If it weren't for books I'm not sure I would go anywhere fun at all (and certainly nowhere terribly foreign). This is somewhat surprising for someone who when younger thought nothing of going off to Europe without knowing a single soul. Last week I was ready to go to the Isle of Skye and the Hebrides (still am ready actually), but literarily speaking I guess I am now ready to move across the channel to France (especially Paris). Although this was already in the back of my mind, reading this post pretty well cemented the desire. It has been a long time since I have gone on a French-setting reading binge. I had to scan my shelves to see what was in the offering, but either I didn't look very well, or I simply don't have many French authors in my book collection. Actually the books needn't necessarily be classics or even by French authors, but a good book by an American or British author set in France would do nicely, too.
I have several books by Marguerite Duras as well as a few by Colette. I have a copy of Nana by Emile Zola waiting for me. I own and have read nearly all the books published in english by Sebastien Japrisot (am rather a fan of noir thrillers). Of course there is always the good old standby Alexandre Dumas. Last fall I bought a copy of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, though as another epic-length story I had best wait until I finish War and Peace before I undertake another book of that size. I am actually more in the mood for something with a contemporary setting (surprisingly for me) rather than anything historical. I think what I am in the mood for is something along the lines of Diane Johnson's Le Divorce about a young American expatriate living in Paris, which I read several years ago, and is a comedy of manners of sorts. She has two other books set in France, so perhaps I would do best to pull those out and start with a reread of Le Divorce. As for the few contemporary novels with French settings I have a few books by Joanne Harris (of Chocolat fame), and I have a few books in the Aimee LeDuc mystery series by Cara Black, which have a nice sort of gritty feel to them. Sebastian Faulks has a few novels set in France, though I have read all but his latest book already. What am I missing? Surely there are scads of books that fit into this category? If all else fails I have found a few books from Litlove's post that I plan on trying to get my hands on (though they may not be the actual book she suggested as it seems to be a bit hit and miss getting some of them): Holy Fools by Tonino Benacquista, Kamouraska by Anne Hebert and Sprite by Theophile Gautier all sounded intriguing. Am I weird in that I look for books to fit my mood rather than picking up a book that just sounds good--irregardless to period and setting?