The Reading Pile

So truthfully I haven't done much reading lately that hasn't been media-related in some way. When I haven't been doing academic readings though I managed to find the time to finish these two literary gems.

The Diary of a Nose by Jean-Claude Ellena I spied this book on Anna's blog and thought it'd be intriguing to my perfume loving self. Sadly unscented this book is the tale of Jean Claude-Ellena, the head parfumier at Hermes in Paris. He kept a diary of his year as a perfume wizard and poetically describes the perfume-making progress, his experimentation with scents and notes as well as where his inspiration behind a fragrance comes from. This book does take a little while to get into but I really enjoyed it. It offers a rare and incredibly charming insight into the art of perfume invention. It even had me dreaming up my own fragrance combinations.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Admittedly I've been wanting to read this for a while, I think since the book was mentioned on Gossip Girl, sad but true. With the movie being released I decided it was about time to have a read of it, and I am glad I did. The Great Gatsby tells the story of a man of good fortune, who nobody ever really knew. A sea of partygoers are drawn to his enormous mansion but it is only the company of one lady that he seeks. This is a story about wealth, destruction and in a sense great loss and loneliness. It is such an amazing story. If you are yet to see the film I'd recommend reading this first as it gives you a greater sense of who the characters are beforehand.