Hello Perfume Posse Peeps!!

Portia from AustralianPerfumeJunkies in the POSSE! YAY!! I love coming and visiting you all on Fridays, it feels like a holiday every week. I hope summer is treating you well, though I’ve heard it’s been NASTY!! Sorry to brag but our winter has been delicious: today, which is nearly spring but technically winter is 27 degrees celcius (over 80F) the sun is shining and life seems pretty good, except the wind is blowing leaves in the damn pool and clogging up the baracuda. It could be worse right?

Bookish Portia reads Chandler Burr

Most of my work is night work so I usually have the days to myself because the crew is out a school or work, we have homestays. That is when I get my reading on. I love to lie out in the sun and read, or even grab a cuppa and sprawl all over the couch in the sunroom. With a book I am gone…..

THE EMPEROR OF SCENT by CHANDLER BURR 2002: This is the story of one of the instigators of perfume writing, Luca Turin, and his scientific belief in smell as vibration rather than smell as shape. Chandler follows Luca through his process of discovery, testing, meetings and the incredible stupidity, wall building and self serving bullshit that is the scientific community at its absolute worst. They act like 4 year olds in a kindergarten, putting their heads in the sand so they can’t see the new theory, or even test it. This is compelling reading from a story viewpoint but also a very interesting look into another world not so far from our own. Like a good old fashioned pot boiler it is very hard to put down.
TheBookDepository AUD$14.25 delivery worldwide incl

THE PERFECT SCENT by CHANDLER BURR 2007: Imagine following 2 superstars on and off for a year, having access to places we mortals only dream of and getting the absolute inside skinny on how 2 entirely different fragrances are created, marketed and produced. Chandler Burr follows Sarah Jessica Parker (OMG! I love her and was totally impressed by Chandler’s reactions to her) through the creation of Lovely and Lovely Lotion and Jean Claude Ellena and the Hermes crew through the creation of Un Jardin Sur Le Nil (Garden On The Nile). Again we are given an entree into worlds hitherto completely off limits from the public, even most perfumistas never get this close to the sources of their passion. A must read for anyone embarking on a life down the fragrant wormhole.
TheBookDepository AUD$14.44 delivery worldwide incl

YOU OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU by CHANDLER BURR 2009: Here we see a great departure from fragrance writing, Chandler tackles the Jewish and Gay questions head on in a very thought provoking and in your face way. It’s a great read loosely based on his own life experiences being both. I had to go away and digest a lot of the material in the book and read it again because it was quite confronting to the way I think and I had to re arrange some of my processes and prejudices to cope. As ever the tale is told in such a readable style that you’ll find it hard to leave for the real world when stuff needs to be done. Chandler Burr is a great story teller and I am glad he chose to use his celebrity in such a profound way. Bravo! Go read it.
TheBookDepository AUD$11.98 delivery worldwide incl

Chandler Burr Photo Stolen gawker

I have chosen Chandler Burr because I love reading what he writes. I have no affiliation with him. Nor am I affiliated with TheBookDepository but I think their prices are excellent, include worldwide delivery and arrive at my door quickly, I have stolen my book photos from them today.

I hope life gives you some time this week to get your book on. What have you been reading scent wise? Last time I wrote about books you all gave me some great suggestions; Floating Gold, The Mephisto Waltz, Chandler Burr, Luca Turin and more. All of which I have added to my collection and most of which I’ve now read. Tell me more please,

Don’t forget to come on over to AustralianPerfumeJunkies too. There’s always some damn CErAYzy mayhem going on over there too and we LOVE visitors. See you next Friday.

Portia xx