It's been over a month since my trip to Paris. On that trip I discovered that I am actually capable of communicating in French. That I'm actually able to pick up words in sentences and that I really do understand spoken language. Well, at least on an day to day level and until the pace picks up too much. So not only did I bring home memories, croissants and crêpes, but also a huge enthusiasm to learn more of the language.

After watching movies and tv shows, reading magazines and listening to the news all en française, I ventured out to find actual books in French too. I found three short novels with simplified language. Before tackling those and diving head first into unknown waters sure to get a mental wound, I also picked up an English book about a man in his fifties learning French. I thought it would keep my motivation high, maybe help me avoid a few mistakes and also give a nice insight into alternative ways of studying language than the conservative text book, lecture and vocabulary lists. After all, my aim is to build on top of my already pretty firm base and eventually feel completely natural ordering at a French restaurant, have no trouble following a French movie and overall be able to confidently declare myself fluent.

You might also remember the book, Swimmer Among the Stars, that I also brought home from my trip. It's journey has continued on around Finland with me. I've sat down to read a couple of pages by the beach, the pool and the lake. I've cracked the spine leaning back on a bench in the park, on the train and most idyllic of all, hanging in a hammock. The book has taken me a while to get through because I only like to read one short story -max- at a time, and it has become my travel read on the side of other summer reads. On the mention of summer, help a gal out and let me know some of your must read summer books!

-Anna