Summer reads
Since summer is the time when we hit the beach, park or simply enjoy the outdoors we need to be well equipped with reading material - after all it's too hot to exercise so one simply takes the mind for a walk by reading. So here is a list of the ones I read recently and enjoyed and I would be very, very grateful if you suggest your fav ones in the comments :o)
'The Machiavelli Covenant’ by Allan FolsomThis book is a real page turner and although a brick of 690 pages won’t last you very long – as all of Allan Folsom’s books this one you won’t put aside till you have finished it ;o)
...Former LAPD Detective Nicholas Marten's investigation into the murder of his former girlfriend leads him across the globe and to a chance meeting with U.S. President John Henry Harris. Marten and Harris uncover one of the most secretive and brutally powerful groups this world has ever known...
'Very Valentine’ by Adriana TrigianiYou love fashion? You’re crazy about shoes? You will absolutely looooove this one :o) It’s an easy, breezy read ... love story/family saga gone fashion!
...Meet Valentine, an unforgettable and passionate woman with a heart and a dream as big as New York City. Her dream? To design the perfect pair of shoes ...The Angelini Shoe Company, makers of exquisite wedding shoes since 1903, is one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village. Now, in the twenty-first century, the company run so devotedly by Valentine and her grandmother Teodora faces financial ruin. Juggling a romantic relationship with dashing chef Roman Falconi, her duty to her family and a design competition for a prestigious department store, Valentine accompanies her grandmother to Italy in the hope of finding inspiration. There, in Tuscany and on the Isle of Capri, she discovers her artistic voice and much more, turning her life around in ways she never expected...
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'Encore Valentine’ by Adriana Trigiani
This is the sequel of ‘Very Valentine’ and equally as cute a read :o)
...As Encore Valentine begins, snow falls like glitter over Tuscany at the wedding of Valentine's grandmother. Meet the Roncalli and Angelini families, artisans of handcrafted shoes in Greenwich Village since 1903. Valentine's dreams are dashed when her grandmother names her brother and nemesis Alfred her partner at Angelini Shoes. A long-distance romance with the sexy Gianluca who lives in remote Tuscany seems impossible so Valentine tries to devote herself to her work. A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Valentine to Buenos Aires, where she finds a long-buried secret hidden deep within a family scandal...
'The winner stands alone' by Paulo CoelhoLike all of Paulo Coelho’s books also this one is very well written – contrary to the other ones this is a very gripping and fast-paced thriller -> enjoy!!!
...The story is set during the Cannes International Film Festival and the entire action plays out over 24 hours. Igor is a wealthy Russian businessman. His wife Ewa left him two years ago and Igor has never really come to terms with their break up, especially as Ewa is now remarried to a famous fashion designer, Hamid Hussein. Igor is insanely jealous and he intends to get her back! Igor has followed Ewa and her new husband to Cannes and his plan is to cause as much violence and destruction as possible until Ewa realises how much he loves her and comes back to him. Ewa knows that Igor has killed people in the past when he was a soldier, but she also knows a dark secret - that he once cold bloodedly murdered a beggar who was bothering them in a restaurant. Igor is clearly unhinged and he will stop at nothing to regain her love ... The star-studded film festival acts as a backdrop to Igor's maniacal murdering spree and we are introduced to various characters along the way, all of whom are desperately trying to get their big break in the shallow world of show business...
'Chaising Harry Winston' by Lauren WeisbergerThis is like the ‘Devil wears Prada’ gone three girlfriends in the pursuit of love - need I say more?! ;o)
...Three best friends. Two resolutions. One year to pull it off.
Emmy is newly single. Having always dreamed of wedding plans, she is now buying take-out for one.
Adriana is about to turn thirty. Are her days as a party girl running out?
Leigh has a gorgeous boyfriend and a great job. So why isn't she more excited about her perfect life?
The three best friends make a pact over raspberry mojitos one night - this year everything is going to change. Emmy is going to find a man on every continent for some no-strings fun. Adriana vows she'll secure a five-carat Harry Winston diamond ring on her fourth finger. And Leigh can't think of what she needs to change - until literary bad boy Jesse Chapman starts to get under her skin...
'I capture the Castle’ by Dodie SmithThis is a wonderfully written book, set in a castle featuring a whole bunch of flamboyant people that will make you laugh out loud while reading! You’ll be sad the moment you have finished this wonderful novel because it was just so enjoyable a read!
...This is the journal of Cassandra Mortmain; an extraordinary account of life with her extraordinary family. First, there is her eccentric father. Then there is her sister, Rose - beautiful, vain and bored - and her stepmother, Topaz, an artist's model who likes to commune with nature. Finally, there is Stephen, dazzlingly handsome and hopelessly in love with Cassandra...
'A Vintage Affair’ by Isabel WolffThis one I just loooooooooooved – an easy read ... as the title says it’s set around a vintage clothes shop (which I absolutely adore!!!)
...Do fairytale dresses bring fairytale endings? Every dress has a history, so does Phoebe! Phoebe always dreamt of opening her own vintage dress shop. She imagined every detail, from the Vivienne Westwood bustiers hanging next to satin gowns, to sequinned cupcake dresses adorning the walls. At the launch of Village Vintage, Phoebe feels the tingle of excitement as customers snap up the fairytale dresses. Her dream has come true, but a secret from her past is casting a shadow over her new venture. Then one day she meets Therese, an elderly Frenchwoman with a collection to sell, apart from one piece that she won't part with! As Therese tells the story of the little blue coat, Phoebe feels a profound connection with her own life, one that will help her heal the pain of her past and allow her to love again...
'Savour the Moment’ by Nora RobertsThis is kitsch on paper ... a very predictable love story but beautifully told ... all set around a wedding planning business owned by 4 childhood friends :o)
...Childhood friends Mackensie, Parker, Laurel and Emmaline have formed a very successful wedding-planning business together but, despite helping thousands of happy couples organise the biggest day of their lives, all four women are unlucky in love. Chef Laurel McBane has worked hard all her life to secure her dream - to be an award-winning baker. Now, her wedding cakes are as close as anyone can get to edible perfection, stunning creations that complement Mac's beautiful photographs and Emmaline's floral bouquets. Because Laurel has worked so hard to overcome her tough upbringing, she is wary about letting anything, or anyone, get in the way of her work. But a slowly simmering chemistry with Parker's brother Del has suddenly become too hot to ignore...
'The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest’ by Stieg LarssonThis book again is written out on more than 600 pages but it didn’t last me longer than 1.5 days – it’s the last one of the Millennium Trilogy ... I really enjoyed all of them!!!
...Salander is plotting her revenge - against the man who tried to kill her, and against the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. But it is not going to be a straightforward campaign. After taking a bullet to the head, Salander is under close supervision in Intensive Care, and is set to face trial for three murders and one attempted murder on her eventual release. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, Salander must not only prove her innocence, but identify and denounce the corrupt politicians that have allowed the vulnerable to become victims of abuse and violence. Once a victim herself, Salander is now ready to fight back...
'The Tea Rose' by Jennifer DonnellyAn absolutely lovely family saga set in the late 19th century – the heroine makes it out of poverty and masters many blows of fate and in the end finds the love of her life :o)
...In 1880s London, the squalid Thames-side neighbourhood of Whitechapel is home to Fiona Finnegan, spunky daughter of Paddy Finnegan. Both are employed by unscrupulous tea merchant William Burton, but Fiona is saving to start a shop with her love, Joe Bristow. Just as her future seems assured, a string of tragedies toppled her hopes. Joe is tricked into marriage to another woman, Burton has Paddy killed for supporting a labour union, Fiona’s mother is murdered by Jack the Ripper and Fiona’s distraught brother is found dead in the Thames. Fiona had been attempting to get compensation from Burton for her father’s death, but when she overhears his boasts of killing Paddy, she must flee for her life with her sole remaining brother, five-year-old Seamie. She rushes to a seaport, but cannot get passage until the wealthy dandy Nicholas Soames offers it, pretending she is his wife. The scene switches to New York City of the Gay 90s, to the glitter of Delmonico’s, the elegance of Gramercy Park and the crowded tenements of downtown. Fiona lodges with her alcoholic Uncle Michael and saves both him and his grocery on her way to making her fortune in the tea industry. But she never forgets her family’s fate, and when she can, she returns to England to revenge herself on Burton...
'Devious Book for Cats’ by Fluffy & BonkersIf you love cats you will love this book and laugh a lot!!! I haven’t actually finished this one yet but so far it is absolutely hilariously funny!
...Cats once ruled the alleys, galleys and the valleys. Rodents trembled in fear. Birds steered clear. Cats took chances. Some lived fast and died young! We were on the prowl. But then came a life of domestication that was simply too good to pass up. Humans gave us everything we desired, from ear massages and shelter from the rain to cuddle sessions and free health care. In return, they were permitted to bask in the majesty of our presence. It seemed like a fair trade. Or was it? Has domesticity really been good for cats?...
