Friday Focus: The Friday 56 and 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 recent read, The Power Couple by Alex Berenson. The excerpts shared are from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

 

Beginning: Prologue

Marriage is a mirror.

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Page 56:  He twisted forward to look at her face. He was enjoying himself, she saw. He wanted to feel her fear.

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My thoughts:  On a family vacation to Barcelona with their teenage children, Rebecca and Brian Unsworth discover just how deep the fault lines of their marriage are when their daughter Kira disappears without a trace. The couple present a united front as they work together toward obtaining Kira's release from unknown abductors, but each harbors untold secrets that threaten Kira's safety, the status of their marriage, and their careers.

This fast-paced novel is chilling and breathtaking as ambition and personal agendas play out. What are Rebecca and Brian willing to sacrifice for the safe return of their daughter...and how will their actions and decisions affect their marriage and family?

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From GoodReads: From #1 New York Times bestselling author and Edgar Award winner Alex Berenson comes a supercharged thriller about marriage and the dangerous secrets spouses keep.

Rebecca and Brian Unsworth appear to have it all. A nice house in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Two well-behaved, healthy teenage children. Important government jobs—Rebecca working in counterterrorism for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Brian serving as a coder for the National Security Agency. Their lives stand to improve even more as Brian, in his off-hours, has just developed and sold a highly profitable app.

However, the Unsworths’ marriage isn’t as perfect as it seems. After two decades together, they’ve drifted apart, talking little and having sex even less. Seeking to revive their strained relationship, they decide for their twentieth wedding anniversary to take their two kids, Kira and Tony, on a European getaway.

They have a blast…until one night in Barcelona when Kira doesn’t come home from a dance club. She’s gone. Abducted. Over the course of a single weekend, the Unsworths will do everything possible to find her—as Kira herself discovers just how far she’ll go to break free of the trap that’s been set for her. And even as Rebecca and Brian come together for Kira, they realize their marriage is more tenuous than they realized.

The Power Couple is both a fast-paced, globe-trotting espionage novel full of surprising twists and a nuanced look at modern marriage—the challenges of balancing career, parenthood, sex, and love. 

 

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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. 

© 2021 Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post has been stolen and was used without permission.  

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 and 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, Heads You Win, a political thriller by Jeffrey Archer.

Beginning:  Book One
Chapter 1 -- Alexander
Leningrad, 1968

"What are you going to do when you leave school? asked Alexander.

"I'm hoping to join the KGB," Vladimir replied, "but they won't even consider me if I don't get a place at the state university.  How about you?"

"I intend to be the first democratically elected president of Russia," said Alexander, laughing.

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Page 56:  "We certainly can't risk that.  Have any of the passengers shown the slightest interest in our plight?"

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My thoughts:   No one writes political thrillers like Jeffrey Archer, and the opening scene really intrigues me.

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From Goodreads:  Leningrad, Russia, 1968.

Alexander Karpenko is no ordinary child, and from an early age, it is clear he is destined to lead his countrymen. But when his father is assassinated by the KGB for defying the state, he and his mother will have to escape from Russia if they hope to survive. At the docks, they are confronted with an irreversible choice: should they board a container ship bound for America, or Great Britain? Alexander leaves that choice to the toss of a coin . . .

In a single moment, a double twist decides Alexander's future. During an epic tale of fate and fortune, spanning two continents and thirty years, we follow his triumphs and defeats as he struggles as an immigrant to conquer his new world. As this unique story unfolds, Alexander comes to realize where his destiny lies, and accepts that he must face the past he left behind in Russia.

With a final twist that will shock even his most ardent fans, this is #1 New York Times bestseller Jeffrey Archer's most ambitious and creative work since Kane & Abel. 

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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.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

                                                      

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, 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 President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson.  The excerpt shared is from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

 

Thursday, May 10

Chapter 1

The House Select Committee will come to order . . .

The sharks are circling, their nostrils twitching at the scent of blood.  Thirteen of them, to be exact, eight from the opposition party and five from mine, sharks against whom I've been preparing defenses with lawyers and advisers.  I've leaned the hard way that no matter how prepared you are, there are few defenses that work against predators.  At some point, there's nothing you can do but jump in and fight back.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

The opening paragraphs give a realistic idea of what it's like to be in politics in current times.  It's been a while since I read a James Patterson book, and I'm drawn to this one because it combines Patterson's fast-paced plot with Clinton's political insider knowledge.  

This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing of this original post on Google+ are appreciated.