‘Paris’ could be its own literary category, given the continual stream of new books inspired by the City of Light. And this year, Paris books are particularly plentiful. No matter your preferred genre, there’s something for every lover of Paris and literature alike. Read on …
If mysteries and thrillers are your literary thing …
The Paris Widow by Kimberley Belle has everything you need for a page-turner of a read: a shocking explosion, a missing husband, dubious pasts, and numerous shady characters. If a cosy mystery is more your cup of thé, there’s A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge, the follow-up to Mastering the Art of French Murder, which again co-stars Julia Child, along with delightful Parisian scenery and, of course, delicious descriptions of French gastronomy.
If you like to read with all the emotions …
Last Chance in Paris by Lynda Marron sees a cast of fascinating characters seeking solace and second chances in the City of Light, which serves as a gorgeous backdrop for this beautifully woven tale of love, grief, and every other emotion. Meanwhile, Ruth Reichl’s The Paris Novel is a story of self-discovery — and the discovery of life’s joys — set fabulously in 1980s Paris. Both books double as virtual visits to Paris, taking the reader on fun scenic jaunts, with Shakespeare and Company being a key stop on the itineraries. (Trigger warning: both novels touch on some upsetting issues; the loss of a child in the former, child abuse in the latter.)
If you swoon for historical fiction …
Code Name Butterfly by Embassie Susberry revisits Paris of World War II, the subject of countless other books, but from a fresh viewpoint — that of African American journalist Elodie Mitchell, whose friendship with war hero Joséphine Baker leads her, too, into the Resistance. Another fascinating celebrity who made Paris her home was Maria Callas, the subject of Daisy Goodwin’s Diva.
If you’re more into modern memoirs …
Glynnis MacNicol, a single 40-something, found herself craving new connections and experiences after the isolation of Covid lockdowns, and so she ventured to the City of Light; I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman’s Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris takes us along on this life-affirming romp. One of the ultimate Parisian pleasures, of course, is food, which Jane Bertch, the founder of the popular La Cuisine Paris cooking school knows all too well; her memoir The French Ingredient: Making a Life in Paris, One Lesson at a Time is as fun and witty as it is authentic and inspiring.
If you’re interested in the history of women in Paris …
Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris 1900-1939 by Robyn Asleson & others, is a beautifully illustrated celebration of the American women who found freedom, inspiration, and identity in Paris in the early decades of the twentieth century — think Joséphine Baker, Gertrude Stein, and Zelda Fitzgerald. Everyone’s favourite honorary Parisienne, of course, is Audrey Hepburn — and she’s the subject of the delightfully produced Audrey in Paris: The Fashion Icon in the City of Light by Caroline Young.
If you love books about Paris style — and stylish Paris books …
In Liberty Equality Fashion: The Women Who Styled the French Revolution, art historian Anne Higonnet fascinatingly details the French Revolution’s sartorial insurrection — the quickest and most audacious overhaul of feminine clothing in fashion history. Jumping ahead to present day, Dior PR director Mathilde Favier takes us on a fashion insider’s tour of her beloved hometown with Living Beautifully in Paris; the glossy, scrapbook-style book is as much decoration (one for the coffee table!) as it is travel inspiration.
You like to delve deep into the history of Paris …
In City of Light, City of Shadows: Paris in the Belle Époque, Mike Rapport re-examines this glittering time in Paris’s past to find a dark underbelly. Authors Dirk Veighe and John Baxter also scratch the shimmering surface of Parisian history and bring to light fun, fascinating, and often lurid tales in, respectively, Paris Souls: Unexpected Stories from the City of Light and Untold Paris: The Secret History of the City of Light.