Caron Cakes Shawl & an Affair of the Heart

Knitting

My name is Laura, and I'm a Caron Cakes addict. I don't think I'm alone, however (please say I'm not). I've been incredibly busy lately and wanted a fun but mindless knit for weekday evenings. Caron Cakes are certainly fun - when you're getting bored with a color, it changes (much like the weather these days).

This time, I chose Pistachio because I knew I'd be wearing it in March. Ravelry came to the rescue with a simple yet lovely free pattern called the Latte Scarf. I hope to have this done for St. Patrick's Day!

I'm also running a flash sale on my Aspen Winter Cowl pattern because March came in like a lion here at the Jersey Shore. From now until March 12th, you can get this pattern for 99 cents with the coupon code MARCHLION. A handle link is in the sidebar at the left!

Reading

What if Humbert Humbert was accused of murdering Lolita in a book written by Elmore Leonard?

That's my description of The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker. Released in 2014 to quite a bit of fanfare, the book's sales didn't reach expectations here in the States. I've seen copies on discount racks in Barnes & Nobel since publication, but the book probably reached a new low when I found a copy for $1 at the dollar store.

Now I'm a person who loves to find a good book at a thrift store or in a bargain bin, and $1 isn't much of an investment. Also, on the day I found this copy, I was coming down with a cold and knew I was going to hibernate over the weekend. I wanted a book that would interest me but not require any effort on my part.

This was the book.

Harry Quebert, a writer in the mold of Norman Mailer, is accused of murder when the body of a 15 year old girl who went missing 33 years ago is found on his property in New Hampshire. A manuscript of Harry's masterpiece, The Origin of Evil, is found under the body with the inscription, "Goodbye, darling Nola". 

Harry's protege, Marcus Goldman, arrives at Harry's beach house in New Hampshire right before the body is discovered complaining of writer's block. Goldman published a blockbuster the year before and has a second book due shortly for which he received a large advance but he's yet to write a word. When the body is found and Harry becomes the prime suspect, Goldman's publisher suggests that the investigation of this murder become the topic of Goldman's second book.

Marcus' investigation interspersed with Harry's advice on writing and flashbacks to the summer of 1975 and the murder make up the bulk of the book. At over 600 pages, it's still a fast read and a lot happens including a twist I did NOT see coming with about 100 pages to go. Originally written in French by a Swiss author who spent summers in New England, there's a lot of small town hi jinx and a little social climbing that provides some much needed humor in a mystery that basically involves the relationship between a 35 year old man and a 15 year old girl. 

I really enjoyed this book, and the Lolita aspect is handled very well. There are some fun allusions - for example, Harry's lawyer is named Benjamin Roth (a not so subtle connection to Philip Roth), and Marcus' mother is every Jewish mother in the body of one New Jersey matron. While I can't say I agree with the fantastic reviews from foreign publications all over the cover and front pages, if you want a fun mystery with an unusual twist on a weekend you may not be feeling your best, this book's for you!

Every Tuesday, I join Nicole at the Keep Calm Craft On link party. On Wednesdays, I participate in the Yarn Along on Ginny Sheller's blog. Sometimes I post reviews at Cannonball Read. Please join us either by contributing a link to your fibery work in progress and current read and / or by checking out the posts to the link parties. You may find your next book or project waiting for you!