A Hidden Garden in Paris Waiting to Be Discovered
In Paris, there are plenty of grand gardens to visit: Jardin des Plantes, Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries to name a few. But there are also small gardens that offer a respite from the city. One such garden is the Square Boucicaut in the 7th arrondissement. It’s notable not only for its wonderfully central location near Saint-Germain-des-Prés but also for…
Paris in the Dark Glows With Tension and Intrigue
Paris in the Dark struck me as the quintessential literary thriller. It has both fine prose and an intriguing plot, a novel that reminded me of Ken Follett’s earliest work, combining the quiet narration of Alan Furst and gradual tightening suspense of John LeCarré. This is the fourth in Robert Olen Butler’s series of spy novels, putting Christopher Marlowe ‘Kit’…
Five Fantastic Books to Help You Dream About Paris
One of my favorite things to do is hang out on the couch and flip through picture books about Paris. If I can’t be there in person, at least I can be there in spirit. My fascination with the city is about art, romance, architecture, food, history, plants, and leisure. I loved Paris before I lived there and I love…
Paris at Night — in a Technicolor Dream
The photographer Saad Sharif has an amazing ability to capture Paris at night or dusk, setting him apart from other photographers (me included) who’ve photographed Paris. But his work isn’t only special for capturing a dark city but how he brings out the bright hues. There are pinks, blues, and oranges contrasting with the black skies and trees and signs.…
Death in Provence, a Fun Mystery Romp in France
The book Death in Provence by Serena Kent (a.k.a. Deborah Lawrenson) offers a fun mystery romp set in France. Penny embarks on solving the case of why her neighbor was killed while avoiding being killed herself.
Why I Love My Two Paintings of Paris
One Sunday afternoon, I was browsing a nearby second-hand shop when I came across two enchanting paintings of Paris. One was of a bookstore, the other, a wine shop. They were snippets of that city’s life. The focus was solely on one store rather than an entire street or overview of the city, which you often see in paintings and…
20 Books of Summer! Focus: Provence. Did I Make It?
Earlier this summer, I gathered together a stack of books about France to inspire me as I wrote my novel set in Provence. In June, I lengthened the list and jumped on the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge bandwagon. The collection included novels and memoirs and I made a few substitutions along the way. It was fun to spend the…
