Today I'm off to Paris! It will be a month of beautiful sights, great food, French conversations, amazing books, delightful movies, and wonderful wine, and I'll get to experience it all from the comfort of my armchair.
What I Read Last Week:
Making Comics by Lynda Barry ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Far-Distant Oxus by Katharine Hull (1001 Children's Book) ⭐⭐⭐
Handles by Jan Mark (1001 Children's Book) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Wind Singer by William Nicholson (1001 Children's Book) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
How the Whale Became by Ted Hughes (1001 Children's Book) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Monster Blood Tattoo by D. M. Cornish (1001 Children's Book) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
No Way of Telling by Emma Smith (1001 Children's Book) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells (1001 Children's Book) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Redwork by Michael Bedford (1001 Children's Book) ⭐⭐⭐
What I'm Reading Now:
The Belly of Paris by Émile Zola
A Passion for Paris: Romanticism and Romance in the City of Light by David Downie
Quiet Corners of Paris by Jean-Christophe Napias
A Hundred Million Francs by Paul Berna
I'm setting aside my 1001 Children's Books (except for a couple in French) for the month of July. Instead, I'll be reading from my stash of books set in Paris.
Posts about Paris in July:
Why I Love French-ish Books (and Why You Should Love Them, Too) (next Thuesday)
Wondrous Words: Modern Art at Centre Pompidou in Paris (next Wednesday)
Paris in February 2020
Good Thing #1
Cost of Trip to Paris in February 2020: $4,500
Cost of Trip to Paris in July 2021: $0
Good Thing #2
Danger of Getting COVID in Paris in February 2020: Rising Every Day
Danger of Getting COVID in Paris in July 2021: Nill
Good Thing #3
Length of Time Spent Traveling on a Plane to/from Paris in February 2020: 16 hours
Length of Time Spent Traveling on a Plane to/from Paris in July 2021: 0 hours
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.
While this year's trip to Paris seems cheaper and safer, I can't help thinking last year's was a tad more exciting and interesting!
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Helen.
DeleteGreat to see you participating in Paris in July. Tamara has the Linky up and running, and there are already several posts there. It's going to be a fascinating month.
ReplyDeleteI've read two of your book selections. I love the Zola book and have already read another in the series for this month's event.
I detested the book by David Downie -- my review title was "Pretentious, Precious, Patronizing, Predictable" (link:
https://maefood.blogspot.com/2019/07/pretentious-precious-patronizing.html )
You might have a different opinion.
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
The book by David Downie was a birthday present, so I will continue to read on, though I'm sad to see it was a bottom-of-the-barrel book for you, Mae.
DeleteYour review is for A Taste of Paris by Downie, and I am reading A Passion for Paris by Downie. I think your criticisms are well-founded---lack of a bibliography, unnecessary use of French words when English words would do, an attitude of superciliousness---but the stories he tells are detailed and intriguing enough to carry the reader along despite the flaws.
DeleteI've read several Zola novels, but not The Belly of Paris. Will look forward to your thoughts. Maybe I'll start Paris in July with a glass of French wine! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think that would be an start to the month, JoAnn.
DeleteI especially love all your good things! I really enjoy Paris in July and am excited about all of these. I've never read Zola. I should. I have read David Downie before but not this one, so I'll be interested to hear about it -- and all the others!
ReplyDeleteI read my first Zola during my last (physical) trip to Paris. I immediately put it on my list of best reads ever.
DeleteI wanted to go with you all for Paris in July but i just don't have it together! I will enjoy reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteMaybe next year, Tina...
DeleteYour Paris selections look fantastic. So you really were able to go in Feb 2020? How exciting! Well, at least this year's trip will be much cheaper and very low risk. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHere’s my WEEKEND WRAP-UP POST this week. — Diana
I was thrilled to go to Paris last February. I haven't posted as much about the trip as I'd like...but I hope to catch up this year.
DeleteEnjoy your Paris trip. We'll be looking for your reports from there.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I finished one debut novel this week that was set in the Barbados. It was not an easy read and much of it was infuriating but the writing was very impressive. I'm currently reading a book set in Europe by a Nobel laureate I've enjoyed in the past which has been mostly disappointing. One never knows what one will get in a book.
I agree completely, Dorothy.
DeleteI'm looking forward to getting ideas for new books to read for the 2022 event. This year, I'm sitting it out, cheering you on. Love your Three Good Things! Armchair travel at its best!
ReplyDeleteI've been excited about "going" for months.
DeleteI hope you have fun doing this.
ReplyDeleteIt's a delightful adventure for me each year.
DeleteI love your good things about your Paris trip. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI'm determined to look for the positive.
DeleteOooohhhhh...your Paris trip sounds wonderful. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteIt's barely begun and it's already been fantastic.
DeleteI'm hoping to do some "traveling" soon! I love the sound of your Paris trip and the comparisons are fantastic! Plus, in this version of traveling I can can wear much comfier clothes and fuzzy socks! Have a great week and enjoying your trip!
ReplyDeleteExactly, Katherine. I'm always one for comfy clothes and fuzzy socks.
DeleteParis in July sounds very appealing! I hope you are enjoying your books. I will not be spending the entire month in Paris, but perhaps will make a stopover trip there now and then through my reading. I hope you have a great week, Deb!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you will be popping in.
DeleteI'll enjoy Paris any way I can get there, virtually or otherwise. I don't have anything planned for this event but I look forward to your posts!
ReplyDeleteJust planning for the trip was a delight.
DeleteParis never mind July any month is fine by me. I like the links. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI'll be happy to go there any time, too.
DeleteEnjoy your virtual tour of Paris, it actually sounds like a lot of fun. Paris is such a beautiful city, hopefully you will get to visit it again when it is safer to do so!
ReplyDeleteI have my fingers crossed that I'll return within the next year.
DeleteLol... I love the pros and cons of travelling to Paris via your armchair, Deb! Your reading, as ever, is adventurous and wide-ranging and I hope you enjoy your between-the-covers tourism - no pick-pockets or upset tummies, either!! Have a great week:).
ReplyDeleteExactly, Sarah!
DeleteI like Paris in the spring! I would love to be travelling again, but we are remaining cautious at the moment.
ReplyDeleteSeeing Covid popping in again in various places worry me. I also do not want to spend travel time in quarantine.
We'll be happy poking around home for now, anyway it is golfing season for John.
No, it would not be fun to be stuck somewhere.
DeleteHappy Armchair Traveling! I think of that book (and movie)The Accidental Tourist and realize that armchair traveling is my favorite thing.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your books and your journey.
Thanks for sharing, and here are my WEEKLY UPDATES
I love to travel via book, too.
DeleteSafe virtual travels! Certainly a lot more comfortable to travel from the comfort of your home. I have never been overseas, so it's a little hard to imagine.
ReplyDeleteOverseas is an adventure.
DeleteYou were so lucky to get your Paris trip in just under the wire last year! Here's to some lovely French memories:)
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize how lucky we were until later.
DeleteWhat a lovely idea! And you've got so many books that fit!
ReplyDeleteThere are always seem to be new French books.
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ReplyDeletehave a marvelous trip. i love that you are doing it through the comfort of your chair. my kind of traveling. lol
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sherry.
DeleteI hope you have a wonderful trip!!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Me, too, Nicole.
DeleteWhat a fun and inexpensive idea! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteOne of the delights of reading.
DeleteHave a great time in Paris!!
ReplyDeleteIt's fabulous to be here.
DeleteWhat a fun list of children's books! No Way of Telling sounds particularly intriguing!
ReplyDeleteNone of these books were books I had ever seen on a bookshelf, and they were all excellent.
DeleteI didn't remember that you went to Paris last year right before COVID struck! Lucky you can travel back this year, making a cost-free trip.
ReplyDeleteYes, I put together some generic Paris posts before I left, and when we returned, the world flipped upside down and I didn't get to post much about the trip.
DeleteBon jour! Enjoy your armchair trip to Paris!
ReplyDeleteBonjour, Jinjer.
DeleteOoh la la, Bon voyage!
ReplyDeleteJe te souhaite une bonne semaine de lecture!
Et toi aussi, mon ami!
DeleteAhh Paris in July from the armchair. What's not to like? The Emile Zola book sounds good too. Enjoy your Trip!
ReplyDeleteBonjour! Your Paris selections look fantastic.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
Enjoy your armchair visit to Paris this July. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your trip! :) We are all about Italy this month!
ReplyDeleteI love the cost comparison of THIS trip to Paris! :)
ReplyDeleteLOVED this post. Especially loved your good things comparison
ReplyDelete