Definitely :D

Although that translates closer to: "it's not perfect but, well, the poor little guy only has rounded scissors."

Oh yeah, you're right, lol. I really need to finally keep my resolution and start reading more in French.

By the way, I read your thoughts on the book, and it seems pretty interesting, I might give it a check in the future.

Well the sentence is a bit broken, but I think that's what's intended.

It is a bit goofy (more so in the nature of some of the characters) although the investigations are serious enough...except for maybe the bit with the baby monitor...but very readable if you read French but aren't that used to reading French, if you know what I mean.

Haha. I've already read this one though! But I'd be interested in your thoughts, naturally.

I didn't necessarily mean this book (though I suppose we could make that one a two-way buddy read in addition) -- I was thinking more along the lines of "the more, the merrier" … provided we find a book that all three of us are interested in, of course.

Ah, yes. I'm generally game for that.

I’d be more than happy to join in too, a buddy read might me with the discipline I need.

Dunno about discipline … :D

Does anybody have a particular suggestion?

Beats me. I struggle to find French books I want to read. I think all I have on my list are classics that I'm a little iffy about at the moment.

Have you ever read any of the Maigret books (in either French or English) -- or one of Simenon's nonseries crime novels?

Didn't we buddy read the first Maigret book a few years ago? I wasn't a fan. I think I've read two Maigret books total.

Hmm...do you know of any women mystery writers? Maybe I wouldn't get so annoyed at older books by women. Maybe. Or maybe Maigret was just too "hardboiled" for me.

Have you read any Fred Vargas? She's apparently #1 on a random contemporary French mystery writer list (and the only woman on said list). Or there's the Nicolas Le Floch series by Jean Francois Parot. I never did get around to trying that.

A Maigret is usually a good choice, if we're looking for something cozier. I've heard a lot of good things about Fred Vargas from people whose taste I trust but haven't managed to read anything she wrote so far.

Aside from detective stories, what other genre would you read?

I haven't read anything by Fred Vargas. Le Floch #1 is on my TBR. I'd be up for either / both of them!

Another book that's on my TBR is "Nymphéas noirs" by Michel Bussi. Or "Einstein, s'il vous plaît" by Jean-Claude Carrière ...

I read Nymphéas noirs. It was not my cup of tea. This is my problem with French books!
(http://tannat.booklikes.com/post/1581565/nympheas-noirs-by-michel-bussi)

The only thing with Vargas is I'm not sure whether I'd want to start with her first inspector book. It doesn't seem to be rated as high. Maybe the historian book.

The first Floc is L'Énigme des Blancs-Manteaux? I'll look for it.

Yes, exactly -- "L'énigme des blancs-manteaux".

I'd be good with either a Floch or a Vargas (not sure which one...maybe onnurtilraun has some ideas?). We can probably do both, we just need to pick what to start with. My library has several Vargas and the Floch is available to buy.

To answer onnurtilraun's previous question, in general I'm fairly open to genres it's just that mysteries can be easier to agree on, so if there's anything in particular on your to-read list, feel free to suggest it. My problem is that not much ends up on my to-read list in French.

I was about to say "No, my library has the Floch as a physical copy!" (which would make it inaccessible since things are still closed here) but it's actual a graphic novel, so never mind. :D

@tannat: I'm perfectly fine with either Vargas, Parot or Simenon; the only author I've already read something from is the latter, but as I said I'm curious about Vargas, and the plot of 'L'énigme des blancs-manteaux" sounds interesting.

I'd have a couple of suggestions (Léo Malet and Jean Claude Izzo), but they're decidedly more on the hard-boiled/noir side.

Right now I don't have many books in French at my place, aside from romance novels. I really need to start stocking up on those.

Whatever works for both of you -- I'm sure I'll be able to source either the Le Floch or one of the Vargas books!

And re: genres, my answer is similar as Tannat's: I read pretty much anything (except for slasher fiction). Mysteries and historical fiction have in the past proved easiest to agree on and source for the purpose of group reads, but that doesn't necessarily mean we should restrict ourselves to those.

Also, @onnurtilraun, if you want to read a Maigret, I'd definitely be up for that, even if we'd probably have to make it a two-person thing if Tannat isn't going to join that one.

Speaking of more hard-boiled, have you read anything (or would you be interested in anything) by Boileau & Narcejac?

@themis-athena: No problem, we can plan it for another time.

Never read anything of them yet; which book of theirs would you suggest?

If you decide on a Maigret I'll probably refuse until you start reading and then cave and join in. But I'd rather start with something else.

@Tannat: I get that, that's why I said we'd have to make that a two-person thing (and FWIW I wasn't thinking of replacing any other buddy read by Maigret, just thinking of an additional option).

@onnurtilraun: I haven't read anything by Boileau & Narcejac yet, but I became interested in them when I learned that they provided the literary originals of a number of well-known classic movies (e.g., "Les diaboliques" and "Vertigo").

In that case let's just keep Maigret as an option for a two-people read between me and Themis-Athena.

@Themis-Athena: Sounds interesting. Should we pick one of those two titles as an option for the buddy read?

Not sure whether Tannat would be up for those -- Tannat?

Maybe let's stick to Le Floch and / or Vargas for the three-way thing to begin with ... and a two-way Maigret afterwards, with Boileau / Narcejac (or possibly Steeman) in reserve?

I haven't looked up Boileau and Narcejac yet. I'm not familiar with the titles you mentioned. My main concern is getting annoyed at the book. Which I think happened with Maigret.

They're part of the original French "noir" wave which (along with American noir, such as Chandler and Hammett) in turn influenced the noir movies. E.g., Hitchcock's movie "Vertigo" (starring James Stewart and Kim Novak -- the film that ends on a mission bell tower on the California coast) is based on Boileau & Narcejac's novel "Sueurs froides" (aka "D'entre les morts").

I might be willing to give them a shot. We should just pick something and then plan to pick another one in a couple months or something depending on how long we take to read it (I'll probably mix it in with other books).

Maybe pick a starting time and see which book(s) all three of us can source by then? -- How does the weekend after next sound?

So the 30th ish? Which Vargas are we considering? I can get the first Floch. I'm not sure if anyone else would want to join in (in translation maybe?) but we could announce it too.

I just got my hands on used copies of both the first Le Floch ("L'Énigme des Blancs-Manteaux") and the first of Vargas's Adamsberg novels ("L'Homme aux cercles bleus"), and I already own Boileau & Narcejac's Sueurs froides" / "D'entre les morts". (Note: "L'Homme aux cercles bleus" is only scheduled to get here by June 6, though.)

@Tannat, by "the historian book" in one of your earlier comments, did you mean one of the books from the "Evangelistes" series (the first one is "Debout les morts")?

And yes, absolutely let's post about it and ask whether anybody else wants to join (regardless in what language).

I debated about the Evangelistes but Cercles bleus is easier for me to get. If Cercles bleus is only getting there by June 6 maybe we can do Floch?

I think that's accurate?

Alright then, we should start picking one title for the buddy read. Which title do you prefer? Personally, I'd either pick Parot (it's been a while since I read a good historical mystery) or Vargas.

We can pick Parot this time and Vargas later. Themis said she wouldn't receive her copy of Vargas for another few days anyway.

Well, I just received the Parot (and I already have Boileau & Narcejac), but as I said, Vargas is only scheduled to get here by June 6 (or thereabouts). So let's go with Parot / Le Floch for the three-way thing?

ETA: I see Tannat and I cross-posted ...

Suggestion to use the tag "french buddy read" or do you have better suggestions?

Sounds good.