I just returned from a cruise to the Bahamas yesterday . . . I am a lovely golden color which I would be happy to show off but for the fact that I have a case of the post-cruise wobblies which make me feel like I'm still on a rocking ship . . . so I am staying inside so as not to be seen publicly lurching around.
I read three books on this cruise, all of which were very enjoyable. Here they are - with my favorite line (or lines) from each:
1. "Party of the Century: The Fabulous Story of Truman Capote and his Black and White Ball" by Deborah Davis (2006). I've been on a Truman Capote kick, having recently finished a book of his letters edited by his biographer, Gerald Clarke. This book about the "Black and White Ball" held in 1966 is an entertaining description of that particular year where Capote's revolutionary novel (based on a true murder), "In Cold Blood" was published and was a smash hit. To cement his success (and his place in high society's stratosphere), Capote booked the ballroom of The Plaza Hotel (same place where my high school prom took place, btw), and painstakingly put together what has been thought of as the most fabulous guest list of all time. People clawed, kicked and wailed when not invited . . . and lied to friends about why they could not attend ("oh, I'll be in Palm Beach then"). How unfortunate that the guest list was actually published shortly thereafter, demonstrating who really made the cut - and who were just posing. Fluffy entertainment, definitely, with wonderful anecdotes about Capote, who was one of the most witty and interesting personalities of all time. My favorite frothy blurb from this book:
"Frequently, the weapon of choice in their rivalry [between socialites Babe Paley and Gloria Guinness] was the baby vegetable . . . . Serving the tiniest, most expensive vegetables at a time when they were rare was a surefire way to establish social superiority. After years of watching his extravagant hostesses in action, Truman decided that the size of a vegetable was indeed an indication of class. 'The real difference btween rich and regular people,' he observed, 'is tht the rich serve such marvelous vegetables. Little fresh born things, scarcely out of the earth. Little baby corn, little baby peas.'"
2. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I tried to locate a copy from my public library that hadn't been scribbled on by a student forced to read this book for class, but was unsuccessful. Oh well. This book tells the story of the mysterious and fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby whose love for the beautiful upper-class Daisy Buchanan leads to his ruin. Much like "Party of the Century," this book provides a shapshot of life in New York in the Roaring Twenties which, among other things, makes it a classic. This is one of my favorite passages: 
"I looked back at my cousin [Daisy] who began to ask me questions in her low, thrilling voice. It was the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down and if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again. Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth - but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, a whispered "Listen," a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour."
3. "Playing With the Grown-Ups" by Sophie Dahl. The second book written by Sophie Dahl, the former fashion model (and Roald Dahl's niece), is a work of fiction about a young woman growing up in London and New York. I'm not a big fan of fiction (I prefer to read biographies and the like), but I was intrigued to see what her writing style would be - I found it interesting, charming, and very readable. I was quite impressed, and I think that she nailed in various ways little images of what it was like being a teenager. I thought that it fell apart towards the end (or perhaps the onset of sea-sickness distracted me), but I enjoyed it and will check out her other writings. I loved this image: "He was surrounded by a group of thin, very blonde girls. Their eyes were glazed as if they had too much cake at a tea party."
Now I'm off to lie down - hopefully these wobblies will be gone by tomorrow!
