Saturday, July 11, 2026

The Sunday Salon: Reading an Absurd Number of Books for Paris in July

 




Welcome! I am glad you joined us here at the 
Sunday Salon

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a spot to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a time to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 





It's summer, and I'm doing all the things I usually do in summer...I'm swimming and doing butterfly counts and working at reptile shows at the library and eating lunch with friends and going to my book groups and reading sixteen books (!) for Paris in July and loving the feeling of the sun on my face.







What I Read Last Week:

Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes by Robert Louis Stevenson (Travel Memoir)

The Paris Bookshop for the Brokenhearted
by Rebecca Raisin (Fiction)

My Good Life in France by Janine Marsh (Memoir)









What I'm Reading Now:

The Earth by Émile Zola (Fiction - Paris in July)

Candide, or Optimism by Voltaire (Fiction in French - Paris in July)

France: An Adventure History by Graham Robb (History - Paris in July)

The Shortest History of France by Colin Jones (History - Paris in July)

Toujours la France! by Janine Marsh (Memoir - Paris in July)

The War of the Buttons by Louis Pergaud (Children's Fiction - Paris in July)

Thirty Days in Paris by Veronica Henry (Fiction - Paris in July)

One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan (Fiction - Paris in July)

My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein: A Fiction by Deborah Levy (Fiction - Paris in July)

The Unbreakables by Lisa Barr (Fiction - Paris in July)

Quartet by Jean Rhys (Fiction - Paris in July)

Moveable Feasts: A Story of Paris in Twenty Meals by Chris Newens (Nonfiction - Paris in July)

En Route: A Journey Through France in the Company of Great Writers by Peter Fiennes (Nonfiction - Paris in July) 








This week, I found myself reading a ridiculous number of books set in France or about France for Paris in July. The two I'm enjoying the most right now are En Route and Moveable Feasts.






What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:



I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:


Good Thing #1:

This weekend is the Reverse Readathon, 
and I forgot about it until now (eek), 
but, oh well, I think I'll jump in,
 though I'm late to the table.



Good Thing #2:

A cup of espresso!



Good Thing #3:

G-daughter Bailey and her daughter, Lucy,
are coming next week!
Yay!




Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

42 comments:

  1. I’m blown away by your book list! So many great Paris books. I. haven’t thought about Jean Rhys in ages — a perfect choice for books about Paris. Happy reading!
    best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  2. That’s a lot of books! I thought I had a lot going at once. Ha! Nothing beats a good cup of caffeine in any form. My favorite here in Albania is a makiato.

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  3. There are so many great books set in Paris - one of my favourite settings! I hope you have a great visit with your grandchildren. ☺️

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  4. That is a lot of books set in Paris, I hope you enjoy them all! Also, enjoy your visit with your grand and great grand daughters!

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  5. That's a lot of reading, good for you! I added The Unbreakables and Moveable Feasts to my TBR list.

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  6. I completely missed the reverse readathon. Hopefully you read some great books. A cup of espresso is definitely a good thing! Enjoy your virtual trips to Paris and have a great week!

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  7. I hope you have a great visit with Bailey & Lucy. I have cousins named Lucy and Coco, which I think are wonderful names!

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  8. That's a lot of books about France. So fun!

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  9. Look all those books! I love it! My Good Life in France sounds like one I need to add to my TBR. Enjoy your week with your family :)

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  10. What a lovely photo of Bailey and Lucy!!! You are amazing, Deb, I enjoy seeing what you have been reading as well!

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  11. Be sure to have fun with Bailey and Lucy. They may take a little time away from your plans to read!

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  12. It sounds like you are having a fabulous summer all the way around. Enjoy the visit with grand and great grand!

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  13. Sounds like a great week! I'm not doing Paris in July but I've been finding so many books set in Paris that I want to read. Hope you enjoy all your books. Have a great week!

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  14. Oh I do hope Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes was good!!!

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  15. I love summer weather! It’s perfect for spending time with family and friends. Enjoy your family time this week!
    Happy Reading too!

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  16. Your summer sounds absolutely wonderful! ☀️ I love that you’re filling it with books, time outdoors, and meaningful moments with friends and your community. Happy reading! 📚🤍

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  17. There's nothing like a great cup of espresso! Hope you have a wonderful visit with Bailey and Lucy.

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  18. Wow, that is a lot of books. Good luck with them all!

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  19. Goodness, that is a lot of books for Paris in July! I enjoyed The Discovery of France a lot last year, so I hope the Adventure History is good too. I am keeping up with Candide, just posted a thought about chapters 6-10. I cannot attain Emma's level of eloquence, at least in French, but I am determined to keep with the plan and post at least once every five chapters!

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    1. I managed to make a post for the first five. Now I just need to read the next five and post.

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  20. It sounds like a good week. Love your espresso cup!

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  21. Family visits and a reverse readathon? Sounds like a great wekeend! My daughter arrived late Friday so we'll hang out

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  22. Quite the busy week with your French themed reading! Hope you're enjoying it all!

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  23. Glad that Paris in July is going well for you! Hope you have a good week.

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  24. The saucer for that cup of espresso is SO pretty!! And I'll have to check out your list of 'happy' books :) Thanks for sharing!

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  25. Love some of your Victorian style books you mention. And I’m getting books by the volumes lately and really loving it and your blog as well reminds me to really take in the books.

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  26. You’ll be needing more than one espresso to get through all those books!

    Thanks for sharing your week, happy reading!

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  27. Love Sarah Morgan, so happy to see her on your list. I didn't read that book, though. Hope you enjoy the visit with your granddaughter and great-granddaughter!

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  28. I love espresso. Have a fun visit when they come.

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  29. It sounds like a very nice summer, Deb. I am glad you are having such a good one! Do you read all the books at once or start them earlier and finish in July? Either way, it's impressive! I hope you enjoy them!

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    1. I've been reading a little on each one, but I'm finding I'm getting them all jumbled up in my brain. lol

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  30. That is a lot of books about Paris. Hope you enjoy them all.

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  31. Which of the French literature you're reading or have read would you recommend for someone just getting started?

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    1. Whew! That's a great question, Joanne. My favorite French fiction of all time are The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers (both very long and big books) and the Zola books (very depressing) and The Little Prince. I love several nonfiction books: Paris to the Moon, Paris in Winter, and Dear Paris.

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  32. Juste ciel! What a lot of books about France - I love the look of En Route. And as ever your three good things are a delight. Have a lovely visit with Bailey and her adorable daughter:)).

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  33. I may steal some of those titles for my own reading list.

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  34. Sounds like a great summer week! Sixteen books in one week is really amazing. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  35. that's a lot of books about Paris!
    sherry

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  36. Sounds like a busy but fun summer so far! Moveable Feasts sounds good! I've read Quartet, but it was years ago. I think I've read a book by Deborah Levy, but not the one that you read.

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  37. Would LOVE to see Bailey and Lucy. I still have the Children's room and a batch of new FREE books and TOYS!

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  38. Wow, you weren't kidding - you really are reading 16 books for Paris in July! That's impressive! No wonder you didn't have time for Big Book Summer this year - ha ha. I hadn't heard of the Paris event before, but it sounds like fun. You are sure making the best of it! I read Candide in college but don't remember anything - I should reread it one of these days. Hope you enjoy your visit from your granddaughter and great-granddaughter (and your books, of course!) -
    Sue
    https://bookbybook.blogspot.com/p/big-book-summer-2026.html

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