A mini-post today, as last night, right when I had all my images lined up to sort, a plethora of flashing red boxes popped up on my home laptop and screamed that I was being invaded by multiple viruses ABORT ABORT ABORT! It was all very dramatic, and after solving the problem I gave up for the night.
In the meantime, has anyone read the book A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff? I hadn’t heard of it until recently, but apparently it was a bestseller in the UK last year (not necessarily a guide to quality) and has just been released in the US. The heroine is an ex-auctioneer for Sotheby’s who has just opened a vintage boutique in Blackheath, and forms a friendship with an elderly French woman who is selling her vintage couture collection. It sounds like a load of tripe but of COURSE I am going to read it, and I’ll most likely enjoy the hell out of it.
The first cover is from the UK paperback, the second from the US hardback. I much prefer the US edition, not being a fan of super-girly sugary sweet ’chick-lit’ covers. Seriously, publishers: I might read Marian Keyes but I also read Dickens, Austen and Henry James. Try to credit me with some level of intelligence, and don’t assume that making a book ’ooooh pink!’ means I’ll want to read it (when in actual fact, it just makes it embarrassing to open up on the tube).
1970s flower power swimsuit by Spinney 
1950s black beaded evening bag 
1970s Afghan crochet granny top 
1960s Halston for Bergdorf Goodman turban pattern 
1970s chestnut leather knee high boots 
>The new girly Austen covers make me die inside a little. I hate pink. I especially hate pink on book covers.
>Haha. That last bit is so true. I'll but a fabric cover on the ones that are too embarrassing. :)
>What is up with the pink overload in marketing to woman? There is the common superpink with lime green and swirlies everywhere in the graphics of ads and I know the man is trying to reach my demographic. Leaves me cold. Don't like my sugar sticky, if you know what I mean.
Ok. I don't even know what I mean. But you get my drift. Haven't read the book. Waiting for your Cliff Notes.
>I agree. The "chick-lit" covers are dreadful most of the time! They just turn me off to the books in general. I will probably have to read this one though…with a book cover over it.
>Malware *shudder*
>I once heard a marketing person say that they make products for men and then to turn the product into one for the ladies they "pink it & shrink it". Niiice.
That book looks pretty good though, I'd read it – make sure you do us a review!
>That cover is quite horrible, and quite enough to put a chick lit-hating gal off. Ready to be swayed by your review, though…
>Hi Penny! Just found you through Sharon Rose's blog. Completely agree, the second cover looks much more intriguing. I'd never have picked the Brit edition, far too sugary and girly. Liking the sound of the subject, a perfect beachy read. xxx
>Hi there-sounds a great read, thanks for the tip! xx
>Cybill, that marketing comment makes me RAGE. Nice to see we all feel a similar contempt for pink book covers, I love it when people bond over bitterness.
>Keep us posted PD. I read Isabel Wolff's first book 'The Trials of Tiffany Trott' (despite its glaringly pink cover) & quite liked it. Apparently 'self-deception is the main theme' of her novels, plus she has such a cool name, don't you think?