Reading recommendations for south of France

“A Year in Provence” is one of my favorites and is simply a joyful breeze of a read.

You haven't listed Aix-en-Provence or Marseille but a classic is "Two Towns in Provence" by M.F.K Fisher.
Marcel Pagnol books translated into English

Jane on the forum recommended "A Season for That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern France" by Steve Hoffman. I enjoyed it a lot although I found him a little whiney at times. He moved to Autignac which is just 13 miles north of Beziers. While my tour did not go thru there it was fun to be in the landscape he describes.

In the same vein as the book Pam just recommended, there are dozens and dozens of blogs by people who have moved to France. They are usually about discovering a different way of life, house repairs, fresh bread, wine, doctors appointments. Some understand the society and speak the language where they've landed, others not so much. Those are online and free.

A blog that inspired my South of France travels is "The Barefoot Blogger" by Deborah Bine. I have enjoyed her travels and gotten a lot of good ideas. For books I loved "On Rue Tatin". It is an old book but I really enjoyed it. The author still runs a cooking school in France.

Kate Mosse has written a trilogy of books set in and around Carcassone, starting with Labyrinth.

If you like wine (or like learning about winemaking) - Kermit Lynch just wrote a fun novel At Poupons Table that I’m quite enjoying. Peter Mayle ish. Not your specific cities but general Provence area focused on wine growing regions.

Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series set in a fictional town based on La Bugue in the Dordogne are great about the ambience and food of the region. I learned about night markets and about lots of local delicacies from them.

Set in Aix, there are the M L Longworth Aix in Provence murder series.

Marcel Pagnol, Marcel Pagnol, Marcel Pagnol..........And the films based on Pagnol's books.....Jean de Florette, Manon de la Source, My Father's Glory, My Mother's Castle, Fanny, to name the best known and most available in the states. And yes to M.F.K. Fisher, M.L. Longworth, Peter Mayle and Martin Walker (though this last is very definitely of the Dordogne), The Bruno series by Walker is one of my favorites and as soon as a new one comes out I borrow it from the library first thing.
All great reads. By the way, the Peter Mayle books on his life in Provence were a television series in Britain and shown on PBS here some years back, starring John Thaw and Lindsay Duncan. Very well done and available, if I am correct, for free streaming on Tubi.

Haved a great trip!

Thank you all so much! Very much appreciated :) Lots I'm going to enjoy there I think

Tinac, the Travelers Tales series once published an anthology of Provencal short stories. I saw it again last week at our city's vaunted downtown Reference Library. That title is a bit dated by now but would still be fun reading.
Remember to bring repellant for Camargue.
Stop press--- as I was typing this I suddenly noticed that you'd name-checked me above. LOL!

I am done. the pages

You probably have already secured lodgings in Nice, but on the off chance you haven't, let me gently suggest you try to find something on Mont-Boron immediately east of the marina area. The views from there are breathtaking.

We once met a retired American ex-pat couple who'd landed in Lourmarin. In fact, they'd just taken possession of a flat right on the square. They knew Peter Mayle as an acquaintance within local social circles and remarked that for the final 18 months of his life, he was obviously suffering from illness. His death came as no surprise.

Critics may get picky about the authenticity of his experiences, but no matter what he will remain a pivotal figure regarding the French relocation fantasy. Merci monsieur Mayle!
I am done. the Trevallon