Have you ever hesitated to go somewhere alone? This episode is about reclaiming solitude as something precious rather than something to apologize for. I take you through my favorite Paris destinations for being deliberately, deliciously alone—a hidden museum, an ice cream parlour, and a tennis stadium—while sharing what French writers have taught me about the courage it takes to disappoint expectations and embrace your own company. A love letter to solitude, Paris, and the freedom of being alone.

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Welcome to The Ritual of Reading podcast.
This episode is an invitation to walk through Paris in the company of five remarkable women who refused to wait for permission to write. From George Sand’s countryside tenderness to Simone de Beauvoir’s fierce intellect, from Françoise Sagan’s smoky Parisian nights to Muriel Barbery’s lyrical prose and Clara Dupont-Monod’s historical vision—each of these authors claimed her voice in a culture that didn’t always make space for her.

We’ll explore how they lived, what they wrote, and why their words still matter. These are the women who shaped French literature not as muses or footnotes, but as creators in their own right—writing Paris into being, one page at a time.

Pour yourself a cup of tea, settle in, and let’s meet the women who wrote Paris.

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Website: ⁠https://theritualofreading.com⁠

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November wraps Paris in wool and rain, and this month we're celebrating the women who wrote this city into being. After a month devoted to French classic authors—all men, as it happens—I'm turning to feminine voices, both contemporary and timeless.

I share three very different reads for November: Lucy Foley's dark, addictive The Paris Apartment, Nina George's healing Little Paris Bookshop, and Tatiana de Rosnay's atmospheric The Rain Watcher. We explore the essentials of Parisian feminine style—red lipstick as armour, signature scents that announce rather than whisper, and the scarf as the city's greatest fashion statement.

There's a playlist of French feminine voices to transport you to a rainy café, and an intimate evening ritual: writing a letter to your younger self, not as a pep talk, but as an honest reckoning with the path that brought you here.

Join me as we honour the women writers who claimed Paris as their own, one deliberate page at a time.

Episode includes:

• Three contemporary novels set in Paris by female authors
• A curated playlist of French feminine voices (listen here)
• My three Parisian style essentials (and why they matter)
• An evening ritual for November: letters to the self

Stay in touch

Website: ⁠https://theritualofreading.com⁠

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For years, I thought Émile Zola's writing was too dark for me. But this autumn, revisiting The Ladies' Paradise (Au Bonheur des Dames) completely changed how I see something as ordinary as shopping in my city.

Join me on a literary walk through Paris as I explore the grand department stores that inspired Zola's masterpiece—Le Bon Marché, Galeries Lafayette, and Printemps—and discover the fabric shops of Montmartre that still hold the magic of the 19th century.

In this video, we'll explore:

• The history of Parisian department stores and their architectural grandeur
• How Zola spent a year researching Le Bon Marché before writing the novel
• The psychology of desire and shopping that Zola understood over 150 years ago
• The textile shops of Montmartre and the beauty of quality craftsmanship
• Why this classic novel feels surprisingly contemporary

Subscribe to follow along with future Book Walks, and let me know in the comments: What classic have you rediscovered with fresh eyes?

📖 My Parisian Reading Rituals : Discover my favorite hidden corners of Paris for reading, pausing, and daydreaming. Download your free guide here : https://theritualofreading.com/my-parisian-reading-rituals/

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Website: ⁠https://theritualofreading.com⁠

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This October, I'm diving into the masters of French literature—Balzac, Stendhal, and Proust—while embracing timeless Parisian beauty and autumn traditions. From audiobook discoveries to XIXth-century cosmetics, heirloom table linens, and an apple tarte tatin tribute to Maupassant, join me for a cosy exploration of classic literature and slow living in Paris.

📖 My Parisian Reading Rituals : Discover my favorite hidden corners of Paris for reading, pausing, and daydreaming. Download your free guide here : https://theritualofreading.com/my-parisian-reading-rituals/

🔖Connect with me:

Website: ⁠https://theritualofreading.com⁠

Substack: ⁠https://theritualofreading.substack.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ritual_of_reading/⁠

Pinterest: ⁠https://fr.pinterest.com/ritual_of_reading/⁠ 💌

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In this episode, I take you inside a September evening at Librairie Millepages in Vincennes, where I listened to Percival Everett speak about his award-winning novel James. What began as an author talk became something much deeper: a meditation on the subversive power of reading itself.

From Everett’s exploration of language and identity, to the idea that sustained attention is a quiet form of resistance, I share how this encounter reshaped the way I think about books, the rentrée littéraire, and even The Ritual of Reading. Along the way, we consider why art matters not because of how many people it reaches, but because of the lives it transforms.

If you’ve ever wondered whether sitting down with a novel could be revolutionary, this conversation is for you.

📖 My Parisian Reading Rituals : Discover my favorite hidden corners of Paris for reading, pausing, and daydreaming. Download your free guide here : https://theritualofreading.com/my-parisian-reading-rituals/

🔖Connect with me:

Website: ⁠https://theritualofreading.com⁠

Substack: ⁠https://theritualofreading.substack.com⁠

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🍂 Join me for a September walk along the Seine as I rediscover Paris through the pages of Ruth Reichl’s The Paris Novel. This book walk is both a review and a love letter—to the city I chose as my home, to the power of reinvention, and to the quiet rituals that make Paris endlessly new.In this video, I’ll take you with me along the riverbanks, sharing how The Paris Novel mirrors my own Parisian story: arriving with two suitcases and an open heart, learning the city through its people, and falling in love with its timeless rhythm all over again.✨ Whether you’re planning a trip to Paris, love autumn walks, or enjoy novels that capture the magic of food and reinvention, I hope this video inspires you to see the city—and your own story—with fresh eyes.📖 My Parisian Reading Rituals : Discover my favorite hidden corners of Paris for reading, pausing, and daydreaming. Download your free guide here : https://theritualofreading.com/my-parisian-reading-rituals/ 🔖Connect with me:Website: ⁠https://theritualofreading.com⁠ Substack: ⁠https://theritualofreading.substack.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ritual_of_reading/⁠ Pinterest: ⁠https://fr.pinterest.com/ritual_of_reading/⁠ 💌 Support me on Ko-Fi : https://ko-fi.com/theritualofreading

Join me as autumn settles over Paris and the literary world comes alive with the Rentrée Littéraire—France's beloved back-to-school season for books. In this episode, I'm sharing how I'm experiencing this quintessentially Parisian tradition through my own lens: discovering French translations, embracing cozy reading rituals, and choosing curiosity over literary pressure.

From The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods to Icelandic literature that slows time itself, I'll guide you through my September reading selections and the seasonal rituals that make autumn reading so magical—warm teas, candlelit evenings, and the return of needlework companions.

Whether you're in Paris or dreaming of it from afar, this episode captures the essence of literary autumn: that perfect blend of new discoveries and timeless comfort that makes September the most enchanting reading season of all.

Perfect for: book lovers, Francophiles, anyone seeking cozy autumn inspiration, and fellow readers who believe in the magic of seasonal rituals.

Continue the ritual over on the website : theritualofreading.com

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