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What could be more divine than spending your summer holidays in Paris? After a breakfast of pain au chocolat and café au lait you wander along the Left Bank, admire the Musée d'Orsay and then dine in style with the locals at a dark, smoky bistro. To help you plan the perfect Parisian getaway see our selection of travel titles below — or, if a trip to Paris isn't in the cards this summer, read some great stories to take you there in spirit...

Madeline

No list of Paris-inspired books could ever be complete without Ludwig Bemelman's classic tale of a little red-headed girl who is afraid of nothing. Madeline is the quintessential Parisienne, and her story is the perfect introduction to Paris for readers young and old.

Le Divorce

In Le Divorce, Diane Johnson delightfully recounts the adventures of two sisters from California who make a modern pilgrimage to the City of Light. Not since Edith Wharton penned her brilliant portraits of Americans abroad has a novelist so perfectly captured the possibilities and perils of succumbing to the allure of Paris.

In Transit

Canadian by birth, Mavis Gallant has lived in Paris since 1950; few writers understand the city so well. In Transit is a remarkable collection of short stories that proves she is, in the words of Michael Ondaatje, "one of the great short story writers of our time."

The Paris Mapguide

Now that you're inspired, it's time to get practical. The Paris Mapguide includes every street in central Paris, all fully indexed. It also features a map of the Métro, as well as sections on Versailles, the Bois de Vincennes and the Louvre. Information is also included on museums, places of interest, art galleries, theatres, cinemas, jazz clubs, cabarets, shops and hotels.

The Rough Guide to Paris

One of the world's most glamorous, romantic and innovative cities, Paris is perpetually full of possibilities. The Rough Guide to Paris clues you in to the very best the city has to offer, from tourist hotspots to its more offbeat and obscure corners. This edition includes expanded listings of cafés, restaurants, hotels and nightlife.