First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
Grab your current read(s).
Share the first line(s).
Include the title and author.
"I had never noticed Lucas before that night. It was as though he didn't exist, and then suddenly, he was everywhere."
"A fixed appointment for the immediate future is the gates of hell, the actual evening is hell itself." ~ pg. 12
Two brothers and their wives meet at a fancy restaurant. What appears to be a friendly dinner amongst relatives is really a life-threatening meeting to discuss fate. The Dinner is a gripping tale that unfolds in the viewpoint of one narrator, the father of a fifteen-year-old boy who was involved in a horrific act that has triggered a police investigation, jeopardized a political campaign, and shattered trust within a family.
Think about your first visit to a fancy restaurant. You dress up nice. Show up early to your reservation. The ambiance is set. You browse the menu (that you secretly looked up online earlier). You place your order. "The crayfish dressed in a vinaigrette of tarragon and baby green onions." ~ pg. 37 "The lamb's neck sweetbread marinated in Sardinian olive oil." ~ pg. 42 "Warm goat's cheese with pine nuts and walnut shavings." ~ pg. 42 Fast forward to when your food arrives at the table. It is presented in a grand way. You look down at the garnished plate...and see more white space than food. At best, there are four bites. But you smile and eat it slowly. Savoring each small mouthful. Dessert is the same—all about the presentation and not size. You leave the fancy schmancy restaurant with a lighter wallet but still hungry. So you stop at a fast food joint on the way home. -__- This is how I feel about The Dinner. The story moves along like the courses of a well-prepared meal: Aperitif, Appetizer, Main Course, Dessert, Digestif. But it was like the fancy restaurant experience that I described above. All hype, then a let down. Sure, the book was a page-turner but only because I kept reading hoping to reach the good part. Hoping the long-winded narrator would get on with the story already! Hoping I will understand why The Wall Street Journal called it the "European Gone Girl." Waiting for the dark suspense to lead somewhere. Anxious to see where the clues led. I read the last word in the book and thought, "That's it? Oh." Yet The Dinner left me with a good lasting impression. But maybe that was the author's intent. Maybe Koch's goal was for readers to ask themselves what would they do in this situation. How far would you go to protect your child? It certainly left me with a final thought—the characters' actions were justified
in their individual plans to protect family at any, and all, costs. So in this regard, The Dinner will spark a discussion for book clubs, reading groups, and of course dinner parties. Check out the trailer below:
Title: The Dinner Author: Herman Koch Published: February 2013 Pages: 239 Edition: eBook Rating: ♥♥♥♡
"Selective acknowledgment
has a partner skill known as hyper awareness. I can hear someone open a
bag of chips through seven solid brick walls in the middle of a
thunderstorm while sleeping. Please hold your applause."~ pg. 11 The Honest Toddler: A Child's Guide to Parenting is an Internet sensation created by the oh-so-clever Bunmi Laditan and based on her youngest child—who is "this many" years old, not potty trained, not trying. There is no other parenting guide like this one. Topics include how to handle tantrums, a food shopping guide, bedtime/nap tips, car etiquette, discipline and more. There's even homework assignments to practice new techniques learned from this unique manual. When I tell you I burst out loud laughing hysterically, it is not an exaggeration. I picked up a few tips about toddlers. For example, temper tantrums should be referred to as loud outbursts. And instead of pulling your toddler up by one arm in the middle of the mall, simply pick your child up and abandon errands for the rest of the day. Also, there is no point insisting on inside voices; outside voices win. WARNING: If read in public, be prepared to explain why you are LOL. It happened to me twice while reading! I simply told the people side-eyeing me to read The Honest Toddler to understand why I am so tickled. I am not a parent and still enjoyed this book. It is a funny good read for everyone. New parents will appreciate learning how their toddlers think. Seasoned parents will find it quite entertaining and relatable. And child-less people like me will laugh uncontrollably because we don't deal with toddlers on a daily basis so find the sassy narrator's sarcasm hilarious. I am now including a copy of The Honest Toddler in every baby shower gift. Friends and family, thank me later. The rest of you need to download or purchase a copy. Let the advice within the 200+ pages sink in. I promise you will chuckle and be entertained by the anecdotes. Don't forget to follow The Honest Toddler on Twitter and Facebook. And to the author, Bunmi Laditan, I hope your dream of hiring a full-time au pair comes true really soon. But not so soon that you stop sharing tales of your sassy toddler. Now excuse me while I review my notes on toddler entertainment. I learned a new approach for when my niece, Taylor Tot, wants to watch Max and Ruby, Doc McStuffins and Caillou in a continuous loop. DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
The UK is my hometown glory but I live in the US. The US vs. UK bookish meme compares book covers published in the two countries.
US
UK
Audio
Today's first comparison is Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler. The US cover shows a black man and white woman sitting next to each other. They are close but not touching. The UK cover shows a black man and white woman walking in a field. The audio version of the cover shows two feathers: one silver, one gold. All three of the covers are plain but the US cover captures the essence of the story.
Total: US 22, UK 20
US
UK
Today's second comparison is S.E.C.R.E.T. by L. Marie Adeline. The covers are very similar with the book title in big capital letters and the author's name in capital letters toward the bottom. The difference in covers is the background color and charm bracelet. I prefer the UK cover because it includes the S.E.C.R.E.T. motto: No Judgments. No Limits. No Shame.
Total: US 22, UK 21
US
UK
Today's third comparison is Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho. The US cover has a light maroon background with the landscape of Jerusalem. The UK cover is bolder with a red background, gold trim and a gold object in the center. There is no question here. I really like the US cover more. It looks better on the bookshelf and shows the setting of the book.
Welcome to Literary
Marie's Precision Reviews. Today we have a special guest post from Tyrone M. Eddins Jr., author of the City High series and CEO & Founder of Scripted Visions Publishing Group.
"For the Love of Crime and Violence..."
Who doesn’t love a good crime thriller?
Well, I will be the first to admit that there isn’t much that I love more than to dive headfirst into a story about a gruesome crime that will keep me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the very end. Whether it’s a book, movie, or TV show, a crime thriller is always my choice for storytelling entertainment. In fact, being a man that also enjoys good food, I can equate a well-crafted crime thriller to a delicious four-course meal at a five-star restaurant. Perfectly prepared and cooked by a Master Chef, stories about crime and violence make for some of the most delicious literary and cinematic meals around with each course of the meal served in thrilling fashion. Best of all, this recipe isn’t a complicated one at all. Start with a healthy dose of violence, stir in a cup of mystery, blend in some more violence, and add a pinch (or even a full scoop) of sex and you’ve got the makings of a pretty good meal. Beginning with an appetizer of action, good crime fiction takes hold of its audience from the opening pages or credits. It then moves quickly to serve the soup and salad portion of the meal as the story starts to unravel, revealing all of its main characters and plot points. At long last, here is the entrée. Time to get to the best part, the crux, the literal blood and guts of the story. By now the reader or movie/TV watcher is all in and fully ready to dig into the meat of the story. The storyline is all out on the table now, having been served on only the finest of china and silverware. Twists and turns are in full swing and around every corner. The main characters are all on the move and the action is “all you can eat” freight training towards an incredible climax. And finally…dessert is served…one last gunfight, one last murder, and one last gut-wrenching plot twist all leading up to an amazing and unpredictable ending to this story. At the end of this meal, everyone is left full and satisfied, yet wanting more... Maybe it’s the grisly allure of the macabre that draws us to the crime thriller genre and allows it grab on tight without letting go? Who knows? But whatever it is, so many of us enjoy great stories that revolve around an unspeakable crime and contain plenty of violence. From an entertainment point of view, crime and violence go hand in hand like burgers and fries, apple pie and ice cream, spaghetti and meatballs. Throughout history, people have been writing about crime and violence for about as long as it’s been occurring in real life. Detailed accounts of criminal escapades and acts of violence have been recorded in every form from no-nonsense non-fiction to sensationalized works of fiction based on real life events and people. Whether they want to admit it or not, people love crime and violence…so long as it’s not happening to them, of course. It’s like a drug. A morbid, but enjoyable obsession that provides a unique high. Take a second to think about what stories usually headline the news shows and newspapers. It’s usually something to do with crime and violence. And as much as we shake our head and say “mm-mm-mm” while wanting to turn away, change the channel or put the newspaper down…we just can’t. We have to know what happened and even the newscaster’s warning that “the following may not be appropriate for all audiences,” doesn’t deter us. Instead, it only serves to fuel our fascination and cause us to turn up the volume on the TV, shush the kids, and scoot closer. Yes, I’m guilty of it too…this strange love for crime and violence. It entertains and it sells. Having been on both sides of the Crime & Violence coin, as both a reader and a writer, I can tell you that there is nothing like it. No substitute for this guilty pleasure. It’s this twisted attraction that inspired my debut novel, BAD INTENTIONS, Book One of the CITY HIGH Series. As a writer, one of the first cardinal rules I learned was: “write what you read,” and I routinely gorge myself on the crime thrillers. Can’t get enough of it. Books, movies, and TV shows. BAD INTENTIONS and the CITY HIGH series is a story built on the most basic and animalistic of principles: family and the protection of its members at any cost. It’s this code that serves as the catalyst for the BAD INTENTIONS storyline and is also the driving force for the novel’s main characters, the Harrell Family. Over the course of the CITY HIGH Series, the Harrells will have the limits of their loyalty pushed to the breaking point. This story will test and ultimately reaffirm the timeless saying: “Blood is thicker than water.” As readers indulge themselves in the CITY HIGH series, it’s a safe bet they will see many different literary influences, but definitely no duplication. BAD INTENTIONS and the CITY HIGH SERIES is about more than just the crime and violence featured within its pages, but at the same time, an avid connoisseur of crime thrillers won’t be left starving on an empty stomach either… -Tyrone
Bad Intentions (Book One) Summary: LIFE IN THE SHADOWS... Beneath the historical monuments and high-priced politics of
the Nation’s Capital, exists a shadowed empire known as The Syndicate.
Reigning supreme over this juggernaut is The Harrell Family, a clan of
criminal royalty that oversees the city’s narcotics flow with the
efficiency of a billion dollar corporation. Seated at the head of the
table is Ezra Harrell, the Family's patriarch and mastermind behind The
Syndicate. Under the guiding hand of the respected and feared cartel
boss, The Syndicate has corrupted some of the city’s most influential
hierarchy and completely reshaped the city’s criminal landscape; making
The Syndicate the most untouchable criminal organization Washington DC
has ever seen… NOTHING BEFORE FAMILY... In the Harrell Family, nothing is more important than blood.
Anything threatening their tightly knit unit is dealt with in a
ferocious manner, absent of all hesitation or mercy. Their family creed
of “Nothing Before Family” is more than just a mere catchphrase or
punchline. For the Harrell Family, those three words represent an
unwavering, unforgiving way of life… FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN… A ruthless killer is stalking the Harrells, slowly and
methodically hunting his way to the top of their family. As the clock
ticks, Ezra Harrell must do everything in his extensive power to escape
his way of life and move his family to a safe place before time runs
out. Ezra fears for his family’s safety, but his chief concern is his
son, Santea, the heir apparent to the Syndicate throne. Ezra refuses to
allow his only child to follow in his footsteps down a bloody path he
wished he’d never walked himself… BAD INTENTIONS is book one of the CITY HIGH
series, a multiple novel saga chronicling the rise, fall and redemption
of the Harrell Family. The debut novel from Tyrone Eddins Jr. promises
to transport the reader on an entertaining ride into the depths of an
underworld kingdom where greed, deception and the raw lust for power
threaten to destroy not just a single man, but an entire empire.
About the Author: For more information on Tyrone M. Eddins Jr., CEO & Founder of Scripted Visions Publishing Group, please visitwww.scriptedvisionspublishing.com
My dear bookhearts, I have to share a neat program that I finally downloaded onto my MacBook. **dramatic drumroll**
Calibre is an awesome free program for eBook management. And it's multi-platform! You can add or get eBooks, edit the metadata, convert eBook formats, read eBooks and even fetch news! Yes, you can download news from the internet and convert it to eBook format. Another great feature is that it syncs to your eReader making it convenient to add/remove files on your device.
Once eBooks have been added to your Calibre library, it automatically sorts books by Authors, Languages, Series Name, Formats (epub, mobi, pdf, etc.), Publishers, Rating and Tags. Searching for a particular eBook among hundreds in your library is so much easier now!
Maybe you were like me and figured you didn't need an eBook management program. But bookhearts, let me tell you. If you've heard of it but never downloaded, do me a favor. Click here to open Calibre in a new browser window, watch the demo, then download it on your computer or laptop. Now. Go ahead...I'll wait.
