ALBUM REVIEW: Pink Martini – Get Happy (Wrasse Records)

Originally published in the print edition of French Entrée: November/December 2013. 

Pink Martini, fronted by China Forbes, formed in 1994. Get Happy is the groups’ sixth album, and sees the self titled ‘little orchestra’ doing what they do best, playfully genre hopping from classical, latin, jazz and classic pop. 

‘What‘ll I Do?’ is a highlight, with its spine tingling romanticism. Legendary singer/composer Rufus Wainwright also lends his delectable vocals on tracks ‘Kitty Come Home’ and ‘Get Happy’. 

Their glamorous blend of cafe culture ambience is nothing short of remarkable, with lyrics in German, Spanish, Japanese and Turkish. Get Happy is eclecticism at its very finest, to be enjoyed with a crisp glass of white on many a dusky summers eve.  

BOOK REVIEW: Bon Courage! A French Renovation in Rural Limousin, By Richard Wiles

Originally published in the print edition of French Entrée: November/December 2013. 

Author and journalist Richard Wiles is famed for a succession of DIY books, and was previously Senior Editor of Ideal Home Magazine. After a failed marriage and the loss of said job, Wiles felt compelled to embark on an ultimate DIY adventure all of his own. He, along with new partner Al, decided to renovate an uninhabitable, rodent infested barn in the picture perfect Limousin region. 

This autobiographical account of their trials and tribulations, titled thoughtfully Bon Courage (which is a French tongue- in-cheek expression, nodding knowingly to the enormity of life’s necessary and unexpected renovations) is a charming, easygoing and insightful read, and serves as great inspiration to anyone who is contemplating their own similar project. 

BOOK REVIEW: Alex - Pierre Lemaitre

I was recently asked to write this book review for a French lifestyle magazine, to showcase my work.

Alex

Pierre Lemaitre

£12.99 Maclehose Press

Parisian screenwriter and author Pierre Lemaitre is no stranger to delivering dizzying plots with anxious thriller tendencies. His new novel Alex follows suit, with complex apologues running through its every vein. Lemaitre gave up a literary teaching career to pursue writing full time resulting in a string of successful novels. This is the first of his creations to be available in English, translated by the talented IFFP-shortlisted Frank Wynne.  Alex is a twist and turn novel with the intention of unapologetically gripping its reader and begging for complete attention. It starts with a kidnapping and the horrific treatment of the captive. However, the plot unfolds startlingly shocking and unanticipated details, leaving behind shattered expectations of its ending. Lemaitre has a highly accomplished writing style, small instances that initially appear minor are then divulged as crucial red herrings to the plot.  For crime and thriller lovers alike, Alex is certainly a contender for a future classic.