My September Reading List

I was in Paris last month so most of the books that I read in September were about Paris: the city, the culture, the people, the art and the food. I am amazed some of these books gave really accurate descriptions of what I have actually experienced. Others would give you way more insights than any other guidebooks would do. If you love art and if particularly impressionism, I'd strongly suggest you to read the books that I recommend below before you go to Paris. It will help you develop your own understanding about the artists and the movement. I talked to my painting teacher after my trip and he agreed this is indeed the best way to experience art :)

*Click the image to view details of the books on Amazon

Paris, Paris: Journey into the city of light
By David Downie

If I am going to read only one book about Paris this is it. David Downie is unarguably a very good writer. There are a lot of people who like his style. However from the Amazon reviews, there are also a few who hate it. To me, I am totally in love with this book. But if you're using it as a normal guidebook you'll be disappointed, as it is clearly for adventurers instead of general tourists. In his book he would take you through a walking tour along the Seine River, the Ile St Louis, Pere Lachaise Cemetery, the Luxembourg Garden  etc, telling you stories about these places with a unique sense of humor (which can sometimes be borderline mean but funny). I booked my trip to Auvers-Sur-Oise (a small village 27km from Paris, where Van Gogh shot himself dead) before I realized there is a chapter in this book about this place too. Most of the places that I picked to visit in Paris were not at all common. I am grateful how I managed to find this book that happened to cover almost everything I like.

There was another book called "Secrets of Paris" in my August reading list. While I still think it's a good read, I now know a lot more about Paris and I'd say a lot of things mentioned in that book were more for entertainment than being the reality.

Intoxicating Paris
By PJ Adams

This book is about the culture and the people in Paris, rather than the city itself. I started reading it before my trip however I didn't have time to finish it until I was on my return flight. But it turned out to be the perfect time to read this book. I have to tell you, the description was PRECISE, and you won't know until you've actually met and talked to the French people. This book managed to keep my reading light on almost during the entire flight, and my favourite chapter was chapter 3 haha.. :-$

Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons in Food and Love From A Year In Paris
By Ann Mah

There are a lot of books written about food in Paris. I picked this one because it was written by an American woman of Chinese origin who spent a year alone in Paris. I'd like to know what it's like for an Asian woman to live in the city of romance. I would call this book a food discovery journal and a cookbook, because there is a recipe at the end of every chapter. This book will definitely make you feel hungry as the author is very good at describing food. After reading it I decided to take a cooking class in Paris, making crepes :)

Forever Paris: 25 Walks in the Footsteps of Chanel, Hemingway, Picasso and More
By Christina Henry de Tessan

This book is a concise version of "Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light". If you like any of the famous people mentioned in the book you should definitely read it. There is a short description of each person, not exactly a biography but only the essential things that you need to know, followed by a map suggesting the route that you should take to follow his/her footsteps. The direction is extremely clear. I'd say it's the most tourist-friendly book out of all the books that I read in September.

The Private Lives of the Impressionists
By Sue Roe

Sue Roe is probably one of the most popular writers about the biographies of artists of the 19th- 20th Century. If you read this book before visiting the 5th floor of Musee D'Orsay in Paris you can probably lead a private impressionism art tour to subsidize your trip. This book is one of the most comprehensive books about the impressionists that I know. Her new book "In Montmartre: Picasso, Matisses and Modernism in Paris 1900- 1910" was featured in the Musee D'Orsay book store when I was there last month. And it probably will appear on my October reading list ;)

Van Gogh: The Life
By Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith

This book is a huge book about Van Gogh, and is by far the best besides "the letters of Van Gogh" (928 letters written by the artist himself to his brother Theo, a must-read for anyone who wants to know more about Van Gogh). It was written like a fiction with a great deal of history. If you're very much into the artist like I am, you'd probably enjoy reading it a lot. But if you're not, I'd suggest you to read his letters first.

Hmmm....many of my friends refer Van Gogh as an impressionism artist. To be exact he is not. People usually call him post-impressionist, a name given to a group of young and rebellious artists in Paris of the late 20th century who refused to conform to traditions. They were inspired by almost everything: the impressionists, the chaotic city life in Paris, the nature, the Realism masters, even the Japanese paintings and Chinese art. They have very diverse styles and their personal lives were almost as interesting as their works.