Reading on Topic: 8 Books That Transport You to Paris
Writers and readers around the world have always had a fascination
with Paris--city of lights, love, food, fashion, and history. This year
has been no exception, and there are dozens of ways for you to visit
Paris from the comfort of your own favorite reading spot. This list of
recommended titles published this year includes something for everyone:
From fiction to history and thrillers to memoirs, the following books
will let you see Paris through a variety of lenses.
A Fiction Trio
Nina George's The Little Paris Bookshop
(Crown, June) is part adventure, part self-discovery and a whole lot of
charm. Follow Jean Perdu's adventures as he unanchors his Paris barge
bookstore and opens himself up to life's possibilities. The Paris Key, by Juliet Blackwell
(NAL, September), is the story of how Genevieve Martin uncovers family
secrets and finds her true home when she moves to Paris to take over her
late uncle's locksmith shop. You never know what you'll find on the
other side of a locked door. M. J. Rose's latest paranormal thriller, The Witch of Painted Sorrows
(Atria, March) transports readers to the Paris underworld of the 1890s.
Sandrine Salome escapes her cruel husband, seeking refuge in the City
of Lights, but what she finds is the darkness of the city's occult and a
fight for survival.
True Stories
Based on extensive research and firsthand accounts, Alex Kershaw's Avenue of Spies
(Crown, August) introduces the world to one of the real-life heroes of
the Nazi resistance in occupied Paris. American Dr. Sumner Jackson
risked his life and that of his family to help Allied soldiers and
French Jewish citizens escape the city, barely surviving his own forced
exodus. Kate Betts lived the life that many of us can only imagine: hobnobbing with the greats of Paris fashion. In her memoir My Paris Dream
(Spiegel & Grau, May), Betts talks about how she became at home
in the city during her rocky transformation from a recent Ivy League
graduate with no prospects to the associate bureau chief for Women's Wear Daily.
20th-Century Paris in Historical Fiction
The
story of Coco Chanel's rise from a poor country girl to one of the
world's most recognized Paris fashion icons is documented by C. W. Gortner in Mademoiselle Chanel
(William Morrow, March). Told from Chanel's point of view, as she
recalls her sacrifices, lovers, and achievements, this novel provides
insight into the origins of the little black dress with pearls and the
famous No. 5 perfume. Meg Waite Clayton's The Race for Paris
(Harper, August) is inspired by the harrowing true experiences of women
journalists who covered World War II and the liberation of France. Set
in 1944, the story focuses on two American women determined to document
the events unfolding in Paris as Allied troops made their way inland
after the invasion of Normandy. Dana Gynther's The Woman in the Photograph
(Gallery, August) takes place in Paris in the years between the wars.
When New York model Lee Miller moves to the city in 1929, she struggles
to keep her sense of self as she navigates the avant-garde world of
artists, writers, and photographers.
Just can't get enough of Paris? Here a just a few more recently published novels that feature the City of Lights within their pages:Originally written for a September issue of Readerly magazine.
- 750 Years in Paris by Vincent Mahé (Nobrow, October): an illustrated history as witnessed by one building
- Wherever There Is Light by Peter Golden (Atria, November): a family saga featuring star-crossed lovers
- Murder on the Champs de Mars by Cara Black (Soho Crime, March): an exciting mystery/thriller
- It Started with Paris by Cathy Kelly (Grand Central, August): a Paris marriage proposal and its wide-ranging effects
- The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie (Atria, September): a luscious tale of the women in Louis XV's court
- The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman (Simon & Schuster, August): the life of the mother of Impressionist artist Pissarro
- A Paris Affair by Tatiana de Rosney (St. Martin's, July): short stories about love, marriage, and infidelity
8 comments:
I have the first book, have the second on my library tbr list, and want to read the others. I've always wanted to visit Paris.
There's just something magical about Paris!
I have a few of these though the only one I've read is Madame Chanel. Now I want to just curl up with a few and visit Paris! Great post!
Did you write this post just for me?! :) Thank you for adding to my Paris book list.
What a great roundup for lovers of Paris. I'm looking forward to reading Meg Waite Clayton's book.
i just sent the URL for your blog to two friends who are huge Paris lovers
Ooh can never have too many Paris reads, I'm addicted lol. The Paris Key was a favourite this year and I liked The Little Paris Bookshop. I've got Mademoiselle Chanel and The Witch of Painted Sorrows waiting on my kindle but I can't resist topping up my wishlist :)
I just ordered Cara Black's first in her series of Parisian mysteries, Murder on the Marais, just to get in at the beginning. Thanks for the recommendation.
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