As the pandemic wears on, I find myself reaching more to books for a much needed break. I read books set in the roaring 20s with glittering Bright Young Things, ornate Rococo palaces housing French royalty, writings on the houses of Dior and Givenchy, and found comfort in the familiar surroundings of childhood favorites, the history of beauty, and more!
Here are some highlights from the 40+ books I read this past year.
I love a nice in-depth biography. Starting in August, I enjoyed reading books about Rococo era France, in particular Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour, for an upcoming post! I also researched Old Hollywood starlets for my Old Hollywood Beauty Tips series, and the book Audrey Hepburn’s eldest son wrote about her, Audrey Hepburn, an Elegant Spirit, was a poignant portrait.
The Reluctant Empress by Brigitte Hamann also swept me away. The biography about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known also as Sisi, was at times, hard to read because of the subject matter, but nonetheless was one of the most engaging biographies I've ever read! Highly recommended if you are interested in royal history.
My favorite kind of fashion writing details the tactical elements of fashion: describing clothing in a way that makes you feel as if you can touch the fabric itself, and applying historical context to trends, accessories, etc. Shoutout to In Intimate Detail: How to Choose, Wear, and Love Lingerie by Cora Harrington for doing just that! Her technical understanding and pure love of lingerie came through on every page. I feel like this is a must read for anybody interested in fashion.
Other highlights: Jordon Sondler's Feel it Out, reading Little Women in its entirety for the first time, and the collected Moomin comics, Vol 1.
Audrey Hepburn by Mark Shaw, 1953
Did you read any good books this past year? I would love to hear your recommendations, as I'm hoping to read even more in 2021 ♡! Also, does anybody want to be Goodreads friends? ♡
This was so fun to read and very well written!^^ I will definitely be checking out some of these books♡
ReplyDeleteAhh thank you so much Eunice! I'm a bit self-conscious about my writing "skills", so your comment means a lot <3 I would love to know if you end up reading any of these and what you think!
DeleteI've read An Elegant Spirit!! I was struck by how her professionalism and humility came from a place of insecurity, and how her humanitarian work came from a place of sadness rooted in her experience during WWII. Last month I watched the Audrey documentary on Netflix! Nothing new but still lovely to watch :) I liked hearing from her granddaughter. -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's
ReplyDeleteOH and I have a postcard of Sisi up in my room, which I think I got from Austria but could have also gotten from Budapest... My first reaction to seeing it in the gift shop was what beautiful hair she had. I haven't read that book about her but I have read her Wikipedia page haha
DeleteOh my gosh, you did such a good job of articulating what I thought of An Elegant Spirit, Audrey! I had remembered reading about her humanitarian work, but reading the book really made a lot about her click into place for me, especially about her experiences during WWII. I also watched the new Audrey documentary! I really enjoyed it as well, and I appreciated they had ballerinas portray Audrey at different points in her life. Omg it's so cool you have a Sisi postcard from your travels! And indeed, her hair routine was out of this world - the biography I read touches upon it and it was QUITE the process! Thank you for stopping by, I always so appreciate your thoughtful comments Audrey <3
DeleteBrideshead! Agh, as always your taste is impeccable. I need to get back into reading, I’m defo gonna refer to this list once I get back to the library!
ReplyDeleteOmg Zelly my love... Thank you so much angel ;___; I'm so glad to hear you also love Brideshead Revisited ahh ;__;!! I can understand what you mean about wanting to get back into reading, throughout 2020, there were weeks all I wanted to do was read, and then others where I couldn't stand to sit still! But I hope you are able to get back into reading soon and I would love to hear if you end up reading of these! Sending you love bby <3
DeleteI've been meaning to read In Intimate Detail and I'll definitely pick it up soon with your rec. I don't think about lingerie often lol so I think it'll be a really interesting read.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, while I did admire how pretty some lingerie was, I didn't pay very much attention to it before reading Cora's book. But AFTER? Now I'm completely in love! Cora did an incredible job outlining how integral lingerie is in fashion. I highly recommend it and I hope you love the book as much as I did! <3
DeleteAww I can see that you've read proper classics, I love it!
ReplyDeleteAna, www.adreamersland.com
www.facebook.com/adreamersland
www.instagram.com/anaccsa
Sean Ferrer's bio of his mother is really touching. It left an impression on me when I was younger. Glad there is some light in your life amid this terrible pandemic.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been doing a good job reading this year, so I redirect my energy to watching as many films and series as possible. I think, for me, it's always like this – each year is either a 'film year' or a 'books year', and 2021 is undoubtedly a 'film year.'
ReplyDeleteanyway, this post got me interested in French Rococo and Audrey Hepburn books. I've never read any fashion history-related books as I'm not huge on fashion knowledge (I'm more into beauty than fashion, I think; although I do have a few fashion styles or items that I fancy) but, considering how I love to read about fashion in old era and period setting, I'll be sure to check them out on goodreads later.
speaking of goodreads, I just sent a friend request there *winkwink*
–
Élise / hailcyon.space