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Ahh Paris . . .
And when we arrive, so much to do, see and explore! Sometimes this bounty can be overwhelming, and often we default to what everyone seems to visit, but I know TSLL readers are different. I know you are curious and are looking for a tailored experience, and that is exactly what you will be able to plan and then experience with the guide of French artist and author Marin Montagut.
Case in point to the curious and wise souls of our community here on the blog, a patisserie, chocolatier and confectioner that often is forgotten about by the masses, but is a must-visit for the sweet history of France is Stohrer. Recommended by a reader to visit, Montagut also includes this confectionary destination in his book, and gives it the spotlighted treatment of two pages of illustrations to share how special it really is (see the first photo below).
Forever Paris (the French title is Mon Paris de Toujours) is organized by arrondissement and complete with a partner page next to a map of that arrondissement with pinpoints of the destinations he highly recommends, he also leaves a large space of blank lines for you to write in where you would like to go once you peruse his pages of suggestions.
The book design itself is a work of art as you will see below. With gilded edges, embossed lettering on the entire cover (front, spine and back), and a red ribbon bookmarker, this is a book to proudly place in your library or on display in your favorite book stack in the living room, office or wherever your go-to books are located.
Released just yesterday, January 20th, is Marin Montagut’s third book, and it is a treasure trove. Forever Paris: A Guide to the Timeless Soul of the City comes from Montagut’s years of exploring the city, especially when he first arrived at the young age of 19. Shared below (as well as on the back cover), the book is an homage to the invisible Paris, to the “dedicated men and women—frame-makers, costume designers, metalsmiths, bookbinders, and more—who express their craft using their hands, with incredible humility, to safeguard their invaluable knowledge from being lost.”
The destinations he includes, while including endless shops and boutiques, also include jardins, cafés, and brocante marchés. Each is organized by the chapter for the arrondissement where you will find it, and includes a brief description along with the address and hours. This is a hands-on guide to carry with you on each trip to the City of Light, as you will need to make many to explore all the special destinations. Over 475 addresses are shared, so let the traveling to Paris and then the exploring begin.
© Forever Paris: A Guide to the Timeless Soul of the City by Marin Montagut, Flammarion, 2026
Find Forever Paris: A Guide to the Timeless Soul of the City by Marin Montagut wherever books are sold
Forever Paris was chosen as the Petit Plaisir for episode #418 of The Simple Sophisticate podcast —Neighboring: How to do it and Why it Will Enhance the Quality of Your Everydays
Explore all of TSLL’s French-inspired Petit Plaisirs here.
Explore all of TSLL’s Petit Plaisirs here.
Bonjour Shannon! I was somehow fortunate enough to spend December in Paris. I was in the bookshop of the D’Orsay and saw this book and fell in love with the illustrations! But it was in French, so I ended up buying a book on Sargent instead (Sargent in Paris, meow!). But I kept thinking about this book, and eventually made my way over to the MM shop by the Jardin du Luxembourg…and voila…there it was in English! I snatched it up! And thumbed through its gorgeous pages a few times. Oh my! Incredibly lovely.
On my very last day in Paris before travel, I realized that this book would make a fantastic gift for a couple of American expats who had been very helpful in helping us learn more about navigating visas and the idea of living there. I was to see them that night. So my husband and I set out on a trek to the shop…thanks to these very expats, we were now old hands at riding city buses everywhere…so we planned to take a bus to get there. Well we missed the first one, found another that would work, walked to its stop, but had missed it too. I do believe there was some running involved 😉 So we gave up and just walked the rest of the way, probably about 30 minutes. We eventually got there only to see a line out the door of people waiting to get in. Yikes! Foiled again! We decided not to wait in that line…and went for yet another bus to get us home…we definitely had to run for this one(!). But we made it.
Back at home, I realized my copy of this book was still pristine…and I still had the gorgeous sack it came in, and some beautiful Marin Montagut tissue paper, so I wrapped it up and conveyed the gift that night! It was perfect!
But now I’m without my beautiful book, so I’ll be purchasing through your link 🙂 Cheers! Lenoir
Lenoir! Thank you for sharing this story with us of how you came upon this book. It is a piece of art isn’t it? And now you can have your copy again! 🙂 What a memorable adventure and now the book itself holds more stories and treasures than before! 🙂 So tickled for you. Thank you for sharing and also sharing even more encouragement to make sure to visit Marin’s shop! 🙂
Yes indeed it is a piece of art!!! Glad you liked this story. It was so much fun to experience. Cheers.
Bonjour, Shannon,
Many thanks for the alert on this English-language edition. My copy will arrive tomorrow morning – perfect for savoring in the midst of the (usual!) chilly & dark Seattle January!
Merci!
Happy to share and so tickled both are available! No doubt, this English-translation version is going to sell very well. It is a gem of a resource. Lovely to see you pop by Janet! 🙂
Oh my Shannon — what an incredible book! I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Thank you so much for sharing. 💛
The perfect item for your next trip to the City of Light! 🙂