Two book reviews in One. Both 4-star.
I wouldn’t normally combine reviews; however, these two individual titles work harmoniously alongside each other. Now I’ll explain why…
Joie - A Parisian’s guide to celebrating the good life is a title I stumbled across at the beautiful Dear Village bookshop in Esperance, WA. It immediately captured my attention by its calming and intriguing cover design, immediately wondering ‘who is this woman on the cover?’
This ‘woman’ being Ajiri Aki, a Nigerian raised in America, who shares her story of relocating to Paris permanently. Surrounded by a vastly different culture to the one she was accustomed to, Aki highlighted that it was only after having children that she allowed herself to become immersed in the Parisian way of life. She now embraces all that Paris has to offer and shares this through her personal goal of encouraging us to “live mindfully, seek out beauty, and celebrate life’s joys, whether big or small.”
Much of this book was read around the firepit with a cuppa in hand, emotionally connecting to what I was reading and absorbing. I allowed myself to be transported to Paris through the detailed imagery supported by beautiful life stories and relevant references to businesses, markets, galleries, and the likes.
Aki covers five key lessons for life – slowing down, quality, gathering, beauty and self-care. The creative photography of Jessica Antola leant an element of escapism to each lesson, encouraging the reader to picture themselves within the framed environment. I learnt something new from each section covered, along with a deepened understanding of life experiences that I am already drawn to. One such experience is the concept of ‘flaneuring’. Covered within the first lesson of Slowing Down, Aki defines a flaneur to be someone ‘who roams without a purpose, on purpose.’ She provides inciteful Q and A sessions with both a male flaneur and a female flaneuse and shares her favourite areas of Paris to enjoy flaneuring.
This is where my next review, The Art of Flaneuring by Erika Owens, enters. Once again, I found this gorgeous book at Dear Village.
Owen provides small tasks for you to complete as you read her book, ensuring that you are on the same page each step of the way, and not just reading for the sake of reading. This, I loved! Owen shares responses from family and friends in regard to their why, their when, where and how of taking walks. The tips and techniques offered to adapt everyday routines toward a flaneuirng mindset were invaluable and have encouraged me to view the mundane through a different lense.
Owen’s points out that you can flaneur anywhere in the world as long as you consider your personal safety. Therefore, there are many different terms which all mean the same as flaneuring such as rambling, tramping, wandering, traipsing, roaming, and that’s just off the top of my head without Googling. I enjoyed Owen’s reference to Ugandan friendship walks, I feel these are definitely something that the Western world participates in, but to a much-hurried version of. Think of the last walk you took with a friend, if like me, it would have been an act of multi-tasking. Combining coffee and a walk because there wasn’t time for both experiences to be enjoyed separately, combining a gossip session with a power walk because there wasn’t time for both the gym and a friendly chat. You get the picture.
Reading Owen’s book encouraged me to stop and reflect on my how, and since then, my perspective has evolved for the better. To put flaneuring into simple terms, I would say that it is the act of going for a walk to explore your surroundings through your senses.
It is life stories such as both of these that I find myself being drawn towards, time and time again. Deepening, evolving, and adapting my personal practices to make the most of each and every day. I am looking forward to reading more of these lifestyle books over the coming months and supporting local small businesses while I’m at it.
Comments