Literary Stylings #21: The City of Falling Angels

As I mentioned on Thursday, I absolutely loved The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt:

The main focus of the book is the fire in the famous Venetian opera house, La Fenice.  But, in writing about the fire, Berendt is, somehow, also able to gain entree into famous Venetian palazzos as well as into the Murano glass studio of the famous Archimede Seguso, and gets the dirt on the Save Venice Foundation.  Like his book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (also great), Berendt digs into the inner workings of a proud city and a proud people.  And it is fantastic.


It's also the inspiration behind today's outfit:

Now, this skirt wasn't maybe the best choice given the trees in the print.  Apparently Venice doesn't have trees because it's man-made stone and brick.  Hard to grow trees in that.


But, I still maintain that the print has a sort of old-world feel to it:

Top: LOFT  Skirt: gifted vintage
Sandals: FRYE (similar, vegan option)

And the colors are sort of indicative of the sea and the canals and the yellow in the sky reminds me of eye-witness accounts of the Fenice fire from the book.


What about you, Reader Friends?  Were you inspired by any of your July books?  If so, please link up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

What I Read: July 2015

So, it was a very slow month reading-wise.  I blame the heat.  No, the humidity.  Actually, probably both; this weather here in PA just sucks the life out of you.

But, I did read two books and, I am happy to report that I loved them both.

The first book I read was The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt:

This book is absolutely fantastic.

The author just happened to arrive in Venice after their famous opera house, La Fenice, burned to the ground.  He spends time in Venice both trying to learn how the fire started, but also learns a lot about Venetian society.  And let me tell you folks, it is frickin' fascinating.  He speaks with artists and poets and wealthy expats and fifth-generation palazzo owners.  I had no idea that Venice was so interesting.  I mean, sure, I knew it looked nice, but it's really, really an interesting place.  Both internally, as well as externally.  I highly, highly recommend this book.


The second book I read, and loved, this month was Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk:

I'm a big Palahniuk fan and my favorite up until now, was Invisible Monsters (so good), but I think Lullaby might be my new favorite.  It's darkly funny, as his work often is, and weird (also a Palahniuk trait) and very good.

It's about an African culling song, which is, traditionally, a song sung to the old and/or infirm, to help them pass peacefully.  But, somehow, someone accidentally (?) included it in an anthology of "poems and rhymes from around the world" and people are reading it to their loved ones.  And it's up to a reporter, a real estate agent and two Wiccans to try to save the world.  Again, a great, great book.


Per usual, I'll have my Link Party up next Tuesday, just in case you read something you'd like to share sartorially.


Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey