Magnifique France, Bennett-style…

If the restaurant Vue de Monde is beyond your means, then indulge in chef Shannon Bennett’s follow-up to his hugely successful Paris and New York food and travel guides, Shannon Bennett’s France.  This beautifully photographed hardback book is a compact guide to Shannon and his pals’ favourite restaurants, bistros, brasseries and hotels in France.  Be warned, this is “fine dining” at its highest, and does not include street creperie stalls or market foods!

Traveling throughout regional France, the guide is also interspersed with Shannon’s favourite French recipes (accompanied by mouth-watering photographs), hotel guides, and even a list of the 75 best French films!

No French guide would be complete without a section on wine, and this volume includes a sommelier’s tips on choosing the best French wines.

A gorgeous Christmas gift or one to add to your own collection, Shannon Bennett’s France is in store now!

rrp $45 in hardback

The Comfort of Water – a river pilgrimage

Ever wondered if you can complete a pilgramage from the sea to the source of the Yarra River? Well, here’s your answer. Part travel memoir, part environmental history and commentary, part spiritual journey, Maya Ward’ The Comfort of Water gives you a little taste of four friends epic walk from river mouth to source. This is first and foremost an Australian Story if there ever was one. If you’ve ever wanted to learn a little more about the country, the land on which you live, from natural to Aboriginal history The Comfort of Water will teach it to you. A fascinating prospect, this book is set out in an intelligent readable way, where prose is instructive without you even realising. Already buzz-worthy, now its actually been published this is a title to watch. Trade paperback, $32.95.

Shannon Bennett’s New York

The ultimate gift for a foodie, traveller or New York buff, Shannon Bennett’s New York; A personal guide to the city’s best has just arrived in store. Last time he took us to Paris in a beautiful pastel volume, this time its beautifully art deco inspired in the same small format hardback.

Shannon takes you all the way from the Upper East Side to Chinatown and back, from hotdogs on the ‘sidewalk’ to the places to see and be seen, this book has it all. And not only that, its beautifully illustrated and in full colour with photographs of everything from squirrels to street signs. A lovely gift that makes for a lovely travel guide… if pretty much all you want to do in New York City is eat!

Magnifique Paris, the City of Light!

Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris

By Graham Robb

HB $50

With biographies of Balzac and Victor Hugo under his belt, francophile Graham Robb is more than qualified to present us with a modern history of Paris, as told by Parisians themselves.

Robb’s gifted and intelligent story telling takes the form of long anecdotes of famous people in real situations beyond imagining.   It begins at the dawn of the French revolution, and ends with the events of only a few months previous.

As spoken by Robb himself:

The idea was to create a kind of mini-Human Comedy of Paris, in which the history of the city would be illuminated  by the real experience of its inhabitants.  Each tale is true, and each is complete in itself…

The entertaining and detailed stories include pieces about Proust, Miles Davis, Hitler, to modern and influential rulers such as president Francois Mitterrand.  We meet scientists, soldiers, spies, and philosophers, prisoners and prostitutes.  Parisians is both a travel and history guide, yet also part memoir, part mystery- but always a brilliant read.

In store now!

Platforms and hotpants on the hippy trail to the East!!

Sugar Sugar

by Carole Wilkinson, RRP $19

The latest teen novel by local author Carole Wilkinson  (of Dragonkeeper fame) is a throw back to the groovy 1970s, baby!  It follows the adventures of Adelaide teenager, Jackie, an aspiring fashion designer who moved herself to London realise her fashion dreams.  Instead, she finds herself working as a shop girl and losing her passion.  On a whim, Jackie takes off to Paris for the weekend, psychedelic suitcase and design folio in tow, in a bid to meet and impress her favourite fashion designer.  What follows leads in to an adventure Jackie could never have expected!!  From Paris and on to Versailles, Jackie then finds herself on a road trip through Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan in a converted London cab, with a cast of crazy and endearing (and some not-so-endearing) characters.  On her journey Jackie grows from a follower to a self-assured young woman, and many young Australians will enjoy the path this lovely and entertaining novel takes.

Also interesting to note how difficult it was to navigate uncharted paths (the Middle East, Asia) pre-Lonely Planet days. How did we survive with out them and their phrasebooks!!

For over 14s, due to some adult content. It was the 70s, after all…

In store now!