14.36 - For the Love of Books...
In this FREE edition of le Bulletin newsletter you'll find others who love books! Do you have questions of these bibliophiles? Then we're off to Toulouse for brunch, and chat with a French sculptor...
Bonjour all subscribers… readers, supporters, friends, and family
Welcome, whether you’re a new or a long-time subscriber of le Bulletin, I’m thrilled you are here.
I hope you enjoy this newsletter & have a wonderful weekend and week ahead…
If you enjoy this edition, please note that there is another version of le bulletin for paying subscribers, with an even greater resource of writers… >80 amazing writers—providing a weekly explosion of France… by upgrading your subscription you can easily gain access to that edition.
Please consider upgrading to an annual subscription.
Judy - 14.9.’24
1. For the Love of Books
As I started thinking about the change of season and all that that brings in recent editions of le Bulletin, something spurred me to write about books. Suddenly an abundance of beautiful material came to my attention and I would like to share some of that with you.
For the Love of Books
Book collections have always fascinated me.
Which books do people buy?
Which books do people read?
Which books do people decide to keep and live with?
I’ve personally had a few libraries, and each contained thousands of books, but they were nothing compared to some. I recall by contrast that the library of Umberto Eco is more than 50000 books!
a. Umberto Eco - 50000 books
As I was thinking about the love of books, I found myself down the rabbit hole that is Substack… Via Kate Hill’s Bonjour Champêtre! to Andy Adams and his Instagram @flakphoto… et voila !
an image I recognised and words that resonated.
“Amen! Umberto Eco, who owned 50,000 books, had this to say about home libraries:
"It is foolish to think that you have to read all the books you buy, as it is foolish to criticise those who buy more books than they will ever be able to read. It would be like saying that you should use all the cutlery or glasses or screwdrivers or drill bits you bought before buying new ones.
"There are things in life that we need to always have plenty of supplies, even if we will only use a small portion.
"If, for example, we consider books as medicine, we understand that it is good to have many at home rather than a few: when you want to feel better, then you go to the 'medicine closet' and choose a book. Not a random one, but the right book for that moment. That's why you should always have a nutrition choice!
"Those who buy only one book, read only that one and then get rid of it. They simply apply the consumer mentality to books, that is, they consider them a consumer product, a good. Those who love books know that a book is anything but a commodity."
A post by Andy Adams on his Instagram.
b. The Shelf-Esteem project by Lilith Hardie Lupica
Then, once again I ran full-on into this fabulous post by Lilith Hardie Lupica in her substack ‘Have a Nice Book’ - a call for her new Shelf-Esteem project.
“This!” I thought.
“This is what I had been thinking about… This.. for the love of books!”
… and I wasn’t the only one - look at the responses/comments (~200 when I took this screenshot)
Then immediately I got lost down the comments rabbit hole… a rabbit hole of book people whats more…you know what I mean? But don’t worry I’m out again now and safe.
You can read it all here - you may choose to get involved←
So by now, my friends, you can picture me lost in my world of words, books, comments, and other book people - yes?
Then I started to wonder whether this book avalanche was happening because la rentrée littéraire is with us or not I’m not sure.
c. La Rentrée Littéraire - is a much loved French tradition but what is it?
Annually, between late August and November, there's a flurry of excitement in bookshops around France as readers hurry to get their hands on the most popular new novels.
The Alliance Francaise describes it as :
Spanning across every genre and style, over 500 new titles make their way onto shelves, offering a perfect way to discover the latest works from new and known French authors. …During this same period is the French literary award season. The prestigious Prix Femina, Prix Goncourt, Prix Médicis, Prix Renaudot and the Grand Prix du roman de l’Académie Française are awarded, with many of the winning titles being given prime position on shelves as book-lovers pile into bookshops.” Read more.
→And here is an article by Emily Monaco (aka Emily in France) which I believe you’ll enjoy where she talks about La Rentrée Littéraire... reading… writing… fromage… and, and, and is there anything else in Life or France for that matter?
d. C'est La Rentrée (Littéraire...) Back to school isn't just for kids, in France
by Emily Monaco
…”The first thing I do in the morning, the last thing I do at night, is read: in French or in English, novels or history, books written by those I know IRL and those who have long since passed. I always have a book in my bag (which I carry in a specially-designed fabric pochette my girlfriend gave me), and whenever I have a spare moment, whether it’s waiting for a tour to begin, enjoying a mid-afternoon citron pressé in a café, or waiting for the gears of bureaucracy to slowly turn, out it comes so that I can lose myself in the written word.
It’s perhaps due to this omnipresence of books in my life, compounded with the fact that, in France, it’s kind of rude to ask people what they do for a living, that my go-to small-talk question (insofar as I entertain small talk at all) is: “So… what are you reading?”
(The fact that most of my friends have an answer at the ready is a sign I’ve surrounded myself with the best people.)
And I’m not alone.”… wrote Emily Monaco. Read the entire article←
Image credit: Emily Monaco
e. A fun article about the Eating Habits of Authors and the Secrets of Enjoying a French Lunch
by Karen Karbo of ‘Yeah, no. Not happening’
“…I’m wondering if it might actually be impossible for a writer to live in a country that places such a high value on lunch. Few writers I know eat a big lunch when they’re hard at work. Ariel Levy is said to eat like a rabbit. Emma Straub eats “anything small that I can eat a lot of in on sitting, like chocolate-covered raisins.” Agatha Christie ate apples in the bathtub around the noon hour. Patricia Highsmith ate bacon and eggs for every meal. Balzac, as we know, lived on coffee, up to 50 cups a day. A lot of famous, very productive French writers – Voltaire, René Descartes, Marcel Proust – did most of their writing in bed, and I think I know why. If you’re writing in bed, no one can ask you to lunch.”
On the day of the excursion, we convoyed to Céret…” .Read the entire article←
Karen also posted about her writing retreats which may interest you.
Come to Your Senses Writing Retreats 2025 UPDATE
Writers looking for an authentic, home-grown, all-inclusive writing retreat in the South of France — registration is now open for 2025.
f) Books, Books, Books: Feeling Overwhelmed
by Caroline McCormick-Clarke
Last but not least!
Today I’d like to welcome Caroline McCormick-Clarke as a Contributor to MyFrenchLife Magazine. Caroline, from Ireland, is in the midst of her preparation to move to France.
In her first article, she shares what she’s referring to as the overwhelming task of preparing for that move, and the many decisions to be made, mostly recently, about her beloved books!
“Books, books, books – I adore them: touching them, smelling them, buying them, and reading them. Invariably, when a close friend or family member has a newborn child, one of the first gifts I will offer is a book. I feel strongly that it is so important to encourage any child to get used to the feel of a book in their hands, as young as possible. You can’t put a price on the gift of being able to read.
But I digress. I find it difficult to part with books. Unfortunately, I am married to an even more avid reader and hoarder than myself…” writes Caroline.
Are books at the centre of your life? How could you help Caroline with her decision… which books to stay and which are to go with her to France?????
This article is so apposite for this edition of le Bulletin.
Bienvenue Caroline, we look forward to hearing more from you.
Judy
Merci mille fois
Thank you to all of the writers and photographers I have featured above. Your observational skills and photographic and writing talent are impressive. Thank you for drawing us into your life.
2. New articles in My FrenchLife Magazine — Let’s explore & read…
Did you know there are >3000 articles in MyFrenchLife Magazine, where savvy francophiles love to immerse themselves and indulge?
Here are the most recently published articles.
Gastronomie:
1.→ Toulouse: Where to find the Best Brunches
by Ally Mitchell
Arts & Culture:
2.→ Interview: Nicolas Bertoux — Speaking Materially
with Sarah Monk
Vie Francaise:
3.→ Books, Books, Books: Feeling Overwhelmed by Caroline McCormick-Clarke
↓ CLICK IMAGE & read all the new articles on MyFrenchLife Magazine ↓
3. Follow us on Instagram → @MaVieFrançaise
Bursting with news, views and articles, video chats, poetry, introductions to new magazine contributors… and more… follow us and join in @maviefrancaise … See you there soon, I hope.
Each day, each week offers something fresh!
Bursting with news, views and articles, video chats, poetry, introductions to new magazine contributors… and more… follow us and join in @maviefrancaise … See you there soon, I hope.
Regular Pilgrimage Report:
The only constant at the moment is the weekly post by Jennifer Andrewes on her solo pilgrimage - Via Francigena - to Rome: 2500km watch out for it…
Here she is after 67 days - a total of 1,463km so far!
Do you have any questions for Jennifer Andrewes?
4. “Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’ newsletter” Judy MacMahon
I hope to see you here again soon
Judy MacMahon
Fondatrice
MyFrenchLife.org
You can always email me at info@myfrenchlife.org
Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience:
Like this le Bulletin newsletter of MyFrenchLife.org Magazine? Forward it or Share it with a friend. Surprise them and help us grow.
Loved a story? Disliked it? Drop me a note or just write to say ‘bonjour’.
Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up to get le Bulletin newsletter weekly.
If you’d like to be sure you GET or NOT GET posts/emails about our French Book Club, you can personalise your account. toggle ON or OFF.
And… finally, you can immerse yourself in the archive of le Bulletin Newsletter here & the MyFrenchLife Magazine archive of >3000 articles
'le Bulletin' is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Jennifer how did you prepare for your walking pilgrimage? Were you very fit before you started?
I love “So… what are you reading?” as a small-talk opener. It’s basically like asking, “what are you thinking about?” “which imaginary world are you living in right now?” And I’d much rather know that about someone than what they do.