Tuesday, July 16, 2013

First Paragraph, Tuesday Teaser -- Bonjour 40

Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the first paragraph of her current read. Anyone can join in. Go to Diane's website for the image and share the first paragraph of the current book you are reading
I'm still reading my 800-page book, Paris, but I started a new book on my Kindle -- Bonjour 40 A Paris Travel Log by Karen A. Chase.
For her 40th birthday, Chase decides to stay in Paris for 40 days and she kept a blog while there which she has turned into a book. Here's the intro:
On Paris, there are simply not enough guidebooks, maps, language lessons, recipes, stories, or tips for me. My friends, neighbors and the bookstore gave me a steady supply of what-to, what-not-tos and how-tos to prepare for this trip.
Also this week is Teaser Tuesdays. Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Open to a random page of your current read h and share a teaser sentence from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers. Here's my teaser from Day 7:
Every American woman should visit Paris. I asked a waiter how to say, "I am full" in French. Word-for-word it would be, "Je suis plain," however to say that in French means  you're pregnant, so I knew that wasn't it. The waiter's response, however, perfectly summed up French women. "There is no translation. It would not be elegant for a woman to say that." And elegant they are, regardless of age or attire.

8 comments:

grammajudyb said...

Thanks for your intro. I am going to suggest this book to my granddaughter who is planning an extended stay in France. She is not 40, just 20 but maybe she will learn something. Thanks for sharing.

JoAnn said...

This sounds wonderful!

Catherine @ Book Club Librarian said...

This book sounds lovely. Brought back memories of the week I spent in Paris in 2000. I'd love to go back!

Here's my Tuesday post: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2013/07/first-chapter-first-paragraph-22-and.html

Unknown said...

Hope you enjoy the book. It is amusing that it's not lady like in Paris to say you a full!

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I cracked up at this intro...LOL sounds fun. Thanks so much for joining us.

Linda said...

I said, in French, that I was pregnant when I first arrived. Looks like a good book.

Anonymous said...

Now why didn't I think of staying in Paris for 40 days and writing a book about it when I turned 40?!

Vagabonde said...

I was thinking about what you said about being “pleine” and I thought if the waiter came and asked me if I wished some dessert and I was full I would say in French “non merci, j’ai terminé” which is like saying I am finished then I would add “l’addition, s’il-vous’plait” or more likely if I was full “un express s’il-vous-plait” as I like to finish with a bit of coffee. I will check the blogs you mentioned.

Cockadoodle Doo or Cocorico?

 We stood in the middle of the road, having walked together 13 miles that day and Claudine grasped my forearm. "Mais non! It doesn'...