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| Photo by Austeja Gudziunaite |
UPDATED - 6/17/2020
(updated fairly often, so do check back)
It began as a list of books about Paris that I'd read about or heard about from friends.
Books I wanted to read while I dreamed of Paris.
Wondering if I'd ever get there.
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| Photo by Paris Photographer Geneviève Thomas of My Joli Coeur Photography https://tinyurl.com/y2of7rtp |
As I read one of those books I would give it a little check mark and move on.
When I realized I was picking up books to read that I had already read, the list became a little more organized, and a little more serious.
My "obsession" with Paris isn't anything new, it's just one of those dreams I've had for as long as I can remember.
It started when I had a Parisian pen pal in grammar school. We corresponded for a couple of years, I think, and I often wonder whatever became of her.
When I knew my dream really was finally coming true and a date was set to leave, I started looking for more and more "Paris Books."
I discovered an amazing number of new novels, along with memoirs, guide books, architecture books, photo books, journals, etc etc etc
Being a lover of lists, I've continued adding to it.
And it grows.
And it will continue to grow.
And grow
and grow . . .
The list contains fiction and non-fiction. Classics and women's lit, romance and mysteries - it's a total hodge-podge, which is exactly what I read.
If you love Paris, been there or not been there, you're welcome to think of this list as a great place for you to start your Paris reading 😍 and discover more as your go along.
Besides this list of mine, there are many (MANY) lists out there of "best" books set in Paris. Have fun finding them and coming up with a list of your own.
Have Fun!
* * * * *
This Little Black Book of Paris (from Peter Pauper Press, but can also be found in many indy bookstores). I love it, and it has come in very handy (besides just being plain ol' fun).
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Our favorite map (so far) is Michelin's Paris Par Arrondissement. Having a list of places to see by Arrondissement, along with this map works out wonderfully well.
Cooking for Picasso: A Novel by
THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG by Muriel Barbery
Love Letters from Montmartre by Nicolas Barreau
The Ingredients of Love by Nicolas Barreau
One Evening in Paris by Nicolas Barreau
The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin
Death in Paris by Emilia Bernhard
The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry
Aimée Leduc Series by Cara Black
LETTERS FROM PARIS by Juliet Blackwell
The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell
THE LOST CAROUSEL OF PROVENCE by Juliet Blackwell
The Vineyards of Champagne by Juliet Blackwell
A FRENCH PIROUETTE by Jennifer Bohnet
The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan
The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen
Paris Still Life by Rosalind Brackenbury
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
THE LIGHT OF PARIS by Eleanor Brown
THE PARIS EFFECT by K. S. R. Burns
PARIS EVER AFTER by K. S. R. Burns
PARIS BY THE BOOK by Liam Callanan
The Little Paris Patisserie by Julie Caplin
PARIS TIME CAPSULE by Ella Carey
The House by the Lake by Ella Carey
From a Paris Balcony by Ella Carey
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
Haunting Paris by Mamta Chaudhry
Paris, Rue des Martyrs, Adria J. Cimino
A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke
In the Merde for Love by Stephen Clarke
THE RACE TO PARIS by Meg Waite Clayton
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan
Cousin Bette, by Honoré de Balzac
A Paris Affair by Tatiana de Rosnay
The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The French Girl by Lexie Elliott
IT'S NOT LOVE, IT'S JUST PARIS by Patricia Engel
Maggie Finds Her Muse by Dee Ernst
The Paris Girl by Natalie Meg Evans
The Secret Vow by Natalie Meg Evans
THE DRESS THIEF by Natalie Meg Evans
A Gown of Thornes by Natalie Meg Evans
The Milliner's Secret by Natalie Meg Evans
The Queen of Paris A Novel of Coco Chanel
by Pamela Binnings Ewen
PARIS ECHO by Sebastian Faulks
Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman
The Girl Who Reads on the Métro by Christine Féret-Fleury
The Art of Regret by Mary Fleming
MISSION TO PARIS by Alan Furst
A PARIS APARTMENT by Michelle Gable
I'll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable
THE DESIGNER by Marius Gabriel
The Parisians by Marius Gabriel
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico
Hidden in Paris by Corine Gantz
The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Gaughan
The Paris Hours by Alex George
THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP by Nina George
THE LITTLE FRENCH BISTRO by Nina George
The Bridal Chair by Gloria Goldreich
Paris Out of Hand by Karen Elizabeth Gordon
The Paris Secret by Lily Graham
Paris by Julian Green
The Game of Hope by Sandra Gulland
THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah
The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel
Goodbye, Paris by Anstey Harris
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Claris by Megan Hess
Claris' Fashion Show Fiasco by Megan Hess
Claris Bonjour Riviera by Megan Hess
The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman
The Paris Writers Circle by Norma Hopcraftt
A Week in Paris by Rachel Hore
The Paramour's Daughter by Wendy Hornsby (this is the 7th in the Maggie MacGowan series, but the first focusing on Paris. For background, I recommend reading the previous books. It's not necessary, but it's one of my favorites series by one of my favorite authors).
Disturbing the Dark by Wendy Hornsby (the 10th in the Maggie MacGowan series - and she's back in France)
Number 7, Rue Jacob by Wendy Hornsby (the 11th in the Maggie MacGowan series)
A Bouquet of Rue by Wendy Hornsby (the 12th in the Maggie MacGowan series)
Christmas in Paris by Anita Hughes
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
The Ambassadors by Henry James
THE PARIS DIRECTIVE by Gerald Jay
Enchantress of Paris by Marci Jefferson
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio
Le Divorce by Diane Johnson
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly
THE BONES OF PARIS by Laurie R. King
A Garden Wall in Provence by Carrie Jane Knowles
Crossings by Alex Landragin
Someday in Paris by Olivia Lara
The Red Notebook by Antoine Lauraine
The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester
The Paris Orphan by Natasha Lester
P.S. FROM PARIS by Marc Levy
APRIL IN PARIS, 1921 by Tessa Lunney
French Short Stories 1 / Nouvelles Francaises 1: Parallel Text (Penguin Parallel Text) (French and English Edition) edited by Pamela Lyon
The Last Collection - A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel by Jeanne Mackin
The Beautiful American by Jeanne Mackin
The Confectioner's Tale by Laura Madeleine
The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah
Paris-Chien: Adventures of an Expat Dog by Jackie Clark Mancuso
The Missing Sister by Elle Marr
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Dragonfly by Leila Meacham
One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan
Paris for One by JoJo Moyes
Left Bank by Kate Muir
Abundance: a Novel of Marie Antoinette by Sena Jeter Naslund
Paris Spring by James Naughtie
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
Down and Out in Paris by George Orwell
The Lost Gargoyle of Paris by Gigi Pandian
Rooftop Soliloquy by Roman Payne
All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny ("The 16th novel by #1 bestselling author Louise Penny finds Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Quebec investigating a sinister plot in the City of Light." I recommend, as does the author, starting this series by reading Book 1, Still Life. )
Hugo Marston Series by Mark Pryor (another favorite series by another favorite author).
THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP ON THE SEINE by Rebecca Raisin
The Little Antique Shop Under the Eiffel Tower by Rebecca Raisin
Kiss Me in Paris by Catherine Rider
The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards
The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson
One Way Ticket to Paris by Emma Robinson
Follow Me Through Paris by Jill Robinson and Michel Delacroix
Moonlight Over Paris by Jennifer Robson
Paris: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd
Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Age of Light: A Novel by Whitney Scharer
MY SECRET GUIDE TO PARIS by Lisa Schroeder
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Seltzer
The Collector's Apprentice by B. A. Shapiro
THE MURALIST by B. A. Shapiro
PARIS, HE SAID by Christine Sneed
FRENCH LESSONS by Ellen Sussman
The Paris Secret by Karen Swann
PARIS ADRIFT by E. J. Swift
The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor
THE PERFUME COLLECTOR by Kathleen Tessaro
ELEGANCE by Kathleen Tessaro
Letter from Paris by Therésè
Eloise in Paris by Kay Thompson
The French Escape by Suzie Tullett
THE FRENCH FOR LOVE by Fiona Valpy
THE FRENCH FOR ALWAYS by Fiona Valpy
THE FRENCH FOR CHRISTMAS by Fiona Valpy
THE BEEKEEPER'S PROMISE by Fiona Valpy
The Dressmaker's Gift by Fiona Valpy
Lisette's List by Susan Vreeland
We'll Always Have Paris by Sue Watson
Paris, 7 A.M. by Liza Wieland
All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig , Karen White
French for Girls by JP Wright
The Belly of Paris by Emile Zola
The Ladies’ Paradise by Emile Zola
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| Photo by Paris Photographer Geneviève Thomas of My Joli Coeur Photography https://tinyurl.com/y2of7rtp |
Non-Fiction:
My (Part-Time) Paris Life: How Running Away Brought Me Home by Lisa Anselmo
Paris Peasant by Louis Aragon & Simon Watson Taylor
Walking Paris Streets with Eugene Atget
A Place in the World Called Paris by Steven Barclay
Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard
Here's one I highly recommend!
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| Carousels of Paris |
The Bonjour Effect by Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoit Nadeau
Chic & Slim Toujours:Ageing Beautifully Like Those Chic French Women by Anne Barone
Ritz & Escoffier by Luke Barr
The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris by John Baxter
Montparnasse by John Baxter
Paris Cocktails: An Elegant Collection of Over 100 Recipes Inspired by the City of Light (City Cocktails) by
The Artist Who Loved Cats: The Inspiring Tale of Theophile-Alexandre Steinlein by Susan Bernardo, Illustrated by Courtenay Fletcher
Paris Brassai
A Paris All Your Own - Bestselling Women Writers on the City of Light edited by Eleanor Brown - Contributing authors include Paula McLain, Therese Anne Fowler, Melissa Shapiro, Jennifer Coburn, Maggie Shipstead, Lauren Willig, Cathy Kelly, Rachel Hore, Meg Waite Clayton, Ellen Sussman, M. J. Rose, Susan Vreeland , Megan Crane, Michelle Gable, J. Courtney Sullivan, Julie Powell, Jennifer Scott, AND our very own Cara Black.
Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach
The Madeleine Project by Clara Beaudoux
My Paris Dream by Kate Betts
Five Hundred Buildings of Paris by Kathy Borrus and Jorg Brockmann
The Gargoyles of Notre-Dame by Michael Camille
Paris to the Past: Traveling through French History by Train by Ina Caro
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Paris Years by Paul Brody
Paris Sketchbook by Jason Brooks
The Lost King of France by Deborah Cadbury
Hidden Gardens of Paris: A Guide to the Parks, Squares, and Woodlands of the City of Light by Susan Cahill
Parisian Charm School: French Secrets for Cultivating Love, Joy, and That Certain je ne sais quoi by Jamie Cat Callan
The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier by Thad Carhart
Pancakes in Paris by Craig Carlson
Flâneur: The Art of Wandering the Streets of Paris by Federico Castigliano
My Life in France by Julia Child
Mastering the Art of French Cooking (2 Volume Set) by Julia Child
Permanent Parisians: An Illustrated Guide to the Cemeteries of Paris by Judi Culbertson & Tom Randall
In Paris by Jeanne Damas and Lauren Bastide
100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go by Marcia DeSanctis
Old-Fashioned Corners of Paris by Christophe Destournelles
Forever Paris: 25 Walks in the Footsteps of Chanel, Hemingway, Picasso, and More by Christina Henry de Tessan
City Walks: Paris, Revised Edition: 50 Adventures on Foot City Walks by Christina Henry de Tessan
The Hare with the Amber Eyes: a Hidden Inheritance by Edmund de Waal
The Best of Doisneau: Paris by Robert Doisneau
Paris Pop-Up by Ehrhard Dominiq
A Passion for Paris: Romanticism and Romance in the City of Light by David Downie
Paris, Paris: Journey Into the City of Light by David Downie and Allison Harris
A Beautiful Fall by Alicia Drake
UN, Deux, Trois: First French Poems Selected by Opal Dunn
Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London by Lauren Elkin
The 500 Hidden Secrets of Paris by Marie Farman
The Little Book of Paris by Dominique Foufelle
Secret Paris by Jacque Garnce & Maude Ratton
Eugene Atget: Paris by Jean Claude Gautrad
Paris Mansions and Apartments 1893 by Pierre Gelis-Didot
Americans in Paris: Life and Death under Nazi Occupation by Charles Glass
The Maid and the Queen, The Secret History of Joan of Arc and Yolande of Aragon by Nancy Goldstone
Americans in Paris: A Literary Anthology by Adam Gopnik
Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
The Hemingses of Monticello: an American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed (much of the story, although not all, is set in Paris)
DON'T BE A TOURIST IN PARIS by Vanessa Grall
City Trails - Paris by Helen Greathead
French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano
French Women for All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano
Shakespeare and Company: A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart edited by Krista Halverson
Paris: Capital of Modernity by David Harvey
EVERY FRENCHMAN HAS ONE by Olivia de Havilland
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Eating and Drinking in Paris: French Menu Translator and Restaurant Guide by Andy Herbach
Paris Is Always a Good Idea by Renee Herrington
Paris: Through a Fashion by Megan Hess
F. Scott Fitzgerald's Taste of France by Carol Hlker
La Vie en Rosé: A Very French Adventure Continues by Jamie Ivey
Paris under Water: How the City of Light Survived the Great Flood of 1910 by Jeffrey Jackson
Paris in Love by Eloisa James
The Little Pleasures of Paris by Leslie Jonath & Lizzie Stewart
Paris Reborn: Napoléon III, Baron Haussmann, and the Quest to Build a Modern City by Stephane Kirkland
City Trails - Paris by Helen Greathead
A Drinkable Feast: A Cocktail Companion to 1920s Paris by
Baking Chez Moi: Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere by
French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano
French Women for All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano
Shakespeare and Company: A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart edited by Krista Halverson
Paris: Capital of Modernity by David Harvey
EVERY FRENCHMAN HAS ONE by Olivia de Havilland
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Eating and Drinking in Paris: French Menu Translator and Restaurant Guide by Andy Herbach
Paris Is Always a Good Idea by Renee Herrington
Paris: Through a Fashion by Megan Hess
F. Scott Fitzgerald's Taste of France by Carol Hlker
Demystifying the French By Janet Hulstrand
La Vie en Rosé: A Very French Adventure Continues by Jamie Ivey
Paris under Water: How the City of Light Survived the Great Flood of 1910 by Jeffrey Jackson
Paris in Love by Eloisa James
Communal Luxury: The Political Imaginary of the Paris Commune by Kristin Ross
May '68 and Its Afterlives by Kristin Ross
The Little Pleasures of Paris by Leslie Jonath & Lizzie Stewart
White Truffles in Winter by N.M. Kelby
Paris Reborn: Napoléon III, Baron Haussmann, and the Quest to Build a Modern City by Stephane Kirkland
A Day with Picasso by Billy Kluver
French Milk by Lucy Knisley
Karl Lagerfeld: Paris Photo by Karl Lagerfeld
My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
L'Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Home in Paris by David Lebovitz
That's Paris: An Anthology of Life, Love and Sarcasm in the City of Light edited by Vicki Lesage
In a French Kitchen by Susan Herrmann Loomis
Man Ray's Montparnasse by Herbert R. Lottman
A PARIS YEAR by Janice MacLeod
PARIS LETTERS by Janice MacLeod
Mastering the Art of French Eating: From Paris Bistros to Farmhouse Kitchens, Lessons in Food and Love by
A Writer's Paris A Guided Journey for the Creative Soul by Eric Maisel
Pop-Up Paris (Lonely Planet Kids) by Andy Mansfield
BEMELMANS The Life and Art of Madeline's Creator by John Bemelmans Marciano
My Good Life in France, In pursuit of the Rural Dream by Janine Marsh
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle
Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France by Peter Mayle
Provence by Peter Mayle
Provence from the Air by Peter Mayle
Provence A-Z by Peter Mayle
The Hotel on Place Vendome: Life, Death and Betrayal at the Hotel Ritz in Paris by Tilar J. Mazzeo
The Widow Clicquot: The story of a champagne empire and the woman who ruled it by Tilar J. Mazzeo
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough
Paris: Panarama Pops by Sarah McMenemy
BOOKS, BAGUETTES AND BEDBUGS by Jeremy Mercer
60 Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong: Why We Love France But Not the French by Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow
ROOFTOPS OF PARIS by Fabrice Moireau and Carl Norac
Quiet Corners of Paris Unexpected Hideaways, Secret Courtyards, Hidden Gardens by Jean-Christophe Napias
History of France by John Julius Norwich
Inspired by Paris: Why Borrowing from the French is Better than being French by Jordan Phillips
Paris: Beautiful Designs on the Street Cornery by PIE Books
American Expatriate Writing and the Paris Moment by Donald Pizer
FRANCE IS A FEAST: The Photographic Journey of Paul and Julia Child by Alex Prud'homme & Katie Pratt
Gail Albert Halaban: Paris Views by Gail Albert Halaban and Cathy Rémy
Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet by Ruth Reichl
Spectacular Paris - Rizzoli Classics
Paris in Love by Nichole Robertson
Paris in Color by Nichole Robertson
Literary Paris by Nichole Robertson
The Paris Journal by Nichole Robertson and Evan Robertson
French Toast: An American in Paris Celebrates the Maddening Mysteries of the French by Harriet Welty Rochefort
How to Read Paris: A Crash Course in Parisian Architecture by Chris Rogers
Paris Was Ours by Penelope Rowlands
Paris by John Russell
Drawing Lessons by Patricia Sands
Do Not Go Gentle. Go to Paris.: Travels of an Uncertain Woman of a Certain Age by
The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs by Elaine Sciolino
La Seduction: How The French Play The Game Of Life by Elaine Sciolino
The Seine: The River that Made Paris Kindle Edition by
LE PARISIENNES by Anne Sebba
Impressions of Paris: An Artists's Sketchbook by Cat Seto
by Linda Spalla
Paris Flea Market Style by Claudia Strasser
Paris in 500 photos 500 Photos by Maurice Subervie
Paris: An Architectural History An Architectural History by Anthony Sutcliffe
PARIS, MY SWEET: A YEAR IN THE CITY OF LIGHT (AND DARK CHOCOLATE) by Amy Thomas
A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse: A Cookbook by
Living Well Is the Best Revenge by Calvin Tomkins
Almost French: Love and A New Life in Paris by Sarah Turnbull
Everybody Was So Young: Gerald and Sara Murphy: A Lost Generation Love Story by Amanda Vaill
Seven Letters from Paris: A Memoir by Samantha Vérant
Quiet Paris by Siobhan Wall
Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution by Caroline Weber
PARIS IN STRIDE, AN INSIDER'S WALKING GUIDE by Jessie Kanelos Weiner and Sarah Moroz
Atget: Postcards of a Lost Paris by Benjamin Weiss
Our Paris: Sketches from Memory by Edmund White
The Guide to the Architecture of Paris by Norval White
The Historic Restaurants of Paris: A Guide to Century-Old Cafes, Bistros, and Gourmet Food Shops by Ellen Williams
5 comments:
Wow, Kaye! What a great list! You've done a lot of work that others can benefit from. I didn't used to care much about going to Paris, but you have me getting closer and closer to jumping on a plane.
Wonderful list! and I love the photos of Paris!
I found this list while looking for recommended books to read while I spend the next two weeks in Paris. I just want to say that this is so thorough and interesting. I'm both overwhelmed and excited! You obviously put a ton of thought and time into this. Know that it is appreciated!
P.S. Seeing the obvious joy in your pictures makes me so happy and excited for my own trip. Thanks for posting!
Tori - You have made my day, Thank You!!!!
Now, please, let me hear about trip AND what you decided to read.
Have fun (how could you not?!) in Paris
Wonderful
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