A Chic Reading List for Francophiles

A few weeks back, I spotted a fellow Francophile at the local coffee shop reading Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes. 

I gently interrupted her to ask how she liked the book so far—she smiled and said that she enjoyed it very much since she was missing Paris after a recent visit. I asked her if she had pursued any other parisienne reading. When she shook her head, I quickly jotted down a few suggestions for further reading.

To say that I've read a decent number of books about Paris or France is an understatement. There can never be enough books on Hausmannian design, sparkling champagne and French fashion houses.

I have yet to pursue the more traditional literature on Paris in depth—Baudelaire, Hemingway and McCullough, of course—but here's my recommended reading list so far for those in love with the Paris dream.

Paris My Sweet, A Year in the City of Light by Amy Thomas. A playful read that's part dessert, part map—Thomas maps out the best patisseries in both Paris and New York—it's a cute, quick novel to help you unwind from the ordinary hustle...

Love Life Style by Garance Dore. I had the pleasure of meeting Garance at a Fashionista meetup in the city before reading the book. A huge superfan of her illustrations and successful blog, I look to Garance as a true model for the modern woman. 

My Paris Dream by Kate Betts. Another inspirational read for the fashion lover seeking a way to live in the City of Light—Betts shares her story of landing a position Fairchild Publishing and navigating her life between Paris and New York.

How to be Parisian Wherever You Are by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas. A fun read to pass along to your girlfriends, then keep in plain sight in your apartment at all times. 

Paris, The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd. One of the longer novels on this list, Rutherfurd artfully curates a beautiful historical fiction for the reader to experience Paris in different time periods. 

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (translated by Lydia Davis). I read this specific edition while I was at university and it is my favorite book for classic French literature. I kept my course notes on the novel, I love it so much. 

Reading Aloud: Paris My Sweet

Since the start of my Paris obsession in the fall, I have done what I can at university to immerse myself in French culture--pick up French classes again and take a course on 19th century Paris literature. For leisure reading, I bought Paris My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate).

Paris My Sweet, written by Amy Thomas, is a delectable story about Thomas's move from New York City to Paris for her job as an ad copy writer for Louis Vuitton. Despite her move across the pond and her love Paris, Thomas loves her native Big Apple roots and sometimes finds herself missing a good cupcake from Tribeca or Greenwich Village.

Each chapter is named after a delightful confection--"A Whole Batch of Bonbons," "Bonding Over French Viennoiseries," etc.-- and ends with Thomas's recommendations for where to find the best in New York and Paris. I plan on following the list at the back of the book for her recommendations of the best bakeries.

This book was special to me for several reasons, the first being my dream to go to Paris and the second being my love for New York City. Moreover, I could not have picked a better time to read Paris My Sweet. I may not have been dealing with major career and life choices as Thomas had, but I sympathized her some of her difficulties being apart from friends and familiar joys.

A book does not have to be a work of Flaubert or Hawthorne to touch your heart.

Another thing that was great about was that I could pick up where I left off and immerse myself back into Thomas's delectable journey of cupcakes, macarons, and pain perdu across the Atlantic. I bought this book in September, but I did not have the time to read it consistently--I just finished it last night.

Paris My Sweet is an adorable read and I savored it like a Laduree macaroon.