Wednesday 1 February 2012

Paris, My Sweet by Amy Thomas


Paris My Sweet is a memoir of a year in the life of thirty-six year old sweet-addict Amy, who gets the chance to work for Louis Vuitton in the city she has always dreamed about.  Part guide book to the best bakeries in town, part love letter to Paris, part almost mid-life crisis, Amy must learn to live as an American ex-pat in an utterly foreign city.  For readers with a sweet-tooth, there are many mouth-watering descriptions of the various pastries and cakes she tries, along with recommendations and information about famous chefs and pastry trends.

Paris My Sweet is a light, cosy read.  Although it is a well-written memoir, it's written with a light tone that makes it easy to breeze through and escape into.  I must admit to not being a massive dessert fan myself (I'm more into savoury snacks), but I did enjoy the descriptions of all the food and imagine that someone who enjoys cakes would love them even more.  My favourite part was the passion and joy with which Amy wrote about Paris, I've visited Paris only once and her descriptions made me want to visit again.  After reading this book, you too will want to cycle along the Champs D'Elysses, stopping at cute patissiers whenever the mood strikes you.

The parts that I felt didn't work as well were the parts when things became tough for Amy and she starts to feel very isolated living alone in a foreign city.  Her feelings are definitely understandable, but the tone of the book is so light (it's like a chick-lit memoir) that it's hard to connect with Amy and really understand what she is going through.  The writing jumps from loneliness to cupcakes too quickly to have any real impact.  There's also a lot about the ticking of biological clocks that again feels a bit shallow.  Paris My Sweet was more about the cakes and the wonderful setting than it was about any real identification with the author.

Still, this is a fun read that's perfect for any armchair traveller or pastry enthusiast.  It's quick, breezy and will make you want to travel to Paris and gorge on cake immediately.

Source: From the publisher via NetGalley
Score: 3.5 out of 5

Paris My Sweet is published on the 1st February 2012.

16 comments:

  1. Food and travel. Generally a good mix!

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    1. It is a good mix, I'm an armchair traveller myself!

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  2. I'll try to remember this when Paris in July comes around this year. Sounds like it might be a good summer read!

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    1. I think this would be perfect for Paris in July as I definitely wanted to visit Paris after reading it. It's quite a summery read too, with all the cycling and rooftop parties.

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  3. I have this one waiting for me, and I'm excited to read it. I like the light memoir at times, and if there are pastries...even better!

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    1. It's a nice light memoir, perfect if you like pastries!

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  4. Food seems to add an extra sensual depth to an experience. I have only visited Paris once and all I remember of the food was to much cheese on everything, maybe I need to read this book.

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    1. I've been to Paris a few times (I'm lucky as I'm only a short Eurostar trip away) and I've loved the food. But then again, I am a cheese addict :P

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  5. Interesting idea for a book. I don't think it matters where you move to, you go through times of feeling isolated.
    Ann

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    1. That's true, starting afresh is hard. I think you might like this one.

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  6. The food aspect of this memoir sounds interesting and sometimes its good to sit down with a lighter read such as this one and dream of travel.

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    1. Yes, this is the perfect book to inspire daydreaming. I know that it made me want to visit Paris again!

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  7. This book sounded interesting to me, but I get a little nervous about 'travel memoirs' after Eat Pray Love which I loathed. Still, a few indulgences in Paris sound like a fun read. I miss visiting that city!

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    1. I have steered clear of Eat Pray Love as I think I would hate it. This one contains a little bit of 'finding yourself', but it's mostly about the food/cakes.

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  8. I also enjoyed that book. here is my review: http://wordsandpeace.com/2012/02/01/i-love-france-14-review-6-2012-paris-my-sweet/

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    1. Thanks for linking your review Emma, it's always interesting to see what other people think. Off to visit your blog!

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