Book Review: In the Name of Gucci

I was recently offered a copy of Patricia Gucci's new memoir, In the Name of Gucci, and knowing nothing about Gucci other than that I can't afford it, I thought it would be an interesting read.

And it was.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  I thought it might be more of a history of the company and all of the scandal surrounding it at the end of Patricia's fathers' tenure.  But, it wasn't.  It was far more personal than that.

In the book, Patricia talks about not only her relationship with her father, Aldo Gucci, but her mother's relationship with Aldo.  Patricia's mother, Bruna, was Aldo's mistress for over 30 years, starting when she was merely 20 and he was a long-married 53.  Oh, and, not only was she young and he married, but she was also his employee and resisted his advances repeatedly, for all of the above reasons.  The author tries to spin it as a love story, but from my modern perspective (these events took place in Italy in the 1960s), it didn't quite fly.

Another attempted spin that didn't quite fly for me was Aldo's arrest and subsequent incarceration for tax evasion.  The author, again, tried to paint her father in the most positive light, but, again, for me, it was a hard sell. Aldo Gucci was the head of Gucci and was very hands-on according to everything else Patricia wrote; and yet, when it came to this, he was suddenly the victim someone else's ineptitude.

The spinning aside, the book is very interesting.  It looks at Patricia's relationship with both her mother and father as well as how their relationship impacted her.  I sometimes got the impression, while reading this, that Patricia felt like a sort of third wheel with her parents.  Her father was gone and her mother was depressed much of the time, leaving Patricia to be raised by a nanny.  In fact, Bruna only really cheered up the one week a month they were visited by Aldo. And when he'd arrive at their home in England he'd pat Patricia on the head by way of greeting and then her parents would send her to her room so they could be together.

For her part, Patricia clearly loved her charming, handsome, absentee father, without know that much about him.  For example, she didn't find out that her parents weren't married and that her father was, in fact, married to someone else until she was nearly 10 years old.  That was also when she found out that she had three half-brothers, all grown men with children of their own.  From what she wrote, this didn't seem to impact her negatively at all; she was just excited to finally meet her brothers.  (Spoiler: they did NOT feel the same about her).

And, when it was all said and done, it was Patricia, and not any of her three half-brothers, that was named as her father's heir.  The story, of Aldo and Bruna, of Aldo and Patricia, and of Patricia and Bruna, to get to that point, is an interesting one.  And one worth reading.


If you'd like to read it, the book is available on Amazon; or you can learn more about it on Patricia Gucci's website.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Literary Stylings #24: The Library at Mount Char

Let me just start by saying that this is a fantastic book:

The Library at Mount Char, by Scott Hawkins

That being said, I don't think this is a book for everyone, in part because it was very different.  It wasn't like anything I had ever read before and I'm not even sure what genre it's supposed to be in.  One reviewer calls it "modern day hidden world fantasy" and that's a pretty good explanation.  Frankly, you can call it whatever you want, I just call it fantastic.

It takes place in an inter-dimensional (sort of) library (sort of) accessed through a house in a Virginia suburb.  There are twelve "librarians" in this library.  They were all selected by a man they call "Father" to study different disciplines at the library.  The main character, Carolyn, studies languages; all of the languages, living, dead, human and otherwise.  Other librarians specialize in war, medicine, travelling the lands of the dead and the animal kingdoms, among other disciplines.

When the story opens, Father is missing and the librarians are trying to figure out where he is and if he's even still alive.  In trying to do this, they have to venture out of the library into America for the first time since they entered the library as children.  Because they aren't familiar with America and it's social mores, they end up dressing rather peculiarly.  David, for example, the librarian of war, runs around covered in blood and naked except for a purple tutu.  And Michael, the librarian of animals, just runs around naked.

Carolyn, having spent more time in America than the others has a better concept of how to dress herself.  But, because they were all chosen as children, she doesn't necessarily have a better concept of how to dress herself as an adult.  Therefore her chosen outfit is a Christmas sweater and gold bike shorts.  Obviously Carolyn is my inspiration for today's Literary Styling what with the other options being nudity and tutus.


Now, I don't have gold bike shorts (I know, I too am surprised) or a Christmas sweater, but I do have a snow sweater:

And I figure camel and gold are in the same color family so I paired it with my camel skirt:

Snow Sweater: vintage Ralph Lauren (similar here, here, and here)
Skirt: sold out LOFT (similar here, similar longer version)  Tights: Target  Boots: Born "Sosie" (similar)

I added the white tights because white tights always feel a bit young to me.  And since Carolyn was a young child when she was taken to study at the library, I figured white tights fit the theme.  I mean, I know my 9-year old self would love this outfit.


But, enough about me and The Library at Mount Char.  What about you, Reader Friends?  What did you read last month?  Did it inspire you sartorially?  If so, please link up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

What I Read: January 2016

Do you remember when I  said I read a lot of books in December?  Well, as it turns out, I also read a lot of books in January.

I think it's because I still don't really know anyone here in Pennsylvania, so my weekends are spent reading instead of going to see 80s tribute bands or thrifting with Alex or day drinking with Jodi or watching my sweet, giant nephews play basketball.  As much as I enjoy reading, I definitely miss my weekends with friends and family.

But, they're not here and books are, so without further ado, here's what I read in January.


America Pacifica, by Anna North

I hate to categorize someone's time and effort as hot garbage, but, man this book is pretty much deserving of that categorization.  I read it on a whim because it should have been right up my alley.  It's dystopian literature with what seemed like an interesting twist: the world ends due to a new Ice Age.  The freezing of the mainland forces people to flee to tropical islands where they immediately overburden the native ecosystem with too many people and industries better suited to the old world instead of the new world.

Oh, dear, I'm afraid I'm making this book sound interesting.  It's not.  It's terrible.  The author is not a very good writer at all and I can't help but think that this book was only published because of the popularity of The Hunger Games and other YA dys-lit.  But, unlike Katniss, Darcy is hateful and whiny and you spend most of the book hating her even when bad things happen to her.  Seriously, don't read this book.



The Heart Goes Last, by Margaret Atwood

If Margaret Atwood writes a new novel, I will read it.  And, in this case, as always, I am so happy I did.  Oh, make no mistake, this is a weird one.  And things are often hinted at rather than fully explained, but done in that Atwood-way that makes you think instead of just frustrating you.

The novel does take place in the future, like many of her novels do, but it's interesting because at first it seems like a less severe future than, say, The Handmaid's Tale or Oryx and Crake.  (Two of my all-time favorites, btw).  But, don't be fooled by the Utopian community in this dystopian future.  Nothing is what it seems, even  with the main characters from whose point of view the tale is told.  Especially Charmaine.  You're gonna wanna keep your eye on Charmaine.



Revival, by Stephen King

As I said in my Goodreads review, I used to read a lot of Stephen King.  I mean, a lot.  And then, after The Dark Tower series finished, I stopped because the way that series finished was so perfect, but so frustrating, but so very right, that I couldn't stand it.

But, I found a copy of Revival in my local Goodwill and figured I'd give King another shot.  And he's still probably the best at pacing that I've ever read.  And he's still smart and terrifying and I might need to read more Stephen King in the very near future.



Shanghai Girls, by Lisa See

I liked this book well enough, but I didn't love it because it also frustrated me.  It's about Pearl and May Chin, thoroughly modern Shanghainese women who have their lives absolutely turned upside down.  I thought the author did a great job with the historical stuff, especially in how the Chinese Exclusion Act impacted Chinese immigrating to the United States.  That part was fascinating.

The two sisters themselves though, were less fascinating and more frustrating.  I basically didn't like either one of them, thought they acted foolish more often than not and couldn't get invested in their relationship at all.  So, to recap, good historical stuff, bad relational stuff.



The House at Midnight, by Lucie Whitehouse

This book, while better than the hot mess that is America Pacifica, is also pretty bad.  The story is supposed to be a modern Gothic story, I think.  I mean, I'm pretty sure that the premise is that the house that one of the characters inherited is supposed to have a malevolent nature and drive its inhabitants to violence and horniness, but it just doesn't read that way.  Basically, one character is an asshole and has too much influence on another character and stuff goes awry and I can't see how the house has any impact whatsoever.
Really, the only thing that saves this book is that Whitehouse is a pretty good writer.  But, she wrote a pretty terrible book.



The Library at Mount Char, by Scott Hawkins

I'm not sure how I even heard about this book, but I basically loved it.  I mean really loved it; I think it might even be one of my favorite books ever.  I'm not saying it's the best book ever, but damn it if I didn't love it.  It's a bit hard to get into because the author forgoes any world building to just throw the reader in.  And that's confusing.  It is.  But it's so worth sticking with.

Seriously, this book is weird and wonderful and funny and sad and wonderful again.  It's also the inspiration for my LitSty look for this month, so I'll share more about it next week.



Speaking of LitSty, the link party will be live on Tuesday, February 9th and I hope to see you there!


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

What I Read: June 2015

As I wrote in Tuesday's post, I read, and liked, the novel Conflicting Webs, by Darlene Quinn last month:

I also read, and for the most part, liked, two other books last month.


Outside Valentine: A Novel, by Liza Ward

It took me quite a while to finish this book.  Not because it's bad or particularly long, but because it was sad.  It is, in part, about the killing spree of Charles Starkweather and his young girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate.  I knew that going in and therefore expected it to be at least somewhat sad.  But, the book also goes into lives of the surviving son of a couple murdered by the pair, and his wife, and that was very sad.

It was the wife that I found most sad.  Her childhood seemed to lead her to identify, at least somewhat, with Caril Ann Fugate.  Not that Fugate is the most sympathetic figure, but in some ways, she was because of her need to be loved and what it drove her to do.  I also found it very disturbing how the final couple was selected to die; Caril Ann just liked their house best.

Even though it's a fictionalized account of those murders, it's quite a good one and I found it as interesting as I found it sad.  If you don't mind a little gloom during your summer, I'd say add this one to the list.



Gentlemen & Players, by Joanne Harris

I loved this book.  I mean absolutely loved.

I don't mean to brag, but it's pretty rare for me to be surprised by a twist in a book or a movie.  I am usually able to figure it out before the reveal.  Even with The Girl on the Train, which I thought had a pretty great twist, I figured it out before it was actually revealed.  But, with Gentlemen & Players?  No clue.  Completely blindsided in the best possible way.

I don't want to give too much away, but this book involves plotting and intrigue and a very old, very well-respected private school in England.  Seriously, read it.

Harris is a very good writer (I also love Five Quarters of the Orange), and her talents are on full display with this book.  If you want an great mystery to read this summer, I highly recommend this book; it was my favorite of the three I read last month.


And it probably the book I'll create an outfit for come next Tuesday, which is when I've decided to hold this month's Literary Stylings Link Party.  Hope to see you all there!


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Book Review: Conflicting Webs

Conflicting Webs, by Darlene Quinn

I just finished reading Conflicting Webs, by Darlene Quinn, and I have to say, it was the perfect summer read.  It was light and easy enough for summer reading, but also interesting enough that I stayed up late more than once to read it.

Now, let me tell you, there is a LOT going on in this book.  And I do mean a lot, but Quinn is a good enough writer to guide the reader through all the "conflicting webs" and have it all still make sense.  And that's true whether you've read the other books in the Toddman-Taylor saga or not.

Really, my only issue with this book is that it sometimes felt less like a cohesive story and more like a snapshot of several months in the lives of several characters in the book.  The main characters are April Toddman and her fiancee, Kyle.  They are getting married, moving, starting new jobs, dealing with issues with the maid-of-honor and working on securing the future happiness of Kyle's daughter.  But, I can't help but feel that the story is less about them and more about all of the other strands of the web surrounding them.

Let me say however, that even though I was a little confused on the story line, it wasn't due to poor writing.  Quinn really does somehow manage to keep all of the balls in the air and bring everything to conclusion in a manner that makes sense.  I honestly don't know how she did it.  Every character she introduces plays a role; no one is superfluous and no one is shuffled off to the side when the reader isn't looking.  It's an impressive feat.

So, if you're looking for a summer read that's both light and interesting, I definitely recommend this book.


Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Book Review: Scent of Triumph by Jan Moran

In my opinion, one of the best parts of blogging has been getting offers to read and review new books.  And, for the most part, pretty good books.

Most recently, I was given the chance to read Scent of Triumph, by Jan Moran:

Now, historical romances aren't usually my thing; for example, I had never even heard of the Outlander series before last year.  But, this book gave me the opportunity to branch out a little, so I took it.

And I'm happy that I did.  The main character of the book is Danielle Bretancourt, an aristocratic French perfumer trying to save her family and herself as World War II rages on.  And, let me tell you, Jan Moran's background in the fragrance and beauty industry served her extremely well in writing this book.  She does a fabulous job describing the art of perfume as well as the fashions of the day.

Now, I have to admit that I could have done with the romance part, but then I guess it wouldn't have been a historical romance.  And it wasn't, I don't believe, poorly written, and it definitely wasn't over explicit, I just found the parts of the book about fleeing the Nazis, working with the Resistance Movement and, yes, the fragrance and fashion, more interesting.

All in all, I recommend this book.  If you like historical romances, I think you'll love this.  And if, like me, you prefer other genres, I still recommend this book as a break to your normal reads.  It's fun and well-written and very engaging.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

What I Read: February

Unlike last month, I didn't love any of the books I read in February.  Most of them were pretty good, one was quite good and two I hated, but I didn't love any of them.  But, that's okay, I'll still figure out something to wear come next Tuesday.

Now, for the books.

Hidden, by Paul Jaskunas

This is the book I found to be quite good.  It's a pretty darned good mystery and well written.  The author does a very solid job of keeping the reader interested without giving too much away.  The book centers around an attack on a woman, Maggie Wilson, for which someone was been convicted and incarcerated. But, was it the right someone?  To be honest, I've read the book and even I'm not sure it was the right someone.  If you like very clear, very solid resolution at the end of your books, this is not the book for you.  But, if you like a good story, I definitely recommend this book.



The Magician King and The Magician's Land, by Lev Grossman

I actually read the first book in this series, The Magicians, in January, but apparently forgot to include it, probably because I didn't love it.  But, I didn't hate it either so I wanted to read the last two books.  Which I did this month.  They, like the first book, were only okay.  The concept behind these books is very imaginative and I liked that.  But, I didn't really like the writing that much.  For example, I hated how the author kept name-dropping Harry Potter, saying things like, but of course, Hogwarts is only imaginary and Brakebills (the school of magic in this series) is real.  Dude, you're both imaginary.  Also, the author has one way and one way only to describe breasts.  Heavy.  That's it.  That's the only descriptor he knows.  And after the second or third time, it begins to grate.  So, if you're not picky about writing, go ahead and read these.  They aren't bad and they really are pretty creative.



The Sex Lives of Cannibals, by J. Maarten Troost

This is one of the books that I read that I hated.  It's supposedly a memoir about the author's time living on a small atoll in the South Pacific called Kiribati.  There is no sex and there are no cannibals, but that's not why I didn't like it.  I mean, I understand giving books titles that will entice readers instead of a title that actually pertains to the book.  I'll be calling my memoirs "The Life and Times of the Most Fascinating Woman in the World."  Because, well, reader enticement.  No, I didn't like this book because I didn't like the author.  As I said in my Goodreads review, he strikes me as entitled and I, personally, don't care to read about the charmed life of an entitled, not funny man.



Love Monkey, by Kyle Smith

This is the other book that I hated.  I'm willing to admit that I missed the point of this book and it is, in fact, satirical genius.  But, I don't think so.  The main character is just gross.  I mean, he commends himself on not jumping on (his words) a women even though she has the audacity to be in his apartment in a tank top with her bra straps peeking out.  And that's just within the first 25 pages.  It gets even worse as the book goes on.  Just because the author introduces his main character as a man-child doesn't mean his behavior is any more palatable.  As I said in my Goodreads review, this character is effing terrible.  And so is the book.


Given what I read this month, I'm pretty sure I'll be tapping Hidden for my outfit inspiration for next Tuesday.  It really is an interesting book.


What about you, Reader Friends?  Did you read anything good this month?


Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Book Review: Amazon Burning

Image via Amazon.com

Amazon Burning is the new novel by Victoria Griffith, and I was lucky enough to be offered an advance copy to review.

At first, I wasn't sure about this book as it's referred to as both a "young adult novel" and a coming of age story and I don't consider it to be either.  The protagonist, Emma Cohen, is a 22-year-old NYU student which seems a little bit long in the tooth to be considered a "young adult" or to be "coming of age."  But, once I got into the book, it didn't matter.

Because, what Amazon Burning is, is a good little mystery.  Journalism student Emma Cohen is forced to flee NYU to Rio de Janeiro, where she interns with her father at his newspaper.  While Emma is in Rio, a famous environmentalist is murdered in the Amazon and she goes with her father to cover the story.  Emma and her father are joined by a young photographer named Jimmy who, like Emma, is looking to help cover the story and make a name for himself.

While in the Amazon, Emma investigates the murder, tries to keep from being murdered herself and falls in love, all while trying to deal with the situation that forced her to leave New York.  There are mysteries on top of mysteries in the novel, making for an exciting read.  And the twist at the end was completely unexpected.  It was also a little strange, but it was definitely a true twist and I appreciate that.

Quite possibly the best part of this book is the job the author does of conveying a sense of place with her writing.  You can tell she's experienced with the Amazon and with the Yanomami Indians she writes about and she handles both of those topics exceedingly well.  She falters a bit in other areas, but all in all, it's a quick, enjoyable read.

As I said, I received an advanced copy of Amazon Burning, but it is available for purchase now, at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Happy Reading, All!

Gracey