At the behest of my sister – and because I really do want to make sure I get some of these in my stocking this year, I’m back with this year’s suggestions for books I would like to receive this Christmas before we’re even out of November. You’re welcome.
As you know, the general theme of these posts is that I pick books that I want to read but can’t justify the price of right now given the side of the pile – which often means hardback non-fiction and this year is no different. So lets start with Women in the Valley of the Kings by Kathleen Shepherd. My love of the Amelia Peabody series is well known and this is the story of the real women Egyptologists in the so-called Golden Age of Exploration. Next up is Ask Not by Maureen Callahan, which has the subtitle “the Kennedys and the Women they Destroyed”, or The White House by the Sea by Kate Story about the Kennedy’s Hyannisport compound which both slot right into my reading interests because the Kennedy circle is both insane and strangely fascinating in a sort of horrified way. I also wouldn’t mind a copy of Not Your China Doll by Katie Gee Salisbury which is about Anna May Wong, the first Asian American film star and thus is in my Old Hollywood wheelhouse, as is A Murder in Hollywood by Casey Sherman about the murder of Johnny Stompanato.
Moving on to the fiction side of things, there’s The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller, which has got a comparison to Diane Mott Davison in the blurb, but isn’t a murder mystery (or at least not as far as I can work out), Steven Rowley’s Guncle sequel, The Guncle Abroad, or Beatriz Williams’ The Beach at Summerly which is now in paperback. There’s also Avery Carpenter Forrey’s The Social Engagement which looks like proper Rich People problem fiction, and Love at First Spite by Anna E Collins which is a romcom about a woman trying to get her own back on her cheating ex-fiancé by building a vacation rental on the land next to the house they were meant to live in together.
And one final one before I go – Helen Ellis has a new book of essays out – it’s called Kiss Me in the Coral Lounge and the sample is as funny as her other books, American Housewife and Bring Your Baggage, and Don’t Pack Light.
As always part of the fun of this for me is the fact that I know my mum and my sister often pick from this list based on which books they would most like to borrow from me after I’ve read them, so I look forward to seeing what turns up this year!
Have a great weekend everyone.
Verity Reads Books (lots of them) 