Paris, The Thrifty Eater’s Guide

A new affordable book (6 Euros) from Parigramme by Catherine Jarrige with tips on where to feast in Paris without spending a fortune! This is the insider’s guide to dining in Paris: genuine neighborhood bistros, casual “no-frills”gourmet restaurants, delis and wine bars which source products carefully and prepare them artfully. This guide will help you avoid tourist traps and make your Parisian stay a succession of savory marvels… at reasonable prices. Great Meals! Great Deals!

The Best Places to Kiss in Paris

Just in time for springtime and for those who dream of a “romantic rendezvous in the City of Light” here is an updated “tongue in cheek” guide by Thierry Soufflard (Parigramme) which romps through all the clichés of romantic Paris while giving advice on such topics as how and where to kiss at museums (and keep out of sight of the attendants!)… Or, how to imitate Doisneau’s famous smooch shot “The Kiss at the Hotel de Ville.”

What French Women Know…

A new book from Debra Oliver the author of the popular book ” Entre Nous: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl.” Here Ollivier goes beyond familiar ooh-la-la stereotypes about French women, challenging cherished notions about sex, love, dating, marriage, motherhood, seduction and flirtation. Less a how-to and more a how-not-to, Peppered with anecdotes from its Franco-American author and filled with provocative ideas from French sexperts, mistresses and maidens alike, it debunks longstanding myths while talking about life-affirming alternatives from the land that knows how to love.

The History of Paris in Painting

This sumptuous artistic tribute to the city of lights-sure to please Francophiles on your gift list- brings Paris to life in paintings that range from medieval to modern. With such classics as Manet’s “Bar at the Folies-Bergère, ” Watteau’s “Enseigne de Gersaint” and even Robert Doisneau’s legendary photograph  “Baiser Hotel de Ville” the book’s editors (Georges Duby and Guy Lobrichon) provide a  visual journey through the city’s picturesque life. With 350 full-color illustrations the book presents Paris from its earliest days as a city on the Ile de la Cité, through the tumultuous times of the French Revolution, to the city’s “Haussmannization” to contemporary views depicting it as a multi-faced modern capital.

 

The Secret Life of France

Wonderful book full of insights and anecdotes about life with the French. Using her own personal experiences of over 20 years living in France Lucy Wadham provides an insiders look on how things work here and leads us on a journey through the French moral maze, and examines French attitudes to a range of subjects from marriage and adultery to work and race relations.

 

The Flea Markets of France

From villages in Southwest France to the city of lights a visit to a flea market can be the highlight of a trip to France including a lively encounter with everyday French culture, an exciting way to spend a few hours, and a chance to pick up a unique souvenir. The Flea Markets of France is the indispensable tool for getting the most out of your visit, whether you’re a first-time visitor or an experienced shopper. Conversational and comprehensive, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about exploring markets all over France. Descriptions of more than thirty markets and their specialties, as well as practical advice on visiting them, is augmented by notes on regional items, tips on bargaining and collecting, a glossary of relevant French phrases, and a useful rating system which gives an overview of each market.

Much more than a simple listing of French flea markets, Sandy Price’s suggestions of things to do nearby, places to eat, food specialties of the area, and local amenities are complemented by bits of history and cultural observations.

 

French Women Don’t Sleep Alone

Jamie Cat Callan in her new book “French Women Don’t Sleep Alone” gives readers a personalized, guided tour through the corridors of French love. Just as we’ve learned to stop torturing ourselves with fad diets and have relearned the art of eating, this witty, insightful, and candid book strives to show American women how to cultivate and enjoy the pleasures of love, romance, and marriage. According to Callan French women believe that the gift for attracting men has nothing to do with beauty, work, or even motivation. On the contrary says Callan, French women’s love lives are romantic, sensual, playful, and intense. They conduct their relationships with the same unique sense of originality and artfulness that they choose their clothes and accessories. 

Jamie Cat Callan presents and signs her new book “French Women Don’t Sleep Alone: Pleasurable Secrets to Finding Love,” Wed. Sept 16, 7:30pm, WHSmith – 248, rue de Rivoli – 75001 Paris – M°Concorde

 

Footprints in Pairs

A few streets, a few lives… this new book is half history and half a personal family autobiography, Author Gillian Tindall, a master of miniaturist history, tells ordinary stories of the ordinary lives of five generations of her family while revisiting Paris’s Latin Quarter evoking all the resonances of the Left Bank – students and artists, garrets and cafés, music halls and courtesans. Tindall’s writing makes much of an unknown person or single situation while staking out a particular territory in idiosyncratic non-fiction that is brilliantly evocative of place.