Friday, May 27, 2016

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

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It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:
  • Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
  • The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.
Today I'm featuring Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave, which I got at BEA a few weeks ago.

  Everyone Brave is Forgiven 

PART ONE
 
PRESERVATION
 
War was declared at eleven-fifteen and Mary North signed up at noon.  She did it at lunch, before telegrams came, in case her mother said no.  She left finishing school unfinished.  Skiing down from Mont-Choisi, she ditched her equipment at the foot of the slope and telegraphed the War Office from Lausanne.  Nineteen hours later she reached St. Pancras, in clouds of steam, still wearing her alpine sweater.  The train's whistle screamed.  London, then.  It was a city in love with beginnings.
 
***************
Page 56:  "No one joked now, or swore, or passed whisky.  Now each man alone in his sodden clothes weighed the warmth of the things he had gained against the cost of them, and since the price had been paid by all of the acting together, it was best if they all sat alone."
 
***************
My thoughts:  This is one of the books I was hoping to come away with from BEA this year. In addition to getting a signed copy, I had a chance to hear the author speak about his grandparents, who were the inspiration for the novel.  They lived through World War II, and, in recent years Cleave's grandfather broke his silence about his war memories, sharing them with the author.  Cleave noted in his BEA remarks how everyone was affected by the war.  His sentiments rang true for me, as my mother and grandparents spent the war years living just outside of London, and their lives were forever changed by the experience.

****************

From Goodreads:  From the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Little Bee, a spellbinding novel about three unforgettable individuals thrown together by war, love, and their search for belonging in the ever-changing landscape of WWII London.

It’s 1939 and Mary, a young socialite, is determined to shock her blueblood political family by volunteering for the war effort. She is assigned as a teacher to children who were evacuated from London and have been rejected by the countryside because they are infirm, mentally disabled, or—like Mary’s favorite student, Zachary—have colored skin.

Tom, an education administrator, is distraught when his best friend, Alastair, enlists. Alastair, an art restorer, has always seemed far removed from the violent life to which he has now condemned himself. But Tom finds distraction in Mary, first as her employer and then as their relationship quickly develops in the emotionally charged times. When Mary meets Alastair, the three are drawn into a tragic love triangle and—while war escalates and bombs begin falling around them—further into a new world unlike any they’ve ever known.

A sweeping epic with the kind of unforgettable characters, cultural insights, and indelible scenes that made
Little Bee so incredible, Chris Cleave’s latest novel explores the disenfranchised, the bereaved, the elite, the embattled. Everyone Brave Is Forgiven is a heartbreakingly beautiful story of love, loss, and incredible courage.

Which book are you reading now or about to start?



Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are appreciated.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

First Paragraph ~ First Chapter

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . .

                                                      

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald, which I got at Library Journal's Day of Dialog 2016, an all-day event that took place on the first day of BEA.


The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend 

Books 1 - Life O

The strange woman standing on Hope's main street was so ordinary it was almost scandalous.  A thin, plain figure dressed in an autumn coat much too gray and warm for the time of year, a backpack lying on the ground by her feet, an enormous suitcase resting against one of her legs.  Those who happened to witness her arrival couldn't help feeling it was inconsiderate for someone to care so little about their appearance.  As though this woman was not the slightest bit interested in making a good impression on them.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?     
The author appeared on a Day of Dialog panel along with the book's editorial director, senior publicity manager, and marketing manager.  Katarina was absolutely delightful as she shared her experience of writing the book, which was initially published overseas.  Her warmth, humor, and humility engaged the audience, as she explained the intricacies of how a Swedish woman came to write a book set in Iowa, a place she hadn't visited before the book was published.  Shana Drehs, the editorial director for Sourcebooks Landmark, who actually is from Iowa, added insight into the subtle changes that were made to editions published in different countries, including why cowboy hats were omitted from a scene in the U.S. edition to render it more authentic for American readers.

This novel has been charming U.S. readers with its small-town setting since its publication in January, and I am eager to dive into it.


First Chapter ~ First Paragraph was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are appreciated.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

First Paragraph ~ First Chapter

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . .

                                                      

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring my current read, The Lake House by Kate Morton, which I am reading for an upcoming book club meeting.

The Lake House 

 1
CORNWALL, AUGUST 1933

The rain was heavy now and the hem of her dress was splattered with mud. She’d have to hide it afterwards; no one could know that she’d been out.

Clouds covered the moon, a stroke of luck she didn’t deserve, and she made her way through the thick, black night as quickly as she could. She’d come earlier to dig the hole, but only now, under veil of darkness, would she finish the job. Rain stippled the surface of the trout stream, drummed relentlessly on the earth beside it. Something bolted through the bracken nearby, but she didn’t flinch, didn’t stop. She’d been in and out of the woods all her life and knew the way by heart.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?   
 
 At nearly 200 pages into this atmospheric read I am enjoying the weaving of different time frames and English locations.  Morton, whom I have read before, weaves a fine mysterious tale.


First Chapter ~ First Paragraph was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are appreciated.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Book Expo 2016

I'm off to the Windy City to attend the event I affectionately call Book Heaven . . .

Image result for bea 2016 

I'll check in with you all when I return.


 

Friday, May 6, 2016

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

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It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:
  • Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
  • The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.
Today I'm featuring One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner, which I borrowed from the library.  
 
One Moment, One Morning 
 
Monday
07:58
 
Lou is pretending to be asleep, but out of the corner of her eye she is watching the woman opposite put on her make-up.  She always finds it fascinating, watching other women do this, constructing themselves, on the train.  Lou never wears make-up, really, other than for very special occasions, and although she can understand it saves time, she finds it odd -- choosing to make the transformation from private to public persona whilst commuting.  It takes away the mystery, covering the blemishes, thickening the lashes, widening the eyes, plumping the cheeks, surrounded by people.  And on the seven forty-four to Victoria, Lou is surrounded by people:  most of them silent; many of them asleep, or at least dozing; some of them reading, and a few, a minority, chatting. 
 
  
***************
 
Page 56:  "The hospital is a maze of corridors and wards, annexes and Portakabins, and neither Karen nor Anna is in the right frame of mind to work out the signs."
 
***************
 
My thoughts:  The opening paragraph is very familiar to anyone who travels regularly to a job by public transportation.  Yet, in this case, what starts out as an ordinary morning train commute changes the lives of three women and their families.
 
****************
 
 From Goodreads: The Brighton to London line. The 07:44 train. Carriages packed with commuters. A woman applies her make-up. Another occupies her time observing the people around her. A husband and wife share an affectionate gesture. Further along, a woman flicks through a glossy magazine. Then, abruptly, everything changes: a man has a heart attack, and can't be resuscitated; the train is stopped, an ambulance called. For at least three passengers on the 07:44 on that particular morning, life will never be the same again. Lou witnesses the man's final moments. Anna and Lou share a cab when they realise the train is going nowhere fast. Anna is Karen's best friend. And Karen? Karen's husband is the man who dies. Telling the story of the week following that fateful train journey, One Moment, One Morning is a stunning novel about love and loss, about family and - above all - friendship. A stark reminder that, sometimes, one moment is all it takes, it also reminds us that somehow, and despite everything, life can and does go on.
 
 
 
Which book are you reading now or about to start?


Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are appreciated.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday: Don't You Cry

    

 
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about forthcoming books with other readers.  Today I'm featuring Don't You Cry, the new psychological thriller from Mary Kubica.

 Don't You Cry 
Publisher:  Mira
Publication Date:  May 17, 2016


 Frombarnesandnoble.com:  New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and Pretty Baby, Mary Kubica returns with an electrifying and addictive tale of deceit and obsession.

In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she's the person Quinn thought she knew.

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under the stranger's spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end.



Which book are you waiting for?
...Will you add this one to your list of must-reads?


Waiting on Wednesday: Don't You Cry was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.  (Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are appreciated.)

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

First Paragraph ~ First Chapter

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . .

                                                      

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring my current read, By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates, which I borrowed from the library.  It's the first book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series.

By Book or By Crook (Lighthouse Library Mystery #1) 

Chapter One

Only in the very back of my mind, in my most secret dreams, did I ever dare hope I'd have such a moment.

Too bad it was being ruined by the cacophony of false compliments and long-held grievances going on behind me.

The party was a private affair, a viewing of the new collection for staff and board members of the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, as well as local dignitaries and community supporters, before the official opening tomorrow.  We were celebrating the arrival of a complete set of Jane Austen first editions, on loan for three months.

Jane Austen.  My literary idol.  So close.


What do you think?  Would you continue reading?   
It has taken me longer than anticipated to start this series.  I didn't realize quite how long until I learned that the third book was recently released.  I'm glad to be reading it now, and am enjoying the setting (an Outer Banks library within a lighthouse) and quirky characters.  The series is off to a good start, with an intrepid group of librarians caught up in a murder investigation and book theft. 


First Chapter ~ First Paragraph was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are appreciated.