A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
Peter Mayle is my favorite author for so many reasons but the first being that he taught me non-fiction could be good. This book centers around his wife & his first year after moving to the south of France. They've left behind their jobs in London to retire. They're slowly fixing up the house, but they are working with French contractors and that isn't always easy. They spend months attempting to get a concrete slab on top of a table, they ride their bikes through the countryside and they eat a lot of amazing food. I suggest starting with this but then moving on to his other non-fictions and his mysteries. I will admit, he wrote his final book before he died and I can't bring myself to read it yet.
Peter Mayle is my favorite author for so many reasons but the first being that he taught me non-fiction could be good. This book centers around his wife & his first year after moving to the south of France. They've left behind their jobs in London to retire. They're slowly fixing up the house, but they are working with French contractors and that isn't always easy. They spend months attempting to get a concrete slab on top of a table, they ride their bikes through the countryside and they eat a lot of amazing food. I suggest starting with this but then moving on to his other non-fictions and his mysteries. I will admit, he wrote his final book before he died and I can't bring myself to read it yet.
Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews
This is the first book in one of my all-time-favorite formula mystery series'. Set in a small Virginia town, it centers around Meg Langslow a blacksmith who ends up doing more event planning, organizing and dealing with her family than actually firing up her anvil. What hooked me in was the rustic charm surrounding the books. Everyone knows everyone, they are constantly throwing together lawn parties, it just sounds absolutely idyllic — just what you need when you're stuck inside. Plus, there are three weddings, a murder and Meg meets the man that she will fall in love with...although she thinks he's gay throughout the book (spoiler!).
The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne
Amy meets a guy at a party, starts to date him then finds out he's one of the world's most eligible royal bachelors. And what could be considered as an amazing courtship comes with its flaws. For this down-to-earth gardener, she isn't exactly ready to take the queenship. Will her love for Prince Leo prevail even as she runs from the altar? Guess you'll have to find out! But I love this one because their love is super pure and the scenery of his made up country is beautiful. You'll want to find a prince of a low-key country when we come out of quarantine and...maybe you should.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Books go through trends and there was this trend that probably started with Gone Girl of female-led thrillers. I read a bunch of them but The Woman in Cabin 10 was my favorite because the main character was actually like-able. She truly was involved in wrong place, wrong time. The plot follows Lo, a journalist who is tasked with writing about a week's cruise in the North Sea. But things don't go as planned...a woman is thrown overboard but no one will believe Lo. She is being gaslit but she believes in herself and eventually gets to the truth. It has a bunch of twists and turns plus it's set on a luxury cruise ship so you'll feel over-the-top as you read.
Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly by Robert Dalby
One of my all-time favorite books, Waltzing is set in a tiny Mississippi town where the Piggy Wiggly is being threatened with being shut down. Determined not to let that happen, main character Laurie enlists her friends to help save the store. They get former ballroom dancer Powell to lead dance classes through the aisles leading it to become a huge event in the small town. Will the Piggly Wiggly make it? Will Powell and Laurie fall in love? Read ahead! This is just a cute story with great descriptions of the South and the food.
Amy meets a guy at a party, starts to date him then finds out he's one of the world's most eligible royal bachelors. And what could be considered as an amazing courtship comes with its flaws. For this down-to-earth gardener, she isn't exactly ready to take the queenship. Will her love for Prince Leo prevail even as she runs from the altar? Guess you'll have to find out! But I love this one because their love is super pure and the scenery of his made up country is beautiful. You'll want to find a prince of a low-key country when we come out of quarantine and...maybe you should.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Books go through trends and there was this trend that probably started with Gone Girl of female-led thrillers. I read a bunch of them but The Woman in Cabin 10 was my favorite because the main character was actually like-able. She truly was involved in wrong place, wrong time. The plot follows Lo, a journalist who is tasked with writing about a week's cruise in the North Sea. But things don't go as planned...a woman is thrown overboard but no one will believe Lo. She is being gaslit but she believes in herself and eventually gets to the truth. It has a bunch of twists and turns plus it's set on a luxury cruise ship so you'll feel over-the-top as you read.
Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly by Robert Dalby
One of my all-time favorite books, Waltzing is set in a tiny Mississippi town where the Piggy Wiggly is being threatened with being shut down. Determined not to let that happen, main character Laurie enlists her friends to help save the store. They get former ballroom dancer Powell to lead dance classes through the aisles leading it to become a huge event in the small town. Will the Piggly Wiggly make it? Will Powell and Laurie fall in love? Read ahead! This is just a cute story with great descriptions of the South and the food.
Thank you for the recommendations!
ReplyDeleteXo, Gigi