We Bid Adieu to Paris in July 2022: A Comprehensive Wrap-Up of All the Paris in July Posts

It's time to pack up the Paris photos, to return the French novels to the library, to clear the Kanopy queue of the French movies, and to strike the moutarde and the crème fraîche off the grocery list for another year. Sigh. It's always hard to gather up our things and head home. 

Still, we leave Paris this July having had some fabulous experiences:

Books

Mae at Mae's Food Blog shared books by Oulipo writers Georges Perec (here and here and here) and Hervé Le Tellier and Michèle Audin; a novel described by the author as about Algerian families in France called Kiffe Kiffe Demain by Faïza Guène; a collection of short stories centering on the Paris Metro, Paris Metro Tales, Marie, a novel written in 1940 by Madeleine Bourdouxhe; and Travels with Alice by Calvin Trillin. Mel at The Reading Life gave us a review of Yiddish Paris : Staging Nation and Community in Interwar France by Nicholas Underwood; After the Romanovs- Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque to Revolution and War by Helen Rappaport;  “Late Hour," a short story set in Paris by Ivan Bunin;  "The Paris Tattoo," an essay by Ann Patchett; and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Jeanie at The Marmelade Gypsy told us about The Bridal Chair by Gloria Golderich, a book about the life and work of artist Marc Chagall and his daughter, and Paris: A Curious Traveler's Guide by Eleanor Aldridge. Emma at Words and Peace gave us short reviews of all twenty-six books she has read this year in French here, here, here, and here and she also listed the last ten books she has read with a connection to France. She also told us about George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, offered a book giveaway. Emma of Words and Peace, Mae of Mae's Food Blog, and Bellezza of Dolce Bellezza reviewed The Martins by David Foenkinos (Emma and Mae and Bellezza). Deb at Readerbuzz shared her choices for the three best books to take with us to Paris. Karen at Books and Chocolate gave us her thoughts on the Martha book series by Margery Sharp. Marg at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader shared a historical fiction book, The Lost Sister of Fifth Avenue by Ella Carey. Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza reviewed a short Jane Smiley book, Perestroika in Paris. Stacy at Stacy's Books told us about two books she's been reading set in France and offered a Paris puzzle giveaway. Fanda of Fanda's Classiclit gave us My Good Life in France and My Four Seasons in France, memoirs about a London couple who move to France. Arti of Ripple Effects told us about Mastering the Art of French Eating, a memoir by Ann Mah. Deb Nance gave us a collection of book covers that she found to best represent summer in France. Brona at This Reading Life: Brona's Books reviewed Georges Simenon's Maigret Goes to School and Maigret and the Minister; Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza reviewed Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses; and Mae at Mae's Food Blog reviewed two Maigret mysteries. Both Marg at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Deb at Readerbuzz shared books set in France that have not yet been read (Marg and Deb). NancyElin suggested both a Victor Hugo novella and Le Maniérisme: Une Avant Garde Au Xv Ie Siècle, both of which she found to be easy to read in French. Jeanie of The Marmelade Gypsy found The Paris Key to be "a good book to read while suffering with a moderate concussion and cut-up face," and Lisbeth of The Content Reader felt about the same way in her review of The Paris Apartment as did Karen of Books and Chocolate in her review of Enid Bagnold's The Loved and The Envied. Tamara at Thyme for Tea told us about a French fairy tale book she has been reading. Brona of This Reading Life: Brona's Books reviewed Simone Beauvoir's book about friendship, The Inseparables. Annabel at Annabookbel reviewed the first book in the Marseilles Trilogy by Jean-Claude Izzo.

Movies/Videos/TV

Stacy at Stacy's Books offered us James Corden's Crosswalk the Musical in Paris - Les Misérables. Emma at Words and Peace gave us a short video about Napoleon. Emma at Words and Peace told us about the world's only weekly literary program that airs in prime time and shared a series of videos about French history. Marg at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader reviewed the French movie Romantics Anonymous. Arti of Ripple Effects suggested we take a look at the French movie Gabrielle from 2005 and reviewed the new movie Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.

Food and Drink

Deb at Readerbuzz gave us a photo gallery of the food and drink from her trip in April to Paris. Mae at Mae's Food Blog made Coq au Vin for us using Julia Child's recipe and offered some salad suggestions for a hot day in Paris. Emma from Words and Peace gave us some information about mustard from Bourgogne and Mae from Mae's Food Blog warned us about the French mustard shortage. Deb at Readerbuzz shared a recipe from Simple French Food by Richard Olney. Lisbeth at The Content Reader cooked us an entire French meal, complete with wine shared by her waiter, Arnaud.

Celebrations

Mae at Mae's Food Blog told us about the French help during the American Revolution. Arnaud at kwarkito celebrated Bastille Day with a photo from a parade, Emma at Words and Peace explained the way she and her husband celebrate the day, and Lisbeth at The Content Reader informed us about the Swedish ties to French history. Marg at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader told us about her upcoming trip to Paris during the Christmas holiday season and shared a Christmas in Paris book, movie and song. Vagabonde at Recollections of a Vagabonde took us along on her Bastille Day celebration at the Eiffel Tower and this year's Tour de France.

People

Mae at Mae's Food Blog shared information about Simone Beauvoir and the issue of abortion. NancyElin gave us an introduction to Cezanne. Karen at Books and Chocolate told us about the life of Renoir in her post about Renoir, My Father by Jean Renoir. Brona at This Reading Life: Brona's Books enjoyed learning about Sylvia Beach when she read The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher.

French Language

Emma at Words and Peace shared an audio version of Le Petit Prince. Marg at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader offered some French songs as well as some well-known English songs sung in French. NancyElin posted about a book she read in French and enjoyed very much about Caravaggio. Lori at Enter the Enchanted Castle shared her experience reading Le Grand Meaulnes, the classic novel by Alain-Fournier in French. 

Places in Paris

Emma at Words and Peace told us about Les passages couverts in Paris, Arnaud at kwarkito focused on Station Saint Michel. Mae at Mae's Food Blog shared photos of the homes of American ex-pats in Paris. Arnaud at kwarkito related his memories of the theater and Peter Brooks, shared a little about a shoe repair shop in Paris, made a stop by the Pont de Grenelle, posted a photo of a famous mural of the French avant-garde of the sixties, gave us a little history of the Bouillon Chartier restaurants, took us for walks down Rue Mouffetard and Rue Briquet and a deserted street at night. Marg at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader told us about Marche aux Puces de Saint Ouen. Emma at Words and Peace took us for a walk through Paris with a series of YouTube videos. Deb at Readerbuzz told us about her experiences at a museum exhibit in Paris on The Little Prince and shared street art she found in Belleville. Marg at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader walked us through a Paris apartment. Hena at The Story of Us led us through her recent six-day trip to Paris. Arnaud at kwarkito told us about what he considers to be one of his last remaining Parisian pleasures: the ability to see rare films screened in good condition.

French Perspectives on World Issues

Arnaud at kwarkito offered posts on the state of the world from a French perspective (here and here).

Miscellaneous

Deb at Readerbuzz made a list of her favorite Paris in July posts from the last ten years. vbb32 shared her Paris in July activities including reading Mrs. 'arris Goes to Paris and seeing the movie. Mae at Mae's Food Blog wrapped up her 2022 Paris in July experiences here. Jeanie from The Marmelade Gypsy walked us through her favorite photos from various trips to Paris in the past. Tamara from Thyme for Tea shared her favorite memories of Paris in July since 2010 here. Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader gave us a list of the books the readers of Paris are reading at the moment based on the bestseller list at Sens Critique. Lisbeth at The Content Reader and Marg of The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader wrapped up their months here (Lisbeth) and here (Marg). 

Whew! That should hold us for another year! Thank you, Tamara of Thyme for Tea for hosting this year's Paris in July, and a big thank you to all the contributors to the event!