The Mrs. & the Minister

Nina George's The Little Paris Bookshop: A Novel tells us of Jean Perdu, who runs a bookshop out of a converted barge on the Seine River in Paris.  He calls it La Pharmacie Litéraire -- the literary apothecary -- because he has an unusual gift for being able to see into his customers' souls about what they most need.  According to Jean Perdu, there is a book for every ailment of the soul. "The bookseller could not imagine what might be more practical than a book" (page 1). "Perdu reflected that it was a common misconception that booksellers looked after books.  ... They look after people" (page 19).  However, for the past twenty-one years there's only one person that Jean Perdu has been unable to successfully prescribe a book for -- himself.  That's because twenty-one years ago, the woman that he loved abruptly left him; no goodbyes, no forewarning, just a letter that Jean Perdu has not been able to bring himself to open.  And it...

Leela Cyd's Food for Friends is a fun cookbook for entertaining.  Broken into six major sections -- breakfast and brunch, tea time, happy hour, potlucks and picnics, desserts, and tiny takeaways -- you'll find many ways to cook for two, small gatherings, and big groups.  The recipes themselves are quick and easy to put together.  And there's plenty of great advice on how to put together an inviting table.  Food for Friends is a must for any kitchen! I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review here.

Milena Busquets' This Too Shall Pass is a genre-bending, thrilling summer read.  Sex and death, past and present, philosophy and farce -- they're all here, in stunning array. This Too Shall Pass introduces us to Blanca, our narrator, attending her mother's funeral.  Soon after, Blanca decides to spend a summer week at her mother's seaside house, where she juggles lovers old and new, two female friends, her own two sons and sundry acquaintances.  Not much happens:  Dinners get cooked, boats are sailed, quarrels flare, sex sizzles and ­disappoints. The real action lies in Blanca's recollections of her mother's mostly happy life and painful last months suffering from Parkinson's disease.  It's here that the novel really captures a reader's attention for a page-turner. In the midst of her grief, Blanca turns to sex.  But in the end, This Too Shall Pass finds Blanca uttering a truth:  "Only true love can end pain". This Too Shal...