The Paris Apartment – Lucy Foley
I’m getting in some Paris-themed reading before I head there in September. Lucy travels to Paris to stay with her brother in a fancy apartment block, but when she arrives, he is nowhere to be found. The apartments are occupied by an collection of pretty awful people who all seem to have something to hide. Secrets are uncovered as LUcy tries to find her missing brother. A surprising twist at the end. (3 stars)
How to Keep house While Drowning: A gentle approach to cleaning and organizing – K.C. Davis
This is a quick read, with very short chapters. Her main point is that household chores are morally neutral, functional tasks ie. Do as much as you need so that your space serves you (and your family if you have one). Not a lot that was new to me, but if housekeeping is a source of shame then this would be really helpful. Her super wasteful solutions to some problems did not sit right well with me. Go here for an idea of where she’s coming from https://www.strugglecare.com/struggle-care. (3 stars)
Consumed: The need for collective change. Colonialism, Climate Change and Consumerism – Aja Barber
Even with the conversational tone of this book, it was a bit difficult to get through. There were numerous asides that broke into the main topic of the chapters, and the whole thing could have done with some editing. It’s a shame because the points she was making are important. It would have also been good to have some references for the information. (2 stars)
The Elegance of the Hendgehog – Muriel Barbery
My second Paris-themed read, also set in a fancy apartment block, again people with mainly awful people. Renee is the concierge who works hard to fly under the radar. A 12-year-old girl, Paloma, lives with her family in one of the apartments and is determined to avoid the vacuous life of the adults around her. The tale, as Renee tells it, is interspersed with entries in Paloma’s journal. The death of one of the apartment owners results in a new resident who shakes things up. A beautiful friendship and character growth ensues, before the shock end. (4 stars)
Have you read any of these? Do you search out some books set in the countries you’re booked to travel to? Have yuo read some good books lately?
Comments
7 responses to “June 2024 Books”
I don’t suffer depression or have trouble keeping my house clean, but I loved the Keep House book, I thought it was so kind and compassionate, and it really made me incorporate a different way of thinking about household tasks. I loved thinking of things as Care Tasks.
I thought I had read The Paris Apartment, but it was a different book by that author.
I read The Elegance of the Hedgehog and loved it when I read it but it has gotten mixed reviews. I think I tried to watch a movie adaptation and gave up on it, though.
I used to read lots of books set in Paris and France but then ran out of ones to read that weren’t related to WWII which is a genre I am burned out on. I haven’t read The Paris Apartment because I have kind of gotten burned out on thrillers but I should maybe check that out for a Paris fix.
I read two of these- The Paris Apartment and How to Keep House. I know what you mean about that second book- I remember she recommends (occasionally) just throwing everything out rather than trying to figure out how to donate/recycle it. I can see how that wouldn’t sit right with a lot of people- but I get what she’s saying- if you’re depressed and really stuck, it might be too much to take those extra steps. But I get what you’re saying as well.
I didn’t love The Paris Apartment- it was pretty good. I don’t like books with super short chapters and multiple points of view. But it did have a surprise ending, which I liked.
I loved the Elegance of the Hedgehog until the ending, which really pissed me off. So I think 4/5 stars is about right. I haven’t read the others. For Paris, I think most of the books I have read are WWII related. Before my trip there in 2022, I watched TV/movies set there, which was a lot of fun.
Yes, then ending was WTF, but I didn’t want to mention that for people who have not read it.
I tried one Lucy Foley novel but DNFed. Didnt get into it ever since the author lost its appeal to me even though highly praised and hyped.
I totally agree with you on How to keep house. The wasteful ideas to keep it simple were shocking to me. I would not ever think of this. Other things did put a kick start into my motivation (at least for a bit).
Yes, I can understand if you are really struggling but it seemed like a lot of waste.