Tuesday, April 17, 2012

First Paragraph, Tuesday Teaser -- The Secret Lives of Dresses


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 love picking up a new book, like a fresh shiny apple. I finished Anne Tyler's The Begginners Goodbye yesterday (truly enjoyed it), so today I turn to the shelves and plucked down The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean. According to the blurb on the back of the book, Dora has taken the path of least resistance, going to the college that offered a scholarship, working at a coffee shop with a crush on her boss, when her grandmother suffers a stroke, compelling Dora to return home to run her grandmother's vintage shop.
Here's the intro:
Dora had a rhythm going, or if not a rhythm, a pattern, and it went something like downshift, wipe tears away with back of hand, sob, upshift, scrub running nose with horrible crumpled fast-food napkin, stab at the buttons on the radio, and then downshift again. That had been the order of things for the past two hours. The first two hours had been pure howling, crying so hard she almost couldn't see, but then it had slowed down, a torrent turning into a spitting rain. Still bad weather, but not impassable.


Also this week is Teaser Tuesdays.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
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 a randomly selected teaser from page 108:
"Got it." Dora sighed. "The worst part about dressing like this is that Mimi's wanted me to wear these dresses for years, and I feel terrible that she isn't even seeing me in them."
"For what it's worth, Mimi talked about you all the time, and never mentioned your clothes."
"That's because she hated my clothes, I think. I mean the ones I actually wore, not the ones she put aside for me."

I'm not too sure about this one, but I'll let you know.

11 comments:

The Brazen Broads said...

Is this one of those great stories that shifts back and forth between generations? Like Mimi when she was young and then back?

I like that style. It brings out the nostalgia in me....:}

Have a nice week.

Kathy Martin said...

I have seen this book around. It sounds like it could be interesting. My teasers are from The Prophet by Amanda Stevens and Rebel Fire by Andrew Lane. Happy reading!

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

This one sounds so intriguing...and I love stories that brings out nostalgic moments.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's MY TUESDAY MEMES POST

Reading Kelly said...

I'm going to have to add this book to my TBR. I love books about vintage clothing. Thanks for tstopping by my TT. Happy reading!

Pamela said...

I have this book and I am still not sure either. I started reading it and didn't hate it, but it didn't grab me. I do want to try again though. I hope you enjoy it :) Here's mine: http://pamelasbookspot.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/teaser-tuesday-earth-hums-in-b-flat.html

JoAnn said...

I like the cover and description, but would need to read more than that intro before deciding whether to continue. Will look out for your review.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Why am I laughing when the poor girl is hysterical?? I love this intro....enjoy

Nise' said...

I enjoyed this book, hope it gets better for you.

Unknown said...

The title is certainly intriguing! Thanks for dropping by Read@UTS!

Staci said...

I loved that intro and would so keep on reading this one!! I love that title!!

Linda said...

I'm not sure either. The main character sounds whiny but maybe she grows up in the end.

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