The Content Reader

All things come to an end, and Paris in July 2020 has finished. Host Tamara at Thyme for Tea ,  lets us linger a little bit more though. Time to wrap up. I have enjoyed all the various posts about Paris and France. Learnt a lot, been inspired, got hungry, extended my to-read list, and even managed to put up a few posts myself. As usual, my plans went 'out the window' (as we say in Swedish), meaning that very few of my intended posts were written. Other inspiration came in their place. I read books by my two favourite thriller writers; The Poison Will Remain by Fred Vargas and  Time is a Killer by Michel Bussi. A few favourite French movies went into the pot, as well as some unfinished posts from last year(!) about magical rooms; Gertrude Stein and Natalie Clifford Barney and  Adrienne Monnier and Sylvia Beach . At the very end of July, I received a book from author and blogger Paulita Kincher for a review, Falling for Provence . That was a wonderful novel for wrapping ...

Paris in July 2020 is hosted by Tamara at Thyme for Tea . Here we are sharing our love for everything Parisian and French. I am here with another review of a book from a favourite thriller writer, Michel Bussi. His stories are not like the average mystery/thriller. His characters are ordinary people, and it takes some time before you realise that there actually is a murder mystery. The murder(s) enter the story very discreetly, and as you go along you understand that all is not what it seems to be.  "In the summer of 2016, Clotilde is spending her vacation in Corsica with her husband Franck and her teenage daughter Valentine. It is the first time she has been back to the island since the car accident in which her parents and her brother were killed decades earlier. She was in the car too, but miraculously escaped with her life. This return plunges Clotilde back into the deepest recesses of her adolescence. She reacquaints herself with her paternal grandparents, Lisabetta and Cassa...

Paris in July, hosted by Tamara at Thyme for Tea . Everything French and Paris is interesting for this group of bloggers. I wanted to watch a French film, but have not yet got through D'après une histories vraie (Based on a True Story).  In the meantime, I wanted to recommend a couple of other French films that I love. I really enjoyed   Coco Avant Chanel ( Coco Before Chanel), about the French fashion icon. This is her story before she got famous. It is beautifully filmed and shows a woman determined to make something of herself and her talent. Audrey Tautou makes an excellent performance as Coco.  Another French icon is Colette. Keira Knightley plays Colette in the film with the same name. It is the story of how she became a successful writer, and the obstacles she faced on the way. For a long time, she had to publish her books under the name of her husband.  Both films highlight strong women who had to fight hard to make it in a men's world. I found both fil...

Tamara at Thyme for Tea  is hosting another Paris in July. I am happy to participate again. One of my favourite challenge. Looking forward to seeing fellow Paris-bloggers to see what you are up to this year.  Simple rules; we talk about everything Paris and French. Ill-prepared this year, so no high-level plans for the month. Here are some ideas I might fulfil.  Usually, I do a French dinner, but considering the times, this will be out of the question this year. I might make up a dinner menu at least.  I still have an unfinished post from last year(!) about saloons in Paris in the 1920s, which I will finalise. Someone recommended R.A. Scotti's Vanished Smile, about the theft of Mona Lisa at the beginning of the 20th century. I have never heard about this theft, but it sounds interesting. Especially, since I know the painting came back to the museum. Will try to find the book.  I will go to the library and see what French they have. Maybe I will try two of my fa...