Inspired by Reading: April Reveal...

For April, the Inspired by Reading Book Club read a delightfully interconnected novel by Armistead Maupin called, "Tales of the City".  The book starts off with one of the main characters deciding to stay in San Francisco during the mid-70's.  She finds an apartment in a house presided over by the ever-so quirky landlord, Anna Madrigal.  From there, it introduces a wonderfully vibrant cast of characters and weaves their lives together.  I love how rich the depictions were and even though the book is over 40 years old, it didn't seem dated or stale.  This isn't always the case; sometimes I'll pick up "great works of the day" and once they're out of context or the buzz has died down, they seem to lose their zip and sparkle.  Not so with this title!  Maupin worked his magic and flash-froze the era filled with zesty details.

Here is my submission for "Tales of the City".  It's a long, strung necklace with rose quartz, amethyst, brass, vintage Czech glass, and polymer clay by me. The polymer clay beads feature a paisley cane pattern that I made.  I was inspired by Anna Madrigal and her flamboyant, bohemian style and her purple kimonos and purple paisley dressing gowns.  I also thought the amethyst was a nice nod to the references about being in the Age of Aquarius. (Amethyst is the birthstone for Aquarius.)  The brown is an allusion to the brown shingles of the building, which one of the characters says is like bear fur.  Rose quartz is usually used to symbolize love and friendship, which are central themes in the book.  I used a yellow brass as a nice contrast to the purples. The flower bead caps remind me of a 70's floral print and dress up the polymer.  I strung the piece so that there's no beginning or end, a nod to the way all the stories seem to circle back on each other and connect.

I really liked the book! (There were definitely some sketchy characters I didn't like, but I was charmed by most of the lavishly fleshed out figures that populate Maupin's world.) I loved how nuanced and detailed all the characters were and how the book captures the vibe of mid-70's, post-Summer of Love San Francisco. I definitely want to read more in this series!

To find out more about our book club, CLICK HERE.  You can also join our Facebook page by CLICKING HERE.  Up next is, "Mistborn: The Final Empire" by Brandon Sanderson.