Chapter 7 - The House I Loved

Sometimes just little things will get me thinking about the books I've read. Recently I was in Baltimore, Towson really, and passed by three houses where I used to live, one as a child, one as a teenager, and one as an adult. I have wonderful memories of each of them as I have been blessed enough to have a good childhood and some very happy times as an adult.

It is exciting to me that many authors use houses as one of the characters in their books. Even classics authors like Charles Dickens (Bleak House), Nathaniel Hawthorne (The House of the Seven Gables) and Edgar Allen Poe (The House of Dies Drear) all wrote about houses and their influences, good and bad, on the inhabitants.

Here are some books which I've enjoyed and one I haven't read as yet written with the house as a main character.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - This is quite possibly my favorite book of Patchett's although she has quite a few to choose from. The story is about a couple who move into a house called the Dutch House which sets in motion a series of events that impact everyone they love.

The House I Love by Tatiana de Rosnay - In 1860's Paris, Emperor Napoleon III is determined to build Paris into a modern city by tearing down all the old. Rose Bazelet, an older woman, refuses to move from her home positioning herself in the basement as all the buildings around her are demolished. This is a tale of a lonely childhood, great loves, and even greater secrets in Rose's life.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins - I mentioned this one last week as it is a book I read in prelude to the Savannah Book Festival. The Villa was the scene of a murder in the 1970's. Will that history continue in 2022? I totally loved the 1970's vibe as well as the twist in the plot.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell - After her 25th birthday Libby Jones comes home to a letter that not only tells her who her birth parents are but also tells her that she is the owner of a mansion on the Thames. She doesn't know that she isn't the only one waiting for this day. What she finds out about the house and its previous occupants will be quite a surprise.

A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable - If you recall about 9 years ago there was an apartment in Paris which had not been opened in 70 years. Quite a few authors spun tales from the original news article and A Paris Apartment is one of the best. When Sotheby's continental furniture expert, April Vogt, is sent to Paris to appraise the furnishings in an old apartment she is amazed by the findings. As she wades through the treasures, she becomes more and more curious about the apartment's owner and what caused her to leave.

How to Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix - As Louise moves to Charleston to get her deceased parents' house readied for sale she has many misgivings. She doesn't want to leave her teenage daughter with her ex, she doesn't know if she has the energy to clear out her father's academic papers and her mother's collection of puppets and dolls, and finally she doesn't really want to deal with her no-good brother. What she doesn't know is that the house may not want to be sold. I haven't read this one yet but have so enjoyed other Grady Hendrix books that it is definitely on my TBR pile.

Do you have any good books about houses to share? Please let me know!