• Books

    Death in Provence, a Fun Mystery Romp in France

    Death in Provence, A Fun Mystery Romp in France, Karen Hugg, https://karenhugg.com/2018/09/12/death-in-provence/ #DeborahLawrenson #DeathinProvence #mysteries #books #SerenaKent #Provence #France #bookreview

    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.

  • Paris & France

    Why I Love My Two Paintings of Paris

    wine shop painting, Why I Love My Two Paintings of Paris, Karen Hugg, https://karenhugg.com/2018/09/06/paintings-of-paris/ #Paris #paintings #bookshop #France

    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 photos. Their colors were muted and dark, deep greens and maroons dominated. They were painted in rough strokes. And they weren’t particularly valuable, perhaps even recreations of more famous paintings…

  • Books,  Paris & France

    20 Books of Summer! Focus: Provence. Did I Make It?

    20 Books of Summer, Karen Hugg, https://karenhugg.com/2018/06/24/20-books-of-summer #Provence #20BooksofSummer #France #Paris #Luberon #books #French

    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 summer dreaming about life in the French countryside. Results of the Challenge Overall, I’d say the challenge went well. I didn’t read all 20 books but the books I did…

  • Books,  Paris & France

    The Most Insightful Memoirs About Life in France: Part 2

    France Memoirs, The Most Insightful Memoirs About Life in France, Karen Hugg, https://karenhugg.com/2018/09/01/the-most-insightful-memoirs-about-life-in-france-part-1/ #France #memoirs #French #books

    In my first article on memoirs about life in France, I covered stories of romance, food, gardening, and motherhood. Today, I’ll talk about some classics and my favorite memoir about the French lifestyle. Paris to the Moon  Adam Gopnik lived out a lifelong dream of moving to Paris in the late 1990s, then wrote about it for The New Yorker. This is a more high-minded book, packed with Parisian history and cultural facts but full of humor too. Gopnik wittily describes the education he and his wife got in adjusting…

  • Books,  Paris & France

    The Most Insightful Memoirs About Life in France: Part 1

    The Most Insightful Memoirs About Life in France: Part 1, Karen Hugg, https://karenhugg.com/2018/09/01/the-most-insight…in-france-part-1 #French #memoirs #France #AlmostFrench #books

    English-language memoirs about life in France usually follow a common trajectory: an American or Brit or Australian somehow lands in France and must cope with the unfamiliar culture while learning the language and navigating a new job or life situation. They often cover settling into that new life, fixing up a home, shopping at local markets, cooking food, discovering romance, etc. They are mostly light-hearted affairs with only a touch of drama. In short, they can be formulaic. But I often forgive their formulaic nature because an author’s voice, experiences,…