Victor Hugo

Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bellringer, lives in the belfry of Notre Dame and has been made deaf by the bells. He loves ringing them, "long morning serenades, which lasted from prime to compline; peals from the belfry for a high mass, rich scales drawn over the smaller bells for a wedding". But when he encounters the beautiful Esmerelda, he abandons the bells for a greater love.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Diana Quick has acted on stage and screen yet is best known for playing Julia Flyte in the TV drama Brideshead Revisited. Her memoir is A Tug On The Thread: From The British Raj To The British Stage.

She told the Daily Express about her six best books, including:

Homeby Marilynne Robinson

By an amazing American author of 65 who’s written only threeChristianity and their view on women, Handmaid’s Tale is a harrowing read at the best of times. In it, women have essentially been reduced to chattels, and the few fertile ones assigned to high-ranking military men in order to give them children.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Vintage Caper, Peter Mayle's latest novel, "begins high above Los Angeles, at the extravagant home and equally impressive wine cellar of entertainment lawyer Danny Roth. Unfortunately, after inviting the Los Angeles Times to write an extensive profile extolling the liquid treasures of his collection, Roth finds himself the victim of a world-class wine heist."

Mayle told The Week magazine about his six favorite travel books. One title on the list:

West With the Night by Beryl Markham

Beryl Markham was the first person to fly solo