Book of the month: Paris Letters By Janice MacLeod (Pan Macmillan)
Exhausted and on the verge of burning out, Janice MacLeod decides it’s time for change – so she begins saving to buy herself two years of freedom in Europe. Only a few days into her time in Paris, Janice meets Christophe, the cute butcher down the street – who doesn’t speak English. Sign language and Franglais help the two connect (and, of course, love speaks a universal language) as they embark on a whirlwind romance.
Before long, Janice decides she can never return to her 12-hour days of writing advertising copy back home. But her bank account is fast dwindling, pushing her into a mission to find a way to fund her new expat life. After the realisation that this is more than simply a French fling, Janice starts up her own business, creating beautifully illustrated letters from Paris, inspired by artists such as Beatrix Potter, to sell on vintage art-and-craft website Etsy.
Part memoir, part love story and part self-help guide on how to save money and live modestly, Paris Letters offers readers a warm and witty glimpse into one romantic expat’s life in the City of Love. If you enjoyed Almost French and have ever toyed with the idea of packing up and taking a giant leap of faith, you’ll find it hard to put this book down.
Buy your copy of Paris Letters in our online shop here and then chat to Paris Letters author Janice MacLeod in our live Twitter Book Club discussion on Thursday April 24 at 7pm AEST. Follow @mindfood_mag to take part.
Drawing on his personal, long-standing battle with anxiety, Scott Stossel presents an empathetic, humorous and inspiring historical account of the affliction and its crippling impact on sufferers, offering intimate anecdotes and management solutions from someone who’s been there.
The Priority List By David Menasche (Allen & Unwin)
When passionate high school English teacher David Menasche was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, he refused to believe he would have to give up teaching, despite his waning vision, memory and mobility. Instead, Menasche undertakes a cross-country journey to find out how he shaped his former students’ lives.
The One Plus One By Jojo Moyes (Penguin)
With two jobs and two children, Jess Thomas does her best to get by. But it’s hard on your own, and sometimes you take risks you shouldn’t – like accepting money that doesn’t belong to you, knowing it will pay for your daughter’s happiness.
North of Boston By Elisabeth Elo (Hachette)
Pirio Kasparov’s fishing boat is rammed by a freighter, taking the life of her friend Ned and forcing her to look after Ned’s son and her own godson, Noah. Stranded in the glacial whaling waters of the North Atlantic, Pirio can’t shake the suspicion that the crash wasn’t an accident. A gripping page-turner with plenty of twists.
The Good Luck of Right Now By Matthew Quick (Pan Macmillan)
When Bartholomew Neil loses his mother, whom he spent the last 38 years caring for, he is left feeling purposeless. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook, this is a warm and funny novel about family, friendship, grief and Richard Gere.
Mrs Hemingway By Naomi Wood (Pan Macmillan)
In 1926, Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley travelled to a villa in the south of France. They were accompanied by Hadley’s best friend and Ernest’s lover, Fife. This is the story of the charismatic, troubled writer and the extraordinary women who loved hi
