hours and could have stayed a bit longer, truth be told.


And struck up a conversation with one of the delightful sales associates.


Don't you love it when you're able to tell that the person working in a bookstore is a true lover of books?


During our conversation, which started in the travel section, I discovered that my new friend was a traveler. So, of course, he had traveled in France and fallen in love with Paris. When I asked if he spoke French I wasn't the least bit surprised at how lovely it sounded.


Next thing I knew I had, in addition to a pile of books I had discovered on my own, another pile that he was bringing me.


All treasures!


All books I couldn't live without, but would never have discovered on my own.


I did sit myself down to exercise a little bit of good sense and cull some of the books.


But I still came home with these -






As you can see, they're not "all" books about Paris or set in Paris, but most are. The others, well, I couldn't bring myself to leave them behind.






While I'm busy helping you all add to your "to be read" lists, here's a few more to add to your "All Things French" list. Some of these titles are books I read a long time ago, forgot about but happily reminded of when I happened across them in 2nd & Charles. Some of titles I "may" try to re-read. And some are titles provided by friends, or by friends of friends, some of which I have read, some of which I have not read.


Victor Hugo's Les Miserales.


The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.


Hemingway's A Moveable Feast.


Peter Mayle's series about Provence. I loved the series, but especially the first, A Year in Provence.


Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code.


Edward Rutherfurd's Paris: The Novel.


Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik.


Cara Black's wonderful mystery series featuring Aimee LeDuc.


The Ingredients of Love by Nicolas Barreau.


Paris Spring by James Naughtie.


The Paris Secret by Karen Swann.


A Week in Paris by Rachel Hore.



And if any of you have books about France, actually, Paris in particular, please feel free to share. I may never get around to reading them, but I do love a list.



And, if any of you have favorite places you love to go when you're in Paris, I'd love to hear about them too. Shopping spots. Restaurants. Galleries. Museums. Monuments. Parks and Gardens. Favorite spots to walk and explore.



So.


This is my New Year's resolution, I guess:

"Have a ball in Paris!"