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Pancakes in Paris
Pancakes in Paris: Living the American Dream in France | Craig Carlson
36 posts | 19 read | 42 to read
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
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review
Adventures-of-a-French-Reader
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Pickpick

3.5/5
Craig Carlson recounts with honesty his experience opening the 1st American diner in Paris in the 2000s.
There is a tendency to focus on what goes wrong, there are some generalizations, but in comparison with other books I've read, it is pretty accurate.
It's always easier to navigate a system you're born into, and unfortunately, everywhere people manage to play the system.
French editor needed to correct the many mistakes in the book...

review
keithmalek
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Pickpick

Great book! Readers who enjoyed this might also enjoy "The Road to Burgundy" by Ray Walker. Walker's book is different in that he opened a winery and not a diner, but it's also about an American moving to France and pursuing his dream.

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keithmalek
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keithmalek
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WHAT??????????????

Sparklemn Seriously??? 3y
keithmalek @Sparklemn Unlike this pathetic excuse of a country, it's the best country in the world in terms of what it does for it's workers. However, they go WAY too far. I would love to be an employee there, but would be horrified to be a business owner. 3y
Sparklemn @keithmalek Horrifying indeed!! 3y
Suet624 Yowzer! 3y
9 likes4 comments
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keithmalek
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keithmalek
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Suet624 🤣🤣🤣 3y
8 likes1 comment
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keithmalek

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all--in which case, you fail by default."

--J.K. Rowling's commencement speech at Harvard

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keithmalek
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review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Craig Carlson fell in love with France but missed American breakfasts there. In this memoir, he details how he came to be the owner of Breakfast in America in Paris. Early in the book, he tries a little too hard and it‘s a bit painful, but he settles into it and I enjoyed reading his story. And the labor laws in France are insane!

BarbaraBB Great picture 🤍 3y
49 likes1 stack add1 comment
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SaraFair
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What a fun listen! The story of trying to overcome the cultural divide when trying to create and sell the idea of an American diner in Paris. The pronunciation is a little off, but the snark is excellent.

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SerenaCrawford
Pickpick

2020 read great book 📚🤩

BarbaraTheBibliophage This one is a “lesser known“ but fantastic memoir. I just picked up his second one and hope to get to it soon. 3y
5 likes1 comment
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Bklover
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#ThoughtfulThursday
🥞Pancakes 🥞🥞🥞🥞preferably covered with a ton of butter and lots of strawberries.

Cake. No- Pie! Yes. Pie. Well, maybe cake. Yes cake. Really. Cake. Well........🍰🥧🍰🥧🍰🥧

Paperback all the way!!!!

Sweet, definitely. Spicy gives me heartburn!🔥🔥

Anybody not do this yet???? If not, join in!

MoonWitch94 Thanks for playing ☺️✨🎂 4y
59 likes1 comment
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Lova
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1. Pain chocolat and coffee
2. Cereal killer cafe in London
3. I have to read while eating- it‘s a whole thing for me
4. I‘m lactose intolerant so I wish we had lactose free speculos ice cream here.
5. @breanacamel @AuntDawnWalker @Clwojick @jen_the_scribe
@Eggs #wonderouswednesday

Eggs #2 🤣🤣 5y
15 likes1 comment
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tapgurl
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Loved this book! Didn‘t want it to end.

Bklover Oh, good to hear! I have this one so I‘ll have to move it up the list! 5y
JacqMac Good to know! It‘s on my TBR. 5y
7 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Shadowfat
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Pickpick

This was a light hearted book about a man with a dream to open an American diner in Paris. Being a business owner in France sounds horrible but he never was overly negative. I highly recommend it!

BarbaraTheBibliophage I really enjoyed this one also! 🥞👩🏻‍🎨 6y
26 likes1 comment
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Lova
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🧙🏻‍♀️fantasy
👩🏻‍💼receptionist
👩🏻‍🏫Kindergarten French Immersion Teacher
🌟Kindergarten French Immersion Teacher
☕️coffee- every single morning
#manicmonday
@JoScho

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MissAimz_55
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Bailedbailed

Do you guys have a shelf similar to this on Goodreads? It's my "gave up" shelf of the books I bailed on. Sometimes I check there and see if there are books I should try again but overall these are #nopes #ampersand2018

CSeydel I have two: “abandoned” and “paused” to distinguish books I truly gave up from books I will get back around to ... later ... 6y
Susanita I let some books languish in “currently reading” for a while, but once I bail I don‘t look back. 6y
18 likes3 comments
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ReadingEnvy
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Reading Envy Podcast Episode 109: Stuxnet Pancakes with Scott Danielson https://tinyurl.com/ReadingEnvy109

saresmoore Yay! 6y
73 likes1 comment
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imabusybee
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10 minutes of peace.

kspenmoll ❤️ 7y
62 likes1 comment
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imabusybee
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Another ARC I am behind with.

65 likes1 stack add
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Bklover
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Thanks to @BethwithBooks for the arcs!! Love getting #bookmail and can't wait to read them! 💜💜💜

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Wendyylou
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Starting something new tonight..💛🇫🇷

1 like1 stack add
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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I tracked down a few #alliterativetitles among my 2016-17 reads! #marchintoreading

TheBookHippie The things we carried!!! we did as a big read in our town! Amazing book. Glitter and Glue was a surprise I really liked it! 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @TheBookHippie Wow, that's a heavy book for a big read - but a great one! I listened to Glitter and Glue at a stressful time last year. It was a welcome companion. 😎 7y
TheBookHippie @BarbaraTheBibliophage The speakers and events were very powerful. Glad I participated. They seem to pick heavy reads every time . 7y
102 likes3 comments
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mcctrish
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I won a book last week 🎉 pretty much made my year

saresmoore Winning books is the best! 7y
mcctrish @saresmoore seriously!!!! 7y
16 likes2 comments
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Sourcebooks
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What are you reading today?

Bakingbookworm I'm loving The Witches of New York by Ami McKay! 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I loved Pancakes in Paris! Was just telling my DIL to read it because they introduced their French exchange student to pancakes! 7y
readinginthedark Bavarian Folktales by Schonwerth 7y
See All 7 Comments
Sourcebooks Oooo. I love folktales collections. What do you think so far, @readinginthedark? 7y
Sourcebooks I hadn't heard of that one, @Bakingbookworm, but I'll have to check it out! 7y
Sourcebooks So glad you loved PiP, @BarbaraTheBibliophage!! 7y
readinginthedark @Sourcebooks I'm loving it! There are many little stories I hadn't heard before, and I'm learning some interesting things about Bavarian culture and legends from the footnotes! 7y
22 likes7 comments
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Sourcebooks
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Congrats to Craig Carlson and Pancakes in Paris, a Southern California Indie Bestseller!

BethFishReads I picked up a copy at BEA 8y
12 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
BookishMarginalia
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Pickpick

Craig Carlson recounts his unstable childhood, his year as an exchange student in France, his young adulthood as a struggling scriptwriter, and the pursuit of his dream to open an American-style diner in Paris. We follow along the ups and downs of owning a business in Paris, where byzantine labor laws wreak havoc on unsuspecting entrepreneurs. Fun, interesting, and charming look behind the scenes of a labor of love. Recommended! #NetGalley

GlitteryOtters I seriously cannot wait to read this, from all the snippets I've been seeing here on Litsy, it looks like it will right up my alley! Thanks for introducing me to it! 8y
Readingrobin One of my top picks from summer. 8y
BookishMarginalia @GlitteryOtters 👍🏼Hope you enjoy it! 8y
100 likes5 stack adds3 comments
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BookishMarginalia
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Loving this behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to start and run an American-style diner in Paris. A fun, light read! In this excerpt, owner Craig loses in court to his first employee, whom Craig had fired for threatening to kill him. Not a grave enough fault to warrant firing, under French labor laws!

Posemn I've never heard of this book but it sounds like it's right up my alley. Thanks! 8y
Cortg Thanks! I've been looking for a food memoir for the hard read challenge, just put it on hold at the library 👍 8y
84 likes5 stack adds2 comments
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BookishMarginalia
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Why I'm digging this memoir: the author's voice 👍🏼🤓 Here he is describing the gang activity in Frenchtown, Connecticut (with nary a French person in residence!).

thesquirrelnextdoor I've got it sitting on my kindle and just haven't gotten to it yet! 8y
MrBook Yeah, not the most apropos name for the town, huh? 😆 8y
87 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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BookishMarginalia
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Dipping into this memoir of life and business in Paris, by the founder of the Breakfast in America diners. (Thanks, #NetGalley!)

102 likes4 stack adds
review
BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Pickpick

Pancakes in Paris is equal parts business, travel, and human drama with a side of all-day breakfast and bottomless coffee. Every step of the journey makes you root for the success of Breakfast in America (BIA), and Carlson himself. Craig has a warm and gently funny writing style that's like you're talking about his life over a couple of burgers.

Longer review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1699498108. Feel free to add me!

BarbaraTheBibliophage Thanks to Craig Carlson, Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. 8y
JacqMac Ooo...This sounds good. 8y
britt_brooke Sounds good. #stacked 8y
See All 7 Comments
LauraBeth Great review 😀 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @JacqMac It was good. Very quick and fun read. 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @britt_brooke One more for the TBR 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @LauraBeth Thanks. I had a lot of fun writing that review! 🍳☕️ 8y
53 likes8 stack adds7 comments
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Librarylady
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Starting this one right before supper is making me super hungry.

BethFishReads Ooohhhh this is sitting on my stack. I'll see what you think 8y
11 likes1 comment
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Started this today and whizzing right through it. Good thing - it releases Thursday and I owe a NetGalley review on it.

Carlson is a former screenwriter and Disney cast member with a lifelong love of Paris. So of course he moves there and opens a diner!

61 likes4 stack adds
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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This week's #TBR. I've started three already and I'm enjoying them all!

KelseyCB Jane Steele is a great book! 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @KelseyCB I'm enjoying it so far! 8y
Suzze I am in the middle of Jane Steele and loving it! 8y
See All 7 Comments
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Suzze I haven't had nearly enough reading time this week, and Jane is due on Saturday. I may have to be late and take it back Monday! 8y
Suzze @BarbaraTheBibliophage I have 70 pages left and it's due in 8 days. I think I'm safe. 😀 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Suzze I have 150 to go! Usually I can get some good reading in on Friday afternoon - I hope tomorrow cooperates. 8y
Suzze @BarbaraTheBibliophage My 70 pages could easily take 2 days since I'm reading 6 books at once. #whydoidothistomyself 8y
84 likes3 stack adds7 comments
review
Readingrobin
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Pickpick

Brought the ARC to work so I am substituting this photo of the Paris of Rhode Island, my current home, Pawtucket. This book was super fun because the author grew up in my home state of Connecticut but found his way to France in college and it drew him back as an adult. Amazing, insightful memoir!

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JessKH
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This is what happens when you're sorting through your BEA haul looking for your next read and trying to decide on breakfast at the same time. Then I opened the book and read the dedication, that was enough for me to make me want to continue reading--after I made some pancakes 😄