I’ve decided that a good way to maintain my ability in French would be to read something in it. Unfortunately, I have no idea what I could read. Could someone suggest a fairly easy-to-read novel or play that wouldn’t strain my ability too much?
For what it’s worth, I did fairly well (A- or so) in my first year university French after taking it throughout high school, so I’m not incompetent. I’m just not fluent.
A little additional info: I can read this with a decent measure of understanding. I miss a few words now and again, and once or twice I think I hit some grammar that I didn’t recognise, but overall, that’s about where my reading skill level sits.
If you can find it in French, Camus’s L’Etranger (The Stranger) is actually a pretty easy read. I read it this year and apart from a couple of vocab/grammer things, I didn’t have much trouble.
How about French newspapers? Also, for pronunciation and listening comprehension, I listen to RFI on the web.
Le Petit Prince - Antoine de St Expuery. Some see it as a children’s book, but I enjoy it as much as an adult as when I first read it. Just a great story, really.