Chaletmomma

I wrote a piece in May 2019 Get Your Read On! where I listed my top books and asked a few friends to share their favorites as well. I keep updating this piece but, as the Chairperson of the Literacy Committee at my son’s elementary school and as a monitor of a Book Club at church I do find myself chatting about books often. Today I wanted to share a few specific titles and why they resonate with me. All these titles are about home. In some manner - the longing for - the loosing of. As a July birthday the idea of home is usually in the forefront of my thinking.

Where the Crawdads Sing: I just finished this title last month. It left me happy to have read it. And I do think there is a feeling of home associated with this story of a girl left alone and the world in which she finds comfort. The world of the marsh and the little shack are both equally her homes.

The Dutch House: This Ann Patchett title is wonderful. This book carries with it all the meaning of home and asks what does a building hold of a family when you don’t have either. I originally read the book in March 2020 and just finished listening to it last month and I found it incredible - if possible more impactful than a year ago - and I don’t know if it was the simple reason of picking up on things I missed the first time or if it’s because we’ve been home for a year.

Howards End: Is a much beloved family home of Mrs. Ruth Wilcox. The sisters Schlegel are a vibrant with a deep love of knowledge who crave intellect and are defenders of those less fortunate. Their lives become intertwined with the Wilcoxes.

The Good House: What can I say… something I loved about this book I learned when I was finished reading it…. which is Ann Leary intended the book to go in another direction and the main character Hilde was not supposed to be the main character - But, Hilde took over the story because she’s quite a character… she likes her wine too much….

The Children: Another title by the enjoyable Ann Leary. Here we have the story of Charlotte who rarely leaves her stepfather’s home Lakeside. Her stepbrothers are welcomed guests even though they own Lakeside since their father’s passing. When Spin brings his fiancé home everyone is intrigued by the beautiful and accomplished Laurel Atwood. As the wedding draws near flaws surface in this family portrait.

The Perfume Collector: Weaving through time from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London, the story Grace uncovers of an Eva d’Orsey’s history will transform Grace’s life forever, forcing her to choose between the woman she is expected to be and the person she really is - and where she ends up.

If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home: I’m a huge fan of Dr. Lucy Worsley is an English historian, author, curator, and television presenter in England.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House: One of my favorite books and the film starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy: Mr and Mrs. Blandings design their perfect home and we follow along during their construction issues and the funny workers they deal with.

Rebecca: Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . . This is the opening line of the Novel, the 1940 Alfred Hitchcock film and the most recent film by Netflix. This is a wonderfully engrossing story of a naive young woman who is swept off her feet by a debonair widower in Monte Carlo. They are quickly married and life is wonderful until they arrive at his massive seaside estate - the shadow of his late wife is everywhere and it threatens their happy union. The book varies a bit from both of the films. I highly recommend reading and watching!

Jane Eyre: Jane was orphaned as a child and has felt like she didn’t belong her whole life. She is overwhelmed and nervous when she arrives at Thornfield Hall to be governess to Edward Rochester’s charge Adele. This is quote I want to live by - Jane says “Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.” I love so many of the Bronte sisters novels but, Jane has a never give up attitude I truly admire.

Brideshead Revisited: I read after watching the 1981 British Telepic on PBS. It’s the story of Charles Ryder’s infatuation with the Marchmain family. It’s a wonderful tale of love and loss and grasping for what you think will make you happy.

Some from childhood:

The Christmas Mouse: Mrs. Berry is frightened by a mouse and goes downstairs to sit-out Christmas Eve and is disturbed yet again. This time by a young run-away boy. This lovely tale still enchants me about the best in human nature.

The Diamond in the Window: Eddy and Eleanor Hall have always known their family was uncommon and they live in a most remarkable house. But, they would never have guessed just how remarkable the house really is.

Harriet The Spy: I read this book when I was 11 and appropriated my sister’s copy - which still has pride of place on the livingroom console table. I made a life-size study of myself mirrored after Harriet. Harriet M. Welsch is a spy; she writes down everything about everyone she sees - including her classmates and her best friends - in her notebook. Her notebook ends up in the wrong hands and her thoughts are read - will she be able to fix the damage caused?

New titles I have added to my To Read List:

Have you read any of these titles? Does the idea of books focused on either a physical home or a feeling of home resonate with you?

I like actual books; what I really mean is I love books… The smell of the paper… the typeface… the weight of a book in my hand. I don’t have an e reader but, I do listen to books and they are especially enjoyable if read by a great actor - I utilize Hoopla and The Libby App through my library.

Til next time stay safe friends - thank you for being here!

Its time for my annual book wrap-up covering titles from the last year - Be they hardcover or audio through Hoopla.

I touched on some books in my post: Latest Volumes Click Image for link.

You can see my reading taste is mixed.

Jane and the Twelve days of Christmas - I loved this book about Jane Austen and her family during the holidays.

*The Forgotten Garden - I have written before about my great affinity for the author Kate Morton. I love all her works.
The Last Original Wife - This is a fun Dorothea Benton Frank tale of a woman who has had enough of her life and her husband.
Carnegie’s Maid - This is a great piece of fiction introducing a possible relationship between a domestic and Andrew Carnegie.
Pretty Much Screwed - Charlotte’s husband leaves her after twenty years and she must rebuild her life.
The Gown - I enjoyed this story of the ladies who maid Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown - but, I thought the story could have gone farther.
*The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock - In 1785, merchant Jonah Hancock hears urgent knocking on his door. One of his captains is waiting eagerly on the step. He has sold Jonah’s ship for what appears to be a mermaid - this is a wonderful tale - I thoroughly enjoyed!

Howards End is a favorite - I love tales about buildings. Click image for link.

*Hillbilly Elegy - a powerful account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a look at the struggles of America’s white working class.
Queen Victoria Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow - By looking at the detail of twenty-four days of her life, through diaries, letters and more, we see Victoria up close and personal.
*The Dutch House - Another magnificent work by one of my favorite authors Ann Patchett. This book carries with it all the meaning of home and asks what does a building hold of a family when you don’t have either. This work was very meaningful for me.
The Grace Kelly Dress - I really liked this book - more than The Gown. It centers on the tradition of passing down a wedding dress to your daughter and what if the daughter can’t tell that mother No thank you.
*The Nightingale - A extraordinary tale of the french resistance during WWII. I could not put this book down! I have been searching for a book that would pull me in the same way - since I read it in May - A Single Thread almost did.

Three more amazing books. Click image for link.

Negroland - Since the nineteenth century they have stood apart, these inhabitants of Negroland. A region of Negro America where residents were sheltered by privilege. I enjoyed learning more about this world.
Dear Cary - I loved listening to Dyan Cannon relay her life and times with this icon of American Cinema.
*Shakespeare - I listened to this while painting our kitchen. The author has pulled together all the facts well known or not about William Shakespeare.

Folly Beach - Cate never thought she'd wind up in a cottage named the Porgy House living back near family but, thanks to her newly dead husband who left her homeless and broke she is and she’s also finding her way to a lovely new life.
By Myself and Then Some - Lauren Bacall recants her life’s story.
Whisper Network - Sloane, Artie, Grace, and Rosalita have worked at Truviv, Inc. for years. The death of the CEO means their boss Ames will take over the company - each women has a different relationship with him, he’s always been surrounded by whispers about how he treats women. I found the premise of the book timely, I did not respond to the waffling personalities depicted.
*The Marble Faun is Grey Gardens - Jerry Torre’s touching memoir about his teenage days as caretaker of Grey Gardens, the mansion chronicled in the iconic documentary Grey Gardens and two feature-length films. The book is a behind-the-scenes look at “Big Edie” and “Little Edie” and their reclusive life of squalor in East Hampton and the family bond that developed between them. I enjoyed learning more about this incomparable pair from the remembrances of then teen Jerry.

This design book by my friend Paige Rien encourages everyone to incorporate their personality into their surroundings. Read my interview with Paige here.

Goodbye Paris - Grace once a cello player - has a quiet life in a small village repairing string instruments. Paris is where she meets up regularly with her married boyfriend - when he saves the life of a woman in the Paris Metro, Grace’s life is changed forever - her friends a charming elderly violinist and her store clerk, a teenage girl help her move on - I liked this tale of rediscovering your true self.
Inside Out - I listened to Demi Moore in her own voice tell the story of her life through Hoopla - I’ve seen the movies and the tabloid headlines over the years - but, I appreciated learning more about her.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis - I enjoyed this history of the former first lady.
Losing It - After the death of Eddie Van Halen I found myself reading and watching clips of he and his first wife Valerie Bertinelli - which led me to read this book. I found it inspiring how she gained a healthy perspective about her life and therefore her weight.
*The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters - I’ve always been a fan of the former first lady … I own quite a few books about her. I also own the book Lee by her sister Lee Radziwill - it was great fun to see images I had never viewed before and to learn more about these sisters together and apart.
*Paris Letters - Janice MacLeod doodled this question at her desk. “How much money does it take to change your life?” Then she decided to make it happen. Over the next few months, with determination, she saved enough to buy a year in Europe. When she got there during her first stop in Paris she met a handsome butcher. It was refreshing to read a sweet book about someone making their dreams come true.
*Getting the Pretty Back - Molly Ringwald shares her lifetime of experiences and offers candid great advice and some yummy recipes!
*A Single Thread - In 1932 after the Great War took both her beloved brother and fiancé, Violet Speedwell has become a "surplus woman," one of a generation doomed to spinsterhood after the war killed so many young men. Violet moves from her mums home to Winchester, home to one of England's grandest cathedrals. There, Violet is drawn into a society of broderers--women who embroider kneelers for the Cathedral, carrying on a centuries-long tradition of bringing comfort to worshipers.
*Miss Austen - England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her sixties Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles - the family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters.
Searching for John Hughes - For all fans of John Hughes and his hit films such as National Lampoon’s Vacation, Sixteen Candles, and Home Alone, comes Jason Diamond’s hilarious memoir of growing up obsessed with the filmmaker’s movies—that convinces Diamond he should write Hughes’ biography and travel to NYC on a quest that is as funny as it is hopeless.

I’m thrilled to welcome these fabulous volumes to the Chalet! Click images for link.

If you didn’t know what a crazy bibliophile I am - you do now. You’ll see I’ve read 13 books that are personal - I thoroughly enjoy learning more about these humans. I recommend all - the biographies, decor and novels but, any with an * are faves.