Au Revoir, Paris in July!

"Although Bertha Young was thirty she still had moments like this when she wanted to run instead of walk, to take dancing steps on and off the pavement, to bowl a hoop, to throw something up in the air and catch it again, or to stand still and laugh at–nothing–at nothing, simply.

What can you do if you are thirty and, turning the corner of your own street, you are overcome, suddenly by a feeling of bliss–absolute bliss!–as though you'd suddenly swallowed a bright piece of that late afternoon sun and it burned in your bosom, sending out a little shower of sparks into every particle, into every finger and toe? . . ."

---from "Bliss," in Bliss and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield

Paris in July wraps up this weekend, and what a lovely time I've had. I feel exactly like Bertha Young when I experience Paris in July (or, honestly, Paris at any other time). 

My friend Louise from A Strong Belief in Wicker loves Paris and children's books as much as I do, so we decided to do a buddy read of A Hundred Million Francs, one of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read set in Paris, for Paris in July. We're at the halfway point, so we plan to read on, even after Paris in July. We have tentative plans to read the picture books in French together after that. The Paris in July fun lingers into August. 

I read/am reading three books---My Place at the Table, French Dirt, and Four Seasons in France---where people actually move to France and start new lives or spend extended time there. Maybe...someday...

What I Read Last Week:

My Place at the Table: A Recipe for a Delicious Life in Paris 

by Alexander Lobrano ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Paris Project by Donna Gephart (Children's Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Secret Paris: Local Guides by Local People (Guidebook) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Paris to Provence: Childhood Memories of Food and France by Ethel Brennan ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Crêpes by Suzette by Monica Wellington (Picture Book) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

French Dirt: The Story of a Garden in the South of France by Richard Goodman ⭐⭐⭐

What I'm Reading Now:

Marlaguette by Marie Colmont (Picture Book, in French)

Bonsoir Lune by Margaret Wise Brown (Picture Book, in French)

La Vache Orange by Nathan Hale (Picture Book, in French)

A Hundred Million Francs by Paul Berna (1001 Children's Book)

My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life by Janine Marsh (Moving-and-Starting-Over Memoir)

Serve It Forth by M. F. K. Fisher (Food Writing)

Paris in July Last Week:

Iliana at Bookgirl's Nightstand shared a recipe for a common French favorite, French Yogurt Cake. My husband won't eat cake, but he does eat bread, so I made the cake and renamed it French Yogurt Bread. It was delicious.

We visited a French bistro a couple of times when we stayed in Paris last February, and my sister gave me a book she found after we got home for my birthday. I reviewed French Bistro.

I listed The Books I'd Read if I Were Stranded in Paris.

We watched Season 1 of Alice in Paris. I hope to find the other seasons.

 Paris in July from Previous Weeks:

We watched Un Dimanche à la Campagne (A Sunday in the Country); The Lavender Hill Mob; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; Monsieur and Mademoiselle Adelman; and Jules and Jim. 

I shared French Books You Can Read in One Sitting That Might Change Your Life.

For Wordless Wednesday, I focused on the French phrase "Coup de Foudre," a lightning-bolt moment, here.

And I reflected on the French idea of books as an essential good here.

I reviewed Confessions of a French Breadmaker and tried one of the recipes from the book for Walnut and Red Wine Yeast Bread here.

I tweaked the Top Ten Tuesday post to note ??? Book Titles ??? That Are Classically French.

I shared my favorite modern art from Centre Pompidou: Modern Art at Centre Pompidou in Paris. Did you know "modern art" doesn't really mean modern art? I did not.

I listed my favorite French-ish books and tried to figure out why I love these books so much: Why I Love French-ish Books (And Why You Should Love Them, Too!)

I packed for Paris in July here.

Good Thing #1

Blowing bubbles with Annie and Wyatt.

Good Thing #2

A new Le Petit Prince coffee mug!

Good Thing #3

My sister, Cathy (left), had her birthday last week,

and I (right) had a lot of fun celebrating with her. 

I'm happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

• What was your week like?
• Read any good books? Tell us about them.
• What other bookish things did you do? 
• What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.