Hello friends and Happy December. We had a wonderful, celebration-filled Thanksgiving week in central NY that included Thanksgiving dinner at my sisters's, our annual extended family Christmas party, a birthday party for my father, and we celebrated our 39th anniversary! We also enjoyed our first snow of the season. It was beautiful, but I'm glad we won't be hanging around all winter. It's way too cold here now...
Recent Reading//
A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi,
translated by Hildegarde Serle
This is a French novel about two sisters, Emma and Agathe, five years apart and as different as can be. They spent every childhood summer visiting their grandparents in the house by the sea, and remember those months as their happy times. The sisters, extremely close throughout their troubled childhood, have become estranged as adults. Now their grandparents are dead and the women have returned to that house by the sea for one final week before it is sold. They plan to relive old memories and possibly repair their broken relationship, too.
I loved the structure of this novel. It's takes place over the course of that one week and is told from the alternating perspectives of the two sisters. Additionally, there are flashbacks to their childhood, also from alternating perspectives, which allow the reader to gradually piece together what happened in the past and how they came to grow apart as adults.
I really enjoyed reading this book and have come to count on Europa Editions not only for quality works in translation, but also for outstanding new American voices.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
This was another great read from my fall tbr list. The short, contemplative novel set in 1956 follows an English butler as he sets out on a six day motoring tour through the countryside. He spends much of that time lost in memories, reflecting on his 30 years in service at Darlington Hall, and a vanishing way of life.
Winner of the 1989 Booker Prize, Remains of the Day will appeal to fans of Downton Abbey, readers who love an unreliable narrator, and anyone who appreciates quality literature.
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Current Reading//
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
I just started this yesterday and love how it pulled me in right away! I've decided to get the audio version, too, and make it a read/listen combination.
On the blog//
The week ahead//
We're in full Christmas mode now. I plan to finish the rest of my shopping this week AND get it all wrapped. Next weekend we'll travel back to central NY (weather permitting) for our grandniece's christening. After that, the house will soon start filling up for the holidays. I can't wait!
How was your week? What have you been reading?
The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
Happy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteI have my Christmas shopping done but not the wrapping
Have a lovely reading week
Thanks, Shelleyrae!
DeleteHappy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vicki!
DeleteHappy Anniversary! I am almost done with my Christmas shopping, I want to get more stocking stuffers, and I love the goal of getting it all wrapped by next weekend. I am planning to start wrapping mine this afternoon. Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteCindy - I have to work on stocking stuffers this week, too. Hope you got your wrapping started yesterday ;-)
DeleteHappy Anniversary and I'm glad you're enjoying all the Christmasy festivities! That snow picture is absolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteJinjer - I never minded the snow or cold until we had an ice dam on the roof about 15 years ago. It caused leaking in the house and then we had all the repairs to deal with. Big change of heart for me that year... now I just love visiting snow for a little while!
DeleteWhat a stunning photograph of that snow! It looks like a Christmas card. Yeah, snow is beautiful, but too cold for these old bones. :) I have always wanted to read The Remains of the Day. The movie is SO good, too! Time for a re-watch. I'm surprised The Wedding People won the Goodreads' Best Fiction. I enjoyed it a lot, but surely there are more spectacular novels out there this year? Not sure what since I didn't read that many new releases... I'm currently reading Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk. Good, but a little slow. Speaking of walking, I'm loving my daily walks while I listen to Ina Garten's memoir. Enjoy your fun-filled week and happy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteLes - The photo was taken from my sister's house and it really was a beautiful evening! The Remains of the Day started slow for me, but I ended up loving it. Can't believe I've never seen the movie, but plan to watch it this week. Halfway through The Wedding People now and I really like it a lot... can see where it would appeal to all sorts of readers who vote in the goodreads poll. I've read Lillian Boxfish at least twice. It is a little slow, but I really appreciated her story. Ina's memoir will be one of my nonfiction favorites... just loved the audio!
DeleteI am starting the Remains of the Day for my first classic book. Post will be up about that on Tuesday, I hope :-) Loved The Wedding People and I hope to get A Good Life for next year. that would make a good Women in Translation book for August. Hildegard Serle was the translator for the Valerie Perrin books In like.
ReplyDeleteStay warm and have fun shopping and visiting!!
Tina - Can't wait to read your CC post and see which books you've chosen. I had such a good time making my lists! The Wedding People is such a good read and I'm loving the audio, too. Can't wait to pick it up again later today. Valerie Perrin is a MUST READ for me in 2025... can't believe I never got to her this year.
DeleteThat's a lot of celebrations! Sounds fun.
ReplyDeleteI finished my shopping this morning by placing an order at a locally owned bookstore. I'll be able to pick it all up late this week. Then, it will just be a matter of getting them wrapped.
Joy - It was a lot... by the time we got back to CT, we were completely exhausted!!I really enjoyed all that time with my family though.
DeleteBeautiful snow picture! And Happy Anniversary! Sounds like you guys still have a bunch going on through this holiday season. I don't have that many Christmas gifts to get, but hope I'll get that done this week. We are not hosting Christmas because we did Thanksgiving. Our daughter and son-in-law will get to come to the family Christmas day and we're glad of that. She usually has to flipflop Thanksgiving and Christmas from year to year. Big holidays for hospitals and she does like to make it to where those with families and kids are able to get the holidays they want. We're fine with whatever she can do. And the granddogs don't care - ha! They just love the treats I get them. Have a good week!! Oh, I read Remains of the Day a number of years ago and liked it a lot.
ReplyDeleteKay - I'd hoped to get back to FL before the holidays, but it just wasn't meant to be this year. We lost all of our Christmas boxes in Ian, so would have had to start all over again with the decorations anyway. Our two married daughters are trying to work out a holiday routine, but we'll have them both with us for Christmas this year. Should be a lot of fun. I'm hoping to watch The Remains of the Day movie this week... all these years and I've never seen it!!
DeleteHappy anniversary! It sounds like you are having a great time right now.
ReplyDeleteThe Remains of the Day is one of my favorite reads. Hope you enjoy Wedding People, too.
Deb - This has been one of the most action-packed holiday seasons we've had in years. So much going on, but so much fun! Just loved The Remains of the Day and I'm really enjoying The Wedding People, too!
DeleteHappy Anniversary! I'm glad you had a nice Thanksgiving. Hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yvonne! Hope your week is off to a good start.
DeleteIshiguro’s novels have always appealed to me, beginning with “An Artist of the Floating World,” which has a lot of the same themes as “Remains of the Day,” particularly pondering the question of personal responsibility. I think current events now make these two early books of his very relevant.
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae - I've read three or four of his novels now and The Remains of the Day is my favorite. I will look for An Artist of the Floating World... thanks for the recommendation.
DeleteRemains of the Day is definitely an interesting book--so well written and surprising. I remember thinking "this is not what I expected" when I read it years ago.
ReplyDeleteA Good Life definitely appeals to me--will have to get on the list for that one.
Enjoy your full Christmas mode, safe travels, and Happy Anniversary!
JaneGS - Remains of the Day is a book I will definitely read again!
DeleteWhat a pretty photo of the snow. Looks like a Christmas scene. Glad you had a great Thanksgiving and your plans for the holidays sound set & fun.
ReplyDeleteIs this your first time with Remains of the Day? It's such a great one! Ishiguro is one of my very favorite authors. He is a master. It seems odd for us to be out of the snow for Christmas but we will like this break away from it. Happy Holidays!
Susan - The photo was taken at my sister's house... doubt we'll get a white Christmas on the CT coast! This was my first time reading Remains of the Day and it's my favorite of his books yet. Maybe I'll give Klara and the Sun a try next. Hope you're enjoying your time in CA!
DeleteIt sounds like you had an amazing, celebration-filled Thanksgiving week in central NY. Thanksgiving dinner, an extended family Christmas party, a birthday celebration for your father, and your 39th anniversary—what a wonderful time! The first snow of the season must have been beautiful, even if it is a bit too cold to stay all winter.
ReplyDeleteHi Lux, thanks for visiting. I love this time of year!
DeleteThat snow photo is so beautiful! I know it's cold, but I wish I could have a couple days of snow.
ReplyDeleteHelen - That would be the ideal situation - a couple days of snow and then it's gone for another year!!
DeleteThat snow pic is stunning. I really need to read Remains of the Day again. AGES ago I got a copy through the Book of the Month club and it was a total dud for me. I was so disappointed but that was before kids and life really. I bet it would hit different now.
ReplyDeleteTi - I think I started it once a very long time ago and never got into it. The book does start slow, but I have more patience for that now and it didn't bother me as much. Plus, I kept thinking about Carson from Downton Abbey!
DeleteHappy anniversary! Your picture of the snow is beautiful but I am content to avoid it in person.
ReplyDeleteI read Remains of the Day quite a while ago and really enjoyed it. I haven't read anything else by Ishiguro but I should.
I'm finished with my shopping and have about half my wrapping done. The stuff that needed to ship has been shipped. It's nice to feel like I have things mostly under control for a change.
Safe travels!
Jen - Having to ship gifts motivates me to shopping early, too! I hope that was all the snow we'll see this year... I'm ready to head south!
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