Jet lagged but well-fed
I'm back from visiting my daughter, who's studying in Paris for a semester. I toyed with the idea of blogging there, but found it incredibly difficult to type while holding a criossant aux amandes and sipping chocolat chaud.
This week I can catch everyone up on the trip, including the city's phenomenal bookstores and its rich literary culture. It's a marvel -- there's nothing like it in the United States.
But first I want to thank all the Read Streeters who suggested books to make my trip more meaningful. Here's my pre-flight list: The Black Tower by Louis Bayard, a well-written mystery built around the French Revolution; Metro Stop Paris by Gregor Dallas, a look at the city's cultural history through neighborhood Metro stations; The Flaneur by Edmund White, a collection of engaging essays about Parisian life, and Murder on the Ile St. Louis by Cara Black, part of the Aimee Leduc mystery series. Each provided a fresh look at the city.
My TBR list still includes the writings of A.J. Liebling, The Discovery of France by Graham Robb, and Seven Ages of Paris by Alistair Horne. On the trip, I also bought a couple of books by French authors: Have Mercy on Us All by Fred Vargas, and The Interrogation by J.M.G. Le Clezio, who won the 2008 Nobel for literature. It's an imposing pile, but it will help stretch the vacation memories. If you have others, let me know while I'm still riding the sugar-high of les patisseries and chocolatiers.








Comments
Oh, Fred Vargas! Very quirky, very good!
There are other books in that series, too.
Posted by: Lauretta Nagel | December 4, 2008 6:14 PM
I found a copy of The Flaneur at the Book Thing. What a sweet little book.
Posted by: Pigtown | December 5, 2008 12:18 PM
Welcome back, Dave! It sounds like you had a great visit with your daughter, and a lot of fun ... criossant with ANYTHING appeals to me on this Friday afternoon.
Posted by: Dawn - She Is Too Fond Of Books | December 5, 2008 1:30 PM
Thanks Dave! I'll check some of these books out for my upcoming trip!
Posted by: Julie | April 17, 2009 8:40 PM