Book Room

The Journey of The Reluctant Soldier In 2018 I was working as a writer and editor in New York when I was contacted by author Mark Perlman. He had written an historical novel that had taken him years to research and included several trips to France. Mark wanted the book edited before submitting it to agents. He drove from his home in Connecticut to meet me at a local restaurant near my house about an hour north of the city. We connected and I signed an agreement to edit Mark’s manuscript. It took a few years and several rewrites before Castles of Corn was ready to seek representation. When that time came, what Mark and I discovered in seeking an agent or publisher took us both by surprise. But first let me tell you a bit about the storyline. The Reluctant Soldier blends historical facts and characters with fictional ones. The story takes place in both France and the United States. Its themes of segregation, historical incidents, tragedies, and personal triumphs will reso…

The Hardy Boys The Hardy Boys is a series of mystery books for teenagers and children, that debuted in 1927 and was created by American writer Edward Stratemeyer. Teenage brothers Frank and Joe Hardy are amateur sleuths who solve mysteries that stump adults. They live in a Northeastern state, have a car, a motorcycle, a boat and seemingly unlimited funds for their many adventures. They were trained in solving crimes by their father, Fenton, an ex-NYPD officer and are accompanied on their adventures by Chet Morton. The original series continued until 2005 and sold over 70 million copies worldwide, but it was never translated into French until now. Creation The creator of the series, Edward Stratemeyer was a prolific writer (he wrote about 1,300 books) with a nose for business. He came up with an ingenious business model for a literary syndicate that hired a network of freelance ghostwriters, who wrote novels for a small flat fee, following the detailed outline of the plot…

It's time to think about what to give for the end of the year holidays. We've collected a few ideas in the book department, because there's nothing we love more than books for kids. Come over to Bill & Rosa's Book Room 26 November at 16:00 and listen to author Camille Guénot read in French in a mysterious setting and get a signed copy of  OSCAR GOUPIL, A LONDON MYSTERY.  Free event, please sign up at brbookroom@gmail.com OSCAR GOUPIL, A LONDON MYSTERY Si vous aimez le confort douillet de votre quotidien, si vous exécrez le mystère et la magie, reposez ce livre  et passez votre chemin. Car ce qui vous attend entre ces pages n’est pas pour les âmes sensibles. Je vous le dis tout net : je suis un garçon ordinaire à qui des choses extraordinaires vont arriver. Mes parents m'avaient laissé une lettre : je passerais mes vacances de fin d'année chez ma grand-tante Léonie, à Londres. Pas vraiment un cadeau, vu sa réputation. Et le train partait dans une heure. "Délici…

In honor of the armistice of the end of World War I and Veterans in many countries, we present a fictional piece describing an American soldier's experience in France in 1917 when he and his comrades come across a cheese shop in Rouen. This extract is from the World War I novel One of Ours by Willa Cather, an American writer. The novel won the 1923 Pulitzer Prize. It tells the story of the life of Claude Wheeler, a Nebraska native who joins the US Army and is sent to France during World War I, just like the step Grandfather I never knew. Extract: At noon that day Claude found himself in a street of little shops, hot and perspiring, utterly confused and turned about. Truck drivers and boys on bell less bicycles shouted at him indignantly, furiously. He got under the shade of a young plane tree and stood close to the trunk, as if it might protect him. His greatest care, at any rate, was off his hands. With the help of Victor Morse he had hired a taxi for forty francs, taken…

Paris! What a better place for mystery. Such an intriguing setting. A body found in the Seine, Cold War spies, World War II subversions and escapes, art and history crimes. There are many crime and thriller novels set in our fair city full of phantoms. Think ahead for great Paris-themed Christmas gifts. Offer your friends or family thrillers set in Paris! What a better place for a mysterious setting. Or a memoir about how funny life can be here for the expat. https://fusac.fr/anglo-authors-in-paris/ Or browse our Paris/France selection for just the right book about historic restaurants, Paris walks, Paris movies, Paris design and fashion. We have a wide variety on a special shelf. Here's a few of the thrillers set in Paris to whet your whistle. Cara Black is a bestselling American mystery writer. She is best known for her Aimée Leduc mystery novels featuring a female Paris-based private investigator. Her first novel Murder in the Marais was nominated for an Anthon…

This weekend we celebrate not only Earth Day, on April 22nd, but also Independent Bookstore Day on April 23rd! Bill & Rosa’s Book Room is taking part in this year’s Fête de la Librairie Indépendante, come by to browse our books, get a handmade paper rose made out of recycled books and buy the book that Association Verbes puts out every year, a special collector edition that will help you discover the literature selections that have influenced 50 writers! To celebrate both Earth Day and Independent Bookstore Day, we have asked other international bookstores in Paris to recommend a few books about ecology for children in French and in English. Their suggestions follow. Best of all Join us at the Book Room on April 23rd at 4pm for a kids story time with Anjali Morard, author of Fortnum’s Night Out, where a crocodile disguises himself as a monster to go to a party, a picture book for kids aged 3 to 7. Please sign up by e-mail at brbookroom@gmail.com! Librairie Les Mots e…