Welcome to another Bookish Friday, in which I share excerpts from books…and connect with other bloggers, who do the same.
Let’s begin the celebration by sharing Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader; and let’s showcase The Friday 56 with Freda’s Voice.
To join in, just grab a book and share the opening lines…along with any thoughts you wish to give us; then turn to page 56 and excerpt anything on the page.
Then give us the title of the book, so others can add it to their lists!
What better way to spend a Friday!
My feature today is In a Dark, Dark Wood, by Ruth Ware, a suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.
Beginning: 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.
***
56: At last I could see the road, a pale gray snake in the deepening shadows. As I broke out from the woods I heard the soft hoot of an owl, and I obeyed Flo’s instructions, turning right along the tarmac.
***
Synopsis: Leonora, known to some as Lee and others as Nora, is a reclusive crime writer, unwilling to leave her “nest” of an apartment unless it is absolutely necessary. When a friend she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years unexpectedly invites Nora (Lee?) to a weekend away in an eerie glass house deep in the English countryside, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. Forty-eight hours later, she wakes up in a hospital bed injured but alive, with the knowledge that someone is dead. Wondering not “what happened?” but “what have I done?”, Nora (Lee?) tries to piece together the events of the past weekend. Working to uncover secrets, reveal motives, and find answers, Nora (Lee?) must revisit parts of herself that she would much rather leave buried where they belong: in the past.
In the tradition of Paula Hawkins’s instant New York Times bestseller The Girl On the Train and S. J. Watson’s riveting national sensation Before I Go To Sleep, this gripping literary debut from UK novelist Ruth Ware will leave you on the edge of your seat through the very last page.
***
What do you think? Want to keep reading?
***
I read this one and it unnerved me – I think it was the setting that did it. A great read in my opinion 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, being unnerved could be a good thing, right? LOL. Thanks for stopping by, Cleo, and enjoy your weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d love to read this. Going to go check out the author and add this to me wish list! Sounds thrilling.
My Friday 56 from The Nature Of Balance
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Laura, I found it that same way…on a blog, then taking a peek, and adding it. Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
I haven’t heard of this one before, but it sounds pretty interesting. Thanks for mentioning it. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Breana, I’m hoping to curl up and creep out on it. Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for visiting.
LikeLike
Heard good things about this one and I want to read it! 🙂
Stormi
Friday Memes
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Stormi, I’m eager to find out what all the fuss is about. Enjoy your weekend!
LikeLike
I think I would keep reading but I likely wouldn’t choose it in the first place. “Literary” is a word that has negative connotations for me. I’m reading The Elizabeth Papers by Jenetta James this week. Happy reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, sometimes these creepy books are too much…but I’m looking forward to it. Thanks for stopping by, Kathy!
LikeLike
Creeptastic!! Love it!
Happy Thanksgiving weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Freda, and I’d say “creeptastic” is the right word. Enjoy your weekend. Thanks for hosting…and for visiting.
LikeLike
Love that beginning!
sherry @ fundinmental Friday Memes
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Sherry, it grabbed me, too! Enjoy your pick!
LikeLike
I’d have to be in the right mood to read something so scary! But I love the tension-filled opening. Great way to start a suspenseful story.
Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.
Sandy @ TEXAS TWANG
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even though I tend to read a lot of thrillers lately, I, too, have to be in the right frame of mind. And I have to “cleanse my palate” occasionally. Thanks for visiting, Sandra.
LikeLike
Definitely piques my interest! I’m not huge on action/suspense novels, but they certainly know how to grab your attention.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Amanda, and they do know how to grab our attention! Enjoy your pick, and thanks for visiting.
LikeLike
I’m intrigued. I could go for a good psychological thriller. And that cover – I love it! Happy reading!
-eli @ the (book) supplier
My Friday 56/Book Beginnings
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Eli, I love the cover, too. And I’m a fan of psychological thrillers. Thanks for visiting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve always adoooored the cover for this book, and have been tempted to pick it up in the past–your excerpts may have sold me on it for the future. Great choice this week, thank you SO much for sharing!
Happy book-ing to you in the near future! Here’s my Friday 56 if you’re interested in checking it out; no pressure or worries if you’re not, though! Stay rockin’, and happy Friday!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Beth, and I had love for this cover before I finally downloaded it. Now I’m really intrigued by the idea of the reclusive crime writer unwilling to leave her “nest” of an apartment.
Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re so very welcome! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooohhh….this sounds like something I would like.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Yvonne, I am eager to read it. Enjoy your pick!
LikeLike
Too dark for me. I can be a wuss. 😉 I hope your readers will check out mine… http://tinyurl.com/LisaKsBookReviewsSOTG
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, yes, I am getting used to dark, but I draw the line at horror…usually. Thanks for visiting, Lisa.
LikeLike
Running late here. The dark and twisty cover seems to set the stage for the book. Is Nora (Lee?) an unreliable narrator? I found those frustrating unless given sufficient clues towards the beginning that the narrator might be faulty.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for stopping by, Roberta, and I don’t know if Nora (Lee?) is an unreliable narrator, but I’m guessing she might be. Perhaps I’ll soon find out!
LikeLike
After how much I enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10, I really want to try this one. Thanks for sharing!
Lauren @ Always Me
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Lauren, and I’ve also been eyeing The Woman in Cabin 10. Enjoy your week!
LikeLike