Livres Français, Films Français, Cuisine Française

  

It's the last week of Paris in July, and my houseguests have headed off to their new home, so I'm trying to read as fast as I can to squeeze in every drop of Paris I can. 

Last week I finished five books, including the Chocolat sequel, set in Paris; Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Wind, Sand and Stars; my second Émile Zola novel, good, but not quite as good as my first Zola I read last year; Henry James' travel book from 1884, A Little Tour of France; and Muriel Barbery's novella, Gourmet Rhapsody. 

I hope to read this week three picture books in French; a travel guide, Secret Paris; a book of childhood memories of food and France, Paris to Provence; a memoir of a food critic in Paris; and rereads of two favorite picture books, Crêpes by Suzette and 750 Years in Paris.

What I Read Last Week:

The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris (Sequel to Chocolat) ⭐⭐⭐

Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery ⭐⭐⭐

A Little Tour in France by Henry James ⭐⭐⭐

Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ⭐⭐⭐

The Belly of Paris by Émile Zola ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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)

Crêpes by Suzette by Monica Wellington (Picture Book)

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

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

Secret Paris: Local Guides by Local People (Guidebook)

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

Paris in July Last Week:

We finally got around to taking in some French movies last week. We watched Gentlemen Prefer Blondes set (partially) in Paris. It was my first movie with Marilyn Monroe, and I couldn't help feeling that she was both mesmerizingly beautiful and achingly comedic, though the movie is an awful picture of the aspirations of women of the 50s.

We also watched Un Dimanche à la Campagne (A Sunday in the Country); Monsieur and Mademoiselle Adelman; and Jules and Jim. Un Dimanche à la Campagne is the story of the visits of a son and a daughter with their elderly father on a Sunday afternoon in the French countryside. It's poignant and thoughtful, and it was my favorite movie we viewed this month. Monsieur and Mademoiselle Adelman is the story of a marriage of forty-five years, and it manages to be both a bit of a drama and a comedy. Jules and Jim is the story of two friends who both love the same woman, and it epitomizes the free love ideas of the 60s, though it should have been seen as a cautionary tale. 

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.

 Paris in July from Previous Weeks:

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

We enjoyed Beef Bourguinon last week.

I used the Barefoot Contessa's recipe. 

Good Thing #2

I baked Dorie Greenspan's Sablés au Citron last week.

Good Thing #3

I visited my favorite Paris museum, Musée d’Orsay, last week via Google Arts & Culture.

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.