I was never one of those kids holed up in their room reading a good book all day.  I preferred playing outside over reading.  I am finding as I am getting older that a good book is like a present waiting to be opened.  I love being transported to another time and place.  
 
I quickly realized that I was spending a small fortune at the W.H. Smith, a lovely English bookstore in the heart of Paris.  Another favorite is Galignani which has both French and English books and we can't forget FNAC (which are large electronic/video/book stores all over the city as well as Western Europe), they have a lovely selection of books in French and a small selection written in English. 

I was excited to discover "The American Library of Paris". It's larger than our library back home, more dated and dark, but full of gifts for young and old.  It is located near the Eiffel Tower and our routine is to go to the library every two to three weeks, grab some books for the entire family and a few DVD's and then hit the park with our picnic lunch.  We look forward to it and I am trying to imprint the association of books and fun on the children's hearts.   

There is a fee to join the library but it is worth it.  A yearly membership for an entire family is 155 euro's and you may check out as many books as you'd like as well as videos.  There are less expensive fees for singles and couples and they also have 6 month memberships. 

For all of you readers out there, I will list some of my favorite reads over the last couple of months.  (I will try to type them in my "reading" section of the blog with a brief description too).

~"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett (One of my all time favorite books) 
~"Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt
~"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
~"Roses" by Leila Meacham
~"Everyday in Tuscany" by Frances Mayes
~"Building a House with my Husband" by Rachel Simon

Children's books to read in the evening before bed.....

~"The Swiss Family Robinson" by Johann D. Wyes  (they loved this  adventure)
~"Black Beauty" by Ann Sewell (I enjoyed reading this as much as the kids enjoyed  listening to it)
~"Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder (I loved these books as a little girl and now the kids are hooked; even Dan is hooked.)

I would love to hear about your favorite adult and children's books. 

I had a day with absolutely nothing to do, my first yet,  and I was tickled.  I was eager to try and find some new books written in English for myself and the kids. 

French bookstores abound in Paris.  They look so beautiful and inviting but I am just a babe at French.  I stand outside, looking through the window, disappointed that I can't read a particular book.   

I hopped on the metro and found  the first English bookshop in Paris called Galignani, located at 224 rue de Rivoli.  It sits across the street from Jardin des Tuileries.   It isn't very large and is stuffed from top to bottom with books in French and English.  I was transfixed by the decorating books.  So beautiful and you don't have to read French to appreciate the beauty within. 

I bought a book entitled "At My French Table" by Jane Webster.  It is about an Australian family who move to the Normandy coast.  They buy a Chateau, and after a year, open up a cooking school.  I can't tell you how many times I heard myself say out loud "who are these people?"  It is unlike any travel book I have read, full of beautiful pictures, recipes, information on local cheeses, wine, food and flowers. 

I have tried to savour this delicious read but I was hungry for more every bite I took.  It sits beautifully on our coffee table, begging me to open it up which I do, again and again.   

After the bookstore, I found a chair in the Jardin des Tuileries overlooking a fountain.  I ate my lunch and watched the world go by.  Couples strolling hand in hand, families pushing strollers, children chasing birds, co-workers eating lunch together.  This is how I envisioned my Paris life.  I know it won't be like this every day but I will savor these moments.