Comfort & Joy: a novel

Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah.

This book I picked up at Shakespeare & Co. yesterday afternoon simply because I liked the cover, the 3euro bargain price and thought to myself "Oh how bad can a book with a title of comfort and joy be thaaaat bad..." and you know what, I finished the book the same night!! It was so good I could not put it down...The story is truly mesmerizing and teared my eyes a handful of times. It is a story about a librarian who had previously been utterly dissapointed at how things happened between her ex husband and some family members of her, and one day she bought a ticket on impulse just to get away from her past and found herself in a plane accident in a town not far away from Seattle. She encountered a little cottage owned by this guy and his son who had experienced a similar tragedy. She tried to help them and in the process learnt many wonderful lessons from her friendship with the little boy. It is really not one of those romantic novels you'd think it's just about a woman falling in love etc and so on, the victim etc etc... It is about believing and finding faiths in unexpected places and the joy that comes with simple gestures...I love it so much! Now I'm desperate to read a new novel but has too much stacked in my side table...not too sure how I'm going to bring them back to Australia...perhaps I'll give some away... :(

"The Sweet Life in Paris" David Lebovitz

The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz. His sixth book, his recent was The Perfect Scoop, an ice cream recipe book, I have red great reviews about it, definitely a must-by if you love making homemade ice creams or if you fancy eating it :)

The book's cover is the facade of Laduree in Rue Bonaparte, 6eme arr, about a five minutes walk from where I live. It is a very beautiful corner, and everyone who passes it will slowly paced their walk and admire the colourful Laduree packagings on the glass window and for those who loves macaroons, I mean who doesn't? those cute round little cookies glued together with sweet filings, will go inside and buy a couple to munch on the way home.

The funny, whiney (self-confessed) Mr. David Lebovitz at his book signing today at WHSmith at 248 Rue de Rivoli, 1eme arr. I had a great time listening to his reading of whacky emails he received from fans reading his blog. Since 2002, David L. has been living in Paris, he shares his hilarious and just everyday crazy encounters with the French in his popular blog while writing recipe books, doing chocolate tours and just enjoying Paris and loving it more and more.

Once you love this city, it's hard to leave it behind...n'est pas?

I will surely enjoy my Sweet Life in Paris, Thank You David! All the way from Indonesia... :)

My Monthly Reads

Here are three new books to keep me busy during those long lunches :) Got them today from Shakespeare & Co. 37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 5eme arr.

Peter Mayle, the English writer who lives in Provence has written more than four novels about living in France, based partly about his experiences and a few fictions as well on the similar topic. Picked this one titled Hotel Pastis, cos I just like the word Pastis, sounds so classy. If I have another dog I would probably call it that...
The book is actually about an English guy who escaped to Provence to find a new meaning to his life...or something like it. And of course along the way he stumbles into the unexpected...
I've red Toujours Provence by the same author and finds it an enjoyable read, light, not too heavy and filled with funny encounters with the country side French gens.

Desert Flower by Waris Dirie and Cathleen Miller, a true account of her life escaping Africa and later becoming a successful model and an advocate of human rights. A good distraction from reading too many french-related topics. Might be a good read before bed...

Oops, didn't planned on buying or reading this one, but the lady at the counter mistaken this one to another one about a Parisian book that I had left on her counter earlier one...but the previous book had gone missing. So I settled for this one instead. Guess I'm a francophile after all. :(
French Lessons by Peter Mayle.

Am I a Francophile?

I seem to think so.

Books I'm reading as of today. From Shakespeare & Co.

Paris Mind by Jennifer Lee.

A collection of anecdotes, notes and essays from writers who have lived in Paris. Including from Hemingway, Sylvia Bleach who opened the original Shakespeare & Co. and T.S. Eliot.

French or Foe by Polly Platt

Not ready my cup of tea, but I laughing inside while reading some inserts from the book. Especially about this American guy who went to buy a baguette in one of those artisan boulangerie in Paris, and as normally they only wrap your bread in a tiny paper sack, crunched it at the ends, without an actual paper-bag, but a sheet of paper. So he asked for a sac and the old lady actually said NO and he dropped the baguette on his way out, on to a doggy-mess. So he went in again to asked for a free baguette as it was the lady's fault he said, and anyway, it all ended up a mess and she tried to call the police! ha-ha. I have to read this!


p.s: If you're in Paris, go to their bookshop, the pink blossoms are beautiful at the moment. Totally a kodak-moment.

See what I mean. Seriously.

The Flaneur by Edmund White

Today I finished reading both of the books I got from Paris last week so this morning I decided to check out Shakespear & Co. at 37 rue de la bucherie just on the river border between the left bank. This particular bookshop has appeared so many times in E. Hemingway A Moveable Feast so it would be a terrible thing if I do not check it out. Against my runny nose and sizzling headache (yes I am having my first flu in Paris...boo hoo) I jotted off from bed and left the studio at 11.30. The place looked exactly as how I would envisioned it from reading the book; old, antique, colourful and original. I had a nice and peaceful time taking the most leisurely look-around. There were so many books I wanted to get, around five to six; F.Scott Fitzgerald The Beautiful and The Damned, Ernest Hemingway In Our Time, about two books on Paris, Gertrude Stein's and Lisa See's Gold Mountain. In the end I settled for Edmund White's The Flaneur, about his memoir living and exploring the streets of Paris. I thought I should get just one book each on each visit so that I will want to come back coz I really like the bookshop!!
From the back of the book it says:

'A flaneur is a stroller, a loiterer, someone who ambles without apparent purpose but is secretly attuned to the history of the streets he walks - and is in covert search of adventure, aesthetic or erotic.'

and plenty more from a lovely lady

LOOK I GOT MORE BOOKS ABOUT PARIS on long-term loan from a very lovely lady...
......I don't think I can sleep tonight...

travel guides

Yes I have equipped myself with a list of travel guides...especially love the LUXE edition from Imelda last night. Thank you mel...