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!
Today’s featured book is one I had hoped to read by summer’s end…and maybe I can still make it. The Girls of August, by Anne Rivers Siddons, is about four friends carrying out a ritual getaway…until something happens to halt the friendship connection.
Beginning: Of all the fifteen summerhouses, the first one was the best. That’s what we all agreed on, for a while, anyway…until we grew wiser, more measured in our joy, more careful with the doling out of praise. Funny, we rarely agreed unanimously on anything, but for years there had been no doubt about the Colleton house. At first glance it had seemed designed—brick, board, and shingle—for the girls of August.
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56: Rachel shook her head as if freeing it of stupid thoughts. She pulled out a tube of gloss and painted her bottom lip. She paused and, holding the gloss aloft, said, “Obviously Oliver is wrong. Just look at you! And look at Teddy!”
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Synopsis: Every August, four women would gather together to spend a week at the beach, renting a new house each year. The ritual began when they were in their twenties and their husbands were in medical school, and became a mainstay of every summer thereafter. Their only criteria was oceanfront and isolation, their only desire to strengthen their far-flung friendships. They called themselves the Girls of August. But when one of the Girls dies tragically, the group slowly drifts apart and their vacations together are brought to a halt. Years later, a new marriage reunites them and they decide to come together once again on a remote barrier island off the South Carolina coast. There, far from civilization, the women make startling discoveries that will change them in ways they never expected.
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I love friends getting together at the beach, especially when they do so after a rift. When they are trying to repair the damage. What do you think? Should I read this one next?
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Oh I think I would like this…cannot wait to see what you think!
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Thanks, Kimberly, it has been stashed on my Pippa since last year! Must read it. Thanks for stopping by.
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This sounds like a really cute book. The Girls of August has a great premise, I hope you enjoy it!
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Yes, I think it will be a good one for ending up the summer, Whitney. Thanks for stopping by.
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Sounds good and the cover really draws your eye!
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Thanks, Lauren, and I love that cover, too. Makes me feel like I’m relaxing. Thanks for stopping by.
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I would definitely add this to the TBR!
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Thanks, Karen, so glad I did add it to my shelves. Now I must read it!
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Yes! Definitely read this one next. I love the sound of it. Great excerpts. Here’s You will know me by Megan Abbott, which I’ll be reading this weekend.
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Thanks, Bev, I always have so many lovely books from which to choose…it’s quite a challenge,. Thanks for stopping by.
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This is not my reading preference, but I’ve actually listed this one before seeing it on your post today. Yea! Hope it is a great read and that your weekend will be awesome. Here’s my Friday Meets: http://marelithalkink.blogspot.co.za/2016/08/friday-meets-26-august-2016.html
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Thanks, Mareli, and I’m looking forward to this one now…(again!). Thanks for stopping by.
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This sounds intriguing! Yes, you should read it next for sure! I’d love for you and your readers to check out mine… http://tinyurl.com/LisaKsBookReviewsDOAPC
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Thanks, Lisa, and I hope to love it. Glad you could stop by, and enjoy your reading.
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LOL It just occurred to me that we should call ourselves The Girls Of Friday. 😉
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Good one, Lisa!
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Sounds like a perfect end of August read!! Happy weekend!
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I agree, Freda, and thanks for hosting…and for stopping by. Enjoy!
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Fun snippet, I can see the person putting on the lip gloss. I am not sure it is my type of book though. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Friday!
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Thanks, Nicole, I love when an excerpt helps me “see” what is happening. Thanks for visiting.
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Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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Thanks, Stormi, and enjoy your pick, too.
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I am an Anne Rivers Siddons fan but didn’t care for this one. Maybe it was just timing and it would resonate more now.
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Oh, I have had those kinds of book experiences with favorite authors, too; hopefully I’ll like this one, Heather. Thanks for visiting.
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Yes I really think you should if nothing else because we’re not entirely sure when summer will end and the nights will draw in!
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Definitely! I’m starting it today, Cleo, and hope to love it. Thanks for stopping by.
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What a good one for the end of summer. Sounds like a trip down memory lane and makes me miss my gal pals:)
MY Friday 56 from Alpha Unleashed
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Yes, I get that nostalgic feeling when I read books like this one, too, Laura. Thanks for stopping by.
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I have no idea what the character is talking about, but I’m pretty sure she’s right, Oliver is wrong. Love it when female characters stick up for one another. Happy reading!
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Ha-ha…Yes, I do tend to stick up for the female characters, too. Thanks for stopping by, Alicia.
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Great premise and a great beginning. Isn’t the first of what becomes a tradition often remembered as the best?
Thanks for always playing along with BBOF!
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True, Gilion…thanks for visiting, and for hosting. Enjoy your reading.
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