Book Reviews

My Take on Dior by Dior

Book Reviews

I have just finished reading the autobiography of Christian Dior, Dior by Dior. Of course, I love a good autobiography. These are always better than biographies for me, as I get a sense of the person as they tell their tale. Dior by Dior was quite an interesting read.

For anyone unfamiliar with Christian Dior, he was, of course, a great Couturier. He was the man behind the famous fashion house, House of Dior, in Paris. His business grew to allow houses in New York and London as well. To go to a Dior show was quite a deal. In his book, Dior takes us through his process of designing a collection and what it takes to make the sketches a reality. I was very interested in how a Couture House worked. Dior explained this quite well. He also describes what it is like to attend a show at the House of Dior.

Dior tells of his early years, the houses he lived in, and how the friendships he formed when he was a young man influenced who he would become. There are a lot of interesting details of Dior, the man, that I did not know. He seemed most humble in his success.

For anyone interested in fashion or how the fashion industry works, I would highly recommend Dior by Dior. As always, Happy Reading!

Advertisement

My Take on Summer of ’69

Book Reviews

I just finished a great ‘beach read’, Summer of ’69, by Elin Hilderbrand. What made this such a great beach read was that it was a quick read and easily kept my focus. Also, the setting was summer on Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard.

Summer of ’69 is a historical novel set in 1969. Talk of space exploration, Vietnam, civil rights protests, and the Kennedy family are blended into the story-line. The novel features the Levin family and their life as they experience yet another summer on Nantucket Island. We are introduced to Kate, her two daughters from her first marriage (one married and pregnant with twins, one in college), her son (deployed to Vietnam), her second husband and their thirteen year old daughter, and Kate’s mother, whom they are staying with and owns the summer home on Nantucket Island.

I liked that Hilderbrand chose to write each chapter from a different character’s perspective of what was happening in their life at the time. This made me able to relate to the characters and not just “hear” the story from one character’s point of view. Hilderbrand kept my interest throughout and I liked that she made it a historical novel as well and that she based many of the characters in the story on her own family.

In need of a good summer beach read? Get a copy of Summer of ’69 and dive in. Happy Reading!

My Take on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

Book Reviews

You know how there are some books that really have no age limits? Well, in my opinion, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney fits the bill. Kinney’s books may be stocked in the kid section of the bookstore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t shop there if you are not a kid.

I will be the first to admit that I am a HUGE Diary of a Wimpy Kid fan. My obsession started when I bought a copy for my son. Then somehow or other I was enticed into reading it and it was all over from there. I know that the new books usually come out in November and am at the bookstore to get my copy the day they put them on the shelves. Last year, I was even one of the first so many customers to purchase one and got a hat to go along with it!

Perhaps one of the reasons I am so drawn to this series is that they are written by someone of a similar age to myself (Kinney was born in 1971) and I can totally relate to the school scenes created with the main character Greg Heffley. Also, is the fact that the books are so darn funny. They are laugh out loud funny. They are can’t put them down but need to ration them because the next one will not come out for another year funny.

The books are written in a comic book / diary format. They come in hard cover only. Basically they are about Greg Heffley and his family and Greg’s best friend Rowely and his parents. There are other kids in the neighborhood and at school. Greg and Rowely do not always have the best of luck which makes for some funny scenes. Some of the books also take place on family vacations. Of course, they are loaded with lessons to be learned by the mistakes the characters make.

So come November, I will be counting down the days until the next book comes out to see what Greg and Rowely are up to now. If you are timid about purchasing a children’s book for yourself, say it’s for your kids. No kids? Maybe it’s for your nephew…niece…you get the point. See you in line!

My Take on The Travelling Cat Chronicles

Book Reviews

I am not a cat person. I prefer dogs. Having said this, I would not normally choose to read a book written from a cat’s perspective. However, this was a gift and being a book lover, I give most all books a chance, so I put it in my reading pile.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles written by Hiro Arikawa from Tokyo, is written from the perspective of Nana, a stray cat. Nana has a crooked tail, which in Japan is a sign of good fortune and an attraction to the man who finds him. The two set off on a traveling adventure across Japan with a specific mission in mind, which unfolds throughout the story. The setting of Japan was particularly interesting on the journey throughout the book. Not wanting to give too much of the story away, I will say that it deals with friendship, love, loyalty, life, and culture.

Arikawa had me hooked pretty quickly into the book and I found it a pleasant and fast read. While I probably would not have picked this book on my own, I ended up liking it right away and would recommend it to readers. The Travelling Cat Chronicles will definitely pull at your heart strings be you a cat lover or a dog lover.