Paris My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light

Last week I purchased the Kindle edition of the book Paris My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate).  The author is Amy Thomas.  Miss Thomas is an American Francophile.  Her love of France began when she went to Paris for three months as a college student.  From that time on Amy Thomas dreamed of living in France.  It was an obsession that was manifested into reality because of her strong desire for it.  At age thirty six Amy accepted a job offer with the company she worked with that entailed moving to France and working for Louis Vuitton.  

Amy Thomas spent two years living and working in France.  Paris My Sweet chronicles Amy's first year of living in the City of Light.  I read much criticism about this book in Amazon.com, but I found it to be a delightful read.  Some reviewers said the author talked too much about herself.  Well, what does one think writing about your year living abroad is about?  Is it not about you and your own personal experiences?  I never perceived the book as being self indulgent at all.  I wanted to read about the author's experiences as a single woman who moved to France by herself at age 36.  That is exactly what the book is about and what you will get.  So what is the problem?  Amy Thomas did something that I have dreamed of doing myself for years but have not done....yet

The author has an extreme love of sweets, especially dark chocolate.  Miss Thomas writes a lot about chocolate, pastries, breads, donuts, truffles, you name it and Paris My Sweet has it.  There is so much talk of sweets that I started to wonder if the author had to visit the dentist more than most people.  I also wondered if she was fat from eating so much sweets and searched online for what she looks like.  Miss Thomas is quite thin.

I loved that the book includes the names, addresses and sometimes the websites of all the places that Amy Thomas frequented in Paris and in New York City to but sweets, breads and pastries.  As far as I am concerned it is a valuable listing....(smile)  

The book ends at the author's first full year in France.  I now wonder what her second year was like.  After living in Paris for two years would she make it her permanent home?  Did she ever find the love of her life either in France or America?  Amy Thomas, I really would love an update.

When I decide to move abroad I would live in either France, England or Italy.  I have not decided yet which of those countries to choose from.  

I offer my love and thanks to Amy Thomas for sharing with us all her experiences living in France . 

Here are the links to Amy Thomas's blogs:  Sweet Freaks and God, I Love Paris
  

Make My Cake - A Bakery in Harlem New York

I am curently reading a book titled Paris My Sweet by Amy Thomas.  I usually do not mention anything about a book that I am reading until I am finished reading it.   However, I am making an exception with this book because of all the lively descriptions of sweets throughout the book.  The author has a special fondness for dark chocolate.  It is really diffcult not to become hungry for chocolate, macaroons, pies, cakes and other pastries reading this book.


I am currently on chapter five of Paris My Sweet and having a delightful time reading this book.


This particular post is focusing on a bakery, not in Paris, but in Harlem New York called Make My Cake.  Amy Thomas writes very highly of this bakery.  I am delighted to see on their website that online mail order shopping will be available soon.  YAY!!!  Make My Cake specializes in pies, cakes, cupcakes and cheesecakes.

 Red velvet and butter cake with cream cheese frosting from Make My Cake.

 Sweet potato cheese cake from Make My Cake.

Vintage metal lunchbox from Make My Cake

 All pictures above are from the Make My Cake website.

   Front cover of the book Paris My Sweet by Amy Thomas.

 Writer Amy Thomas

Miss Thomas has a blog of her own called Sweet Freak.