Daphne du Maurier, or, finding out what I’ve been missing

I’m going to Cornwall this summer. I’ve never been, and I’m excited. I’ve got a google map with loads of places saved on it already. With any luck, I’ll get to swim in the sea, which is a joy, always. 

Ask The Passengers, and coming out

Ask The Passengers, by A S King

When my friend returned this to the library and discovered that I hadn’t read it, I asked her to convince me. This involved no more than the words “school”, “America” and “gay”, and the assurance that she’d loved it. I am easily swayed. I took it home with me that afternoon, and read it in two days. I was that annoying person walking down the road with a book because I just didn’t want to stop reading.

The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

Bel Canto – Ann Patchett

Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country’s vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxane Coss, opera’s most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening until a band of gun-wielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds, and people from different continents become compatriots. Friendship, compassion, and the chance for great love lead the characters to forget the real danger that has been set in motion . . . and cannot be stopped.

Dumplin’ – Julie Murphy

“There’s a beauty queen in that cute, little fat girl.”

“No,” I say. “That cute little fat girl IS a beauty queen.”