Literary Preparation

I just finished Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential last night, along with a few lessons on shopping in French with Rosetta.   I have enjoyed most of the books about chefs I have been reading.  I think Heat (Bill Buford) is my favorite so far, but Julia Child's My Life in France was a very close second.  I also liked The Sharper Your Knife, by Kathleen Flinn -- she got laid off and enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu, but in the cuisine program -- not pastry like me.  

I have also been reading books about France in general - the wonderful A Year in Provence, by Peter Mayle.  And two by a British author chronicling an English-style tea room owner's adventure in Paris.  Travel books are starting to look good too - Rick Steve's Europe has some good ideas for where to find the expat community in Paris.  I almost got a huge tome from the library about the history of France, but it was so dense, I knew I would lug it home and then feel guilty about not reading it.  Please comment with your reading recommendations - I still have 60 days to prepare myself!

The library has been a life-saver, it keeps me from spending so much at Amazon, especially loading my Kindle with stories I won't read again.  If you are a reader and traveler, I can't recommend a Kindle enough.  It is expensive, but it keeps me from buying books at the airport, with slim selection and no discount.  I took it to Copenhagen last month, and was so happy that I wasn't lugging 5 books with me!  I downloaded a few travel freebies from Amazon, and those were enough to keep me entertained and informed.

If you enjoy my blog and are going to buy something from Amazon - try to use the link at the bottom of the page - I can get a small commission if you do!  Thanks.