Bonjour! Happy Wednesday and Happy September. I’ve spent the past month obsessively reading so I could complete all the squares for the Seattle Public Library’s Summer Book Bingo. It felt pretty good to set a goal for myself and complete it, even if it is something I was going to do anyway. Read with a purpose, I say. Now I’m on to catch up on ARCs on NetGalley. Book One of the final books I read for Summer Book Bingo…
Bonjour friends and happy Wednesday. I feel like I started my week off on the right foot because of a post by Georgianna Lane on Instagram. She’s hosting a giveaway and the question she asks to be answered to win is, “leave a quick comment about something that inspires you this week.” I had two answers: my writing group (where I currently am writing from. I worked on book stuff too though) and looking forward to my Atlanta/New Orleans trip next month….
Bonjour mes amis! Happy mercredi and welcome back to another installment of Wednesday Whimsy. Book Today I found out about a new Paris-themed book on Anne’s Instagram called Don’t be a Tourist in Paris. It sounds DELIGHTFUL: “…find the most eccentric architecture, get cozy in hidden cafes, party in the catacombs, tour the city with a broken heart, and wander like a true bohemian. A lively, eccentric and esoteric guide to the hidden Paris of your dreams, from an outsider…
The latest book by Aurélie Valognes, Will You Ever Change, is a look inside the Le Guennec family: Martine, Jacques, and their three sons and respective significant others. The girls aren’t completely innocent, but Jacques does nothing to help the strained relationship between the girls and their in-laws. He doesn’t make things easy with his wife, either. They have a very old fashioned relationship where he worked to bring money home and Martine did absolutely everything else. Martine is tired…
Despite it being horrifically cold, we really did get to see and do some very awesome things. We took a bike tour where we got to see ancient Roman ruins and explore a new-to-us neighborhood, St-Germain. We did a walking food tour of Montmartre with Clotilde Dusoulier (my main bday present aside from actually going to Paris). We got to see and touch the most beautiful Iron Lady. We went to Musee d’Orsay and see beautiful paintings. I got to see…
The Portrait is another amazing book by Antoine Laurain. This makes three out of four of his books that I absolutely love. Pierre-François Chaumont is a lawyer and antiques enthusiast who comes across an 18th Century portrait of someone who looks just like him. His wife and their friends insist it looks nothing like him, which only causes him to obsess over it more until he finally identifies the man in the picture and makes the three-hour trip to his…
Bonjour Mercredi! I have been extra obsessed with French things lately so I have a full post of things to share. Book The new book by Antoine Laurain, The Portrait, came out last Tuesday. It’s the most recent published in English but was actually his first book in France. It is a very short book at 128 pages but I feel like it is just the right length for the story. I’m publishing the review tomorrow so check back if…
A Paris Year is part of the OMGThereAreSoManyNewParis/FrenchBooksBeingReleasedThisYear extravaganza. I did, ultimately, very much enjoy this book, but I have a lot of problems with it. My main one is that it is not quite what it is described as. Here’s a portion of the description: “Part memoir and part visual journey through the streets of modern-day Paris, France, A Paris Year chronicles, day by day, one woman’s French sojourn in the world’s most beautiful city.” Firstly, there are not…
Before planning for this trip, I didn’t even realize you could go up into the Sacre Coeur. After having a light lunch of soup around the corner, we went up the millions of steps to the top. We were rewarded with darling gargoyles and spectacular views. The weather was pretty gross for most of the trip but cleared up for a little while while we were up there. It was neat to learn that sixteen nuns live in one of…
Happy Summer! Today in Paris there will be a solstice music festival. Hey! I was there three years ago today! And seven! Can I go back yet? Sorry to be a broken record, but I’m sitting here freezing in a hoodie and staring longingly at my pool while they have some pretty nice weather this week. Book Here’s the latest new French presale that I know of. Cècile Delarue of French and Parfait has a new cookbook coming out next…