Hourra!!Vive La Paris!
This is one of my favourite times of year - when all things French and Parisian takes over my life. Thyme for Tea's, Paris in July event is the perfect antidote to freezing cold winter holidays in Canberra and cold, grey July days back at work.
Tamara has already run a badge making contest in the lead up to this month...with the winner, Lisbeth from Content Reader, on display (left).
Despite my anticipation and excitement, I will have to keep my plans low-key and reasonable this year though as we are also moving house soon.
Please excuse any erratic attendance at events or posting deadlines.
One of my winter reading books was picked with this event in mind (as well as my Easter holiday in Vietnam).
The Book of Salt by Monique Truong:
Binh, a Vietnamese cook, flees Saigon in 1929, disgracing his family to serve as galley hand at sea. The taunts of his now-deceased father ringing in his ears, Binh answers an ad for a live-in cook at a Parisian household, and soon finds himself employed by Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.
Toklas and Stein hold court in their literary salon, for which the devoted yet acerbic Binh serves as chef, and as a keen observer of his "Mesdames" and their distinguished guests. But when the enigmatic literary ladies decide to journey back to America, Binh is faced with a monumental choice: will he, the self-imposed "exile," accompany them to yet another new country, return to his native Vietnam, or make Paris his home?
I also hope to add a couple of smaller, lighter reads into the month, time and packing permitted.
Onto matters totally unrelated - today is my 6th blogging anniversary!
Last year I had the time and energy to collate all kinds of interesting stats about my reading and reviewing habits.
This year I didn't even remember the occasion.
Dear Nancy @ipsofactodotme remembered for me. Thank you Nancy for your attention to detail and ceremony way and above the call of international blogging duty. You are a treasure xoxo
Hopefully life will stop being so crazy busy soon and my blogging routine will return to schedule. Until then dear friends,
Bonne Lecture.
I remember your post last year....and want to do a 5th anniversary as well...when I get there!
ReplyDeleteI know how difficult blogging can be at times. There are days when one seriously wants to stop.
You feel you just have nothing more to say. Take heart...when the sun goes down 'temporarily' the stars come out.
I enjoy reading your post ( even if you seen no comment....) I am still there! Looking forward to my 3rd AusReadingMonth in November!
Thanks for your encouragement once again Nancy.
DeleteIt's not so much that I feel like stopping, but that I don't have enough to give proper attention to my posts.
They feel very haphazard and on the run.
I'm thinking of a readalong for ausReading month though as I'm really enjoying the GWTW readalong. Do you have an Aussie book you've always wanted to read or reread? I was thinking of a Tim Winton at this point....?
Tim Winton would be an excellent choice! I will wait and see.
DeleteMust read Aussie Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Patrick White at some stage. Any book suggestion?
I would love to reread Dirt Music (Winton) and I've never read any White yet (slaps self on wrist) so maybe it would be a good way for us both to tick off another Nobel Prize winner (the Eye of the Storm was the book cited by the Nobel committee so that's the one I'd be most interested in reading right now.) do either of these appeal to you?
DeleteBoth books sound great!
DeleteHappy Bloggiversary Brona! I'm looking forward to Paris in July too of course.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your Bloggoversary! Years go by so fast, don't they? Once again, thank you for your wonderful posts and for introducing me to new authors :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary! Good luck with the move.
ReplyDeleteHello Brona! Thanks for visiting The Marmelade Gypsy when I know you are so busy with the move! And thanks also for posting -- I love finding a good new book. Your blogaversary, the move -- what a busy, happy time for you!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on six years blogging. This book sounds like quite a peek into the lives of these famous women. I'm featuring a book on my blog today too. Here’s my Dreaming of France meme
ReplyDelete