A review by mindfullibrarian
A Paris All Your Own: Bestselling Women Writers on the City of Light by Paula McLain, M.J. Rose, Meg Waite Clayton, Julie Powell, Ellen Sussman, Eleanor Brown, Lauren Willig, Cara Black, Susan Vreeland, J. Courtney Sullivan, Jennifer L. Scott, Cathy Kelly, Maggie Shipstead, Jennifer Coburn, Michelle Gable, Megan Crane, Therese Anne Fowler
5.0
I'll preface this with the fact that I have never been to Paris, but am obsessed with reading about it......if a title or book description has Paris in it, I. am. in.
This book of 18 essays includes an astounding collection of female writers, all with books set in Paris, and provides a thoroughly well-rounded take on visiting, as well as living and writing in (and about!) Paris. I say well-rounded not because the essays cover all different topics (although many do), but because the authors are refreshingly diverse on their feelings about Paris. This is a love letter to Paris, but it's also a letter home to your parents from Paris-camp about why it's not as amazing as Mom promised and you really just want to go home. There is love, but there is also loneliness. There are amazing sights and experiences, but there are also rainy days and an inability to communicate in French.
There are essays that are laugh-out-loud funny, and there are essays that are incredibly detailed accounts of the history of Paris during different time periods, as well as essays about mother-daughter relationships and romantic relationships - and more! I adored reading about how these authors all wrote about Paris, but also how they researched their books and ensured the authenticity of their stories. Authors who weren't able to visit Paris before starting their books, but read and read and read extensively and went to Paris later.
It's hard to really describe this whole book since it's such a diverse range of essays, but here are my overall takeaways:
1) I still want to visit Paris
2) I should learn French, but even if I do it won't be usable in Paris so I should just speak English and admit that I'm a tourist
3) Go without an agenda or schedule
4) Sit and watch people
5) Eat all the food
6) Drink all the wine
7) Hotel rooms are small
8) SO MUCH HISTORY
9) Lines for major attractions are so so long - buy tickets ahead if you can, maybe skip some of the most touristy stuff
10) Walk and walk and walk and see the REAL Paris
This is a must-read for anyone who longs to visit Paris, or reads books set in Paris.....or anyone who loves reading about writing in general!
Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy of this title for review - all opinions are my own.
This book of 18 essays includes an astounding collection of female writers, all with books set in Paris, and provides a thoroughly well-rounded take on visiting, as well as living and writing in (and about!) Paris. I say well-rounded not because the essays cover all different topics (although many do), but because the authors are refreshingly diverse on their feelings about Paris. This is a love letter to Paris, but it's also a letter home to your parents from Paris-camp about why it's not as amazing as Mom promised and you really just want to go home. There is love, but there is also loneliness. There are amazing sights and experiences, but there are also rainy days and an inability to communicate in French.
There are essays that are laugh-out-loud funny, and there are essays that are incredibly detailed accounts of the history of Paris during different time periods, as well as essays about mother-daughter relationships and romantic relationships - and more! I adored reading about how these authors all wrote about Paris, but also how they researched their books and ensured the authenticity of their stories. Authors who weren't able to visit Paris before starting their books, but read and read and read extensively and went to Paris later.
It's hard to really describe this whole book since it's such a diverse range of essays, but here are my overall takeaways:
1) I still want to visit Paris
2) I should learn French, but even if I do it won't be usable in Paris so I should just speak English and admit that I'm a tourist
3) Go without an agenda or schedule
4) Sit and watch people
5) Eat all the food
6) Drink all the wine
7) Hotel rooms are small
8) SO MUCH HISTORY
9) Lines for major attractions are so so long - buy tickets ahead if you can, maybe skip some of the most touristy stuff
10) Walk and walk and walk and see the REAL Paris
This is a must-read for anyone who longs to visit Paris, or reads books set in Paris.....or anyone who loves reading about writing in general!
Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy of this title for review - all opinions are my own.