Post-rentreé funk

I have been caught up in a post-rentrée funk that I'm trying to shake myself out of. The vacances came and went in a bit of a blur. I am now trying to fall into a rhythm as the weather slowly changes from warm and balmy, to chilly and grey.

My new mantra for this year: Write. Everyday. (Even if it is just a blog post). In the meantime sorting through photos and in the process re-living a bit of the summer holidays. Here are some pictures of an evening of fireworks at Château de Versailles - I am looking for inspiration anywhere.

Hope your vacances were great, your rentrée fairly easy and that  you've found your groove...I sure am trying.

Books: THE No.1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY by Alexander McCall Smith

Title: The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Published: 2008
Genre: Fiction

This was a joy to read, and I wonder why it has taken me so long to read the Ladies' Detective Agency series. This debut to the immensely popular series is fast-paced and funny- and for a Southern African, the writing style and vocabulary were elements I could completely relate to. McCall Smith writes in a vernacular form which made my enjoyment of the book much richer.

Books: SIXTY MILLION FRENCHMEN CAN'T BE WRONG by Jean-Benoit Nadeau & Julie Barlow

Title: Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong
Authors: Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow
Published: 2003
Genre: Memoir


This is one of those books I pick up once in a while when I am astounded by how much I still do not understand about the French. Just when I think I get them, and I think - yes they are different in this way, or that - something happens and I am yet again drawn to some form of theory that will  help me understand the people of my host country.

Books: THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes

Title: The Sense of an Ending
Author: Julian Barnes
Published: 2011
Genre: Novel

The Sense of an Ending is similar to the The Remains of the Day, which I read a month ago. Memory, reflection and the crafting of a story that begins with a mystery. I read and finished it in a fairly short time but the layers of interpretation to the story will probably require a second reading. It's about Tony Webster, a man well into his sixties who is now divorced and leads a quiet, if unexciting life. He is mysteriously bequeathed a journal from a school friend - and this sends him thinking back to his years at school when he met the charismatic Adrian Quinn; who was a mystery to them even back then.