Vive la France! #BooktagsBlogHop. My book this week: Paris Hangover by Kirsten Lobe

Okay, I've been right off writing ever since I heard about those #ParisAttacks on Friday 13th. Like many others, it took my breath away, leaving me no motivation to do what seemed frivolous things, like write for #NaNoWriMo or prepare a blog post. Then blogger friend Toi Thomas reminded me that today is the day I write about a book I've read recently. At first I thought I can't do this, then I thought, yes, I can. So everybody, and Toi, I'm sorry if this is going to be a little outside the square, but I'm presenting my reading my way.

Lobe tells us in a dedication at the beginning of the book that: "...mother taught me to believe in the words of Henry David Thoreau: 'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.'"

Well, we saw on Friday 13th, that not everybody accepts the dreams we follow, seeing watching a game at a football stadium, eating at restaurants, walking down the beautiful Parisian streets, watching a rock concert where an American band was performing, are things to die for. Those 'soldiers' mowing down innocents with Kalashnikovs then blowing themselves and others away with suicide bombs obviously thought that dream of living and loving in Paris was anathema.

My favourite author, Ernest Hemingway, has a few lines in The Sun Also Rises, where he says, 'Fake European standards have ruined you. You drink yourself to death. You become obsessed with sex. You spend all your time talking, not working...You hang around cafes.'

That might sound like Hem would be on the side of the suicide bombers on Friday, but no, no one liked hanging around cafes quite as much as he did, so don't take it out of context. I deliberately included it as I think that it is a radical opinion of how Westerners enjoy themselves. Didn't we all think that hanging around cafes was not an action punishable by death? Until Friday, that is.

Which brings me back to Paris Hangover, the book I'm supposed to be talking about today. Okay, not exactly ISIS-preferred reading!


Definitely women's fiction, or chick lit, Lobe writes very autobiographically, so even though this is a work of fiction, it is obviously a pretty true account of her life. The premise (and what she did in her real life), was to ditch her super-glam life and apartment in New York City and relocate to a tiny walk-up Parisian apartment in Saint Germain. Fleeing her Big Shot boyfriend, the main character, Klein, starts over in Paris, plunging into the mysterious world of Gallic Men. She lives a life full of Moet and Gauloises, dating Frenchmen and waking up with a hangover most mornings.

Klein/Lobe describes her life in her chosen city: 'Living in Paris is an experience like no other. It's like being on a ride at an amusement park: wildly exciting, a bit scary, a little overpriced.' 

As she settles into her new apartment she considers her dream:

"This dream has the perfect soundtrack. To awaken each morning to the sound of doves cooing and church bells ringing. C'mon, it doesn't get any more beautiful than that...The first sounds I hear as I come into consciousness are usually the tender voices of mothers and their children, up early and out on their morning outing to the boulangerie down the street to buy brioche and croissants. The gentle, 'Maman...' followed by, 'Comment, ma cherie?' is like music.'

On re-reading this passage, I couldn't help wonder how Parisian mothers spoke to their children on Friday 14th. 'The President has asked us to stay indoors today, cherie. Something bad has happened.'

But back to Klein. This American in Paris never had it so good--vin blanc at Cafe de Flore, painting in a garret, afternoons in the Jardins du Luxembourg--or so bad. But Klein's passion for France and its men allows her to press on through some dastardly experiences.

There's something for everyone in this book. It's first and foremost a love story to Paris and its literary giants. Lobe peppers her story with quotes from French philosophers, French poets, and French writers. One of my favourites is her quote from Marcel Proust:

'We are not provided with wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness, which no one can take for us, an effort which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world.' 

Sadly, Friday's attackers' wisdom must be questioned. Have they discovered wisdom for themselves, where they see executing innocent civilians as somehow more holy than attending a rock concert or hanging around cafes, or have they been brainwashed into a point of view?

My feelings for Paris/France are not a well-kept secret. Tonight I will stand in solidarity with them at a special event in front of our City Hall, which once again will be bathed in the tricolour.

Books set in Paris are always so full of life and love, which is why I read so many, and am working on writing one myself. Thank you Kirsten Lobe for this quirky little love story to Paris. I hope you are safe in your chosen city!

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The #BooktagsBlogHop - The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. And my vampire novella is on Amazon!

Today I'm participating in Toi Thomas' #BooktagsBlogHop. Right up my alley. How about you? Not too late to tag along. The link is in my sidebar.

Here's what Toi has to say:

The purpose of this blog hop is for readers and writers to share what they are reading, have read, are writing, or have written with others. This is not about promoting free or discounted books, though some of those may be featured. This is about book lovers sharing what they love about books.  This blog hop is about the Joy of Reading and the Joy of Writing and is hosted by me, Toi Thomas, the 3rd Monday of each month.

Post No. 1 will be October 19, 2015.

To learn more, click here.

What I am reading:

First, here is my overview, then an excerpt from a favourite book I've read recently. I've read several in October, but one that stays with me is The Little Paris Bookshop. What a quirky little book about Jean Perdu who calls himself a 'literary apothecary', which translates to mean a bookseller who discerns which book/s you need/don't need to read at a given moment in your life. He lives on a beautifully-restored barge on the Seine in Paris near Notre Dame and, being a troubled soul himself, his aim is to help other troubled souls. But the person he can't cure of torment is himself. He's nursed a broken heart for twenty odd years, when the love of his life left him. When a strange turn of events pops up and he actually reads the letter his ex-lover sent him, he realises that he's been a fool--his lover was dying and was hoping he'd visit her before her death, 21 years ago. So the story gets underway when on a whim, he unhooks his barge and heads downriver to Provence, to reacquaint himself with his past. But not before bestselling author Max jumps on board. The barge trip includes many unusual adventures, a love story to France's beautiful rivers and coasts and a completely charming ending.

An extract can't do justice to what I love about this book, but I'll try. Here is an extract close to the beginning which gives you an idea of the quirkiness of the story:

'No,' Monsieur Perdu said. 'I'd rather not sell you this book.'
Gently he pried Night from the lady's hand. Of the many novels on his book barge - the vessel moored on the Seine that he had named Literary Apothecary - she had inexplicably chosen the notorious bestseller by Maximilian 'Max' Jordan, the earmuff wearer from the third floor in Rue Montagnard. (M. Perdu's apartment building). 
The customer looked at the bookseller, taken aback.
'Why not?'
'Max Jordan doesn't suit you.'
'Max Jordan doesn't suit me?'
'That's right. He's not your type.'
'My type. Okay. Excuse me, but maybe I should point out to you that I've come to your book barge for a book. Not a husband, mon cher Monsieur.'
'With all due respect, what you read is more important in the long term than the man you marry, ma chère Madame.'
She looked at him through eyes like slits.
'Give me the book, take my money, and we can both pretend it's a nice day.'
'It is a nice day, and tomorrow is the start of summer, but you're not going to get this book. Not from me. May I suggest a few others?'
'Right, and flog me some old classic you're too lazy to throw overboard where it can poison the fish?' 
'Books aren't eggs, you know. Simply because a book has aged a bit doesn't mean it's gone bad.' There was an edge to M. Perdu's voice. 'What is wrong with old? Age isn't a disease. We all grow old, even books. But are you, is anyone, worth less, or less important, because they've been around for longer?'
'It's absurd how you're twisting everything, all because you don't want me to have that stupid Night book.'
***
'Hello?' called M. Perdu. 'Can I help you?'
'I'm not looking for anything,' croaked Max Jordan.
The bestselling author stepped tentatively forward with a honeydew melon in each hand, his obligatory earmuffs riveted to his head.
'Have the three of you been standing there long, M. Jordan?'
Jordan nodded, and a blush of embarrassment spread to the roots of his dark hair.
'I arrived just as you were refusing to sell my book to that lady,' he said unhappily. 
Oh dear. That was rather bad timing.

What I am writing:
As well as reading, I've been writing/editing up a storm. At 8.10 pm Sunday night, I finally pressed Publish for my vampire novella which I told you about last week. Cutting it fine for Halloween. Wish me well. More later. My cover designer, Jennie, decided to have her baby early, so with my husband's help, I came up with this temporary cover. What do you think?  Now available on Amazon worldwide. I've included the most popular links...Of course, I'd love it if you bought it for the low price of 99c and wrote a short review, even though I understand that huge TBR list you have!

Amazon.com

Amazon.uk

Amazon.au

The WEP Halloween challenge goes live this Wednesday. Still not too late to jump onboard and share something scary that someone else created, or something you created. Submit your name and URL to your post in my sidebar.

Have a great week!