Happy Bastille Day!

This photo has absolutely nothing to do with Bastille Day, but it does capture the France I so love and adore.  It is La Grosse Horloge et le Vieux Port in La Rochelle, my home for 4 months in 2009 <3

50 Best Books for French Majors and Francophiles

How perfect that this lovely list comes to my attention in the middle of the Paris in July event?!

I got a very sweet email from one of my blog readers about this wonderful list of books about France.  The list is separated into sections: Food, Culture, History and Memoir, Fiction, Travel, and Ex-Pats.  Quite a few of these have been on my "to read" list for a while, but there are a ton of books listed that I've never heard of and want to read asap! 

So without further ado, the link to the great list of books:

50 Best Books for French Majors and Francophiles (click to go to article)

Review: French Lessons by Ellen Sussman

This review is part of Paris in July :)

French Lessons by Ellen Sussman follows three French tutors and their "students" through one day in Paris.  The tutors basically walk around Paris with the Americans assigned to them and teach them the French language while showing them architecture and culture.  Each individual has some sort of inner turmoil that they can't keep their minds off of during their sessions, and the lessons are in a way a sort of therapy for everyone. 

The book is separated into sections by tutor and student, and we follow each pair throughout their day.  I wasn't really sure how I was going to like the format, but I think it worked out well.  Each pair does their own thing but eventually everyone ends up at the same spot in the end.  Each section also flipflopped from the present time in Paris to something from each individual's past.  For example, the first American we meet is a woman named Josie who has just lost her lover.  While she's on the tour/lesson, she keeps being reminded of things she did with her lover.  I thought the book started off pretty slow, but that may be because I didn't connect as well with Josie and her tutor.  The other sections I enjoyed a lot more. 
I loved the setting of the book.  Sussman captured Paris beautifully, and if you read this book for no other purpose than that, then I think you'll be happy.  I was reminded quite often of my favorite food and beverages from France.  The characters drink cafe creme (jealous!!!) and eat pain au chocolat (whyyyyy the temptation??!). 

One thing I really enjoyed about French Lessons is how each character seems to be having just an ordinary day in Paris, but this day ends up being sort of a turning point for everyone.  Their problems aren't solved, but they all realize something that they need to change, or find some hope for the future and strength to start overcoming their problems.  It also seemed to me like each pair (tutor/student) seemed to help each other unknowingly.  Just being with a stranger who knows nothing about the other's plight seemed to be good for everyone.  The book seems like it's going to be very lighthearted, but once to start reading you realize it's about much more serious emotions like love, loss, grief, and hope. 

I did have some qualms with the book.  It was by no means perfect.  The writing for example wasn't anything exceptional.  There were times when things seemed a little bit unclear.  I also wish that the author had elaborated a bit more on certain things.  The whole premise of book seems a bit "fairytale-esque" at times too.  It's not likely that 3 tutors with problems will get 3 students with problems and sort of solve things on the same exact day.  But this is fiction, so if you don't think too hard about it, it's okay.  I also thought that the writing was a little bit choppy.  Scenes and thoughts seemed to jump around a lot.

I think this is a great summer beach read, especially if you want something a bit more "fluffy" where everything is straightforward.  Like I said above, the setting alone made me want to read this and it didn't disappoint in that respect.  All in all, not a bad book, but definitely not for everyone.

Title: French Lessons
Author: Ellen Sussman
Date of Publication: July 5th, 2011
Number of Pages: 256
Genre: Fiction
Source: ARC from Publisher

These are a few of my favorite French things....

Can't you just hear that song from the Sound of Music playing right now??  To kick off Paris in July, I'm posting a list of some of my favorite French things!  A lot of these photos are actually ones that Twin took when she went to France, because I wasn't smart enough to take photos of a lot of things, like food.

French wine that is sold in the grocery store and is super cheap and super awesome:

Fresh baguette and affordable French cheese:

Cafe Creme:

Bakeries and Pastry Shops:

Things that totally remind me of Emile Zola and the class I took on him:

French money (Euros):



Medieval Architecture:

Some things I don't have photos of:
-Pain au chocolat
-Macarons
-Sitting outside all the time at cafes
-The market
-The language
-The people
-The culture

And the best for last (which my sis and her BF found on a road in southern France......), really awesome tourbus company names:

Welcome to Kelly's France Blog's month-long celebration of Paris in July!!

Paris in July!

I am super excited to announce that I will be participating in this year's Paris in July blogging event, hosted by Thyme for Tea and Bookbath!  (Thank you for hosting!  You are awesome!)  Paris in July runs from July 1st through the 31st and during July I will be posting numerous things about Paris and France.  I've already got a lot of fun things planned, including reviews of French books, reviews of books that take place in Paris, posts about French food and music, and so much more.  I am beyond excited, if you can't already tell. 

Tamara at Thyme for Tea has asked participants to post some recommendations  before Paris in July officially begins in July.  So I've decided to post about a wonderful French singer who I've just recently discovered, named Leo Ferre.

I discovered him quite by accident (or not totally by accident because I was googling French poet Arthur Rimbaud who I'm a bit obsessed with) and discovered that this French singer from around the 1960s put a bunch of Rimbaud's poetry to music.  I needed it.  Itunes has plenty of Leo Ferre, but not what I was looking for.  So I checked ebay and found the 2 volumes of the record and finally have them at home with my new turntable and was finally able to take a listen! 

Leo's voice is gorgeous, and mixed with Rimbaud's beautiful poetry, it's enough to make me melt.  For real.  The album I have is extremely hard to come by, at least in the USA.  Perhaps it's more readily available in France?  Anyway, Ferre's music is so beautifully and typically French that I'm a bit obsessed and am on the lookout for more of his records.  You can find him on itunes (just not the Rimbaud/Verlaine stuff like I said).  Here's a youtube video I found of Ferre doing a song to the words of Baudelaire's "Albatros", one of my favorite poems ever.  It kinda shows his style, but my album is a bit more "jazzy".

I can't wait to share more fun French stuff with you all once july comes around!