Quote from backpage:-
" Unhappy with her looks, her life, and her empty marriage, Louise Canova needs help -- and she fins it in a secondhand bookstore. A 40 year old encyclopaedia of style titled Elegance, this slim volume by formidable French fashion expert Madame Dariaux promises to transform even the plainest of women into creatures of poise and grace. It is a fairy godmother in print, an A-to-Z manual with essential advuce that Louise vows to take to heart. But within its pages lie not only clues from her past, but also powerful lessons for the future. And as the old Louise gives way to the stunnign new, she's about to find out tjaz there's more to life than what appears on the surface...and that everything, even Elegance, has its price.."

Really vivid descriptions and enticing humour brign forth a meddley of fashion tips alongwith revealign the frailities and possibilities in all of us.

Was a fascinating read.

Making a Bookring of this book, cos I want it to come back after travellign the world and back to my collection.
Starting with :-

1.-KatColorado...Switzerland
2. bakerwhencan....USA
3. A1856...CO..USA
4. gypsyrose02....australia
5. Rakuna...Finland
6. LindyLouMac...Italy
7. Katiesmama...Florida, USA
8. Tashe....Ohio, USA
9.KarinAlyssa....Montreal, Canada

and so on and on

and then back to me.....

I took this home from the MeetUp today. I will read it and then check who's next on the list.

Already when I read the first of Madame Dariaux advice on elegance ACCESSORIES I knew I would never be elegant, I just don't do accessories. I always wear the same shoes, my handbags aren't matching with my socks and I never wear either hat or brooch...

But the book isn't only about elegance. It's more about a quite disturbed woman, Louisa Canova, who hates herself so much, that she tries to change everything. She does have a lot of baggage to carry around, eating disorders from a very early age, a mother who wants her daughter to be a star and who is trying to kill herself, a father who isn't there too much, a husband who married her to be safe from his gay side and quite a few items more.

On the other hand Louisa has a few very good friends who watch out for her and I think a strong will for survival.

I don't really know how to take this book. It can be funny and entertaining with a happy end, but there are too many dark patches for me to just read it lightly.

RELEASE NOTES:

This book is starting a long journey today, across the Atlantic and then all across America... I hope it will travel safely...

It has safely arrived! I'll write soon!

OH! The BEST was the piece of Switzerland that arrived along with the book... thank you for the chocolate treat-- I just had it and it is in it's own class.

Overall, I enjoyed this read.. I lost interest at some points. How the main character changed her life so drastically according to book was hard for me to swallow. But, I understand that when one is ready for change, any thing that helps guide that is powerful I am interested in checking out Madame Dariaux's book one day. And I liked all the tips! Even if one doesn't agree--- the consistency of the character and the philosophy is entertaining, and elegance has many forms.

Will be sending this off to A1856. Thank you Potat1556!!

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent off to Colorado today!

From Colorado...
I just received it in the mail today! Thank you, bakerwhencan!

This was great fun to read... I enjoyed reading the fashion tips, some of them were hilarious too. I did find Louise's transformation a bit to dramatic to be very plausible. And I did feel sorry for her lack of self-confidence and self-worth. It did make me think about the impact of outward appearances on internal selves...

I will be sending this on to gypsyrose02 in Australia!

this arrived today. have alot of rings with me at the moment. will try to get to it asap.
thanks for including me guys.

i dont have the time to read this at the moment. ive been inundated with books, so im going to send it on unread. sorry guys. thanks for including me and thanks for sending it on.

on its way to rakuna

Reseaved the book last week, just forgot to journal. I read it and send then forwand.

What a lovely book! Just perfect for busrides to work. Even tough it was quite predictable, I enjoyed the alliance of style experimenting and romance and everyting not being so eacy and straight forward.

All be sending Elegance forvard as soon as I get the adrress

This book arrived safely today, resurfacing after its last journal entry three months ago. Thankyou to Potat1556 for including me in this ring and to Rakuna for sending on to me. Will start this as soon as I have finshed my current book and get it moving again as soon as possible. It has already been travelling the world for a year.

Currently reading and will finish quickly i think so have already sent a PM to Katiesmama, who is next on the list for her address. Having read the message on Katiesmama's bookshelf I am sending a pm to the next person on the list instead. Change of order to keep bookring moving hope this is OK!

This is unusual, the autor has used an old book to inspire her for chapter headings.
Synopsis
An enchanting novel brimming with poignancy, humour, enchantment and insight, this is a stunning debut. Imagine an Audrey Hepburn film in the present day...When Louise discovers an old book called Elegance in a second-hand bookshop, it's a blessing from above. She has long been experiencing the rumblings of discontent; her marriage is in tatters, she's become a middle-aged frump and her self-esteem is at an all-time low. So the book, an A-Z of how to be elegant and stylish by a renowned Parisian socialite, is just the boost she'd been searching for. Read a letter a time, Louise finds the life lessons she needs to restore her self-esteem and the courage to leave her unhappy marriage and move on.

From the Author
Several years ago now, I had the good fortune to stumble across an extroadinary book in a second-hand bookshop entitled Elegance by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux. Years later, when I decided to write a book myself, it became the guiding inspiration for this novel.

By generous permission of the original author, I have been allowed to use a selection of the original headings and have adapted them to suit my story. (Only the entry for B for Beauty remains wholly my own.) However, much of the tone and certainly the most brilliant gems of advice belong entirely to Madame Antoine Dariaux herself.

It is with enormous gratitude that I wish to acknowledge her contributions to this book and to thank her for being both my muse and the touchstone of all that is elegant for these past two and a half years. She is, I can assure you, even more gracious and enchanting in person than her wonderful words of wisdom reveal.

RELEASE NOTES:

En route to Tashe who has agreed she will then send to Katiesmamma.

Oh, I had hoped to like this book but I just didn't. I could not relate to the main character at all nor could I drum up much interest in her disturbed life.

Thanks for including me in the ring though!

I'll send it off to the next in line as soon as I can,

Tashe

Elegance is here in sunny, hot, SW Florida. I'm currently reading one book for next Tues. bookclub meeting, but then Elegance will be next. Thanks for this ring, I'm looking forward to reading this. A few weeks ago, I picked up the author's next book, Innocence, which I may make into a bookring later on as well. (If anyone from this ring might be interested, just let me know). KM

I'm very glad I stayed with this book. After getting a few chapters in, I wasn't liking it very much but since I very, very seldom leave a book, I hung with it and now I'm glad I did. I liked the second half of the book very much. It may be predictable at the end but that doesn't take away from the overall enjoyment. And as much as I didn't care for any of the characters at first, including Madame Dariaux (haha) that changed around. Louise turned out to be a very likeable character. And I loved Poppy's mother. The funeral part just cracked me up. But there, I don't want to spoil this, so I'll stop. I have KarinAlyssa's address but since I have to make a trip to the post office to mail it (customs form:) it's going to be Saturday before I get this on the way to her. Thanks to all, especially Potat1556 for including me in this ring.

Elegance is on its way to KarinAlyssa, posted about 11:00 a.m. today (7/8). Enjoy!!!!

received today ! Thanks KatiesMamma and Potat1556 for allowing me to read it. The timing was perfect as I just finished a book before coming home to that one, so I have already started it !

Update : This was a quick and enjoyable read. Elegance is complex, but it was well broken down and I loved to read more about it ! For now, I'm waiting for Potat to come back from her trip to see what happens with it, but thanks for sharing !

I still have the book and I am waiting for an address to send me back. Just wanted to update it !

The book will be sent to ChronicBooker03 on behalf of BookGal23 later this month with other books I owe to her since Potat no longer wants it.

RELEASE NOTES:

going to Chronic on behalf of boogal, enjoy !