Back-to-school season is coming up in France, and even those who are long past their school years feel the exciting and renewed energy of “la rentrรฉe” as it’s called here. It’s a time to reset the mind, reorganize the home, and refresh the day-to-day routine.
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The end of summer vacations to new destinations might be past us, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still travel via the pages of a good book! We love this time of year settle into a more stable schedule so that we can be more purposeful about dedicating time to reading.
To help get you started on your “rentrรฉe” reading list, here are some of our favorite titles that have been released this year โ many of which have been featured in our “Book Club” of the My French Country Home magazine!
The French Ingredient:
Making a Life in Paris, One Lesson at a Time
by Jane Bertch
If you love cooking and have sought out an English-speaking cooking class in Paris, you may already be familiar with the popular cooking school La Cuisine Paris, located on the banks of the Seine in the charming Marais neighborhood. On your next trip to Paris, we highly recommend checking out their classes if you’re cooking-curious. But if you simply want a fascinating, funny, and honest story about La Cuisine’s opening, The French Ingredient is an absolute must-read.
Jane Bertch, the founder of La Cuisine, tells her inspiring true story in the recently released book about how her pipe dream came to be. Leaving her successful career in finance to open a French cooking school aimed at a foreign clientรจle was naturally filled with loads of hurdles and classic French frustrations along the way. Throughout this adventure, she learns how to charm the local bureaucrats, project confidence in the face of endless red tape, and overcome the naysayers to eventually realize her dreams. Filled with expert local anecdotes and raw stories about what life in France is really like as an American expat, this book is a masterclass not just in French cooking โ but in French living.
Beyond Paris:
An Insider’s Guide to Rural France
by Sophie Duncan
This witty romp through some of France’s lesser-known regions is informed by the author’s two decades of living in the French countryside, as well as her renovation of a 16th century chรขteau near the medieval city of Carcassonne. Delving into the diversity, richness, and challenges of rural life, Sophie Duncan’s examination from a home hunter’s perspective is as illuminating as it is entertaining.
A Season For That:
Lost and Found in the Other Southern France
by Steve Hoffman
Steve Hoffman, an accountant and Francophile from the American midwest, recounts the story of how he moves his family to a tiny village in the Hรฉrault region โ having previously only ever visited Paris. He soon realizes how much he has to learn about French country life, its food, its wine, and how to belong. Once he lets go of his preconceived notions, he discovers the beauty of a culture intertwined with its terroir.
The Paris Novel
by Ruth Reichl
Written by the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, this novel follows Stella, a young editor in a New York publishing house who moves to Paris after the death of her estranged mother who left her a one-way ticket and a simple note that informed her to “Go to Paris.” At first, she wanders the city aimlessly โ until the owner of a vintage store convinces her to buy a stunning Dior dress. Emboldened by this impulse purchase, Stella dives into her adventure, and meets a lively cast of characters along the way in this gripping novel set in 1980s Paris.
How to be French:
Eat, Drink, Dress, Travel, and Love la vie franรงaise
by Janine Marsh
This book is a celebration of the French lifestyle and a lesson in the joy of taking things slowly. Eating and drinking to savor the moment and the savoir-faire in its creation. Learning to travel indulgently and embrace new experiences and sensations. And cherishing culture and the beauty that surrounds us.
Cooking with My French Country Home
Photos and Recipes by Franck Schmitt
If you love the French recipes from our magazine and website, you’ll adore this cookbook! In collaboration with our regular contributor, French cook and photographer Franck Schmitt, we have compiled 50 of his greatest recipes and put them together in a digital cookbook. Organized by “Les Entrรฉes” (starters), “Les Soupes” (soups), “Les Legumes” (vegetables), “Les Plats” (main courses), “Les Desserts” (desserts), and “Les Patisseries” (pastries) โ you will find everything you need for a perfect French meal. Transport your tastebuds to France and getting cooking ร la Franck instantly!
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