Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

 

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 an upcoming read, The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben. The excerpts shared are from a trade paperback in my personal collection.

Beginning:  April 23, 2020

How does she survive?

How does she manage to get through this torment every single day?

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Page 56:  Memory makes demands that you often can't keep. Memory is faulty because it insists on filling in the blanks.

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My thoughts:  I haven't read any of the books in either of Coben's popular long-standing series, mostly because I am already committed to so many other series. Even so, I never miss an opportunity to indulge in one of his stand-alone novels.  They are always imaginative, twisty, and fast-paced.

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From GoodReads:  In the shocking new thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Run Away, a man whose past is shrouded in mystery must find a missing teenage girl before her disappearance brings about disastrous consequences for her community . . . and the world.

The man known as Wilde is a mystery to everyone, including himself. Decades ago, he was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. After the police concluded an exhaustive hunt for the child's family, which was never found, he was turned over to the foster system. 

Now, thirty years later, Wilde still doesn't know where he comes from, and he's back living in the woods on the outskirts of town, content to be an outcast, comfortable only outdoors, preferably alone, and with few deep connections to other people.

When a local girl goes missing, famous TV lawyer Hester Crimstein--with whom Wilde shares a tragic connection--asks him to use his unique skills to help find her. Meanwhile, a group of ex-military security experts arrive in town, and when another teen disappears, the case's impact expands far beyond the borders of the peaceful suburb. Wilde must return to the community where he has never fit in, and where the powerful are protected even when they harbor secrets that could destroy the lives of millions . . . secrets that Wilde must uncover before it's too late.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

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 a book I just finished reading, Run Away by Harlan Coben.  The excerpts shared are from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

  

Beginning:  Chapter One

Simon sat on a bench in Central Park--in Strawberry Fields, to be more precise--and felt his heart shatter.  No one could tell, of course, at least not at first, ot until the punches started flying and two tourists from Finland of all places started screaming while nine other park visitors from a wide variety of countries caught the whole horrible incident on smart-phone video.

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Page 56:  "Stop."  She held up her palm.  "You're embarrassing yourself.  We all know how my client knows Aaron Corval.  Let's pretend you've already lulled Mr. Greene and myself into a state of relaxation with your insightful albeit obvious interrogation techniques.  We are putty in your hand, Detective, so let's cut to it, okay?"

 

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My thoughts:  When their drug-addicted daughter Paige goes missing, the Greenes will stop at nothing to find her.  But their search will uncover deep secrets and desperate actions that, when revealed, will either bring the family closer together or tear them apart.

This latest stand-alone from Harlan Coben is gritty and fast-paced.

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From Goodreads:  A perfect family is shattered in RUN AWAY, the new thriller from the master of domestic suspense, Harlan Coben.

You've lost your daughter.

She's addicted to drugs and to an abusive boyfriend. And she's made it clear that she doesn't want to be found.

Then, by chance, you see her playing guitar in Central Park. But she's not the girl you remember. This woman is living on the edge, frightened, and clearly in trouble.

You don't stop to think. You approach her, beg her to come home.

She runs.

And you do the only thing a parent can do: you follow her into a dark and dangerous world you never knew existed. Before you know it, both your family and your life are on the line. And in order to protect your daughter from the evils of that world, you must face them head on.

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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter with appropriate recognition is appreciated. 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

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 Fool Me Once, the latest book by bestselling author Harlan Coben, which I borrowed from the library.  It's one of his stand-alone novels. 

 

 

 

Chapter 1

 

They buried Joe three days after his murder.  Maya wore black, as befitted a grieving widow.  The sun pounded down with an unflagging fury that reminded her of her months in the desert.  The family pastor spouted the cliches, but Maya wasn't listening.  Her eyes drifted to the schoolyard across the street.

 

Yes, the cemetery overlooked an elementary school.

 

  

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Page 56:  "First thought when Maya woke up: Check out the nanny cam video."

 

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My thoughts:  Coben's stand-alone novels are automatic reads for me.  They hook the reader on the first page and keep you turning pages at a frantic pace.

 

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 From Goodreads:  In the course of eight consecutive #1 New York Times bestsellers, millions of readers have discovered Harlan Coben’s page-turning thrillers, filled with his trademark edge-of-your-seat suspense and gut-wrenching emotion. In Fool Me Once, Coben once again outdoes himself.

Former special ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe—who had been brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband—and herself.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #79

It's Friday . . . time to share excerpts 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:

 

Beginning:  The stranger didn't shatter Adam's world all at once.

 

That was what Adam Price would tell himself later, but that was a lie.  Adam somehow knew right away, right from the very first sentence, that the life he had known as a content suburban married father of two was forever gone.  It was a simple sentence on the face of it, but there was something in the tone, something knowing and even caring, that let Adam know that nothing would ever be the same.                                                                                                                                                             

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Page 56:  "Adam felt like saying that they had bigger problems, but maybe for now, this distraction would be helpful."

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From Goodreads:  The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world.

Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life.

Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them.

 

 

Which book are you reading now or about to start?

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #79 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are encouraged and appreciated.

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #67 and Teaser Tuesdays

 
It's Tuesday . . . time to share book excerpts with: 

• 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.

• Teaser Tuesdays hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, where bloggers post two (2) random “teaser” sentences--no spoilers allowed--from their current reads to try to entice others to seek out these books.

Today I'm featuring the opening paragraphs and a teaser from Missing You  by Harlan Coben.

 

Chapter 1

Kat Donovan spun off her father's old stool, readying to leave O'Malley's Pub, when Stacy said, "You're not going to like what I did."

The tone made Kat stop mid-stride.  "What?"

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Teaser: "'Ever see the movie Chinatown?' he asked.

'Sure.'"  ~ p. 124

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?  

The opening lines make me curious and have me wanting to know more.  I'll definitely be reading on.  I'm new to Harlen Coben's books, having listened to the audio version of Gone For Good, which I enjoyed earlier this year. 

What are you reading now or planning to read soon?

 

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #67 and Teaser Tuesdays was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.