- See you in August
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Grass set
Ana Magdalena Bach takes the ferry every August 16 to lay flowers on the grave of her mother, who had wanted to be buried on a small island in the Caribbean. The year Ana turns forty-six, the ritual is changed by her encounter with a man returning from the cemetery. She spends the night with this stranger and then returns to her husband and children without revealing anything of what she experienced. And that she will relive the next 16 August. Where will these pilgrimages take her?
This posthumous novel by the great Garcia Marquez is imbued with tenderness, sensuality, beauty and captures us, shakes us until the end, leaving us a moving surprise.
2. Nantucket Hotel
Elin Hilderbrand
Stopovers
Lizbeth, betrayed by her partner, wants to turn the page and accepts the position of manager of the new Nantucket Palace, determined to be recognized as the best hotel in the country in the world! She is not done with her problems, because everything must be done: hire the best people to serve the customers, these customers, which she must attract to the Nantucket hotel, which has a reputation for being haunted… Is- Will Grace’s ghost damage the place’s reputation or attract the curious?
As romantic as it is elegant, this plot allows us to experience the amorous passions that arise so spontaneously on sunny days, to enjoy the gourmet moments that the author evokes with obvious pleasure and to dream of an escape to Nantucket to discover all its charms, so beautifully described here
3. Nothing ever happens here
Olivier Adam
Flammarion
In this beautiful village near Lake Annecy, no one expected this tragedy, but Fanny was murdered anyway, and her ex-boyfriend is suspected of being the perpetrator of the crime. Because Antoine lives a chaotic life, because he was seen leaving the local bar with the victim, because he doesn’t really have an alibi, because Antoine is the neurotic Antoine who collects problems…
Is it the culprit? By offering us the point of view of all the people who revolve directly or indirectly around Antoine and Fanny, the author skillfully makes us doubt the truth, but not the extreme complexity of family ties and drama that they create.
Yes, anything can happen in these seemingly peaceful places…
4. The monk’s seven lives
Olivier Barde-Cabuçon
South East
Lyon, 1760, Guillaume, the deposed monk has just returned from Cairo with his son Chevalier de Volnay and Yasmina, his mysterious Egyptian lover, who will be much talked about in this city, awaiting the visit of King Louis XV. Everything must be perfect for the monarch’s stay, and police lieutenant Sartine requires Volnay’s help to understand how men could catch fire and die in a matter of moments before the stunned eyes of rare witnesses. What is happening in the silk capital? And what faith can we add to the miracles of the healer Veronica?
If only for the vivid descriptions of Lyon, we must read this noir novel, which is full of unusual details about the location of flies, the health of the streets, the health of the Pompadour and scientific research to obtain exceptional dyes. We also appreciate the strength of the female characters who want to control their destiny.
5.7m2
Jussi Adler Olsen
Albin Michel
Seven square meters is the size of the cell where Carl Morck ends up, wrongfully accused of having hidden a suitcase full of drugs and money. Who framed him and why? Trying to remember what happened years ago when he agreed to store a friend’s suitcase in his attic, he guesses that he is suspected of knowing more about… .What exactly? He doesn’t know it, but one thing is certain: he annoys people who are ready to do anything to get rid of him.
What a pleasure to find Carl Morck and his team, to see Rose, Assad, Gordon still as endearing, loyal to their leader and determined to save him. An exciting novel that leaves us with no breathing space. And which confirms that Adler Olsen is one of the greatest authors of contemporary black novels.
6. I already made a customs officer smile
Samuel Larochelle
Stinky
Samuel Larochelle was not destined to become a great traveller, suffering from anxiety and coming from a rather sedentary family. But he faced his fears and presents to us in short texts his wanderings, which led him to discover Halifax, Lebanon, China, London. He writes with tenderness about his favorite Magdalen Islands, the kindness of a lady who prepared delicious jams for him, Bali “the antechamber of paradise”, the grace of a dancer from the Paris Opera and the spontaneous friendships formed on long bus rides and in hostels. Where we should not expect the luxury of a five-star hotel, the author reminds us, which can ironically pick out the rude people that we inevitably meet on trips. Which also speaks to the contradictions that live within him, aware of the carbon footprint of all his flights…A book that makes you want to go…also close to home!
7. My wish list
Gérard Delacourt
Albin Michel
Jocelyne in her early fifties is a seamstress in Arras, mother of two adult children and winner of the Euromillion jackpot. Contrary to what one might imagine, winning such a sum does not change one’s existence for the better. Her husband betrays her, her friends move away, she struggles to find balance and visits the anonymous winners who are struggling to live with their new fortune. But if Jocelyne managed to distribute her wealth by doing good around her, wouldn’t she be a little better off? Alas, it’s not that simple…
An imaginative novel that makes us think about what really has value, what really makes us happy…
