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 I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid, an upcoming read borrowed from the library.

 

 

 

I'm thinking of ending things.

 

Once this thought arrives, it stays.  It sticks.  It lingers.  It dominates.  There's not much I can do about it.  Trust me.  It doesn't go away.  It's there whether I like it or not.  It's there when I eat.  When I go to bed.  It's there when I sleep.  It's there when I wake up.  It's always there.  Always.

 

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Page 56:  "I can't say this to Jake and I don't, but maybe it's better to be alone."
 

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My thoughts:  I've heard that this debut novel is a compelling and suspenseful read.  The short opening sentences create a level of urgency that have me wanting to drop everything and start reading this book immediately.  In fact, that's my weekend plan.

 

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From Goodreads:  You will be scared. But you won’t know why…

 

In this deeply suspenseful and irresistibly unnerving debut novel, a man and his girlfriend are on their way to a secluded farm. When the two take an unexpected detour, she is left stranded in a deserted high school, wondering if there is any escape at all. What follows is a twisted unraveling that will haunt you long after the last page is turned.

In this smart, suspenseful, and intense literary thriller, debut novelist Iain Reid explores the depths of the human psyche, questioning consciousness, free will, the value of relationships, fear, and the limitations of solitude. Reminiscent of Jose Saramago’s early work, Michel Faber’s cult classic Under the Skin, and Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an edgy, haunting debut. Tense, gripping, and atmospheric, this novel pulls you in from the very first page…and never lets you go. 

 

 

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.