Christmas always brings a new crop of reading material -- and not nearly enough time to read. But I have managed to gobble down Z -- a novel about the Montgomery, Alabama belle who became the wife of the young F. Scott Fitzgerald and an icon of the Jazz Age. It's a fascinating take on the literary life in the Twenties -- a veritable Who's Who of Big Names. Whether or not this captures the real Fitzgeralds, I don't know. But it's certainly sending me in search of Zelda's novel and the short stories that, according to this novel, Zelda wrote and allowed to be published as a joint effort. (There's a review in the NY Times HERE that will give you a fuller picture.)
Wayfaring Strangers, the story of the music of Appalachia and its journey from Scotland to Northern Ireland and thence to our mountains, is full of pictures that look like home.
I haven't read it through yet but am enjoying a leisurely perusal of its pages. But wait! There's more -- a CD is part of the package and Madison County's own Sheila Kay Adams (seventh generation ballad singer) is one of the artists.
Another beautiful book is A Kitchen in France. I was overwhelmed with the idyllic life pictured -- rural France, a charming old house complete with adorable children and dogs -- and a chatelaine/chef/mother/author who looks a lot more like a model than a serious cook. But I must say the recipes sound amazing and I look forward to trying them.
And a new series to explore -- my daughter-in law Aileen is a fan of the Phryne Fisher mysteries. and she and Ethan got me the first four for my Kindle They've been on my radar ever since I first heard of Phryne -- a Twenties deb turned detective -- in Australia. I am really looking forward to these.
Did you get any books as gifts? Or did you treat yourself? Tell us what you're reading
