46: A Year in Provence

I've been writing a lot about what I'm reading lately. I've been reading a lot to help my writing lately. I've been writing a lot to start understanding how I work as an essayists or what it means to start a memoir. I have not been journaling much. This is a problem for another post.

To keep myself thinking about my first year of marriage (a.k.a Year in France), I've been reading books related to travel (though I usually shy away from travel writing, as I'm of the party that believes it's tooting one's own horn most of the time). I've been reading about France, about people's time there and how it changed them.

My professor, a very dear man who might as well be French for all the time and love he's given the country, recommended A Year in Provence. Year is a memoir by Peter Mayle, and when I went to the library to snag a copy for a quick summer read (and break from Stein) I discovered how many books Mayle has written about France.

I'll admit... I'm a bit skeptical about some of them. But reading through his long list of novels, it's obvious that he's in love with Provence. He's dedicated a large part of himself to that place, and I'd love to know what that feels like (and how it translated to writing).

That afternoon at the library was also a day of putting 2 + 2 together. Most of my trips home from college have included an afternoon watching A Good Year with my mom and sister. There's something about Russell Crowe's big flop that we adore. I don't know if it's the scenery (and how gorgeous Marion Cotillard looks in it), the quick jokes, the idea of landing a vineyard in France... I could go on.

So we love the movie, and it wasn't until that day that I figured out the book behind the movie was written by the author my professor had been pushing me toward for years.

Mayle wrote A Good Year and got it published only two years before the movie was made. Powell's has one used copy of the book in their warehouse. I want to snag it! I want to start a Ladies of the Family reading club and go to town on some Mayle novels.

This has been an awesome book for summer reading (and other misc. projects). Now if I could just this peacock journal (to use as our personal recipe book) that I ordered from the Burgundy District, I'd be one happy Bride-to-Be.

And I will be a bride in a little over a month. Joe and I now officially have less than one month of days in separate states. To continue with countdowns, my bridal shower is this Sunday!