Summertime and the reading is easy

on pour this evening....

Straccali, Chianti, Tuscany DOCG $12.95

Montecillo, Crianza, La Rioja, Spain $14.95

Christian Moueix Merlot, Bordeaux $14.95

Flat Roof Manor Merlot, South Africa $11.95

A small group of BPYC Book Babes got together to talk about their summer reads and enjoy a summer night on the deck.

There were some titles worth putting on the 'to read' list, along with some wonderful wines to complement the conversation.

Grace is reading La Sombra Del Viento, by Carlos Ruizzafon, in Spanish.  The author is slated to visit the Toronto Public library this coming autumn.  I may try to delve into the English version of The Shadow of the Wind.  I like the concept of a Cemetery of Lost Books, and the idea that a story has the power to change your life forever.  This novel combines genres of thriller, history, mystery and comedy... Spanish fusion!

Annika talked frankly about The Elegance of the Hedgehog, originally written by Muriel Barbery in French and translated into English.  She really didn't like it much but suggested it would appeal to several of us at the table, having gotten to know some of our literary tastes.  I've heard the title before and it really sparks for me.

Kaarina read a passage from The Tin Roof Blowdown, by John Lee Burke.  The man can really paint a picture with his descriptions.  He takes the reader into the heart of the Katrina disaster.  The scene Kaarina shared was totally surreal, shocking, and darkly comic.  This prolific author has written 33 books, with this particular title from a series featuring Detective Dave Robicheaux.

Maureen was exploring Paris Without End, by Giola Diliberto, an account of Hadley Richardson and Ernest Hemingway.  This is billed as 'the true story of Hemingway's first wife,' and it brought Maureen to revisit For Whom the Bell Tolls.  Her choices had us discussing The Paris Wife, The Moveable Feast, The Old Man and the Sea, and the sheer pleasure of rereading old favourites.

Wendy was into thrillers this summer, including Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn.  The heroine plots her own murder as a way out of a terrible marriage.  Sounds intriguing...