BOOKS:
📕 My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life by Janine Marsh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
Following the first memoir from Janine Marsh, The Good Life in France, this book tells Janine and Mark's experiences through the year in their old farmhouse in Seven Valleys, a rural village in northern France, in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
Far from the busy career woman Janine had been before moving to France, she is now busy with her farm life, specially with 3 dogs, 6 cats, 16 ducks, 4 geese, and 17 chickens! A lot of hilarious adventures came with these animals, not mentioning how Janine and Mark named them after celebrities. There is Mariah Carey, the high-pitched-squeal duck, for instance.. Then there are also Brad Pitt and George Clooney, the ducks, and many, many more that always trickle me to chuckles. Each of those animals has its own unique personality, just like their neighbors. After two books, I came to love Jean-Claude, Claudette, and all other kindhearted, but sometimes eccentric, people of Seven Valleys.
Not all of the stories are cheerful, though. I was heartbroken over a tremendous hailstorm that hit their tiny village, causing damages and heartbreaks. For Janine and Mark, especially, whose years of hard works of repairing the dilapidated house has just about to finish. I admired these people's caring and lovely spirits, helping each other, and still find ways to have fun through village events, or picnics, or just an outing to nearby flea markets.
Oh yes, I loved this book better than the predecessor. It's funny, sweet, and warm. It made me considering a quieter but more meaningful life after retirement, or like Janine said: "...shrugged off the cloak of detachment as form of protection to preserve some personal space in a crowded environment (in big cities)."
MOVIES/TV:
📺 The 7 Lives of Léa (Les 7 Vies de Léa)
1 season, 7 eps ⭐⭐⭐
A fantasy drama about a girl (Léa), who found the remaining body of a young man who died years ago, a school friend of her mother and father. And for seven consecutive mornings after that, Léa awakes in seven different bodies of people in year 1990, while she tries to solve the intricate mystery surrounds the man's death. A thought-provoking thriller!
🎬 Stuck Together (8, Rue de l'Humanité) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Paris. Covid-19. Lockdown. Residents of an apartment building. Stuck together. There.. you can conclude what this comedy is about. It is hilarious, but sweet and heartwarming at the same time.
OTHER FRENCH THINGS
🚶♀️A Walk in Paris - a YouTube channel which brings us to take a stroll around a certain area in Paris with him. No commentary, no music, just walking and absorbing the city's dynamic spirit. I picked a walk in Le Marais area (34 mins), and then another along the Seine (26 mins). Now I'm tired after an hour stroll 😛, so... à la semaine prochaine!
What about you? What've you been doing for #ParisInJuly so far?
Those walks in Paris under "other" really intrigue me -- thanks for the tip! The movie about inhabiting diverse bodies sounds neat also.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I need to check out the walks in Paris. And the book sounds rather fun!
ReplyDeleteOh, that sounds lovely. I'm going to check out that YouTube channel now. Especially bc there is no commentary. And My Four Seasons in France sounds adorable. I'd read it. I want a farm so bad, but maybe I don't know what I'm talking about either. So that would be a good place to start.
ReplyDeleteI didn't participate in this reading challenge, but I did read A Moveable Feast by Hemingway this month.