WWW Wednesday

It's time for WWW Wednesdays hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words 

   

This mid-weekly meme consists of answering The Three Ws:

What are you currently reading?

 What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I'm reading . . .

The story is a first-rate thriller that keeps your attention as you learn more about the main characters and a terrible incident that plays out over the course of a weekend in an isolated house deep in the woods.  More from Goodreads.

I finished reading . . .

 

This first book in a new mystery series has writer Rachel Goldman racing against the clock to catch a serial killer, who has kidnapped and murdered other mystery writers, before she becomes the next victim.  She is assisted in her quest by a mysterious investigator who claims to be the main character in her mystery series.  The unusual elements of the story guarantee an interesting sequel.  More from Goodreads.

I'm reading next . . . 

Next up in the reading queue is this story of travel, friendship, and love.  More from Goodreads.

I'm waiting for . . . 

Publisher:  Flatiron Books

Publication Date:  October 4, 2016

From barnesandnoble.com:  To four girls who have nothing, their friendship is everything: they are each other’s confidants, teachers, and family. The girls are all named Guinevere—Vere, Gwen, Ginny, and Win—and it is the surprise of finding another Guinevere in their midst that first brings them together. They come to The Sisters of the Supreme Adoration convent by different paths, delivered by their families, each with her own complicated, heartbreaking story that she safeguards. Gwen is all Hollywood glamour and swagger; Ginny is a budding artiste with a sentiment to match; Win’s tough bravado isn’t even skin deep; and Vere is the only one who seems to be a believer, trying to hold onto her faith that her mother will one day return for her. However, the girls are more than the sum of their parts and together they form the all powerful and confident The Guineveres, bound by the extraordinary coincidence of their names and girded against the indignities of their plain, sequestered lives.

The nuns who raise them teach the Guineveres that faith is about waiting: waiting for the mail, for weekly wash day, for a miracle, or for the day they turn eighteen and are allowed to leave the convent. But the Guineveres grow tired of waiting. And so when four comatose soldiers from the War looming outside arrive at the convent, the girls realize that these men may hold their ticket out.

In prose shot through with beauty, Sarah Domet weaves together the Guineveres’ past, present, and future, as well as the stories of the female saints they were raised on, to capture the wonder and tumult of girlhood and the magical thinking of young women as they cross over to adulthood.

What are your Wednesday updates?

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

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

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 In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware, which I received at a publisher's event.  

 

  

Goodreads Page

 

I am running.

 

I am running through moonlit woods, with branches ripping at my clothes and my feet catching in the snow-bowed bracken.

 

Brambles slash at my hands.  My breath tears in my throat.  It hurts.  Everything hurts.

 

 

 

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

This book has been on my radar--and in my bookcase--for quite some time.  I have finally gotten to it, and I am totally in its grip.  It's a first-rate thriller that keeps your interest as you learn more about the main characters and a terrible incident that plays out over the course of a weekend in an isolated house in the woods.

This post was originally written and published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are 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 The Traveling Tea Shop by Belinda Jones.  The excerpts shared are from an E-book I borrowed from the library. 

 

 

 

Beginning:  Chapter 1

I look up at my clock.  1:30 P.M.  My stomach flips like a pancake.  Or should I say PamCake?

 

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56% (appoximately):  "In she goes with an ungainly splosh, so disoriented by the sudden switch from dry land to bog that she lurches forward and goes under, all bar the hand holding her phone, which remains sticking up like a periscope.

 

God, I wish I had that on video."

 

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

 

My thoughts:  This is my first Belinda Jones novel, and  I will be starting it this weekend.  Flipping through the pages, I was surprised to see a Letter to the Reader from the author (below) and a map of The Traveling Tea Shop Tour.  These are such nice touches that welcome the reader and give a "taste" of what is to come.  They definitely heighten my anticipation for the story.

 

Dearest Reader,

 

What an utterly yummy experience it was writing this book for you--because of you I got to sample an abundance of sweet treats and call it work!

     My first experience of The Wonder of Cake was eagerly waiting for my mum to let me lick the mixture from the bowl as a kiddywink, so it seemed appropriate that I set out on the research trip with her.  The only snag is that she really doesn't have a sweet tooth, so as I would be marveling at all the exquisite fondant-swirled delights on offer, she would be ordering a bowl of carrot soup.  (Though I have to say, she did succumb to the Boston Cream Pie!)

     Of course, there's more to The Traveling Tea Shop than cake!  With four leading ladies, there is an abundance of emotions to explore, as well as the idyllic setting of New England.  I knew it would be leafy and picturesque but I was amazed how different each state was, though it was the littlest--Rhode Island--that captured my heart.  That said, I look forward to hearing where you would most like to have afternoon tea!

     In the meantime, cozy up with a cuppa and a cupcake--you are welcome to leave little smudges of frosting on the pages as you turn them!

 

Your author,

Belinda xx

 

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

 From Goodreads:  A delectable tale of friendship, love and cake for fans of Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella...

 

Laurie loves a challenge. Especially if it involves anything beautiful, baked and frosted. The brief is simple: With three other women, Laurie will board a London bus - kitted out as an English tea shop - on a deliciously different road trip of the USA.

Their mission: To bring home-grown classics like Battenberg, Victoria sponge and scones to the land of cupcakes, whoopie pies and gold-leafed chocolate sundaes.

And to show them how a real cup of tea is made. All of the women have their own secrets and heartaches to heal. As well as a grand appreciation of cupcakes, there's also the chance for romance...

But will making whoopee lead to love?

All aboard for: New York - Connecticut - Rhode Island - Massachusetts - Maine - New Hampshire - Vermont

 

 

 

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.

 

  

 

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 Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, a debut thriller.

Goodreads Page 

PRESENT

The champagne bottle knocks against the marble kitchen counter, making me jump.  I glance at Jack, hoping he won't have noticed how nervous I am.  He catches me looking and smiles.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

Initially I want to know why the narrator is so nervous.  As I read on, I begin to understand.  This un-put-downable psychological thriller is totally engrossing, compelling me to turn the pages at breakneck speed.

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.

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 All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker.  The excerpts shared are from the hardcover I borrowed from the library.  As an added thrill, I'm also listening to the audio version while driving about.

Beginning:  Chapter One

He followed her through the woods behind the house.  The ground there was littered with winter debris, dead leaves and twigs that had fallen over the past six months and decayed beneath a blanket of snow.  She may have heard him approach.  She may have turned and seen him wearing the black wool mask whose fibers were found beneath her nails.  

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

Page 56:  "Jenny did survive.  And that is where I come in."

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

My thoughts:  The opening is quite graphic and disturbing, but after seeing this book all over the blogosphere, I am interested in knowing more.  I'm about half way through, and am engrossed in the characters and how the assault has affected their behavior and relationships.

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

From Goodreads:  In the small, affluent town of Fairview, Connecticut everything seems picture perfect.

Until one night when young Jenny Kramer is attacked at a local party. In the hours immediately after, she is given a controversial drug to medically erase her memory of the violent assault. But, in the weeks and months that follow, as she heals from her physical wounds, and with no factual recall of the attack, Jenny struggles with her raging emotional memory. Her father, Tom, becomes obsessed with his inability to find her attacker and seek justice while her mother, Charlotte, prefers to pretend this horrific event did not touch her perfect country club world.

As they seek help for their daughter, the fault lines within their marriage and their close-knit community emerge from the shadows where they have been hidden for years, and the relentless quest to find the monster who invaded their town - or perhaps lives among them - drive this psychological thriller to a shocking and unexpected conclusion.

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.

WWW Wednesday

It's time for WWW Wednesdays hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words 

   

This mid-weekly meme consists of answering The Three Ws:

What are you currently reading?

 What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

I'm reading . . .

I'm only a few chapters in, but it has me hooked.  The story opens with a mystery writer being contacted by a man who has the same name and profession as the protagonist of the series she's been writing.  I'm curious to see how the plot will unfold.  And it's the start of a new series . . .more from Goodreads.

I finished reading . . .

This murder mystery set in a village on an English marsh has no shortage of suspects, and the many twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end.  More from Goodreads.

I'm reading next . . .

Next up in the reading queue is this psychological thriller.  More from Goodreads.

I'm waiting for . . .

Publisher:  Gallery Books

Publication Date:  October 4, 2016

From barnesandnoble.com:  In the bestselling tradition of A Man Called Ove and the beloved film Love Actually, a quirky, socially awkward man goes on a quest to find his wife a last-minute Christmas gift and encounters several distractions—including bumping into his ex-girlfriend who was the one who got away.

Henry Quantum has several thoughts going through his head at any given time, so it’s no surprise when he forgets something very important—specifically, a Christmas gift for his wife, which he realizes on the morning of December 23. Henry sets off that day in search of the perfect present for her: a bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume. But much like Henry’s ever-wandering mind, his quest takes him in different and unexpected directions, including running into the former love of his life, Daisy. His wife, meanwhile, unhappy in her marriage, is hiding a secret of her own. And Daisy, who has made the unsettling choice of leaving her husband to strike out on her own, finds herself questioning whether she and Henry belong together after all.

A sweet, funny, and touching debut from author Pepper Harding shows how the seemingly insignificant events of one single day can change our lives forever—perhaps, if we’re lucky, for the better.

What are your Wednesday updates?

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