First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #136

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 a book club read, My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem, which I borrowed from the library.

 

Goodreads Page 

PRELUDE

I board a plane for Rapid City, South Dakota, and see a lot of people in black leather, chains, and tattoos.  Airline passengers usually look like where they're going--business suits to Washington, D.C., jeans to L.A.--but I can't imagine a convention of such unconventional visitors in Rapid City.  It's the kind of town where people still angle-park their cars in front of the movie palace.  My bearded seatmate is asleep in his studded jacket and nose ring, so I just accept one more mystery of the road.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

After reading this first paragraph, I want to know more about this particular encounter and more about the life experiences of the iconic Gloria Steinem.  This memoir is sure to spark lively book club discussion.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #136 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #111

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 the opening from a book I'm reading, which I borrowed from the library . . .

  

Goodreads Page

Introduction

Wrong Is Right

I've always loved independent women, outspoken women, eccentric women, funny women, flawed women.  When someone says about a woman, "I'm sorry, that's just wrong," I tend to think she must be doing something right.  Take Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor in chief of Vogue.  Vreeland was many things, but a classic beauty wasn't one of them.  Her mother called her "my ugly little monster."  Guess what?  That didn't get in her way.  Vreeland paraded around with a head of glossy pitch-black hair until the day she died, at age eight-five.  She defied every rule of aging gracefully.  She thrived in the big-time world of Beauty, yet was not enslaved by it.  Diana conjured a world where "you've gotta have style.  It helps you get down the stairs.  It helps you get up in the morning.  It's a way of life.  Without it you're nobody."

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

I've always admired Diane Keaton for her unique style and presence.  I've read a few chapters, and I am enjoying her insights and outlook on beauty, life, and getting older.

 

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #111 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #107

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 the opening from a book I borrowed from the library . . .

 

Goodreads Page

Alone among Others

When I walk into a bookstore, any bookstore, first thing in the morning, I'm flooded with a sense of hushed excitement.  I shouldn't feel this way.  I've spent most of my adult life working in bookstores, either as a bookseller or a publisher's sales rep, and even though I no longer work in the business, as an incurable reader I find myself in a bookstore at least five times a week.  Shouldn't I be blase about it all by now?  In the quiet of such a morning, however, the store's displays stacked squarely and its shelves tidy and promising, I know that this is no mere shop.  When a bookstore opens its doors, the rest of the world enters, too, the day's weather and the day's news, the streams of customers, and of course the boxes of books and the many other worlds they contain--books of facts and truths, books newly written and those first read centuries before, books of great relevance and of absolute banality.  Standing in the middle of this confluence, I can't help but feel the possibility of the universe unfolding a little, once upon a time.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

While the first paragraph is quite lengthy, it's hard not to ramble on about one's love of bookstores.  I find myself nodding along as I turn the pages of this memoir.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #107 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #105

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 the opening from a book I recently borrowed from the library, that I read last week in advance of attending a literary brunch where the author was the featured speaker. . . .

 

Goodreads Page

Fall

1

The Search for a Wild Weed

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)

I am walking along a secluded, wooded path in a park in Brooklyn--my favorite place to forage for wild edibles in the city.  My backpack is filled with plastic bags, a worn field edition of Euell Gibbons's Stalking the Wild Asparagus, and a box cutter that doubles as a knife.  The wood mulch and dirt are damp beneath my sneakers as I make the slow climb up toward my destination.  Down below, cyclists and joggers are making their way along the road that loops through the park, and I can hear the resounding clomp of a horse along the bridle path.  In the height of early autumn, everything below is obscured by a rich tangle of leaves just starting to turn reddish gold in the morning light.  A dog barks in the meadow.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The descriptive opening paragraph draws the reader into an exciting adventure . . . one that will have you looking at weeds with a whole new appreciation.

At turns humorous and touching, this memoir is about much more than discovering edible plants in the unlikeliest of places.  Ms. Chin takes readers on a journey through major events in her life, as she navigates personal and family relationships in her quest for love and meaning in an urban environment.  Beyond recipes and valuable information about local flora and fauna, it is a refreshingly candid, honest, and poignant account of an independent woman's path to self-discovery.  I highly recommend this delightful book to individuals and book clubs alike.

For more information, photos, and a visual companion to the book, visit the author's website: avachin.com

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #105 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #47

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros is a weekly meme hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea. It's an opportunity to share the first paragraph(s) of a book I am currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring the opening paragraph from My Beloved World by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, which I borrowed from the library.

   

My Beloved World 

Prologue

I was barely awake, and my mother was already screaming.  I knew Papi would start yelling in a second.  That much was routine, but the substance of their argument was new, and it etched that morning in my memory.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

I don't read many nonfiction titles, but I am looking forward to starting this one for a book club meeting next month.  Justice Sotomayor is a role model and inspiration, who I am interested in knowing more about.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #47 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #35

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros is a weekly meme hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea. It's an opportunity to share the first paragraph(s) of a book I am currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

This week I'm featuring the opening paragraph from Blue Plate Special: An Autobiography of My Appetites by Kate Christensen, which I recently borrowed in electronic format from the New York Public Library.

   

Blue Plate Special

Prologue

~ Often, whenever I come up against anything painful or difficult, my mind escapes to food.  I am sure I am far from alone in this.  Even if I'm too upset to eat, just the thought of a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup is warm and cozy and savory and comforting.  Unlike memories, emotions, experiences, food is an irrefutable fact, a bit of physical nourishment, and when it's gone, it's gone.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?  Mmmm...grilled cheese and tomato soup.  A comforting thought and taste, especially with the hint of fall in the air here in New York.  We all have food associations, many of them emotional.  Described as a mouthwatering literary memoir, I have just begun reading Christensen's thoughts on food and how it relates to her life, mindful of my own relationship with food.

Catherine
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First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #35 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.
 

Sunday's Weekly Book Recap #21--BEA 2013 Edition

Welcome to my BEA 2013 edition of Sunday's Weekly Book Recap, which I am sharing on the following blogs:
    hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
   hosted by the team at Tynga's Reviews
   hosted by Vicky at  Books, Biscuits, and Tea  

   BOOKS and ARCs I acquired at BEA 2013
 

From Random House (Imprints: Random House, Crown Publishing, Knopf Doubleday)

                               
                 

Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld, The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan,A Cold and Lonely Place by Sara J. Henry; Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas, The Map of Lost Memories by Kim Fay

 

From HarperCollins (Imprints: Harper, HarperCollins, Avon Books, William Morrow)

              

                                                         
                                               

Row 1: We are Water by Wally Lamb, 15 Seconds by Andrew Gross, As You Wish by Eloisa James, Row 2: Shadowkiller by Wendy Corsi Staub, The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle, The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman, Row 3: And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman

From Simon & Schuster (Imprints: Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, Touchstone, Gallery Books, Scribner, Simon Pulse)

    
Seduction by M.J. Rose, The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau, Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen, A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett, Unremarried Widow by Artis Henderson, My Notorious Life by Kate Manning, Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young
 

From Penguin Group (Imprints: Viking Press,Pamela Dorman, Penguin, Gotham, Riverhead, Sentinel, Dutton, Plume, Berkley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Blue Rider, Razor Bill)
      

          
         

Row 1: W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton, Morning Glory and The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio, Blowback by Valerie Plame and Sarah Lovett, Row 2: Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston, All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry, Never Come Back by David Bell, The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, Row 3: Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves, Traveling Sprinkler by Nicholson Baker, Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman, Sylo by D.J. MacHale, Row 4: The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
 

From Hachette Book Group (Imprint: Grand Central Publishing; Little, Brown) 
     

     
               
                 
Row 1: That Part Was True by Deborah McKinlay; Last Chance Book Club by Hope Ramsay, Somerset by Leila Meacham, Identical by Scott Turow, Row 2: The Apartment by Greg Baxter, You Should Have Known (no image available) by Jean Hanff Korelitz, author of Admission, Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand, Haven Creek by Rochelle Alers, Row 3: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, Unbreakable by Kami Garcia, Friendship Makes the Heart Grow Fonder by Lisa Verge Higgins, Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
 

From Harlequin (Imprints: Harlequin, Mira)

 

 

 

                           
Row 1: Ink by Amanda Sun, The Returned by Jason Mott, Currant Creek Valley by RaeAnne Thayne, The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa, Row 2: A Brother's Honor by Brenda Jackson, Beauty's Beast by Jenna Kernan, The Look of Love by Bella Andre, The Best Man by Kristan Higgins, Row 3: Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery, Teatime for the Firefly by Shona Patel, The Wanderer by Robyn Carr, Waking Up To You/Overexposed by Leslie Kelly, Row 4: I'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan, Tear You Apart by Megan Hart 
 

From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

              
                                      

The View from Penthouse B and I Can't Complain: (All Too) Personal Essays by Elinor Lipman, Death of the Black-Haired Girl by Robert Stone, Want Not (image not available) by Jonathan Miles, author of Dear American Airlines

From Hyperion
  Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

From Algonquin/Workman
        
Survival Lessons by Alice Hoffman, The Explanation for Everything by Lauren Grodstein, You're Only Human: A Survival Guide for Modern Civilization by The Gecko 

From Bloomsbury USA
                          

Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward; The Residue Years by Mitchell S. Jackson

From Candlewick Press
            

The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo, The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas by David Almond

From Clarkson Potter
   Provence, 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard and the Reinvention of American Taste by Luke Barr
 

From Grove/Atlantic

    Just What Kind of Mother Are You? by Paula Daly

                   

From Picador

   Havisham by Ronald Frame 
 

From St. Martin's Press

               

Accused by Lisa Scottoline, How to be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman, Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
 

From Scholastic 

                         
Awaken by Meg Cabot; The Last Present by Wendy Mass

From Soho Crime/Soho Press

         

Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis, A Blind Goddess by James R. Benn, A Beautiful Truth by Colin McAdam, What We Lost in the Dark by Jacquelyn Mitchard
 

From Spiegel & Grau

  The Lullaby of Polish Girls by Dagmara Dominczyk
 

From Tor/Forge

                           

The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan; The Incrementalists by Steven Brust and Skyler White

From Amazon Publishing
    Changing Lanes by Kathleen Long 

From Beaver's Pond Press

    Capitol Hell by Jayne J. Jones and Alicia M. Long

From Flux
  The Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr 

 From Gallic

    The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain

From Midnight Ink
                       
As She Left It and Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for a Murder by Catriona McPherson

From Montlake Romance
                       
Take Me Home by Nancy Herkness; Sweet Tea and Secrets by Nancy Naigle 

From Open Road Integrated Media

    Love Rehab: A Novel in Twelve Steps by Jo Piazza

From Orbit
                         
The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence; Charming by Elliott James 
 

From Other Press

                            

The Professor of Truth by James Robertson, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats and A Well-Tempered Heart by Jan-Philipp Sendker

From Skyscape

                                       

Left Drowning by Jessica Park; Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan
 

From Sourcebooks/Landmark

                  

Lies You Wanted to Hear by James Whitfield Thomson, Paris My Sweet by Amy Thomas, The One-Way Bridge by Cathie Pelletier

From Sweetwater Books/Cedar Fort

   Miss Grimsley's Oxford Career by Carla Kelly

From Tom Doherty

    The Sixth Station by Linda Stasi

From Torrey House Press

                              

The Legend's Daughter, Stories by David Kranes; Recapture & Other Stories by Erica Olsen
 

From Self Publishers

                 

Zinfandelity by Tracey Sorel, On a Night Like This by Barbara Freethy, Dirty Little Secrets by Liliana Hart

Here are links to the books and ARCs I received at other BEA events:

Library Journal Day of Dialog 2013

Author Breakfast and Librarian Lunch

Many, many thanks to all of the publishers and their staffs who participated in BEA 2013!

Which books did you get this week?
   

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Sunday's Weekly Book Recap #21--BEA 2013 Edition was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.