The chance to go on vacation to paradisiacal destinations doesn’t always present itself… But don’t panic! A book can be the perfect escape. From the living room couch, by the side of the public pool, or even on the pebbles by the seaside… the people of Nice hold literature close to their hearts.
Head over to the bookstores in Nice to discover the books that have captivated the locals.
At the big chains, “Fnac” and “Virgin” on Jean Médecin Avenue, and at the Jean Jaurès bookstore, the top 5 are more or less the same.
Leading the pack is *Le premier jour*, the latest novel by Marc Lévy. The best-selling author tells us (as usual) the love story of Keira and Adrian. She is an archaeologist. He is an astrophysicist. Their common point is working together on the origins of the world. According to the book’s publishers, *Le premier jour* is expected to have a sequel by the end of 2009. To be continued.
For the rest of the top summer sales, there aren’t many new entries. The four volumes (*Twilight*, *New Moon*, *Eclipse*, and *Breaking Dawn*) of the Twilight saga, written by Stephenie Meyer, continue to rank very high. And there’s no doubt that the phenomenon won’t be stopping anytime soon since a new film adaptation, this time of the second volume, is set to be released in November 2009.
New Hits
But the usual bestsellers have new competitors this summer. Hailed by critics as “the book of the season” *The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society* is highly popular among the readers in Nice. Set in 1946 during the German occupation of the Channel Island of Guernsey, the reader follows the correspondence of a young London woman with the inhabitants of the famed island. Written by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows, this book with its quirky name has already been a resounding success in the United States.
At traditional bookstores, other books are also very successful. At Masséna bookstore, it’s *Nietzsche in Nice* by Renaud Denuit that has been at the top of sales since July 2009. This book mixes travel anecdotes of the German philosopher during his stays in Nice with philosophical reflection.
Another favorite at the Masséna bookstore goes to the autobiography of Claude Lanzmann: *The Patagonian Hare*.
Among the summer hits are also non-seasonal novels. *The Elegance of the Hedgehog* by Muriel Barbery and *The Slow Waltz of Turtles* by Katherine Pancol are doing great in paperback.
A perfect way to dive into a multitude of incredible or everyday worlds, with a book in hand and feet up.
And you, what is your favorite book this summer?
