Reading

My mind should be on Florida but instead it seems to center on France. I just finished reading, Anything Considered, by Peter Mayle. Here is a brief review of the novel, from Amazon.com:

“It's no secret that Peter Mayle (author of A Year in Provence) loves Provence, so it's no surprise that Mayle's new novel is set that area: it takes place in Saint Martin and in Monaco. Bennett is an Englishman scraping together his last few francs, desperate to stay in France. He places an ad promising "anything considered," a wealthy truffle entrepreneur hires him for slightly illicit work, and the plot is off--a combination of a thriller, romance, and page turner. And through it all emanates the whiff of lavender, the curve of country hills, the bubble of champagne, and the sounds and tastes of Provence.”

I, like many readers, am smitten with novels that allow one to escape to exotic, faraway locations. Mayle’s descriptions of life in southern France are spellbinding. Will I go on to read his other novels? I haven’t decided yet. You see, in the spring I had a course on Faulkner and ended up reading all of his major works during that time. Then I went on an Amy Tan kick, reading every single one of her novels. If I do the same with Mayle, I’ll be busy for quite some time. I don’t read every single day, it varies, but with summer I find more time for reading.