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Denise Hamilton's Top Book Recommendations

Want to know what books Denise Hamilton recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Denise Hamilton's favorite book recommendations of all time.

1
Renowned perfumer Mandy Aftel explores the primal nature and fundamental importance of aroma in everyday life, teaching people about the nature of smell and the idea of "olfactory consciousness" in Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume. less
Recommended by Denise Hamilton, and 1 others.

Denise HamiltonThis a wonderful, swoony, sensual book. She gives you the history of perfume through the ages, from the ancient Egyptians and Assyrians. (Source)

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2
“Who knew that such a tiny bottle housed so many secrets?” —Michael Tonello, author of Bringing Home the Birkin

Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of the New York Times bestseller The Widow Clicquot (an Amazon Best of the Month book in October 2008) returns with a captivating history of the world’s most famous, seductive, and popular perfume: Chanel No. 5. Mazzeo’s sweeping story of the iconic scent (known as “le monstre” in the fragrance industry) stretches from Coco Chanel’s early success to the rise of the seminal fragrance during the 1950s to the confirmation of...
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Recommended by Denise Hamilton, and 1 others.

Denise HamiltonThis is a brilliant idea, to look at the 20th century through the prism of this one very special perfume. (Source)

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3

The Rottweiler

The first victim had bite marks on her neck so the London papers nicknamed her killer, “the Rottweiler.” He has been stalking the small and diverse London community of Lisson Grove, where Inez Ferry runs an antique shop frequented by a motley collection of eccentric individuals. When the Rottweiler’s trinkets start showing up in the shop, suddenly, everyone Inez knows is a suspect, and the killer feels all too close. Enthralling and deeply unsettling, The Rottweiler alternates expertly between the mind of a psychopath and the daily affairs of those living in his shadow. It is a... more
Recommended by Denise Hamilton, and 1 others.

Denise HamiltonIt’s a perfect example of using perfume in mysteries. She’s a wonderful, psychologically acute, dark writer, with very clever plots. (Source)

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4

Perfume

The Story of a Murderer

An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder.

In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift—an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille's genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop...
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Recommended by Denise Hamilton, and 1 others.

Denise HamiltonIt’s a very lush, richly imagined book. It just bursts with sensuality and the smells of Paris in the 18th century. (Source)

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5

Perfumes

The A-Z Guide

Pompous names, bizarre ads, hundreds of new scents a year?the multibillion-dollar business of fragrance has long resisted understanding. At last the first critical?and critically acclaimed?guide to perfume illuminates the mysteries of this secretive industry. Lifelong perfume fanatics Luca Turin (best known as the subject of Chandler Burr's The Emperor of Scent) and Tania Sanchez exalt, wisecrack, and scold through their reviews with passion, eloquence, and erudition, making this book a must-have for anyone looking for a brilliant fragrance?or just a brilliant read. less
Recommended by Denise Hamilton, and 1 others.

Denise HamiltonOpen it up on any page, start reading and it’s just brilliant. It’s funny, it’s snarky. It’s a Bible for the perfumista. (Source)

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