I know why David Lebovitz gets inundated with questions from people planning trips to Paris. I know why perfect strangers want to visit him or better yet, dine with him. In addition to knowing exactly where to get the perfect baguette and being on a first name basis with every important chocolatier in town, he's also very funny. If you've ever visited his blog, you know what I mean. An artist friend of my parents moved to Paris and because, horrors! he still wasn't online, I printed page after page of it for him, in part, to convince him he needed to get online, if for no other reason than to read David's blog.

While I am a fan of his cookbooks, his latest book really takes the cake. And yes, that would be chocolate cake. In The Sweet Life in Paris his observational powers and his equal parts snarky and self-deprecating humor give that other ex-pat David, a run for his money. In fact, perhaps that's why David Sedaris moved to London. Paris might not have been big enough for two hilarious American Davids.

I got through almost 4 pages before laughing out loud. I challenge you to do the same. In between laughs you can pick up nifty recipes for mostly sweet but also some savory dishes like chicken mole or tagine with apricots and almonds, tips on where to find great hot chocolate or how to make your own, and a list of essential addresses in Paris. It's the perfect book for anyone who dreams of living in Paris or who actually does.

Amy Sherman is a San Francisco–based writer, recipe developer, restaurant reviewer and all around culinary enthusiast. She blogs for Epicurious , GlamDish , Bay Area Bites and Cooking with Amy .