I did a little bookstore hopping this weekend. What else does one do on a chilly, gloomy almost-but-not-quite spring weekend, right? (Okay, so I probably make that excuse for just about any weather type, but it had been a while since I visited my favorite used bookstore). I was just going to browse, I hadn't even planned to make a special trip there, but by chance I had some time to kill and was in the neighborhood, which of course means I was going to find all kinds of things. And I did. Top to bottom:
Blood Upon the Snow by Hilda Lawrence -- I thought this a great find and was thinking it seemed just the gem that would be nice to reissue and it seems it will be later this year. Originally it was published in the 1940s. "Private detective Mark East arrives at Crestwood, an elegant estate, to serve as a private secretary to archaeologist Joseph Stoneman. At least, East is supposed to be a secretary. Mr. Stoneman's nervous manner suggests that he's actually in need of a bodyguard. The estate's other residents—including a troubled hostess who confines herself to her room and a strangely solemn child — contribute to the fearful atmosphere. After a snowstorm completely isolates the estate from outside contact and the occupants start dying under mysterious circumstances, East must identify the murderer before it's too late for the entire household."
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender -- I know this has been out for ages and I have seen it all over the place, but apparently I never picked it up and looked at the description, which appealed immensely this weekend. "On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein bites into her mother's homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother’s emotions in the slice. To her horror, she finds that her cheerful mother tastes of despair. Soon, she’s privy to the secret knowledge that most families keep hidden: her father’s detachment, her mother’s transgression, her brother’s increasing retreat from the world. But there are some family secrets that even her cursed taste buds can’t discern."
Not one but two Virago Modern Classics:
The Wind Changes by Olivia Manning -- Manning's first novel set in Dublin post-Easter Uprising.
The Beth Book by Sarah Grand -- "Grand’s extraordinary recall of childhood emotions, avoiding Victorian sentimentality, makes The Beth Book a convincing and captivating chronicle of female adolescence. The coming of age and sexual awakening of Beth broadens into a consideration of wider social issues, such as marital violence, vivisection, and the sexual double standard. The Beth Book deserves to be seen as a classic of the Victorian age."
Staring at the Sun by Julian Barnes -- "Jean Serjeant, the heroine of Julian Barnes’s wonderfully provocative novel, seems ordinary, but has an extraordinary disdain for wisdom. And as Barnes—winner of the Man Booker Prize for The Sense of an Ending—follows her from her childhood in the 1920s to her flight into the sun in the year 2021, he confronts readers with the fruits of her relentless curiosity: pilgrimages to China and the Grand Canyon; a catalogue of 1940s sexual euphemisms; and a glimpse of technology in the twenty-first century (when The Absolute Truth can be universally accessed)." This ones sounds interesting but curious.
Two by Georges Simenon:
Maigret and the Old Lady -- "The inexplicable murder of the wealthy Valentine Besson’s maid leads the older woman to believe that she herself was the intended target. Inspector Maigret undertakes the investigation, meeting Mrs. Besson’s dysfunctional family and a cavalcade of suspects. As he delves into the case, Maigret must unravel a tangled web of family politics—and confront Valentine’s stepsons, who may be harboring dark secrets of their own."
Cécile is Dead -- "Poor Cécile! And yet she was still young. Maigret had seen her papers: barely twenty-eight years old. But it would be difficult to look more like an old maid, to move less gracefully, in spite of the care she took to be friendly and pleasant. Those black dresses that she must make for herself from bad paper patterns, that ridiculous green hat! In the dreary suburbs of Paris, the merciless greed of a seemingly respectable woman is unearthed by her long suffering niece, and Maigret discovers the far-reaching consequences of their actions."
Indigo: In Search of the Color That Seduced the World by Catherine E. McKinley -- I love books about color! "This is the story of a precious dye - indigo and its ancient heritage: its relationship to slavery, slave trade and its profound influence on fashion and its spiritual significance that is little recognized today."
And if that isn't more than enough, I followed up with a visit to B&N as I have a couple of gift cards I am trying hard to make last. I was looking in the science and nature sections and came across two really interesting sounding books. I rarely browse these sections--not sure why since there were all sorts of really good books. I decided on:
Wonderland:How Play Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson -- "This lushly illustrated history of popular entertainment takes a long-zoom approach, contending that the pursuit of novelty and wonder is a powerful driver of world-shaping technological change. Steven Johnson argues that, throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation lies wherever people are working the hardest to keep themselves and others amused." It is indeed lushly illustrated and that was part of the selling point to be honest.
Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World by Richard Rhodes -- "Beginning at a Hollywood dinner table, Hedy's Folly tells a wild story of innovation that culminates in U.S. patent number 2,292,387 for a "secret communication system." Along the way Rhodes weaves together Hollywood’s golden era, the history of Vienna, 1920s Paris, weapons design, music, a tutorial on patent law and a brief treatise on transmission technology. Narrated with the rigor and charisma we've come to expect of Rhodes, it is a remarkable narrative adventure about spread-spectrum radio's genesis and unlikely amateur inventors collaborating to change the world." I had no idea Hedy was more than just an actress. She is also mentioned in the Johnson book. I have started reading and I think it's going to be a great read.
I have to say I am pretty pleased with my weekend book-haul!