The cold weather version of our summer reading list poll: tell us about a great book to curl up with on a frosty winter night, and what fragrance we should wear while reading it.
Note: image is A good book and a good hat [cropped] by John Mallon Iphoneography at flickr; some rights reserved.
Where’d you go Bernadette by Maria Semple – very amusing and enjoyable. I’d wear CdG Kyoto or Etro Shal Nur
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – great writing and a very dark, crazy story. I’d have to wear something disturbing and surprising maybe Forbidden Games from By Kilian.
Or surely, By Kilian (Good) Girl Gone (Bad)!
That’s perfect!
Have you noticed a Kyoto and Shaal Nur are kissing cousins? Or am I crazy?
The are similar. I’ll try them tomorrow. We are in NY and sitting here without power so sifting through samples would be difficult. However, we are just about to turn on the generator!
Hope everything gets normal soon. Best wishes to all of you!
I found Kyoto more subtle e less woody though.
Tara, sorry I missed your comment earlier…did you get power back yet?
Robin, Yes our power was restored yesterday afternoon. We are VERY lucky. There are people here (northern suburb of NYC) who won’t have power for almost another week and it is getting cold!
I know…some people are really struggling, it’s hard to watch. Glad you have electricity!
Maybe even a “cold” perfume to represent where they ended up in the last chapters… Loved that book! So quirky!
This may not necessarily qualify as frosty winter night but rather for a chilly, inclement weather threatening evening
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. The setting is remote, chilly, damp. I suggest wearing Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay Cologne for its green, comfort scent vibe to temper the creepiness of the book.
That’s one of my potential winter reading projects — reread Agatha Christie.
Ah that brings back memories. It makes me think of my grandma, who was a huge mystery buff, and Agatha Christie was one of her favorites. I haven’t read any of her books in years, but I really liked them.. maybe I should revisit.
Because I just finished reading it and am now obsessed with this author — “A Time to Be Born” by Dawn Powell. And because it’s mentioned on the second page of the book — wear vintage Schiaparelli Shocking, of which I fortunately have a few jealously guarded drops. (As I was reading, I began to wonder whether Powell was a bit of a perfumista herself, given how often perfume is mentioned. Shocking is the only specific name that’s dropped, though.)
It’s so nice to see Dawn Powell being mentioned!
She is amazing. I thought I was pretty well-read in mid-20th-century American literature, but apparently she managed to elude me.
On a long autumn evening or frosty winter night I would go for a fantasy book, that lights up that little magical flame inside our hearts. I think “Artemis Fowl” series by Eoin Colfer would be good, or “Inkheart” by Cornelia Funke.
I would wear Sonoma Scent Studio Winter Woods or Tabac Aurea to enjoy my read to the fullest.
Now, happiness time – yesterday my bottle of Parfum d’Empire Eau de Gloire arrived. Also got samples of MFK Absolue Pour le Matin, Kilian Rose Oud and M.Micallef Style. The latter is my SotD.
I like those Killian Ouds.
I tried Amber Oud (nice) and now this Rose Oud (better than Amber Oud)
I really like amber oud!
Pure Oud is actually my favorite.
@Tara: yes, it’s nice.
@Lys: didn’t try this one yet.
I loooove the Artemis Fowl series! I have successfully stolen almost all of them from my little brother.
I’m happy to see some more love for this series!
The Inkheart trilogy is great fun — I like Cornelia Funke in general too.
I love those books!
I am of absolutely no help here in that I will be e-reading Deleuze and Guattari’s A Thousand Plateaus, which I finally found on pdf, and my newly acquired Ace Attorney Phoenix Wright character art book for which I have such immense pride in possessing. I will attempt to scent neither.
SOTD is Amyris pour femme.
Evening Lys! How are you finding Amyris Femme? I really like the MFK Amyris Duo. Nice iris scents.
Good afternoon Lucas! I like it! And I don’t do well with most MFK. Amyris Femme smells exactly the way I wished L’Eau Serge Lutens smelled, if that makes sense. On me the citrus and iris are equally pronounced. I also think it’s very well-blended. Haven’t yet tried the men’s.
The most important thing is that it hits the spot. Even if it smells like you wish something else smelled.
Will be one to recommend.
Urgh, it’s been ages since I read any fiction so I’m not help whatsoever but I’m going to be keeping an eye on the recommendations in the hope of finding something that’ll tempt me back.
SOTD is Ormonde Woman. Felling very, very tempted by the current OJ offer *gah*!
It doesn’t have to be fiction!
Oh but they are mostly textbooks at the moment, not something I associate with curling up on a cold winter’s evening with. I did just download a sample of Ben Goldacre’s Bad Pharma which is the closest thing to a recreational read
Ineke’s Chemical Bonding??
I had no idea she had a perfume called that, neat. Although it was only recently that I made the connection that En Passant has the same name as a chess move and now I wonder if Giacobetti is a fan of chess.
Ok. You’re right, I didn’t mean to include textbooks
That Tolu Parfum sounds fabulous, doesn’t it? But I rarely spend $200 in one order, so I can’t really even sort of justify it.
Yup. I’ve never tried Tolu in parfum but I really like the EDP in the winter *sigh* OJ have really done some very tempting promotions this year.
eeep, I just ordered tolu edp (finally after a year wait) on the free shipping offer…feel kind of duped:-( Still excited and it was only 80 instead of 100 plus shipping I guess…but i would still love to smell the parfume!
I love reading cookbooks in the winter, and then trying out their heartiest soup recipes! My favorites are by Nigella Lawson, Sophie Dahl, and the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook that just came out out. I’ve read that Nigella wears Chanel Coco and Sophie Dahl loves Ormonde Jayne Woman.
I’m a cookbook reader too. Nigella’s are always good and I like Jamie Oliver too. One cookbook that is great on a nerd level is Cookwise by Shirley O. Corriher. It is about the science of cooking. It gives recipes and tips and helps you figure out why some recipes just don’t work.
I need that nerdy cookbook. I am a pretty good baker and a pretty bad cook, so I think it could help if I treated cooking more scientifically!
You’d probably love it then. I think she wrote one on baking too but I don’t have that one yet.
Any book by cooks illustrated or the america’s test kitchen people gives you a bunch of science. They just wrote a new one explaining the facts and fictions of things we have all been told to do when we cook, i.e… sear meat to seal in juices.
Oh, that sounds good! I’m gonna go put a hold on it at the library right now! Thanks for the suggestion.
You might really enjoy Ruth Reichl’s books – Tender at the Bone and Garlic and Sapphires. She’s a very good story teller (autobiographical) and each chapter has a recipe. Ruth was an ‘undercover’ food critic for the NYTimes in the 80s… and you might recognize her from her Guest Judge appearances on Top Chef recently. Enjoy!
Loved Tender at the Bone.
agreed, ruth reichl is great! Another book you might like is the cookbook collector by allegra goodman. Once you get past the fact that you don’t know why the book has the title it does until you’re halfway through the book, its a pretty good story about the lives of 2 sisters.
Funniest cookbook ever: Being Dead is No Excuse – The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral.
There’s also a wedding one: Somebody is Going to Die if Lilly Beth Doesn’t Catch That Bouquet – The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Wedding.
I’ll be looking for these.
The sections of commentary on Southern traditions and customs between the recipes are truly laugh out loud funny. Worth checking out even if you never use the recipes.
I love a good Southern send-up or two! I just put these on hold at my local public library.
Oh, Rappleyea, I must find those books. I have a substantial collection of cookbooks that I bought solely for their entertainment value (or for their lurid food photography), and one of my favorites is a Southern Junior League compendium from the ’70s. Though I did make its fruitcake recipe last Christmas, and it was quite a hit (seriously!).
Popular fruitcake?!? Wow! That *was* a good cookbook. I see that Amazon has these used at a pretty cheap price so easy to find. Let me know if you end up reading them and what you think.
Oooh, will do. Thanks for the tip!
When people, above, commented on MFK, my first thought was that they meant Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, writer on food and much more.
Two minutes ago I was in the middle of re-reading Reichl’s Tender at the Bone, which is even more interesting than her Sapphires and Garlic.
As i remember, MFK was once banned from the leading Napa wine groups because the men who ran them felt that she, a woman, would be perfumed and throw off their taste buds. I haven’t read her books in a long time; I’d enjoy another go at them. She was a wild woman.
What I have in my kindle now: Arnold Schwartzenegger’s Total Recall and D. V. by Diana Vreeland. I’ll pair Austrian Knize Ten (as well as samples of Two and Sect to test) with Arnold, and Chanel No. 5 with D. V.
I’m also looking forward to diving into my hard copy of Alyssa Harad’s Coming to My Senses. I’ll try to match what I’m wearing to what’s mentioned in the book.
I say this as a lover of books over anything else, even perfume: Coming to my Senses is beautifully written. It’s not just “a perfume book”!
Have a good time enjoying your books Nozknoz!
Thank you, Lucas – your books and perfumes sound very enjoyable, too!
I think they really do! Thank you.
There’s one lovely paragraph in Coming to My Senses that will require you to change perfumes every sentence
Is anyone else here on Shelfari or Goodreads?
Books I’ve read recently and liked:
“Alys, Always” by Harriet Lane. An even more disquieting Eve Harrington.
“Broken Harbor” by Tana French. No one does haunting psychological thriller better.
“The Age of Miracles” by Karen Thompson Walker, adolescent upheaval, world upheaval.
And one that’s out of print, but so good – “To War with Whitaker” by Countess Ranfurly. The World War II diary of a young woman who is … well, “indomitable” doesn’t even cover it. She illegally followed her army officer husband to Egypt, outwitting the British army to stay there. She ends up working for generals, traveling all across the mid-East (while taking her pet parrot with her), meeting everyone (from Cecil Beaton to General Eisenhower), and doing her damnedest to stay as near as she can to her husband. It’s a love story and an adventure story – and true!
To War With Whitaker sounds good – I love WWII stories. I just downloaded City of Women on my Kindle (a deal of the day), but haven’t started it yet.
I love them too, but anything historical fiction will grab me. I just finished “The Orchid House” and it was a wonderful, absorbing book. It did get a little “soap opra-ish” toward the end, though. Even so, great read with dual perspectives: there were stories following current characters, then going back to follow characters in e 1930s.
I still can’t think of any perfumes fitting for these books, except perhaps Tokyo Milk’s Sea and Sky (combined with the smell of despair) for “Broken Harbor.”
I love all four of Tana French’s mysteries, especially The Likeness. She’s a wonderful writer.
I don’t think what I have qualify as *winter read*, but I’ve just finishing reading Millions Like Us: Women’s Lives in the Second World War by Virginia Nicholson and Wishing on the Moon: Life and Times of Billie Holiday by Donald Clarke and I heartily recommend them. I would wear vintage Evening in Paris by Bourjois for reading the first and Une Voix Noire by Serge Lutens for the latter.
I have to thank you personally, Lady Murasaki, for the joy of Une Voix Noire. Because of your enthusiasm for this perfume, I got a decant, LOVED it, then just ordered a FB. It’s just gorgeous! My favorite gardenia ever. Because it has a darkness and interesting complexity that most gardenias don’t have. Thanks for talking about it so much!!
Your very welcome MOUGH! I am so glad you also love Une Voix Noire.
I also enjoyed “Millions Like Us.” Have you read “Singled Out” her previous book?
No I haven’t… yet. That will go on my list for sure. I so enjoyed Millions Like Us. I’ve heard and read stories about Japanese women’s lives during WW2 and found a lot of similarities.
Currently reading The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers. Was sampling Sacrebleu Intense yesterday while reading which went nicely (book is set in Nov). I used up my sample of Sacrebleu at least a year ago but Intense seems spicier and warmer than the original.
Since I am sort of stuck right now–NJTransit trains aren’t running yet, lost one job last week and my remaining job had storm damage and doesn’t have power back yet, I am taking advantage to wear my heavier scents, especially Black Cashmere, Amber Oud and Incense oud. At least I got power back quickly.
Here’s hoping you get “unstuck” very soon! But enjoy the ‘fumes!
Ditto! And love Dorothy Sayers.
Sacrebleu sounds perfect for Dorothy Sayers!
It seems a tad obvious but I love Mark Helprin’s Winter’s Tale and I would say it read it now if you have not already because they are making a film of it! Much as I am curious to see what they make of it I am worried they will ruin it. It is a sort of love letter to New York so it should look wonderful. As I curl up to read it again I will wear Un Bois Vanille or maybe Messe de Minuit..
Un Bois Vanille is the ultimate winter fragrance, as far as I’m concerned!
I would recommend 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkins, a novel about a Polish refugee and her son who reunite with their husband/father in England after WWII. It could be read while wearing Tilda Swinton Like This for its comfort gourmand qualities (part of the book deals with starvation) and for the UK connection.
Love reading about that time period, off to investigate on Amazon — thanks!
Planning to read The Metamorphosis from Franz Kafka. Perfect scent: Back to Black.
Ha! Great read- I read it a while back for a Lit class and loved it because it was so unexpected. I had never heard of the book before the assignment was given to us and I remember thinking that for some strange reason it reminded me of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.”
When I first read it I was around 17 yo and found it heavy and confuse. It’s not all that simple. I’ll read this Prufrock’s. Thanks for the tip!
Now I have to find my book!
Deva, i think both Kafaka and Eliot were modernists, so there are probably parallels.
Off the top of my head maybe a sense of absurdity? Also, a sense of fragmentation maybe. And now that I think about, a sense of ubiquitous malaise! ‘Let us go then, you and i, When the evening is spread out against the sky, Like a patient etherized upon a table’!
What do you wear to read that???
Sorry for misspell! Though Kafaka does have a certain ring…
You probably where something by Comme des Garcons.
Yeah, that should say “wear something by Comme des Garcons.”
CdG does seem the closest!
Merlin,
Great point! And I think the line that says:
“…when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, when I am pinned and wriggling on the wall, then how should I begin…”
which is a line that reminds me of the way insects are “mounted” in collections- stuck on a pin- also the “formulated” word reminds me of formalin fixation to preserve dead specimens- Not very cheery imagery for sure, but as you said, both are modernists in the period after WWI when the outlook was quite bleak. I think a scent to go along with that would need to be cold and medicinal- and I have no experience with that type of scent. Any suggetions?
Because the new film version is coming out soon, I would curl up with Anna Karenina. I would wear SL Cedre. I would also have a large pot of Lapsang Souchong next to me, both as a drink and for it’s fragrance.
Still trying to decide if I am willing to see the new movie. One of my all time favorite books though.
I’m not sure either. It looks like an intriguing film, but not my image of the book, at all – especially Keira Knightly.
Same for me… My very favourite Tolstoy, and in my top three of books ever, and I just … feel that nothing could beat the Bernard Rose version to me. I was fourteen when it came out, and so RIDICULOUSLY in love with Sean Bean’s Vronskij (still am btw), and Sophie was just how I pictured Anna and her broken-wings-expression, and Alfred Molina was to die for. I can’t imagine Keira Knightley could give me the same experience.
I’ll have to look for that – love Sean Bean!
I just started an Elizabeth Chadwick historical novel – For the King’s Favor set during the reign of King Henry II in 12 c. England. She’s an excellent writer and while set in novel form, her stories are historically accurate and based on actual people.
Perfume… maybe something dark and earthy like Voleur de Roses or for the court settings, something opulent and rich like Bal a Versailles.
I’ve been reading quite a bit lately. Some that have been really wonderful and well-worth curling up with: God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine by Victoria Sweet (should be required reading for anyone in the medical field), Wild by Cynthia Strayed (I guess bear repellent would need to be the SOTD while reading…), Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (can’t think what would be a good psycho-repellent LOL), and How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer by Sarah Bakewell. Oh, also recently finished A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin, and it was very good too (for those who are fans of the Game of Thrones series).
God’s Hotel sounds excellent. There was a review of it in the New York Review of Books a couple of issues ago, and it’s on my to-read list.
I am in the French Quarter. Made a trip to the Hove Perfume shop, where I bought Habanera, Grandee, Louis Quatorze, and Jardiniere de Louis. My feet are tired but I smell good. I bought a few books about NOLA at the William Faulkner Bookshop, and bought the kindle version of Dixie Bohemia by John Shelton Reed.
What fun!! Eat a fried oyster po’ boy for me
Great idea to visit NOLA. I’d love to sample the Hoves, too.
Anything by P. D. James. The perfume should be suitably English as well, maybe Figs and Cassis by Jo Malone or maybe something from Penhaligon’s range (although I am not a fan myself), or maybe one of Stella McCartney’s.
Love Adam Dalgleish! One of my favorite sleuths!
Me too. Have to say I did NOT love her Pride & Prejudice sequel, although it was enjoyable.
Oh I almost hated it too! Really did not expect anything that syrupy coming from her, I almost suspect she did not write it herself. Well or maybe she is getting on a bit, I mean who knows what I would write if I would get to be almost 90…
Or maybe it just suffered from being an “assignment”? Anyway, not up to her usual.
unfortunately death comes to pemberly was my first PD James novel, and I disliked it too, so much that I haven’t considered anything else of hers. But if she otherwise gets love from you guys I will give something else of hers a try!
Oh dear no…do try the Dalgliesh series, they’re wonderful!
Oh please do, or else I quite like her other series with Cordelia Gray as well (well there are ony two books in this one I think) – really it’ s worth it for her command of English language alone.
Me too, me too!
What a treat, and the Heeley perfumes would work, too!
I forgot to ask this in polls past, but does anyone have a good strategy for organizing and storing carded perfume sample vials? Mine seem to be multiplying, but I would like to keep them b/c, as Miss Dior Cherie shows, just b/c it’s mainstream doesn’t mean you won’t wish you had an unused sample around.
I have a system for standalone sample vials that works very well but the carded samples are another story. And putting the cards separate from the vials, not helpful!
Any thoughts NSTers?
Some ideas here:
https://nstperfume.com/tag/storage/
Thanks. Also, I feel better now, knowing that I haven’t reached the point where I need that rolling multi-drawer thingie from Sears.
One would think they’d be easy to organize, but they’re slippery! I tend to put ones from the same brand in ziplocks and then into narrow drawers or boxes. If I want to save space, I insert one into another successively.
They are slippery! I’ve been standing up groups of them in little boxes (maybe 2 1/2 x 3 1/2) and trying to keep them in alphabetical order by house, but now I just have a backlog in the big box I initially throw them into. I like the idea of nesting them one inside the other and maybe, like you suggest, a long narrow box would accomplish that space-saving maneuver.
So, longer boxes. (Sorry for the too-long reply.)
Nesting is exactly the right word! It’s such a relief to get them organized and to be able to find a sample of something mentioned in a review or comment.
I like having a reference around when something is mentioned too.
I’m reading Bring up the Bodies by Hillary Mantell, a glorious read which starts with Henry. VIII and his courtiers riding around the English countryside– there’s just about enough of it left to imagine how beautiful it must have been. Perfume, no idea-wood smoke, damp, horses and dogs, sweat….
I am currently in the middle of “Wolf Hall” which is the predecessor to “Bring Up the Bodies.” Great intrigue and am looking forward to the second installment- are you enjoying it?
Oh, is that the most recent Booker prize winner? How are you finding it?
LOVED both Wolf Hall & Bring up the Bodies — can’t wait for the next volume.
I just read both of the Mantel books too and am now having bad withdrawal symptoms! Give me more Cromwell please! I don’t have a good scent suggestion but possibly something from Creed? since it’s allegedly so old and perfumer to the King and all that. For Cromwell because of all of his vast travel and experience I am picking Bois du Portugal which is said to be exotic and smell like wealth…
Just getting started on Wolf Hall, which I think is going to be tremendous. I will turn the pages wearing goatskin gloves buttered with ambergris. Just kidding. But if you really want to conjure the 16th century, I don’t know what to suggest.
Maybe the 16th Century is better NOT conjured! lol! Nothing like the smell of the sewer system doubling as roadways and walkways where one has to jump from high point to high point so as not to sink in up to the knees! Yech! Not to mention the bodies that have succumed to the Plague, horse and all other manner of animal Doo-Doo, rotting foodstuffs, chamber pots tossed out windows on unlucky passers-by, etc..
No thanks-I am rooted firmly in the 21st century with running water and efficient plumbing systems, air conditioning, and screens to keep out the creepy crawly insect world!
You got that right.
But on the other hand, there are some pretty delicious-sounding dinner parties at Cromwell’s house, with guests speaking multiple languages (including Latin), and he’s always discussing recipes with his cook, and the cook’s helpers are working to perfect them, such as cookies scented with lavender, etc.
Eau d’Italie Sienne L’Hiver would work, I think.
I’m reading and yes I’m ashamed, The Shades of Gray trilogy.
Maybe Rubj or archives 69!!!! Happy husband on all fronts and I’ve revamped my lingeré. It’s all Parisian silk. Nice and naughty.
I am a schizophrenic reader- Currently juggling “Wolf Hall,” “On Extended Wings,” a book about the poetry of Wallace Stevens, and some Trashy Novel whose title I will not mention.
As far as the fumes go, I am still stuck on my newest addition to my scant collection- L’ambre de Merveilles. However, I waiting for a “cool” snap (I live in Florida and we rarely get a “cold” snap) then I will be wearing Indochine by Perfume Generalie layered with SSS Tabac Aurea. TA is lovely on its own, but it also layers beautifully with many other winterish scent.
You made me laugh, because I finally have found a definition for my reading habits – I, too, am a schizophrenic reader, because I just pick up whatever is next to me and start reading it.
Currently halfway through the Magic Mountain but probably will stop at the same place where I always stop and would not pick it up again for the next 5 years.
me, too…currently juggling Odd Acopalypse (Dean Koontz), The Racketeer (John Grisham) and The Absent One (Jussi Adler-Olson).
I don’t know anything about the last one (the book or the writer) but feel instant sympathy towards someone called Jussi – to me it instantly sounds like a likable character out of a Scandinavian children’s book, or else one of the loveliest opera singers…
I didn’t even think about the name other than I really enjoy mysteries by Scandinavian authors. The Winter Book sounds good — will probably get it for a child this Christmas!
You will end up reading it yourself, I promise
Actually just thought about another good one for the long winter days – the Winter Book from the Moomin series, by Tove Jansson! The one where the little troll wakes up, his family still asleep, and goes through winter waiting for spring! It really helps ( for those who suffer from winter blues.)
Ooh I second this one too. Actually, all the Moomin books are lovely, at any age :o)
Enjoyed Wolf Hall but I think Bring up the Bodies is even better.
Good to know! I will have to research Gone Girl- when a book is described as “riveting,” my ears perk right up!
I agree with this–I felt they were quite similar at the start of the second one but as it moved along it became so much more intense. The conclusion is actually heart-pounding, and then there is that very reflective and somewhat ominous epilogue. (Since he’s a historical figure I don’t think there can be spoilers about his fate…)
P.s. On a recent visit to States read a review of Gone Girl in Wall Street Journal and bought kindle version on my iPad-the wonder of modern technology, waking up at 4am U.S. time and buying a book-riveting read even when jet lagged.
A friend had highly recommended it (Gone Girl) and I found it not so good for the first half or so–then it got more and more weird and surprising, so I did end up liking it.
Just downloaded Gone Girl on my Kindle. Can’t wait to start it!
Reading Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich and wearing Dior Hypnotic Poison
The Sisters Brothers (Patrick deWitt) + Lonestar Memories or Moulin Rouge
The Kingmaker’s Daughters (Philippa Gregory) + Reverie au Jardin
Sarah’s Key (T de Rosnay) + Sacrebleu
That’s fun!
My most wintry ones are:
Stef Penney – The tenderness of wolves. + Muscs Kublai Khan? or something with a lot of coumarin? What? Demeter Snow?
The Last Letter (Kathleen Shoop) + ????
Doomsday Book (Connie Willis) + Demeter Snow/ Brosius Burning Leaves
Ben Aaronowitch’s London trilogy (Moon over Soho, Midnight Riot, Whispers under Ground) + Secretions M., JAR Lightning, Felanilla, Demeter Eggnogg
Alice Hoffman The Dovekeepers + Incense Extreme, Ouarzate
Am just also reading Camille Paglia Glittering Images – Would be fun to combine a scent with every work of art discussed….
…
I’ve been wondering about The Dovekeepers. What did you think?
I haven’t read all of her books -yet-, but I liked this one best. Very powerful imagery, huge sweep, terrifying subject, great story. Sometimes of ghastly beauty.
I’m currently listening to the kingmakers daughters on audio in the car. I love Philippa Gregory!
So do I. I liked best: The Queen’s Fool, The Other Boleyn Girl best, also the rest of the Royals-Series. But did you read A Respectable Trade? On the Slave trade?
I think that is my favorite. Blows you over.
no, I’ve only read the royals series so far, but I will add that to my list!
It made me plan a trip to Bath and watch way too many period dramas for the costumes. It is in no way a neat and cozy book, but so visual, it makes you crave more.
Ben Aaronovitch is great. Just finished Whispers Underground and am hoping the series will continue. He used to write for Dr Who I believe.
Did you read Neil Gaiman – Neverwhere? You might like that, too.
And Connie Willis.
N. Gaiman collaborated with T.Pratchett in a book …accurate and true prophecies of Agnes Nutter? witch… or such like. (Sorry it’s been a time and I must hurry). But that one is fantastic rollercoaster.
By the Way: T.Pratchett: Going Postal (My favorite apart from the Witches Series)
I just discovered him. Ploughed through the London series in a weekend, only stopped to feed.
Oh what a wonderful list, you start with some of the books I have enjoyed most this year and have totally inspired me to download both Whispers Above Ground and The Dovekeepers – thank you. London is having a chilly moment, so I will be wearing Ambre Sultan until I get used to the weather!
NorCal late autumn clemency here. Balmy, golden. I adore it.
I don’t know what to wear -clothes and scentwise. Any suggestion?
Been reading a Jonathon Kellerman thriller (not as riveting as his wifes)…wearing Ormonde woman for two days in a row…
I am reading a charming novel, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Love blooms in an English village between Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali, the Pakistani woman who runs the grocery store where he buys his tea. Both have lost their spouses and both are caught between the old order and new order of their families and their cultures.
Tea for Two would be perfect.
That book sounds wonderful, L!
It is!
I’ve just started “The Disappearing Spoon”, stories about the elements of the periodic table (actual full title: “The Disappearing Spoon and Other Trues Tales of Madness, Love and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements”). I don’t really have a scent that specifically goes with it.. maybe something from Escentric Molecules would be appropriate.. but I have been wanting that Ineke sample set.. so there’s Chemical Bonding…
Also on my list is “Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms” by Eugenia Bone (which is an awesome name). I think when I get around to this one I need to get a sample of Cepes and Tuberose. It seems fitting.
I think I shall reread my favourite Hercule;s Poirot stories wearing Osmanthus, the Berlin noir by Ph. Kerr, wearing Bandit, Ellis Peters and Kate Sendley, wearing Voleur des roses, and Boris Akunin wearing Tubereuse criminelle!!
I love Boris Akunin! Great perfume choices for all of these wonderful authors.
I have a ton of books waiting on my Kindle but I’m not reading anything at the moment. I just finished Coming to My Senses which I enjoyed. When it starts getting cold out I start rummaging through the cookbooks and knitting/crochet patterns for a while. Once I get a few recipes and patterns picked out I’ll settle down with a good story. I’m enjoying reading everyone’s suggestions this weekend. I’m sure I’ll end up buying a few books because of this poll.
Me, too, Poodle; I always get some great suggestions from these polls. I just hope to have a bit more time to read for pleasure this winter than last.
Suggestion: book swap!:-). Actually, I often do that with friends, and one pal used to just drop off a bag of the books she had read; then a month later, I’d surprise her with my reads on HER doorstep. Another suggestion for saving pennies is to use “paperbackswap.com” which I have done for years, swapping roughly 90 books…
Hmm. Somehow I always tend to read 19th cent. Russians in winter, wonder why that is? I also find that heavier, more “indigestible” books find their way to me also in wintertime. Maybe it goes the same as with food :). However, I haven’t compiled a winter reading list yet, this being my first fall as a two-kidded working Momma. Alyssa’s book is finally on its way to me, so that one is for sure, but I wonder if I will have time to try anything new these days… Great recommendations though! I’ll jot a few down just in case:).
Oh, I always enjoy reading these book posts! Fills up my library list every time!
Since I’m busily painting my house (the pink, black, and green have all been primed away! Yippee! Now for the pretty colors. . .), the books I’ve been reading are all home-oriented. The one I’m especially enjoying, more about arranging your home for your actual lifestyle rather than by traditional expectations (like–if you don’t have regular formal dinners, why do you have a formal dining room?) is The Not So Big House, by Sarah Susanka. Her style is more modern than suits my house, but I really like her sense of space.
Fragrance pairing? I feel like I should wear something with cedar to go with the lovely open beams and such in her designs, but honestly, anything is better than the smell of paint fumes! I’ve been wearing Memoir, because it’s one of the few scents I haven’t packed up! (And I always enjoy it!)
Wow. Run-on sentence! Hope a few of you are brave enough to pick out the meaning from that mess!
Not only picked out the meaning, but picked out the great book rec! Thanks! I’ve asked myself that question numerous times lately. My answer mainly revolves around inheriting my parents’ dining room furniture.
Lol. Hubby and I actually eat in our dining room every night. We rarely eat in the kitchen. That’s what it’s for so we use it. Everyone finds that weird for some reason.
Sounds like for you, the dining room is completely appropriate! I actually enjoy eating at a table, but I appreciate it being part of the flow of the living space, too.
I think her point is to focus on the activities you do the most, and then to create a space that really reflects your lifestyle, rather than some predetermined expectation. One of her ideas that I really like is the “away room,” a cozy space that is intentionally sort of separate from the rest of the home to go to for spending time on your own, away from the bustle. She suggests that if it includes a TV, it’s the place you go to watch your shows and if it doesn’t include the TV, it’s the place you go to get away from the noise.
You are doing a great job! It’s hard work but so rewarding. It is exciting having this project and your own home. Lots of good luck and may you soon get rid of the smell of the paint!
Thank you, Jillie! I started to put down color in the living room today. I have one coat everywhere, but there’s need for a second. My hope is to have it done before I move in next weekend. It would be so much harder to paint with all my stuff stacked in there!
I’m really pleased with the color, though. It’s called “Whispering Wheat,” and it’s a warm beige/light, sort of nutty, brown. WAAAY better than the Granny Smith apple green it had before!
Thanks for that book recommendation! I’ve been having various “home issues” lately — everything is feeling “off” to me, space and layout-wise.
Oh, I hope it helps! I am not a huge fan of rearranging furniture, although I know folks who seem to make quite the hobby out of it! I will say, though, that it is surprising what changing the layout can do! A few years ago, I really changed how my apartment living room was arranged, and it’s so much friendlier now–a real sitting area. Well, I guess I should say it WAS so much friendlier! Right now, friends would have to negotiate around all the boxes!
LOL is anything better than the smell of paint fumes? I think not!
I hope your space arranging goes well.
Thanks, Lys! Amazing that they haven’t recreated that LOVELY scent in a perfume, yet, huh?
See, I think you’re being sarcastic about the LOVELY part. I’m not. XD
Altho it does depend on the type of paint.
Hi Marjorie Rose, Here are two house books that I enjoyed, both nonfiction. The Big House by George Howe Colt examines the life of a rambling century-old summer house and the extended family that is forced to sell it. House by Tracy Kidder describes the trials and tribulations of a family building their first house.
Good luck with yours
I am happy to recommend the series of mystery novels featuring Lord Francis Powerscourt by David Dickinson. They are well-written and fast-paced, with a detective who is an Irish lord, now living in London, with past military experience in Africa and India. They’re set in the early part of the 20th century and are full of descriptions of people, country houses, royalty, politicians, visits to art museums, and train trips where the hero dashes off to Venice or St. Petersburg as part of his investigations. He has a witty and charming wife and a host of friends who assist him. I’m not sure about scenting the hero but possibly something by Penhaligon’s like Sartorial or Quercus. There are quite a few of them and some of them are fairly cheap on Kindle, such as Good Night Sweet Prince and Death on the Nevskii Prospect.
I luuuurrrve English mysteries! And cheap on Kindle?!? Even better!
You had me at “Powerscourt” since I have lovely memories of walking around the gardens at that Irish estate many years ago. Beautiful place. Add Africa and India, St. Petersburg and Venice, and I’m in!
I’m reading ‘Lord of the Flies’, to teach to a student and finding it quite engrossing – growing sense of doom and all! I would say something lush like maybe Manoumalia or Songes, but I personally don’t like these intoxicating white flower fragrances. I would suggest something ominous, but while I like scary lit and movies, I don’t like my perfume to be unnerving:) At the moment I’m wearing Lolita Lempicka EDT, which is pretty and innocent.
I had two questions 1) Does anyone know whether Annick Menardo created the LL EDT? I know she did the EDP…
2) Has anyone heard rumours that Parfum d’ Empire is closing down? The only shop that sells it here has told me this, but I suspect that they are just telling customers that because they are no longer going to carry the line.
I adore Manoumalia, but it’s perfect for Lord of the Flies with its edge of decay and rot.
PdE closing down? Oh I hope not. I’ve had such great luck with them; Osmanthus Interdite, Wazamba, and Ambre Russe (which I’m wearing today) are some of my favorites.
Me 2! I have Ambre Russe and Osmanthus Interdite, and have my eye on Ottoman Empire. Don’t stress though because as I say, I have heard this nowhere else, and this particular retailer is not above making up a few things:)
I’ve seen Menardo credited for the EDT (the one with the bite, right?) but sometimes they credit the creator of the first version if the EDT variant is just a mod of the original, so I might be wrong.
Yes, it does have a bite in it:)
Just planning to start reading my latest buys,’ Death comes to Pemberly’ and ‘What I don’t know about animals’ by Jenny Disky, after I’ve finished an historical romance by Roberta Gellis.
SOTD Mitsouko
I’m feeling quite tempted by the OJ offer Abyss mentioned-and I wonder if anyone have tried OJ Woman in perfume? Myself I’ve only tried the EDP and I wonder if there are big differences between the two.
This poll had made me realize that I don’t in fact match perfume to book. It’s more perfume and weather, and mood I suppose. Don’t think I vary my reading for the weather either . Currently reading an interesting and odd book called “Folly of Fools: the Logic of Deceit and Self”. The author thinks everyone and everything lies, human, animal and microbiological…
Interesting! I once read something about how deceit comes with intelligence. According to that thesis, the more intelligent a species the more its members are prone to lie in order to protect themselves. There was a really funny example of a chimp who destroyed something (can’t remember what) and who then indicates that it was some other animal who did it. The funny thing was that the indicated animal would have been physically incapable of doing the damage!
I don’t match perfume to what I am reading either! (I think for some of us this is more a game of if we had to…)
What a fun poll! I enjoyed reading everyone’s responses and gathering recommendations for books AND perfumes. It’s unseasonably hot where I am, but I’m pretending it’s rainy and cool while I re-read “Crime and Punishment” by my beau Fyodor Dostoevsky. And, of course, wear PdE Ambre Russe.
I think D is far too somber for me to ever consider any romantic engagement! Having said that; no works of literature have ever left as deep an impression on me as his. I read some of his short stories recently. I think the compilation was called ‘Winter Night’, after one of the stories…
Haha! It’s so true. He’s somber AND would gamble away all your money. Ah, the bad boy allure.
I completely agree with you about his works leaving a deep impression on the reader. I get so drawn into the world he creates. Amazing talent!
You mean BEFORE I had spent it all on perfume!?
I can’t comment that well on the writing as I have only read translations (I don’t know any Russian). But I do find his work uniquely introspective, and his characters unforgettable.
It is still a delightful autumn around here, sharp smell of leaves and earth, slightly nutty, smoky chilly air, wonderful.
My winter reading project is “history and legends of old Prague” which I intend to turn into a guiding project come spring. I have a pile of books to read and a lot of websites with precious stories to be translated from Czech.
Fragrance-wise; on Friday, after a few months of searching, I finally got hold of a hard to find bottle of L’Instant Magic. It is my first Guerlain. I know it’s not a favorite of hardcore Guerlain fans but I love it. I love the sharp almond accord, the soft vanilla base, the elegant freesia, one of the few flowers I can wear. We’re on exclusive terms for now, you know, early stage
Forgot to say L’Instant Magic makes me think of driving a sleek car back home from the opera late at night, in the snow, wearing a satin frock under a mink coat. Something a bit grand but cozy and old-money.
Still thinking whether to spoil the delicious silence of the ride with the Nat King Cole rendition of “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”, or perhaps Dean Martin’s “June in January”
Just wanted to say huge thanks to everyone who chimed in…I love adding to my reading list and just generally hearing what everyone is reading.
James Meek’s The People’s Act of Love. Should be read in a cloud of Lalique White or L’eau d’hiver.
This post is so up my alley I can hardly contain my excitement!
I’m currently reading Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (really enjoyed the first book in the trilogy, A Discovery of Witches). OJ Woman strikes the perfect witchy note for a book of this nature. Ideal for a chilly autumnal evening.
John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids. I love his original novels as opposed to the adaptations for screen/tv, as his speculations on the societal implications of whatever happens are always interesting and are too long term to film well.
Something very green, or very sinister (or both).
L’Artisan Fou D’Absinthe maybe?
Having just finished “The Orchid House” (historical fiction) which was “fluff”, I like to intersperse with more meaningful reads, usually a bio or perhaps inspirational books (sometimes they are one in the same). Next book is “If I Perish” by Esther Ahn Kim, who was in a Japanese prison for 6 years for her faith.
I would scent the main character of The Orchid House with a jasmine scent, perhaps just pure jasmine absolute, as the flower is mentioned repeatedly along with the hair oil of ladies in Thailand. Sigh. I LOVE when a book makes you feel as thou you have travelled! Through time AND countries, with this book…
My next “fluff” book will be by Kate Morton, an author that I really love.