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16th out of 41 books
—
61 voters
Chasing Sylvia Beach
by
Cynthia Morris (Goodreads Author)
An impromptu trip to the City of Light carries a young bookseller to 1937 Paris. But it’s not the friendly literary community she had imagined and Lily Heller becomes a character inside the world that she had fantasized about—but with chilling consequences.
In her quest to return home, Lily throws herself on the mercy of legendary Shakespeare and Company bookseller Sylvia...more
In her quest to return home, Lily throws herself on the mercy of legendary Shakespeare and Company bookseller Sylvia...more
Paperback, First, 375 pages
Published
June 22nd 2012
by Original Impulse, Inc.
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Loves this book!!! Five stars and a must read for anyone who loves paris!
Chasing Sylvia Beach by Cynthia Morris
From the Publisher...
Lily Heller’s affaire de coeur with Paris has existed almost as long as her love for books. Smitten with the city’s literary Golden Age of the twenties, the young bookstore clerk from Denver dreams of a life like that of bold expatriate Sylvia Beach, who founded the famed Shakespeare and Company bookshop and became her own literary legend. An impromptu trip to the C...more
Chasing Sylvia Beach by Cynthia Morris
From the Publisher...
Lily Heller’s affaire de coeur with Paris has existed almost as long as her love for books. Smitten with the city’s literary Golden Age of the twenties, the young bookstore clerk from Denver dreams of a life like that of bold expatriate Sylvia Beach, who founded the famed Shakespeare and Company bookshop and became her own literary legend. An impromptu trip to the C...more
Charlene's Review:
Lily Heller, a bookshop clerk, takes a trip to Paris after her mother's untimely death. When she arrives, however, she finds herself in the pre-war era of 1937. On the very streets where her heroine, book shop owner and literary legend, Sylvia Beach resides, Lily gets a crash course in the style and mind set of a whole new world. With a few rough starts, she acclimates, while trying to find out how she got there, and how to get back home. While the mystery evolves, Lily has enc...more
Lily Heller, a bookshop clerk, takes a trip to Paris after her mother's untimely death. When she arrives, however, she finds herself in the pre-war era of 1937. On the very streets where her heroine, book shop owner and literary legend, Sylvia Beach resides, Lily gets a crash course in the style and mind set of a whole new world. With a few rough starts, she acclimates, while trying to find out how she got there, and how to get back home. While the mystery evolves, Lily has enc...more
Nov 11, 2012
Maria
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Readers interested in Time Travel
Recommended to Maria by:
For a book discussion
Shelves:
fiction,
war-themes
I anticipated reading this book after reading Ernest Hemingway’s A Movable Feast. Of all the independent and chain bookstores that have thrived and fallen throughout the ages, it’s rare that the reputation of one continues for decades beyond its closing. As a result I was excited to read the book.
I’m not a science fiction/fantasy reader for the most part. Time travel doesn’t get me excited when I’m reading it, and I think it reflects a lack of writing skill on the part of the author. At some poi...more
I’m not a science fiction/fantasy reader for the most part. Time travel doesn’t get me excited when I’m reading it, and I think it reflects a lack of writing skill on the part of the author. At some poi...more
Hasn’t every lover of books and lover of Paris said, “What I would give to spend time in Paris during the pre-World War II days when all those famous writers gathered at Shakespeare and Company bookshop?”
In Chasing Sylvia Beach , a 23-year-old book seller from Denver gets her chance to live that fantasy. Note: Cynthia Morris was once a bookseller in Denver who traveled to Paris many times, studied Sylvia Beach, but as far as we know, time-traveled only in her imagination. The novel follows Lily...more
In Chasing Sylvia Beach , a 23-year-old book seller from Denver gets her chance to live that fantasy. Note: Cynthia Morris was once a bookseller in Denver who traveled to Paris many times, studied Sylvia Beach, but as far as we know, time-traveled only in her imagination. The novel follows Lily...more
I waited in eager anticipation for this novel having followed Cynthia for years. As I began reading, I was engrossed from the very beginning. I didn't want Chasing Syliva Beach to end! In fact, for about a week I wouldn't pick up the book to finish the last two chapters because I knew I would be sad to say goodbye to all the wonderful characters in this fun and adventurous novel.
The details and descriptions are so well written that I felt like I was truly in Paris without leaving my Adirondack c...more
The details and descriptions are so well written that I felt like I was truly in Paris without leaving my Adirondack c...more
Cynthia Morris’ fast-paced, intriguing romantic fantasy, Chasing Sylvia Beach, transports us to 1937 Paris where a twenty-something protagonist Lily Heller travels back in time from her modern, directionless life as a bookstore clerk in Denver to prewar Paris where she finds herself seeking out her heroine, Sylvia Beach. Sylvia founded the Shakespeare and Company Bookshop. Lily has researched the life and times of Sylvia Beach in her current life. The time travel becomes a metaphor for connectin...more
2 likes · like · see review
Initially, I thought this book was a year or two too late to be completely original, but as I read further into it, I found that Cynthia Morris has crafted her own very unique and original time-traveling character in Lily Heller and set the stage for an entire series of various adventures for literature/history lovers. Similar to the movie Midnight in Paris, but yet very different, our protagonist finds herself unwittingly transported to Paris, 1937, to Sylvia Beach's bookshop, Shakespeare &...more
When 23-year-old book store clerk Lily Heller gets off the airplane in Paris, she expects to arrive in the present day, but to her great surprise and puzzlement, she arrives in a pre-WWII 1937 Paris that’s much different from the city she knew in her study-abroad days. With no money and no clue how or why she got there, Lily attempts to find solace in the book store of her personal hero, expatriate Sylvia Beach. She begins to think she’ll never make it back to her life in 2010, but after befrien...more
I received this books from the author, Cynthia Morris, in a Goodreads giveaway. The premise, that of time travel into the past in order to positively influence history through the strategic and deliberate moving around of books, intrigued me, as did Sylvia Beach. I had not heard of Beach but learned that she was a real person who moved to Paris well before World War II and opened a bookstore there called Shakespeare and Company. Her store became the site of author readings by the likes of James...more
2 likes · like · see review
Disclaimer: Cynthia is my friend.
But I've read books by friends that I don't enjoy. And I really enjoyed this! It was perfect to read on my summer vacation. I loved running in to all of the personalities and seeing them through Lily's eyes.
I have since shared the book with two other people who also really liked it. I can't wait to get it back so I can share it with more people.
The only bummer is that now I'm ready for the sequel. Waiting . . . waiting.
But I've read books by friends that I don't enjoy. And I really enjoyed this! It was perfect to read on my summer vacation. I loved running in to all of the personalities and seeing them through Lily's eyes.
I have since shared the book with two other people who also really liked it. I can't wait to get it back so I can share it with more people.
The only bummer is that now I'm ready for the sequel. Waiting . . . waiting.
This novel was a fun read. Take an interesting historical figure, a young girl, 1937 Paris , some time travel and a mystery and you have the basics of Morris's novel. I enjoyed the travel back in time to Paris before the war and meeting Sylvia Beach. She was quite a fascinating woman.
I have been following Cynthia through her blog for years and hearing about this novel in progress. it was a delight to finally be able to read it.
I have been following Cynthia through her blog for years and hearing about this novel in progress. it was a delight to finally be able to read it.
Cynthia Morris tells a good tale of pre WWll Paris, writers, books and book stores. The book seller's passion drives the story, with desire to put books into hands of readers while promoting writers. Part of my enjoyment was the "book" feeling I had when I worked in a book store.
Stayed at the Sylvia Beach Hotel in Newport Beach, OR this fall. This book was in the gift shop so I decided I needed to read it. It reminded me a lot of the movie "Midnight in Paris" as time travel back to the 30's in Paris occurs. Very entertaining
After devouring the book Chasing Sylvia Beach, I want more adventures of Lily Heller! As another reviewer stated, I can hardly wait for the sequel. Cynthia Morris' "baby" novel has done her proud. (Although at 300+ pages, it is no small baby.)
Paris 1937 was brought alive by this beautiful, evocative, delightful and wonderful book. I do so hope there will be more Lily Heller books.
Great summer read. Captivating characters + fun to get whisked away to pre-WW2 Paris. Hope this is not the end of Lily Heller + crew....
Loved the premise. Writing good, perhaps not great. The slow plot seemed to take a back seat to the writing, but I would read a second if there is to be one.
I was so happy to have held this book in my hands. I was even happier to read it! Lily Heller is a captivating character I cared about from the start. I enjoyed getting to know Sylvia Beach, Gertrude Stein, and the other famous and not-so-famous, while being transported by the mystery's fun twists and turns. I wish Lily well in all her adventures to come and thank Cynthia Morris for inviting this reader along! It was a perfect read for a Sunday afternoon.
I hope to review this book soon in fuller detail, but for now, I have to say I really enjoyed the story of protagonist Lily Heller very much. The time-travel aspect of this book is a literary technique or device I like experiencing in a book, and this novel is no exception.
More soon, but this one is worth taking a look at!
More soon, but this one is worth taking a look at!
My thanks to Cynthia Morris and first reads for providing me a free copy of this book .
I really wanted to give this book a positive review, but In all honesty I read the first 2/3 and couldn't go on reading it.
I don't want to write a negative review so suffice it to say This one was a miss for me.
this was a first reads win and am very happy I was chosen. It was a wonderful read. I found that the time travel worked with a great twist in the end. recommend? definitely
Fun, entertaining read about a young woman who finds herself in Paris in 1937 on a journey to save a rare book and to find herself. Certainly fun for those who are interested in Paris's literary history.
May 17, 2013
Erica
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Jake Wilson
marked it as to-read
May 12, 2013
Claire (Bitches With Books)
marked it as to-read
May 03, 2013
Jayne Ryan
marked it as to-read
Apr 28, 2013
Michelle
marked it as to-read
Apr 19, 2013
Martha Smith
marked it as to-read
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Sometimes we just want to be left alone with a good book. As a girl, I was lucky – both of my parents worked outside the home. That meant many afternoons as a ‘latchkey’ child – and many happy hours alone with books.
Books expanded my small town Ohio world and gave me a rich experience of imagination and exploration. Beyond reading, I was drawn to catalogue my books. I kept a log of what I read an...more
More about Cynthia Morris...
Books expanded my small town Ohio world and gave me a rich experience of imagination and exploration. Beyond reading, I was drawn to catalogue my books. I kept a log of what I read an...more
I'm so glad you liked it, and that you shared that with us here.
Aug 10, 2012 12:05pm