Saturday, July 13, 2024

We Face Off with Hurricane Beryl

     



Welcome! I'm happy you joined us here at the 
Sunday Salon. 

What is the Sunday Salon? 

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week plus it's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 








What I Read Last Week (Link goes to review):







What I'm Reading Now:

Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens (1000 Books You Must Read; Classics Club)

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (in French for Paris in July)

Germinal by Émile Zola (Paris in July; Classics Club)

A Taste of Paris: A History of the Parisian Love Affair with Food by David Downie (Paris in July)

Captain Fricasse by Théophile Gautier (Paris in July; 1001 Children's Books)

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (Paris in July)

Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life by Ajiri Aki (Paris in July)

Paris and Her Cathedrals by R. Howard Bloch (Paris in July)










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:

Hurricane Beryl hit the Texas Gulf Coast 
where I live with 80+ mph winds, 
but our roof stayed on
and our house did not blow down. 



Good Thing #2:

This pecan tree branch,
the thickness of a thigh,
did not go through our roof,
but instead bored down a foot and a half into the ground.



Good Thing #3:

We were able to gather up the tree limbs
for removal by our town soon. 
We had no trees fall during the storm.
We had no other real damage.




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.


Friday, July 12, 2024

French Windows by Antoine Laurain

 






Today's Featured Book 

French Windows

 by Antoine Laurain

Genre: Fiction

Published: June 6, 2024

Page Count: 176 pages

Summary: 

"Nathalia, a young photographer, has been seeing a therapist. Having accidentally photographed a murder, she finds that she can no longer do her job. Instead, Doctor Faber suggests that she write about the neighbors she idly observes in the building across the street. But as these written snapshots become increasingly detailed, he starts to wonder how she can possibly know so much about them."




 


BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.


"In the middle of the unevenly cobbled courtyard stands a tall tree. No one has ever quite determined its species; some people in the building see a wild cherry, others an oak, though it has never produced an acorn."








THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by 
Freda's Voice, but Freda is currently taking a break and Anne of Head Full of Books is filling in. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up on Head Full of Books and visit others in the linky. 


'I veer off in a completely different direction. Another of my techniques:

"Share a thought with me that has occurred to you today, completely unrelated to our discussion here. Something absolutely 'off topic.'"

Silence falls once again, broken only by the beating of a pigeon's wings as it flies past the window.

"I thought...this morning, when I was making coffee...that we should always re-read the epigraph once we're finished a book."

"Go on."

"We read a quote from someone other than the author, which the author has chosen to put on the first page of their book, and then we forget all about it. Except the author went to a great deal of trouble to choose it. It sums up the entire book, and then we forget about it. So we should always read it again once the book is finished. Always. The epigraph is the book's true conclusion. That's what I was thinking about."'





My Review: 

Photographer Nathalia Guitry can't take photos after she photographed a murder, and she goes to see a therapist, Dr. Faber, to help her. Faber assigns Guitry the task of writing down the stories of the people who inhabit each floor of the building opposite Faber's office, and Guitry dutifully pens the stories of the person who lives on each floor each week.

Laurain always takes us readers on a surprising journey in his books between what is real and what is not, all the while firmly planting us in the delight that is France.











The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.    

July 12th-18th - July is the month for reading by the pool or on the beach. What's your favorite summer beach book, and why is it suitable for a sunny day? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)


Take a trip across the old American West with Gus and Call this summer in one of my favorite books, perfect for summer reading, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.



Il est Juillet et il est temps pour le merveilleux Paris in July, hosted by Emma at Words and Peace.

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Why I Love Paris: My Favorite Photos from Paris: The View From Our Apartment in Paris, 2023





What a view my sister and I had from the terrace outside our apartment when I stayed in Paris for the third time in 2023!

During my time in Paris on that visit, I took photos from the window as often as I could and posted them here.




For more photos, link up at 
Wordless Wednesday, Comedy Plus, Messymimi's Meanderings, Keith's Ramblings, Create With Joy, Wild Bird Wednesday, and My Corner of the World.

Il est Juillet et il est temps pour le merveilleux Paris in July, hosted by Emma at Words and Peace.


Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Summer Reads for Paris in July


If it's summer, we've got to be in France.

How about some book covers that feel like summer in France? 



A Bite-Sized History of France: Gastronomic Tales of Revolution, War, and Enlightenment

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies by Ross King

We'll Always Have Paris by Sue Watson

The Provence Cure for the Broken Hearted by Bridget Asher

Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light by Amy Thomas

At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being, & Apricot Cocktails by Sarah Bakewell

Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland

One More Croissant for the Road by Felicity Cloake

The Belly of Paris by Émile Zola

A Breath of French Air by H. E. Bates

Dear Paris: The Paris Letters Collection by Janice MacLeod

My Life in France by Julia Child

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Waiting for Monsieur Bellivier by Britta Röstlund

The Art of Eating by M. F. K. Fisher

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Paris in Love by Eloisa James




Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information. 


Saturday, July 6, 2024

A Week in Which I Read Two Mysteries...and a Hurricane Blows In

     




Welcome! I'm happy you joined us here at the 
Sunday Salon! 

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week plus it's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 









What I Read Last Week:

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (Mystery; Book Club)

French Windows by Antoine Lauraine (Mystery; Paris in July)





What I'm Reading Now:

Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens (1000 Books)

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (in French for Paris in July)









What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:









Paris in July 2024 has begun, hosted by Emma of Words and Peace.

Here is a listing of all the posts from Paris in July 2023, if you need ideas of books to read or movies to watch or food to eat.

My biggest achievement of the week is finishing Part One of Madame Bovary in French. Hurray! I'm on-track for finishing the book with the group.







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:

My dad, 97, was awarded this hat 
for being
the oldest veteran
in his retirees club.



Good Thing #2:

400 days of
Duolingo French!




Good Thing #3:

My friend, Rae, and I 
visited the Galveston Bookshop.




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.


Friday, July 5, 2024

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl

 






Today's Featured Book 

The Paris Novel

 by Ruth Reichl

Genre: Fiction

Published: April 23, 2024

Page Count: 274 pages

Summary: 

"When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading “Go to Paris.” Stella is hardly cut out for adventure; a traumatic childhood has kept her confined to the strict routines of her comfort zone. But when her boss encourages her to take time off, Stella resigns herself to honoring her mother’s last wishes.

Alone in a foreign city, Stella falls into old habits, living cautiously and frugally. Then she stumbles across a vintage store, where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that this dress was meant for Stella and for the first time in her life Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress—and embarks on an adventure.

Her first stop: the iconic brasserie Les Deux Magots, where Stella tastes her first oysters and then meets an octogenarian art collector who decides to take her under his wing. As Jules introduces Stella to a veritable who’s who of the Paris literary, art, and culinary worlds, she begins to understand what it might mean to live a larger life.

As weeks—and many decadent meals—go by, Stella ends up living as a “tumbleweed” at famed bookstore Shakespeare & Company, uncovers a hundred-year-old mystery in a Manet painting, and discovers a passion for food that may be connected to her past. A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home."




 


BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.


"She never called her mother Mom or Mommy or even Mother. From the time Stella was very small, her mother insisted she call her Celia. 'I was not born to be anyone's mother,' she explained."








THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by 
Freda's Voice, but Freda is currently taking a break and Anne of Head Full of Books is filling in. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up on Head Full of Books and visit others in the linky. 


"...she put the napkin over her head and the tiny creature into her mouth. Then every other thought was driven from her head by the sheer physical effort of the hot bird burning her overstuffed mouth. She tried opening it, to cool her tongue off, but her lips were stretched as far as they could go. Her teeth came down and a spurt of juice shot across her tongue. She almost jumped out of her seat; the flavor was so strong, so primal. She chewed again, and the sound of bones crunching clanged in her ears. She swallowed. Now she found the flavor had changed. It was all hazelnuts, sweet edged with bitter. She swallowed again. Figs. Armagnac, blood shot through her body. Another shatter of bone and she was tasting dark meat---the thigh, perhaps---with its gamey flavor.

All her senses were concentrated in her mouth as her teeth crashed down again and again. She felt the skull crackle and tasted what must be brain. It was hot, it was primitive. It was exciting."










My review:

Stella's mother dies, and Stella is left with a message from her mother: Go to Paris.

So, for the first time in her carefully-controlled life, Stella takes a risk and goes to Paris.

Stella finds her way to a world of books and food and art and life that she never knew way out there, and slowly she heals.

This is a foodie novel like no one other than the great food critic Ruth Reichl could write.









The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.    

5th-11th - Can you suggest a book that you think is inspiring and that examines concepts like freedom, liberty, or individual independence? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)


I know it does not sound compelling, but I challenge you to find and read this book if you are interested in the ideas of freedom, liberty, independence, and justice. 

Here's a link to my review of this book. 



Il est Juillet et il est temps pour le merveilleux Paris in July, hosted by Emma at Words and Peace.

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Why I Love Paris: My Favorite Photos from Paris

 




My sister and her two daughters.


My sister and I.

I traveled for the first time to Paris in July of 2010 with my sister and two nieces. We had a picnic on the grounds of the Eiffel Tower with cheese and bread and wine. I was mesmerized when the tower lit up---I had no idea it was going to do that. Unforgettable.



For more photos, link up at Wordless Wednesday, Comedy Plus, Messymimi's Meanderings, Keith's Ramblings, Create With Joy, Wild Bird Wednesday, and My Corner of the World.

Il est Juillet et il est temps pour le merveilleux Paris in July, hosted by Emma at Words and Peace.

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Red White, and Blue: A Loose Reflection on Nine Books That Are (Sort-Of) America to Me AND Riffing on Nine Books that Represent my Very-American Idea of France

Red, White, and Blue...

A Loose Reflection on Nine Books That Are (Sort-Of) America to Me


Fahrenheit 451...stop them from reading---stop them from thinking---a cautionary tale

Where the Sidewalk Ends...zany humor

The Phantom Tollbooth...the power of discovering the joy of learning

The Rosie Project...all sorts of people make a country

Animal Farm...how easy it is to be led astray by a captivating pig

The Great Gatsby...riches aren't everything

The Library Book...some of our greatest treasures are free

The Hate U Give...the hope that everyone can have a place at the table

Enchanted April...life can get better

AND

Red, White, and Blue: Riffing on Nine Books That Represent My Very-American Idea of France



Les Misérables by Victor Hugo...Class struggles, justice
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway...The appropriation of France by foreigners who make it their own
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas...Justice
Paris in Winter by David Coggins...Seeing Paris through an outsider's eyes
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child...French cooking 
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry...Simplicity, meaning in life
No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre...Existentialism, meaning in life
750 Years in Paris by Vincent Mahé...History
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux...Beauty, romance, music



Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.    

Il est Juillet et il est temps pour le merveilleux Paris in July, hosted by Emma at Words and Peace.