Inspired by Reading Book Club - Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

I wish to express my appreciation to Andrew Thornton for his efforts in setting up this reading group. My hope is that the group will grow larger as more and more people learn about it. Even though I am an avid reader of pulp crime fiction,  I really enjoyed this opportunity to branch out and read a different genre, then design a jewellery piece inspired by the book.

Our first book was Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik.The part of the book that I most enjoyed was the description of the time spent at the carousel. Children try to thread the stick through a ring held by the carousel operator each time they go around. When I was younger, my own children loved to go for a ride on a carousel. We would ride wherever we found one. Because my daughter-in-law was born and raised in Paris, I enjoyed reading about the author's experiences while living there. As I read, I had to keep reminding myself that this was a series of short stories, based on his life, and not a novel. My family will be with me this fall in Paris. We plan on visiting the carousel and taking some photos! It is hard to imagine a carousel that has been in operation for so long (about a hundred years).

My usual jewellery style could fairly be described as being "over the top", because I incorporate many elements into a single piece of jewellery. But recently, I have been experimenting with a very simple necklace design. I made just 2 charms - not a very involved or complex arrangement - and then used a silver chain. The combination of a "stick" and the "ring" seem to me, to fit with the Paris that Adam Gopnik lived in. When I wear this necklace as I ride the carousel this fall, I only wish that I could  try playing the game myself. Maybe listening to this on my iPod.