Sue Wilson, friend since college days, travels to Paris annually. She could not pare her list down to three.  She gave me a LIST that I’m categorizing by author. “On to favorite books…and I can’t name just two! I have to begin with authors”.

 

 

 

David Downie A Passion for Paris. That is Sue’s favorite. I would also add his book, Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light.

 

John Baxter   A Paris Christmas  and The Most Beautiful Walk in the World.  John Baxter’s  latest book was a biography of George Lucas that was published in May 2016.  He is now working on a series of books on Paris Neighborhoods. His first in the series is on the quartier of St. Germain des Prés, the 6th Arrondissement in Paris.  Sue saw him do a presentation on this book at the eponymous Shakespeare & Co bookstore in Paris in December 2016.  She later ran into him near his home in that St. Germain neighborhood. You can read a lengthy post about my 2015 visit to Shakespeare & Co further back in this blog.

Mary McAuliffe  Paris Discovered    When Paris Sizzled (her newest book. Sue has not read)

Ronald C Rosbottom  When Paris Went Dark  (About Paris during the Occupation

 

 

Ernest Hemingway  A Movable Feast  I ditto that selection of Sue’s.  Would also add that I’ve tried to read A Paris Wife a more recent historical novel  about his life in Paris with his wife Hadley.  Best seller by Paula McLain. Not on my recommended list, but many liked it.

 

 

David Lebovitz  The Sweet Life in Paris

 “Just because I laughed out loud all the way through it – he really nailed the Parisians infamous quirks and I always recommend this book to anyone going to Paris for the first time.”

-Sue Wilson

David has a terrific sense of humor and it comes to the fore in this early book about his move to Paris. He writes with wry commentary about his encounters with vendors, service people, regulations, and the art of returning a non-functioning item. This is a funny and insightful book about an expat’s first months in The City of Light.