Tuesday, September 25, 2012

First Chapter, Tuesday Teaser -- And Laughter Fell From the Sky


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 the title of this book, And Laughter Fell From the Sky by Jyotsna Sreenivasan. It makes me feel hopeful. Let's see about the opening:
On a humid Friday afternoon in August, twenty-four-year-old Abhay Setty sat cross-legged on the grass in front of the Fox and Hound restaurant and bar in the tired college town of Kent, Ohio. He took occasional bites of a floppy slice of pizza while writing in a little notebook balanced on one knee. Next to him on the grass was a stack of books, the top one open, at which he occasionally glanced as he wrote. He didn't want to be inside the noisy, dim bar, and Kent seemed not to have heard of outdoor dining. A steady stream of cars drove past on the five-lane highway. Across the highway at the entrance to campus, was a metal archway, spelling out Kent State University in blue letters. The campus itself was quiet. It was happy hour time, which to Abhay was a misnomer, because it seemed the saddest part of the day. The air was heavy and still.
 
Well, I like the very beginning of this paragraph and the image of the floppy pizza, but then she loses me a bit.


 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 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 mine from page 44:
"He is not interested in a girl who is too forward." Mrs. Shankar had a way of lifting her upper lip when she talked, which exposed her long front teeth and made her look like a rodent. "She must be able to adapt to his way of life. He was raised to be decent. He will treat his wife like a queen. But he will her king. And she must know that."
 
I guess I'll find out if I like it. What do you think?

7 comments:

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

I loved the scene and picturing the "tired" town of Kent and the "floppy" pizza slice.

I got a chill as he looked across to Kent State. What is the time period for this story?

In May 1970, the Kent State shootings happened.

Thanks for sharing, and here's MY TUESDAY MEMES POST

JoAnn said...

"Tired college town" and "floppy slice of pizza" got me, too. I'd keep going - hope you're enjoying!

Sandra Nachlinger said...

I enjoyed reading both the book's opening and your teaser. The author did such a good job of describing the guy sitting outside and studying. I like the book's title too.
My teaser is from A STOP IN THE PARK.

Sim Carter said...

I liked the teaser quite a bit and like Laurel-Rain I am wondering if this is historical fiction and if the Kent State shootings will come into play. A horrific period of our history!
I agree the title is terrific ...can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.

Unknown said...

Nice one! Hope you enjoy reading it :-)
Here's mine:
http://bit.ly/Q5lWm9
boergewelt

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Nope, this one just doesn't seem to interest me. Prove me wrong.

Nise' said...

The teaser hooked me a bit more. Look forward to your thoughts.

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