November 2016 Recap

Dear Bookclub,
Le Bistro de Louisa gave a pleasant mildly-French cushion to the harsh realities of the very unpleasant-American anvil of day-after-ugly-election for our bookclub's discussion of C.W. Gortner's "Mademoiselle Chanel". Long live the LBD. Agreed that Coco was an extraordinary woman, the novel was enjoyed by all and the peek into the German occupied Paris life was a new view from our literature shelves. I know Coco would NEVER dress up like someone else but here goes:

photo credit: V. Quate

Val recommended three (ok, two; Eleanor was shot down) alluring titles for an upcoming selection:

"Foreign Affairs" Alison Lurie * chosen
"The Light of the World" Elizabeth Alexander
"Loving Eleanor" Susan Wittig Albert


Up next: Our adventure to Dana Point! Ahhhhh - will be such a nice respite.  Blue Lantern Inn, here we come to discuss Alice Thomas Ellis' "The Birds of the Air" and everything else under the sun.

Happy Reading,
LK

November 2016 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
I confess this past month has been a doozy so when realizing that there was never a recap to our September 28th "October" meeting, I am at at a loss as to what we really discussed. It was a beautiful day on the Veranda, I think I ordered a cheeseburger, Trudy was absent, and we chose Ivan Doig's book for the next upcoming selection.

An early portrait of Coco Chanel, 1910

Moving on, our fast approaching meeting this Wednesday to discuss C.W. Gortner's "Mademoiselle Chanel" is much anticipated by moi! It will be so great to be together. Coco has been an entertaining read as this historical novel narrates the enigma behind the legend. But shocker(!), as described in Holly Sneeringer's April 21, 2015 review of the book in the Washington Independent Review of Books, 

"Mademoiselle Chanel also brings to light the central and quite sad thing about Coco: Despite her professional achievement, despite her vitality and curiosity, she seemed incapable of finding happiness. At the height of her fame, the true joy and inner peace that she desired, that filled her dream life, eluded her."

 http://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/mademoiselle-chanel-a-novel

Gortner's sermon on this subject becomes a bit tiresome to me but I still look the other way and am enjoying the book.

Coco circa 1971

 Happy Reading!
LK