Chatting Books online Year 2, Day 46. Today’s recommended book Julia Reed’s memoir : The House on First Street , My New Orleans Story .
This was both the perfect choice of book for me to read right now ; and the worst possible pick . You see the book is part love letter to the city of New Orleans and part lament about the travails of home renovation . In my own life right now I am both redecorating my home in St Francisville about to embark on a renovation and addition and I am about to transplant from my home in New Orleans to live full time in the country . So throughout reading the book I was at times nostalgic , at times excited , at times dreading the renovation , at times looking forward to the end result , and at times a bit sad . The sadness is not so much for me , I am embarking on a new adventure (apparently ones with large snakes on my back porch about which I am not thrilled but that is another story for another day ). Mostly I am sad for the city of New Orleans that throughout its history seems to repeatedly be its own worst enemy , and I am sad that the literary world has lost the voice of such a wonderfully heartfelt writer . It takes a special writer to bring you on a journey combining raucous French Quarter parties , fine meals in fabulous restaurants you can practically taste as you read the passage , traveling the state with an infamous (and later imprisoned) politician , through a total home renovation that went anything but smoothly, and Hurricane Katrina and do it all with humor and grace . I am glad I read it , and I suggest you do too .
We currently carry this book in paperback , it is 199 pages and sells for $15.99 a copy .
To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you.
