Review of Paris: A Stroll in My Red Heels #BlogchatterEBook

While the month of April flew by with the #AtoZChallenge, May has been inundated with blog trains and review programs. As you may know, I recently published my first ebook “Tales From My Travel Treasury: An Alliterative Anthology” on Blogchatter’s website. While doing so, I signed up for the Blogchatter Book Review program. The first book I’ve read as part of this program is Dr. Richa Mina’s, “Paris: A Stroll in My Red Heels”.

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT:

“Paris: A Stroll in My Red Heels” is a travel guide to the city of Paris in France. It is a compilation of information to help you plan a trip to this famous city, along with tips to make the most of your time there.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Richa Mina is an ENT Specialist, a writer and a blogger. Though medicine is her chosen profession, her real passion is to travel and explore new places. When she is not travelling, she can be found hooked to a paranormal TV series or a romantic novel. Having spent most of her life engrossed in books or work, there came a day where she decided to share her experiences with everyone. She writes travel, health and lifestyle related articles on her website.

This e-book is her first attempt at compiling a book, and is based on her recent travels to Europe, focussing on the time spent in Paris. She hopes to publish more about her travels in subsequent ebooks.

THE COMMENTARY:

The title of the book caught my eye even before I was assigned the book to review. It has everything a catchy title should have- it is topical with an element of charisma and romance. With such a charming title, I expected the book to recount personal travel experiences that took place in Paris, however that is not the case.

“Paris: A Stroll in My Red Heels” is not a travelogue, it is simply a travel guide. No fuss, no frills- it is a compilation of listicles and pointers of how to prepare for your trip, what to see, what to pack, how to save money etc. As such, it reads more like a travel brochure or tourist information pamphlet. This is not a bad thing, as the book will certainly prove useful for people who plan to visit Paris. However, I feel the title should have been different, in order to explain the real purpose and strength of the book.

As it is the author’s first attempt at compiling a book, I won’t harp on the quality of the writing. Her content is informative, succinctly written, well-researched and well-presented, though some amount of editing is certainly required to weed out glaring typos and omissions, as well as a few grammatical errors. It is a very easy and quick read, and has been organised in a manner that makes it easy to refer to any chapter that you may need information from. The book contains generic pictures that enhance its readability. I feel the author could have included pictures of her own trip in addition to the generic pictures, to further connect with her readers.

The first half of the book is dedicated to travel preparatory posts, and the second half to the actual experience of travelling in Paris. Though the first half is useful, I personally preferred the second half as that is the kind of information I seek out when visiting a new country. My favourite chapters include all the ones that focus on “Places to Visit in Paris” as well as the one on “How to Plan an Economical Euro-Trip”.

THE VERDICT:

Dr. Richa Mina’s “Paris: A Stroll in my Red Heels” is a good repository of information if you are planning a visit to the French capital. It will also be a helpful guide if you are visiting Europe for the first time. However, the book is limited in its scope. Unless you are visiting Europe soon, there’s not much in here for you.

Having said that, I recommend this book as a quick and useful travel guide for planning your trip to Paris.

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This review has been written as part of the Blogchatter Book Review Program.

*This is not a sponsored post.

**Picture courtesy http://www.pinterest.com/livingherself