Paris For Dreamers – A Book Review

I have a confession to make.

I read way more books related to France than I share with you here on Distant Francophile. 

Actually, scratch that. What I should have said was…

I start way more books related to France than I ever finish.

Some come highly recommended, but fail to grab my attention. Others seem like they’ll capture my heart, however they end up boring me so much I can’t get all the way through to the end.

And when I don’t finish books, I always end up feeling a little bit sad. I imagine all the effort the author, editors and designers poured into the book and feel like I should go back and at least read a few more pages. 

But I rarely do.

Every now and then though, a French themed book pops up that I can’t put down. And so it was with the recently released Paris for Dreamers. I saw it being showcased on Instagram and had it downloaded within minutes. And just a few days later, I’d read every word. 

As a result, I can happily share my thoughts about Paris for Dreamers with you today.

Title: Paris for Dreamers – Whimsical Walks through the City of Light’s Delights.

Author: Katrina Lawrence

Published: 2019 by Paris for Dreamers. E-book, 277 pages.

What I Liked About Paris for Dreamers:

• Put simply, I find Katrina Lawrence’s writing style incredibly appealing. I loved it in her first book Paris Dreaming, and I am still a fan. So much so that I wouldn’t think twice about buying a book written by Katrina. This book covers a broad spectrum of topics – from history, through architecture and literature, all the way to food. Given the wide scope, there was always a chance that things could get dull. But thanks to Katrina’s humour and conversational tone, the book remains completely engaging from beginning to end.
• The structure of the book. At its heart, Paris for Dreamers is a guide book. (I know, I know, I always say that I’m never buying another one.) Each of the 25 chapters centres around a walk you can take in Paris, meaning each chapter essentially stands alone. However, Katrina manages to blend the content together so you feel like you are actually criss-crossing Paris, and running into familiar personalities and themes along the way.
• An unexpected, but appreciated, E-book only format. Katrina is unapologetic about the fact that she wanted this book to be portable. It’s nice to see an author really considering how their book might be best used out in the wild. So often, guide books of this calibre only come in traditional formats, which are difficult to manage when you want to travel light.
• The gorgeous cover. I thought the Paris Dreaming cover was spectacular, but I think I might like this cover just as much! And it works nicely for the electronic format of the book.
• The clever chapter titles. Some real thought has gone into the few words that sum up the stories.

What I Wasn’t So Sure About:

• Absolutely nothing. Yes, it’s a rare occurrence for my book reviews, but I truly enjoyed all of Paris for Dreamers.

Have you come across Paris for Dreamers? Are you a fan like me? I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

And until next time – au revoir.

Please note: This is an unsolicited post and no compensation of any kind has been received from Katrina Lawrence or the publisher.