“Reading gives us some place to go, when we have to stay where we are.”

Mason Cooley

 

 

Novel Blondes October Book Reviews

 

Novel Blondes October Book Reviews are finally available!

One of the joys of reading is the ability to be transported to another place, time, lifestyle or environment. During the months of October, November, and December, this has proven more true, and  more beneficial for me, than at any other time in my life.   Below are the October books that have taken me places when I didn’t want to be where I was.

 

 

Autumn in Venice: Ernest Hemingway and His Last Muse

By Andrea di Robilant, hardcover, biography

I’m not sure why, but I’m still on a deep dive into the life of Ernest Hemingway. It all started with Love and Ruin, by Paula McLain. Read my review here. I enjoyed that book so much, I sought out other works to attempt to fill in any gaps. This nonfiction snapshot of roughly the last decade of Hemingway’s life  dwells on his lack of marital satisfaction and the relationship he developed with a much younger Venetian girl, Adriana Ivancich. The pair met as Hemingway and his wife Mary wandered Europe, and the bond that subsequently developed between Adriana and Ernest would last until his death.

The lengths he undertook to remain physically and emotionally close to his Adriana ultimately would take a toll on all involved. Nevertheless, it was during this period that he produced one of his most well-known works, The Old Man and The Sea. If you know Hemingway, you know how his life ended; but read this to discover the sad ending to the life of his “last muse.”

 

 

 

The Good Life According to Hemingway

A.E. Hotchner, ebook, biography/memoir

A.E. Hotchner traveled with Hemingway and collected anecdotes, memories, and sayings along the way. During the  years of friendship and work relationship, the two shared adventures and Hotchner documented some along the way. This book is a series of excerpts, photos and quips collected over almost two decades of friendship. While not a deep read, this is a truly interesting look at a segment of Hemingway’s life from the perspective of a friend who took good notes. As a sidenote, Hotchner has been a prolific writer and biographer in his own career, as well as a business partner of Paul Newman.

 

“Writing and travel broaden your ass if not your mind, so I like to write standing up.”

Ernest Hemingway

 

 

 

The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots: A Novel

by Carolly Erickson, paperback, historical fiction

The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots was one of those TBR copies that has been around forever. After I started it, I figured out I already had read it many, many moons ago, but kept going rather than put it down. I’m a sucker for reading related to the Tudor or Stuart reigns of England and Scotland, so I was motivated. Little did I realize there was a movie soon to be released about Mary, Queen of Scots. Impeccable timing! Mary is given her own voice in this treatment and the story is told from a first person perspective. Her fascinating life unfolds with all the scandals, mysteries and frustrations of a woman trying to hold on to power. 

 

 

When It’s Over: A Novel

by Barbara Ridley, ebook, historical fiction

Lena Kulkova, grows up in Prague in the 1930’s, exhibiting independent thinking and what her father considers rebelliousness. Determined to strike out on her own, she follows a friend to Paris as a supporter of the Spanish Civil War efforts. The slide toward world war begins, and her main focus is to get her family to safety, particularly her mother and sister. As Paris becomes more dangerous, her friends move on to England and work to get Lena there as well. Once she arrives, she must marry Otto, her friend, to allow them to both stay. They make a go of a real marriage, but ultimately both find love elsewhere. Lena never gives up hope that her family will find her as she supports the war efforts in England and builds a life. 

Based on stories by the author’s parents and friends, this historical fiction weaves a tale of the lengths families and individuals took to find safe haven and start over in unfamiliar countries. 

 

 

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

by Angela Duckworth, audiobook, nonfiction

This book documents compelling research regarding what it takes to keep going in tough times and in the pursuit of long-term success alike. Tenacity trumps talent in many cases, as Duckworth makes the argument that meaningful success is achieved through a unique blend of passion and perseverance. For those of us who have no exceptional talent, the idea that with enough gumption, a plan, and relentless drive, long-term success is within reach. The book doesn’t focus on financial success, instead on achievement, which can be defined personally. Little did I know that after completing this book, I’d be living with real life examples of grit in a post Hurricane Michael community.

 

In Conclusion

 

That’s a wrap for Novel Blondes October book reviews and reading recommendations. Now on to November, as I stretch to catch up and get back to normalcy. Hurricane Michael update to come, when I can write about it and try to make some sense of it.