Alana Estelle

I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately, but I’ve been on a bit of a book buying spree. I’ve some across these new-to-me texts and I needed them ASAP. 

I picked up Cassandra and Ariadne because anything dealing with Ancient Greece I need, so there’s that. Also, can we admire how beautiful both of these book covers are?

My friend Lauren started her independent online book shop - if you are in the UK please check her out - Lauren is the best! She currently has Grove by, Esther Kinsky on her site and the description sounds like something I would enjoy - overly detailed writing about almost nothing but observations, with a bit of an existential crisis? Sign me up! Thus, I came across River by the same author and said, to myself, “Why not? Go big, or go home. Get both!” Also, I just couldn’t resist the Fitzcarraldo Editions - this deep blue and white typeface screams understated, minimalistic, literary and a bit pretentious. All things I’m oddly attractive too... Side Note: When people first meet me in person, they think I’m stuck up LOL. I’m actually pretty down to earth, but so what if I like to go grocery shopping, sometimes dressed to the nines in a cashmere sweater and velvet smoking slippers? Life is short, embrace the luxurious. I also have serious RBF, so that doesn’t help my case much…

Milkman is a novel, that when I looked into the plot, it really intrigued me. Lyrical writing, a bit stream-of-consciousness, a touch dystopian for some readers, though it’s actually about what happened in Ireland in the 1970s. Who knew such a vibrant pink cover (for any one who doesn’t know, I have a slight aversion to bright pink shades; I live in black and grey…) was encasing something rather eerie. I know, I know, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, yet here we are…

Speaking of pink, how about some millennial pink? Actually, if I’m drawn to pink, I do prefer softer, dustier pink shades, which I call “champagne pink.” Not quite the millennial pink we have here, but dustier, more neutral.  Regardless, Severance and The Idiot are toted are “Millennial Fiction,” typically meaning the main character is fed up with the hamster wheel of life. What made me pick these titles up is actually due to another book I’m (slowly) reading - At the Existentialist Cafe by, Sarah Bakewell. I would like to dig a bit deeper into these modern novels, and not just ones written by millennials, but other novels that also focus on the minutiae of life in the 21-century (I.e. ducks, Newburyport) and how this tension between outward material success, internal worries, and the monotony of everyday life seem to be inadvertently alluding back to the philosophy of existentialism. Whether authors are intending this or not, I think it’ll be an interesting conversation to have. 

Have you read any of these books? Have you purchased any books recently?

Do you record your thoughts on the texts you read? 

For the past two years, I’ve tried to utilize a book journal, but all I ended up with were half scribbled in notebooks. The process felt tedious - I didn’t like having to put down my book and pick up a notebook each time I wanted to record something that came to my mind - this took too long and disrupted my reading flow. I also wanted to record quotes I liked so I could refer back to them easier, but again, that felt a bit tedious and even redundant.

I abandoned the notion to have a book journal and solely relied on my annotations in my books to help me write my book reviews. However, as my book reviews have become more analytical and *cough, cough* subsequently longer, I began to see the benefit of using a book journal and how to incorporate one into my reading habits. 

As I’m reading a book, I annotate; highlighting and flagging passages as I go. If I have additional thoughts I want to include with a particular passage, I write them in the margins or on a sticky-notes. After I finish reading, I then go to my reading journal and make my notes on the book. 

I start by writing a couple of sentences summarizing the overall plot. Then I go back through all of my annotations and margin notes and record the themes, plot elements, thoughts, etc. that I want to highlight the most in my review. I only write down the quotes (or reference the page number, if the quote is very lengthy) I want to use in my review, that substantiate the point I’m making. If the book is particularly long, for example a text like The Brothers Karamazov, I will stop and record my thoughts on sections of the book. This makes digesting my thoughts on a 1000 page novel easier. 

In a nutshell, my reading journal is used as a way to outline and structure my reviews. I also have a Table of Contents at the beginning of my notebooks so I can easily reference which books are outlined in which notebook (In my travelers notebook I actually have three journals - one for Ancient Greek and Roman texts and any modern retellings or fictional works on these time periods, one for more sociological or philosophical texts, and one for everything else). I do refer back to my notes often, when I want to draw connections between texts.  

A major thing that motivated me to be persistent with using these journals is my love of stationary. I’ve always enjoyed pen and paper and there is something about physically writing my notes out that is soothing - I spend so much time on electronic devices that using an actual pen is a reprieve. I like to use fountain pens in fun ink colors to make the process more luxurious and unique. I’ve also incorporated washi tape stickers - matching up images to each particular book. I also use transparent dot stickers to mark where I’ve written quotes. These touches, albeit definitely not necessary and some would say a bit “much,” really do make the process of recording what I’m reading and my thoughts on these texts a very enjoyable, even cerebral process. 

If you’ve been wanting to get into the habit go using a book journal, I hope this inspires you! You may have to play around with different methods to figure out what works for you, since we all process and record information differently. 

Side note: Fountain pen users, the Midori MD notebooks are fantastic for fountain pen inks. No bleed through whatsoever ever and just a joy to write on. 

“How many people were these, I wondered, who liked me and served me for myself alone?”

My Cousin Rachel by, Daphne du Maurier is narrated by the sullen main character Philip, a twenty-something Cornish gentlemen. After the unexpected death of his cousin Ambrose, only two years after Ambrose’s marriage to a woman named Rachel, Philip falls for Rachel’s charms. However, something is a bit “off” with Ambrose’s death. 

Philip, who was raised by Ambrose, is introverted and naive. He has little understanding of women, as he’s lived a secluded life, surrounded mainly by masculine company. Due to his lack of experience with women, he is even more susceptible to Rachel. His initial suspicion of her quickly evaporates as he spends more time with her - to Philip, Rachel is near perfection. 

“But a lonely man is an unnatural man, and soon comes to perplexity. From perplexity to fantasy. From sanity to madness.” 

Philip is quirky and set in his ways, even though he is young and his oddities actually tend to hinder his judgment. His own denial plays a significant role in his own confusion. This secluded life he’s led with Ambrose seems to make him a prime candidate for being captivated by Rachel. Philip also bears a strong resemblance to Ambrose, and if it wasn’t for the age difference, it is implied that the two could be twins. 

“I have wondered … whether his spirit left his body and came home here to mine, taking possession, so that he lived again in me … All I know is that my likeness to him, of which I was so proud, proved my undoing.”

It’s as if Philip is destined to experienced certain events because of his uncanny similarity to Ambrose, in both appearance and temperament. While reading, I felt that Ambrose hadn’t really passed, there was something of his essence lingering throughout the novel. This also brings to mind an interesting question about fate: our physical features and even dispositions are genetic. How much control do we really have, when we are contending against our DNA? Philip, though he may be aware of what is happening to an extent, seems powerless to take control. 

In true du Maurier fashion, Rachel is the character in the novel that is illusive and vague. Only but so much is revealed about her throughout the entirely of the novel.

As the reader, I always felt a twinge of unease around Rachel, and she is written in such a way that it’s easy to see how Philip’s common sense flew out of the window. I felt myself being manipulated along with Philip. 

There is also an interesting focus on Rachel’s hands; Philip is drawn to them and thinks they are beautiful. He mentions her hands countless times throughout the narrative. 

“I might have said the same about her hands. I liked them too.”

I’ve noticed that this is a characteristic in du Maurier’s writing - she will hone in on one very specific physical feature in a particular character and you always have to ask yourself, “Why?” There is always a reason for everything du Maurier sprinkles into her novels. 

“Truth” is a theme that is woven throughout the narrative. There are many charades being played, often as  a means for characters to preserve their own comfort or the comfort of others. 

My Cousin Rachel is my third Daphne du Maurier novel; I’ve already read Jamaica Inn and Rebecca. I really enjoyed it and when I would have to set it aside, I was eager to pick it up again. As with all of her novels, it’s well written and evocative. For example:

My Cousin Rachel kept me guessing and doubting. It’s moody, a bit dark and vague, though not as dark and gothic as Jamaica Inn (Jamaica Inn is still my favorite thus far…). As is usual with du Maurier’s main characters and narrators, Philip is flawed and frustrating but still endearing. The ending of this novel is also cryptic and open for interpretation, which I also like - when I read the last page, I actually had to flip all the way back to the beginning and reread some passages. It’s always a bit tricky to review her novels because it’s easy to give things away - tiny details turn out to be significant. 

Rating: 4/5

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Notes:

• Top: Sapodilla, Ambrette
• Middle: Magnolia, Violet, Sandalwood 
• Base: Cedar wood, Chantilly Musk, Crisp Amber 

I would describe Mojave Ghost as a fresh, fruity musk. One would initially think that fruit and musk would clash and when looking at the list of notes, that Mojave Ghost is one giant ball of a headache inducing, cloying musk. Ironically, Mojave Ghost is the exact opposite - somehow Byredo was able to perfectly blend these notes into something light, clean and even a bit tropical. The sapodilla and ambrette at the top are light and airy. Sapodilla is a fruit native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. In this fragrance, I am reminded of a freshly cut pear - the  pear is perfectly ripe and a little sweet, meaning it’s not too ripe and just made that overnight switch from being almost ready to eat. The ambrette is a little warm, musky and animalic, in a way that evokes the essence of freshly cleaned skin. The middle notes are tastefully done. I’m not a big fan of big florals and for me, even white florals can be a bit too much. However, here, the magnolia is clean and light, almost a touch fruity. The violet here is also soft and adds a touch of powder to the composition of the fragrance - think of a pastry being lightly dusted in powered sugar, not doused. The sandalwood to me doesn’t smell too “woody” at all, it adds just a touch of sweetness. The base notes are sophisticated and luxurious. I actually cannot detect the cedar wood at all, which is a bit disappointing because it’s one of my favorite fragrance notes. I find that cedar wood is a clean smelling wood note that can sometimes be aquatic and even a little spicy; perhaps it’s helping this fragrance to also remain clean. The musk and amber are soft and delicate. Neither are overdone and add more warmth and depth to this scent. If I had to sum all of these notes up, I’d say that Mojave Ghost smells like a luxury shampoo that would be used at a high-end salon, and I mean that in the best way possible. Mojave Ghost is soft, light, elegant and clean. 

Season: 

Despite this being a fragrance primarily composed of musk, wood and amber, this fragrance is most appropriate for spring and summer and perhaps very early fall, when it’s still warm outside. This scent has a warmth to it, not in a vanilla and spice way that is very common in a lot of winter fragrances, but in a way that evokes the warm of the sun as it heats up the skin. This is a fragrance that will get buried under layers of clothing and will perform best on exposed skin and lighter fabrics. 

Sillage:

Mojave Ghost has low projection from the body but it is present. This scent is not cloying and will not fill a room, so it’s office appropriate and safer to wear around those who may have fragrance sensitivities or allergies. This will garner comments of “You smell nice.” Versus “Your fragrance smell nice.” There is a subtle, but important difference there. 

Wear Time/Performance:

Even though Mojave Ghost has low projection and is quite a light scent, it performs quite well. It’s soft, but it does linger for a while on skin and clothes. You think it’s gone and then hours later, you randomly catch a whiff of it. There is something about it that clings to the skin. I sprayed this in the crook of my arm at around 4:30pm one day. I showered at 12:15am and when I woke up at 7:00am, it was still whispering on my skin. I see why the word “ghost” is in the name…

Recommended For:

This is definitely a unisex scent, due to the nice balance of woods, musks, and florals. I think Mojave Ghost would intrigue people who like Jo Malone Wood, Sage and Sea Salt and fans of ambrette. These fragrances are not similar, but the ambrette that is present at the top of both, will be familiar and nostalgic. If you are in the market for a warm weather scent that is fresh, but a bit more unique and interesting, this may appeal to you. It’s difficult to pull off musks and ambers in the heat, because they can get cloying and even stinky, but because this fragrance is light and the sapodilla evokes something a bit tropical, it is perfect for the spring and summer, without being cliche. I would say Mojave Ghost is a safe “blind-buy” because it’s a clean scent. I will say, that Byredo’s fragrances are very expensive and as much as I enjoy this scent, I think it’s difficult to justify the price tag - I’ve known of Byredo for a while and just bit the bullet a couple of months ago. Do I regret it - NOPE! Would I repurchase - YEP!  If you are in the mood to splurge on a luxury, niche fragrance, then Byredo may be a fragrance house worth checking out. 

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Thanks to some of three novels I’ve read recently (Outline by Rachel Cusk, A Legacy by Sybille Bedford and Palladian by Elizabeth Taylor) , I been thinking about memory and how we internalize, commemorate, and idealize the events that happen in our lives. What these novels in particular made me think about is how other people also influence how we remember events. How much of our memory is actually our own and how does this impact the stories that we tell? If our memory is constantly being influenced by what we choose to remember and what others are impressing on us, are we thus all unreliable narrators, regardless of how honest we strive to be?

Here are a few quotes from these texts that sparked this train of thought. 

“The memory of suffering had no effect whatever on what they elected to do: on the contrary, it compelled them to repeat it, for the suffering was the magic that caused the object to come back and allowed the delight in dropping it to become possible again.” - Outline

Memory and emotions go hand-in-hand; how many times do you remember how you felt versus the specific events?

“Yet there was something worse than forgetting, which was misinterpretation, bias, the selective presentation of events. The truth had to be represented: it couldn’t be left to represent itself…” - Outline

We often find if critical that we take control over how we remember things. Have you ever felt irritated when someone contradicts how you recall something, because you are adamant about your version of events? This allows us to control the narrative, OUR narrative, and goes back to this idea of being unreliable. We may claim that our version of events is the truth, but actual truth is devoid of personal bias. 

“It will be a strange time for you, the time between her death and the day when you begin falsifying her… But soon, out of her bones will grow the new picture of her, more beautiful, more romantic than ever in life, always loving, never angry, never guilty.” - Palladian

We often tend to be overly romantic when memorializing the dead. It’s interesting how death can act as a type of authority over memory - in many cultures death is sacred and once someone has passed, there is a sense of decorum around how that individual is discussed. How many times have you been told not to speak ill of the dead? “Let the dead bury the dead.” How do customs around what is considered sacred distort our memories?

“What I learnt came to me, like everything else in this story, at a second and third hand, in chunks and puzzles, degrees and flashes, by here-say and tale-bearing and being told, by one or two descriptions that meant everything to those who gave them.” - A Legacy

To circle back around to how our memories are shaped by others, the memories that we get from other people are cherry-picked, thus, what is memorialized can be controlled by those who have the means to preserve their narrative, and only what they wish to preserve. Regardless of how much someone claims their version to be the truth, there are always three sides to a story: Side A, Side B and the actual truth.

Again, this is just a glimpse of the mental wanderings that my brain goes down due to the books. Have you read any books that focus on the concept of memory?

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“You know what she puts me in the mind of? A racehorse! Something delicate and proud, and yet free in the way she steps out.”

Young Anne, by Dorothy Whipple is a coming-of-age novel about Anne Pritchard. The story begins with Anne at around 5 years of age and concludes with her in her mid-20s. During this span of time, we follow Anne’s school days, romances, interactions with society, her strained relationship with her family, and her constant struggle with God and religion. Anne is a rambunctious, curious and introverted individual, who is often misunderstood by her family and community, as she doesn’t fit into societal norms. 

What initially stood out to me the most is Anne’s tense relationship with her father. He has no patience for her quirkiness and is harsh and mean towards her. In response, Anne withdraws from him, doing her best to avoid his judgment and rebukes. Her father is a man that sees no point in girls and clearly favors his eldest son. Anne’s spontaneity and at times, lack of decorum, irritates and embarrasses him to the point that one day he gets fed up and sends her away to school. 

I find stories that highlight parental relationships with their children, especially the father figure, to be interesting - there is something to be said about how a father treats his daughter(s) - it can really have an impact on how she views and interacts with men in the future. It can also impact how children view and interact with other authority figures. Though Whipple doesn’t delve much deeper into this dynamic, I do think that there are subtle instances in which Anne withdraws into herself because she’s used to suppression. There are ramifications to this as the novel progresses. 

This is also a novel on introversion. Anne has a difficult time being around groups of people and thrives best in more intimate settings, in nature, or on her own. It’s evident that she finds most people exhausting and is bored with the tedium of conventional social life.

Introverts are often misunderstood, because they thrive better in smaller, more intimate settings - it doesn’t mean that they are shy, don’t like people or social events, but these gathering literally drain and exhaust them more rapidly.  I find that a lot of novels focus on the introvert and this tension between the need to withdraw and the need to perform. I’m actually extremely introverted (not kidding, I’m as close to the “I” on the scale as you can get). I really resonate with these types fo characters because it feels like someone finally “gets” it. I have been in social situations where all of a sudden I “crash” and I physically can’t take it anymore - it’s a feeling of being trapped, a feeling of “short-circuiting.” Other people around you don’t understand what’s happening and assume you have an “attitude.” No, the introvert has literally become overwhelmed, over-stimulated and can no longer process anything else occurring in their environment; they are breaking down and everything is “noise”.

Though I’ve read many novels with introverted main characters, this novel makes me wants to actual explore and analyze this more deeply, so I’ll be adding this to my “to-do” list. “Introversion in the Novel” aaaah, I love it when a hobby keeps on giving. 

Moving on, a common theme in Whipple’s novels are God and faith. This is my third Whipple and this is recurring. In Young Anne, Anne has a difficult time reconciling the concept of God in a world that is disappointing.

As Anne gets older, she becomes more disillusioned with life as her expectations don’t meet reality. 

“…no material comfort can heal a spiritual dislocation.” 

Whereas in Whipple’s other novels, the characters tend to have a literal “Come to Jesus” moment, after they go through hell and high water, this doesn’t occur in Young Anne, which I find to be intriguing. I plan to read Whipple’s other novels (5 more to go…) and after completing that task, or once I become close to completing it, I would like to dive into “Faith and Religion in Whipple.” Once again, my hobby providing homework. 

Young Anne is a quick, enjoyable read and it is endearing to see how Anne navigates through life and the decisions that she makes. This is also a novel about how in youth, we tend to make more emotional decisions, but as we mature, we become more rational and reflective. We begin to understand that the decisions we make have consequences. I always enjoy reading Dorothy Whipple - I wish she was more widely appreciated. She has this way of writing simply about everyday life, that is relatable and evocative. She gets to the heart of both joy and despair without overdoing it. Young Anne is her first published novel and it may not be as strong the others but it’s still good and I can see how her writing and the topics she likes to write about matured. 

Rating: 4/5

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I’ve mentioned before that historical fiction is my favorite genre, which makes sense - I was a history major. I’ve been reading historical fiction since elementary school, starting with the American Girl, Dear America and Royal Diary series.

Since last year, I’ve been especially curious about the Plantagenets and the Tudors. Tudor history is not new to me, but I wanted to dive deeper. Last year in quarantine, I watched a ton of documentaries on the Tudors, focusing mainly on Henry VIII and his six wives. I also read Katherine by, Anya Seton, which covers the Plantagenets - a prequel to the Tudors.

Then, I proceeded to buy the Wolf Hall Trilogy and Alison Weir’s novels on each of Henry’s wives. At the beginning of the year, I read Weir’s non-fiction book, The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Clearly that wasn’t enough, because over the past few weeks I went a little crazy and added a few more books to my Tudor fiction collection. 

Philipa Gregory - I haven’t read any of Gregory’s novels and I didn’t purchase them for historical accuracy. I’ve been in the mood to dive into some more lush historical fiction, because sometimes you need to give your brain a break. I’m also curious to see how she fictionalizes things versus how Weir fictionalizes some aspects. 

Legacy by, Susan Kay is a novel on Elizabeth I that I’ve never heard of. I stumbled upon it online and was intrigued. I have not seen anyone on Bookstagram review this novel about Elizabeth I and the 3 men she was involved with. This book is chunky - 600 pages of small text.

Another Anne Boylen novel I haven’t seen anyone discuss is Brief Gaudy Hour by, Margaret Campbell, which was originally published in 1949.

This is a long reading list that will take me years to get through, but I couldn’t resist. I have no idea when I’ll get to some of these, but my priorities at the moment are Wolf Hall, which I’ll read this fall, Legacy, Weir’s novel on Katherine of Aragorn, and Gregory’s novel on Katherine of Aragorn. 

Have you read any of these novels and are some of these new to you? What’s your favorite Tudor novel and do you have any recommendations for me?

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“… while he talked she began to see herself as a shape, an outline, with all the detail filled in around it while the shape itself remained blank. Yet this shape, even while its content remained unknown, gave her for the first time since the incident a sense of who she now was.”

Outline by, Rachel Cusk, is a novel told in conversations. The unnamed narrator goes to Athens to teach a writing course over the summer. Through these conversations, some of the details of the narrator’s life unfold, as her current position in life is revealed through others. 

It’s evident very early on in the novel that the narrator is dealing with marital issues. Her conversations mainly deal with marriages that have fallen apart, infidelity, motherhood, and how one’s identity is altered by marriage, both during and after. A lot of the conversations also highlight how unexpected life can be, as well as how it’s difficult to regroup after traumatic events. 

The narrator conveniently leaves out certain details about herself, and these obvious exclusions speak rather loudly. The reader can read between the lines and piece elements together and interpret what she is actually saying through her omissions. In some cases, what she eludes to is vague and the reader is able to piece together those subjects in her life that are still uncomfortable for her to blatantly reflect on. Get it, an outline?

“… I had stayed to watch it become the grave of something I could no longer definitively call either a reality or an illusion.”

The narrator also focuses a lot on houses and describes other people’s living spaces. I really found this interesting, as a house/home for most people represent a safe, secure, reliable space. However, what happens that one’s house is no more?

“It is like walking past a house you used to live in: the fact that it still exists, so concrete, makes everything that has happened since seem somehow insubstantial. Without structure, events are unreal: the reality of his wife, like the reality of the house, was structural, determinative.”

It’s clear that when the narrator first arrives in Greece, she’s lost. She’s trying to piece together who she is now, as the life she used to have is changing. She’s trying to determine who she is as a mother, who she was as a wife, and who she will be after the deterioration of her marriage. Will she be able to piece herself back together, and still maintain her own essence?

“… it’s like looking at old photographs of yourself. There comes a point at which the record needs to be updated, because you’ve shed too many links with what you were.”

This leads nicely into how existential I found this novel. The conversations reveal that here is a lot of tension between what is happening in many of these people’s lives and what they wish was happening. The external is not responding to the internal. There is also a struggle to reconcile who one thinks people are, who they were believed to be and who they end up becoming. 

“And those two ways of living - living in the moment and living outside it - which was more real?”

“… it was the very thing you don’t see, the thing you take for granted, that deceives you.”

As Outline concludes, it’s evident that the narrator is a bit rejuvenated from her stay in Greece, before returning back to London. She is not whole, but the foundation is being laid.  From my interpretation, the narrator draws solace from having these conversations and doesn’t feel quite so alone. I found this novel to be a realistic portrayal of the human experience and how the stories we engage with are internalized to help us find comfort, understanding, identity, validation and affirmation in our own lives.  Also, this novel has some well-constructed, evocative sentences that are a joy to read:

“At evening, with the sun no longer overhead, the air developed a kind of viscosity in which time seemed to stand very still and the labyrinth of the city, no longer bisected by light and shade and unstirred by the afternoon, appeared suspended in a kind of dream, paused in an atmosphere of extraordinary pallor and thickness.”

I really enjoyed Outline, which surprised me. I was curious to read it, wasn’t sure how I would get on with it, but I’m glad that I just went for it. It sounded intriguing to me, so I read it. Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be a complicated process to determine if you want to read a book or not. Is something piquing your interest? Yes? Then read the book. If you like it, then great and you may have just expanded your reading world. If you didn’t like it, then what did you really lose? Honestly, not much, other than continuing to explore literature, while fine-tuning your own reading tastes. Win-Win situation in my book (puns intended). 

I look forward to reading the other two novels in this trilogy and I’m glad I went a bit out of my comfort zone with this reading choice. 

Rating: 4/5

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Jo Malone Wood, Sage & Sea Salt launched in 2014 and has become one of the fragrance house’s most well-known and well-loved scents. This fragrance was inspired by British beaches.

Fragrance Notes:

• Top: Ambrette
• Middle: Sea Salt, a bit of citrus?
• Base: Sage

Wood, Sage & Sea Salt (WSS) is a fresh, mineral aquatic scent, that is pretty linear. By “linear,” I mean that the scent doesn’t change much after you first spray it. Jo Malone’s fragrances are known for this, as well as being pretty straight forward and simple. This scent is not complicated, but it is interesting. I would classify this as a predominately ambrette scent. Ambrette is actually extracted from the seeds of the hibiscus plant and have a distinct musky quality. It’s not a heavy, cloying musk, I find that it can be rather lively, warm and comforting. When paired with particular notes, it can be quite fresh, as it is here. To my nose, the ambrette is a bit effervescent and lends a bit of sophistication to this fragrance, while still remaining casual. What’s interesting about WSS is that it does smell a bit salty, which is hard to explain. This note is what gives this scent it’s mineral, slightly sharp, metallic quality. Not metallic in the, “I just held a wad of coins in my hand and now I smell like nickel,” sense, but in the sense that this fragrance does remind me of being on the beach as autumn is just beginning. The air is cooler, windier, damp and salty. The sage here is not a super sweet sage, it’s herbal and blends nicely with the sea salt, conjuring up images of driftwood laying in the sand. Personally, I also get a slight citrus note floating around in WSS - it’s fleeting, but it brightens up this scent and keeps the sea salt and sage from becoming too “earthy” or “dirty.” 

This fragrance is so evocative, it’s insane - every time I smell this I get the image of a lone person, walking on the shoreline. They’re bare feet are sinking slightly into the wet sand, their jeans are rolled up above their ankles and their are wearing a loose-fitting, lightweight cotton sweater. It’s windy, so their hair is ruffled and it’s the sun is just beginning to set. 

Season: WSS can be worn for the majority of the year - from spring to early fall. This is a soft scent and will easily get buried under layers of clothing, so it needs to be exposed on open, bare skin and clothing to be fully appreciated. 

Sillage: WSS has low projection from the body. This is definitely a skin scent and only those quite close to you will be able to catch a whiff. This scent is unobtrusive, unoffensive and appropriate for settings, like the office, where you may want to be more mindful of other’s scent sensitivities. 

Wear Time: I’ll be honest here, the performance of WSS is not great. In fact, it can be rather dismal. How long a perfume lasts on you in unique; it has a lot to do with your personal body chemistry. I admit that I’m one of those lucky people who gets decent performance out of almost any fragrance, so the short wear time of this one doesn’t bother me, but I’ve even noticed that this one is low. This is a big deal breaker for many people, especially since Jo Malone is on the pricier side. I like to spray WSS, on my neck, clothing and in the crooks of my elbows. I don’t mind topping this up every few hours - I find this fresh scent to be uplifting during the day. Also, because this fragrance is so well done and comforting, I will put up with the low performance. 

Recommended For: This is advertised as a unisex fragrance. It’s neither feminine of masculine in my opinion, because WSS is one of those scents, like Diptyque Philosykos, that evokes a place, not a a type of individual. If you enjoy clean, aromatic, comforting scents, then I think you’ll enjoy this. If you are a fan of aquatic fragrances, or fragrances that feature ambrette, then I think you’ll really appreciate WSS. If you are in the market for a warm weather fragrance that evokes the natural elements of the beach, but doesn’t smell like coconut, pineapple or sunscreen, this may appeal to you. I would say that this is a safe “blind buy.” It’s simple, casual, unique enough to be interesting, and just smells heavenly. I only have about a third of the juice left in my bottle and WSS will definitely be a staple in my collection. 

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So, here we are, half way through 2021. Say what? Still trying to figure out how this happened - weren’t we all just yelling, “Happy New Year!” and bundled up in coats? Now it’s blazing hot outside, but summer will actually be over in a few months and once again we’ll be yelling, “Happy New Year!” 

I stayed pretty on track with my reading for June, so I’ve got three new books added to my current reading lineup.

My Cousin Rachel - Daphne du Maurier is always a fun, atmospheric read. This will be my third novel of her’s and I’m looking forward to this one. For some reason I also gravitate towards her in the summer, perhaps because this is actually my quietest time of the year and I’m more inclined to read something I can just escape into, like when I read over summer breaks as a youth. 

The Wolf Den - A new release and debut novel by Elodie Harper. I rarely jump right on new releases because honestly, I can wait. I don’t need to be the first in line - the book isn’t going anywhere. However, I read one review on this book and needed it ASAP and had to make sure I got to it this year. I prefer paperbacks but I didn’t even want to wait for it to be released. I love historical fiction and it’s not often I come across historical fiction set in Ancient Rome (haven’t found a novel to whet my appetite in this time period since the Mark of the Lion trilogy and guess what? This will also be a trilogy!!! AAAAH!). Really high hopes for this novel. 

Subtly Worded - I’ve spent a lot of time with the Russians this year and so why not continue the trend? Teffi was a female Russian writer and this is a collection of some of her short stories. She met Tolstoy and Rasputin, so I have a feeling this little volume will be highly entertaining. 

At the Existentialist Cafe - Ok, I did not make any progress with this book in June. I think I need to simplify my approach. I was trying to listen to the audiobook, while flipping through the physical book to make notes, and trying to be extra productive and knit at the same time. Nope. Too much. I think I’ll just solely do audio for this one because I need to work smarter, not harder. 

Crime & Punishment - Progress on my buddy read with my friend Rebekah is slow, but it’s moving along. Our goal is to finish this one over the summer, so we’re actually on track. Fifteen pages here and there and I hope to complete this by the end of August. I think it’s always nice to have a book in the rotation to read at a more leisurely pace. 

What are you reading this month?

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A Legacy by, Sybille Beford is a novel chronicling two German families before WWI. The eccentric characters make decisions that have unexpected outcomes and lasting consequences that weave together an elusive narrative of family drama and politics. 

My friend Julia and I buddy read A Legacy together and I’m really glad we did! This novel sparked interesting conversations because it’s so unusual. I think that if I’d read this one by myself, I’d have been more confused. I’m going to state this at the beginning before diving into more details - this novel was a little confusing, cryptic, vague and a bit disjointed. 

I believe that Bedford did this deliberately, as the story is being told by Francesca, the daughter of two of the characters, Julius and Cassandra. This novel is not always told in the first person, it switches to the third person and is pieced together using fragments of events and conversations. 

“We are said to reinvent our memories; we often rearrange them. Did we hear this then? Do we remember saying that? Or do we remember being told what we said?”

Bedford is making the statement that memory is fallible; it is delicately held together by fleeting images, conversations and fragments. It’s subject to change and become more vague as more time passes and is dependent upon who is recounting the memory. In a sense, this while novel reads like a dream, in which the scenes and conversations seem to change abruptly, leaving behind a feeling of wistfulness. There are a decent amount of characters in this novel and I did get some of them confused, something I don’t usually struggle with - they seemed to blend together. Perhaps that was deliberate as well - it reminds me of those family members that I met as a child but barely remember because I was too young to recall things distinctly. I just remember their outlines. 

Also, at the heart of this novel is the theme of how love blinds people into making strange, rash decisions in the moment. However, decisions have consequences that may lay dormant for a while. 

“The moves that shape the future seldom shape their own intended ends; the course of self-interest is seen as a bee-line, only at the moment, and the history of individuals, groups and countries is the sum of these.”

Julia and I discussed how selfish a lot of these characters are - they make choices that have detrimental outcomes. Even though some of these choices are made in the ignorance and selfishness of youth, they can’t be excused. We felt that some of these characters were disappointing, in that they never really change. They stay stuck in their ways. This is realistic however, many people stay stuck in their traits. 

A Legacy also brings up an interesting question: Is it ever morally okay to lie?

“Perhaps, you are asked to do this, to set up the lie, as you call it, in redemption of a past lie of your own.”

There are so many instances of characters lying to each other - big and small lies, some to spare feelings and others to use for personal gain. Also, to what extent does delaying the truth help or make a situation worse? I don’t think these are questions that need immediate answers because they can be argued both ways. I just think they are interesting to think about because these are dilemmas we have all faced at some point in our lives. 

The way Bedford writes her characters caught my attention. The female characters are outwardly less emotional than the men, they tend to be a bit colder, more controlled, where as the men “wear their hearts on their sleeves.” Definitely an interesting role reversal. Also, there are a few animals that make cameos in the novel and when they are introduced, Bedford describes them using very human-like qualities. Many times, I didn’t know she was referring to an animal until she blatantly said “money” or “donkey.” I think that Bedford is making the point that we all straddle the line between being civilized and out of control, regardless of one’s station in life. 

Overall, A Legacy was a unique reading experience, but not a favorite. Due to it being vague and cryptic at times, Julia and I both said we were confused at some points. However, there are parts that are enjoyable and it is well written. I would even potentially reread this, because having hindsight will allow me to pick up on the subtle details I know I missed. However, I don’t think I’ll jump to read her other novels. A Legacy also provides interesting commentary on Germany’s political climate at the time and touches on the facets in society that played roles leading up to WWI and WWII. Lastly, I can see why Nancy Mitford was a fan of this novel - I’m sure she was able to relate to the eccentricity of these high-society characters, since her own family was, to say the least, a bit crazy. 

Rating: 3.25 (I gave it a 3 and Julia gave it a 3.5). 

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