French Milk in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jun 01, 2018 Julie rated it it was ok

I love Paris and food, so I'm giving it two stars for those aspects.

I do not love over-privileged twenty-somethings who basically spend an entire graphic novel about living for six weeks in Paris:

1. Whining about how worried they are about finances, while simultaneously spending every other page describing the fancy restaurants at which they are eating and all the crap they are buying. Especially when mommy and daddy are probably bankrolling the whole trip anyway.

2. Whining about how much they m ...more

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Oct 04, 2009 Shannon rated it really liked it

At a book club recently, I was asked whether I've ever had a book come to me at just the right time. I listened to a friend share an example while my mind filled with many books that came to me at just the right time. So how appropriate was it for me to read French Milk the very next day? Because this book was nothing if not exactly what I needed.

My daily life has been a bit chaotic as I have been over-extended with volunteering and having work done on our house, so I felt like an over-stimulate At a book club recently, I was asked whether I've ever had a book come to me at just the right time. I listened to a friend share an example while my mind filled with many books that came to me at just the right time. So how appropriate was it for me to read French Milk the very next day? Because this book was nothing if not exactly what I needed.

My daily life has been a bit chaotic as I have been over-extended with volunteering and having work done on our house, so I felt like an over-stimulated baby when I started this book Saturday morning. But by the time I finished it a few hours later, I felt refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to head straight to the nearest French bistro. (Instead I just had good french fries!)

I loved the way Lucy Knisley took a supremely personal experience (a month in Paris to celebrate her mother turning 50) and turned it into travelogue meets coming of age memoir meets food journal meets comic book.

If I had to pick the component of this book that I loved the most, it would be the coming of age one: there is a scene in the book where Lucy's 22nd birthday brings on a panic attack and her mother reassures her that she will not end up living in a ditch after graduating from college. This took me back to a very similar scene from spring of my senior year of college when I called my mother, crying, to express fear that I would never be able to support myself. None of my own friends ever shared similar fears, so I thought I was the only one who faced college graduation with a fair about of fear and trembling. I loved that Knisley made me feel normal by sharing her own craziness.

I also loved the reminder of Paris' charms and her descriptions of museums and their artwork took me back to my own college days there. The book let me daydream about how fun it would be to celebrate my own 50th birthday in Paris with one (or two or three) of my daughters. (Better start saving now!)

If you've been interested in graphic novels, but haven't given one a try, I highly recommend this slim volume. If you could care less about graphic novels, but want to spend a few hours in Paris, this book is a cheap and fun alternative. ...more

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Jul 12, 2014 Mary rated it really liked it

Shelves: summer-bingo-2014

I bought this book back in 2009 to read before Katie and I took a post-college trip (for her) to Paris, but I never read it. Until today. Loved it! Lucy's drawing are charming and the story is so right. This was my first graphic novel and I think I'd like to try more in the genre. ...more

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Jan 02, 2015 jenn rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015

This was more of a travel diary than a graphic novel, so you should probably skip it if you want more plot. I think the art is delightful and really enjoyed living vicariously through the place descriptions.

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Mar 19, 2009 Maryanne rated it it was ok

Shelves: comics

This gets a star for the drawings-which were kind of cute-and the overall idea-which is actually sort of an interesting approach to a travelogue-but this was mainly the sort of travel memoir that I just can't stand and I really don't understand why this was so highly reviewed by YA librarians. I found Lucy's travel diary to be duller than most - mainly she just whined about missing her boyfriend and talked about what she ate for dinner. She lived in Paris for six weeks for goodness sake! She cou ...more

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Jul 24, 2016 taeli rated it liked it

read 7/28/16

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Oct 09, 2009 Jessica rated it liked it

As far as graphic novels go, you can do better. But if you like "cute," it's a cute book. I would borrow from the library instead of spending money on it in a bookstore (like I did). ...more

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