I was already excited about John Berendt's new book, The City of Falling Angels, but the reviewer in USA Today fairly stumbles over herself praising this shit. I must have it now. Did y'all love Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil like I did? It proves the cliche. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. The characters in that book are indelible. Berendt makes the location irresistible. I had already been to Savannah a few times before reading it, but it made me want to go back. His new book is set in Venice. Italy, yo, not California. Or Florida. I've been to Italy, but never to Venice and given my current raging travel jonz, I'm sure this book will get me sprung.
There are at least four or five other books just out or coming shortly that I'm excited about. I'd write now, but I actually should work a bit. Anything you're anticipating? Anything you wanna share? Anything you think I HAVE to read? Load me up in the comments, G!
14 comments:
I loved Midnight in the Garden. I didnt know he was coming out with a new one, now I'm excited!
And I know exactly where that picture was taken in Venice - off the Academia Bridge. I have a pic of my husband and I on it from when we were there this spring. Just stunning.
I just brought My Friend Leonard back to the library today. Kind of depressing, but I really enjoyed the writing style.
http://tinyurl.com/8otbe
athena, I went to Italy a few years ago (Rome, Siena, Florence). We didn't have time for more and Venice had just flooded anyway. I love few things more than Italy.
freakgirl, I'm checking that out. PS what are those tinyurl things and how do I do that?
Oh, just copy it and paste it into your browser. Can I do regular HTML links in your comments?
Um, I'm stupid. I know what you were asking.
Go here: www.tinyurl.com and paste in the long URL and it will generate a bitty one for you. You can drag it up to your browser toolbar for one-click goodness.
Ahh Venice....My parents rent an apartment right on the Grand Canal. They go about twice a year for six weeks at a time and I usually get there about once every other year. Could be the single most amazing place. Like a child's coloring book come to life. You must go! And when you do, buy my Mom's book "Chow! Venice." It is a restaurant guide that she and another regular visitor wrote. By the way, found you through Freakgirl. Love your blog!
My sister got to visit Venice twice before she went and had herself a major stroke and is now wheelchair bound. Makes me happy/sad to know that she visited there (where I have always wanted to go too) and got to stride its streets and bridges when she could.
bluebunny, spending months in Venice every year like your parents do sounds like heaven. One of the reasons I visited Italy is that friends were spending the winter there, mostly in Rome. I will go to Venice for sure. I checked out your mom's book. Looks really cool. If all y'all wanna check it out, here's the URL:
http://tinyurl.com/93gh9
freakgirl, aren't I just the QUICK study?
Hearing about your sister makes me think I (we?) should go now! She'd probably agree? One never knows what the future holds. Venice just looks SO dramatic and SO theatrical (read: SO gay)!
Exactly! I'll press my cream summer suit, dust off the straw boater and affect an English accent, and we could do Venice 'Merchant Ivory' style. I've always wanted to travel with a 'valise' or 'portmanteau', and a 'travelling companion' (wink, wink).
So would you really have to affect an English accent? Aren't you already sporting a curious hybrid? Is that just in my head?
I never knew a 'portmanteau' was luggage. I only knew it as the combo words, like smog or brimjob.
Yeah I do have a bit of a hyrid. To you I would probably sound more Aussie though, but Aussies can usually pick the bit of English I have in there.
You can be Helena Bonham Carter and I'll be Rupert Graves!
Thank you so much for putting the link up to my Mom's book! Free advertising yay!
It's on a really small sign on a sidestreet in a really gay section of town, but advertising nonetheless!
I thought the book looked cool. Nothing beats insider info on restaurants and such. I'll get to eat at the best places and your mom did all the leg work. Although there are tougher gigs than eating your way around Venice, to be sure.
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