UPDATED
This list keeps growing, there's no way every single book about Paris will ever be included.
For that reason, here are a few suggestions for your further reading pleasure,
a list of mysteries set in France can be found at the wonderful Stop, You're Killing Me webpage: http://stopyourekillingme.com/LocationCats/Europe/France.html
Wikipedia has an entire list of novels set in Paris - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Novels_set_in_Paris
Here's a BEST OF list from The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/may/19/top-10-books-on-paris
Another list (fiction and non-fiction) set in or relating to Paris can be found here - https://www.abebooks.com/books/features/paris-books.shtml
Buzzfeed has a list of 40 books they believe will make you want to visit France - https://www.buzzfeed.com/marietelling/40-books-that-will-make-you-want-to-visit-france
I have always been fascinated by the Paris of the 1920's. Here's a list for you if that's something that interests you also - https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/paris/articles/10-books-that-capture-paris-in-the-1920s/
You get the idea.
There are many (MANY) lists out there of "best" books set in Paris. Have fun finding them and coming up with your own.
Do your research and find a hundred beezillion books to keep you happy until you finally get to The City of Lights. But be prepared, 'cause once you go and return, you'll want more Paris books. Once you're hooked on all things Paris (especially books) - you're hooked.
In the meantime -
Have Fun!
* * * * *
The following started out as a list of books I would read over the years while dreaming of a trip to Paris. It was started a very long time ago.
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.
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 newer novels, along with memoirs, guide books, architecture books, photo journals, etc etc etc
Being a lover of lists, I've continued adding to it.
And it will 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, think of this as a great place for you to start your Paris reading 😍 and discover more as your go along.
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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Fiction:
THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG by Muriel Barbery
The Ingredients of Love by Nicolas Barreau
One Evening in Paris by Nicolas Barreau
The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Death in Paris by Emilia Bernhard
LETTERS FROM PARIS by Juliet Blackwell
The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell
THE LOST CAROUSEL OF PROVENCE by Juliet Blackwell
A FRENCH PIROUETTE by Jennifer Bohnet
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
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
A Paris Affair by Tatiana de Rosnay
The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay
The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosney
The French Girl by Lexie Elliott
IT'S NOT LOVE, IT'S JUST PARIS by Patricia Engel
THE DRESS THIEF by Natalie Meg Evans
A Gown of Thornes by Natalie Meg Evans
The Milliner's Secret by Natalie Meg Evans
PARIS ECHO by Sebastian Faulks
MISSION TO PARIS by Alan Furst
A PARIS APARTMENT by Michelle Gable
I'll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable
THE DESIGNER by Maurius 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 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 NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah
Goodbye, Paris by Anstey Harris The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Claris by Megan Hess
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)
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)
THE NIGHTINGALE BY Kristin Hannah
Goodbye, Paris by Anstey Harris
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
Le Divorce by Diane Johnson
THE BONES OF PARIS by Laurie R. King
The Red Notebook by Antoine Lauraine
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 Confectioner's Tale by Laura Madeleine
Paris-Chien: Adventures of an Expat Dog by Jackie Clark Mancuso
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
Le Divorce by Diane Johnson
THE BONES OF PARIS by Laurie R. King
The Red Notebook by Antoine Lauraine
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 Confectioner's Tale by Laura Madeleine
Paris-Chien: Adventures of an Expat Dog by Jackie Clark Mancuso
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Paris for One by JoJo Moyes
Paris Spring by James Naughtie
A Garden Wall in Provence by Carrie Jane Knowles
Down and Out in Paris by George Orwell
Hugo Marston Series by Mark Pryor
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
One Way Ticket to Paris by Emma Robinson
Paris: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd
Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
MY SECRET GUIDE TO PARIS by Lisa Schroeder
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 PERFUME COLLECTOR by Kathleen Tessaro
ELEGANCE by Kathleen Tessaro
Letter from Paris by Therésè
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 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
We'll Always Have Paris by Sue Watson
French for Girls by JP Wright
Non-Fiction:
Paris Peasant by Louis Aragon & Simon Watson Taylor
Walking Paris Streets with Eugene Atget
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
We'll Always Have Paris by Sue Watson
French for Girls by JP Wright
Non-Fiction:
Paris Peasant by Louis Aragon & Simon Watson Taylor
Walking Paris Streets with Eugene Atget
Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard
The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris by John Baxter
Montparnasse by John Baxter
Paris Brassai
Montparnasse by John Baxter
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. Edited by Eleanor Brown.
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
Paris to the Past: Traveling through French History by Train by Ina Caro
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. Edited by Eleanor Brown.
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
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Paris Years by Paul Brody
Paris Sketchbook by Jason Brooks
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
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
Permanent Parisians: An Illustrated Guide to the Cemeteries of Paris by Judi Culbertson & Tom Randall
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 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
UN, Deux, Trois: First French Poems Selected by Opal Dunn
The 500 Hidden Secrets of Paris by Marie Farman
The Little Book of Paris by Dominique Foufelle
Eugene Atget: Paris by Jean Claude Gautrad
Paris Mansions and Apartments 1893 by Pierre Gelis-Didot
Americans in Paris: A Literary Anthology by Adam Gopnik
Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
DON'T BE A TOURIST IN PARIS by Vanessa Grall
City Trails - Paris by Helen Greathead
Shakespeare and Company: A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart edited by Krista Halverson
EVERY FRENCHMAN HAS ONE by Olivia de Havilland
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
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 in Love by Eloisa James
The Little Pleasures of Paris by Leslie Jonath & Lizzie Stewart
A Day with Picasso by Billy Kluver
A Day with Picasso by Billy Kluver
French Milk by Lucy Knisley
Karl Lagerfeld: Paris Photo by Karl Lagerfeld
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
Man Ray's Montparnasse by Herbert R. Lottman
PARIS LETTERS by Janice MacLeod
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
Paris: A Love Story by Kati Marton
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 Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by
Paris: Panarama Pops by Sarah McMenemy
BOOKS, BAGUETTES AND BEDBUGS by Jeremy Mercer
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
The Paris Journal by Nichole Robertson and Evan Robertson
Paris by John RussellParis in Color by Nichole Robertson
The Paris Journal by Nichole Robertson and Evan Robertson
Hats by Madame Paulette: Paris Milliner Extraordinaire by Annie Schneider
LE PARISIENNES by Anne Sebba
Impressions of Paris: An Artists's Sketchbook by Cat Seto
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
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
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
1 comment:
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.
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