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 a great way to spend a Friday!
Today I grabbed a book I found on Pippa, my Kindle…one I haven’t even had that long. The Futures, by Anna Pitoniak, is a debut novel about love and betrayal, in which a young couple moves to New York City in search of success-only to learn that the lives they dream of may come with dangerous strings attached.
Beginning: (Prologue – Julia)
It was a story that made sense. An old story, but one that felt truer for it. Young love goes stale and slackens. You change, and you shed what you no longer need. It’s just part of growing up.
I thought I had understood. It seemed so simple at the time.
***
56%: (Julia)
I got home around midnight on Monday, figuring I had a few hours to spare. Evan didn’t usually leave work until two or three in the morning. But as I approached, I noticed the light shining from beneath our door and the dull garble of the television coming from inside.
***
Synopsis: Julia and Evan fall in love as undergraduates at Yale. For Evan, a scholarship student from a rural Canadian town, Yale is a whole new world, and Julia–blond, beautiful, and rich–fits perfectly into the future he’s envisioned for himself. After graduation, and on the eve of the great financial meltdown of 2008, they move together to New York City, where Evan lands a job at a hedge fund. But Julia, whose privileged upbringing grants her an easy but wholly unsatisfying job with a nonprofit, feels increasingly shut out of Evan’s secretive world.
With the market crashing and banks failing, Evan becomes involved in a high-stakes deal at work–a deal that, despite the assurances of his Machiavellian boss, begins to seem more than slightly suspicious. Meanwhile, Julia reconnects with someone from her past who offers a glimpse of a different kind of live. As the economy craters, and as Evan and Julia spin into their separate orbits, they each find that they are capable of much more–good and bad–than they’d ever imagined.
Rich in suspense and insight, Anna Pitoniak’s gripping debut reveals the fragile yet enduring nature of our connections: to one another and to ourselves. THE FUTURES is a glittering story of a couple coming of age, and a searing portrait of what it’s like to be young and full of hope in New York City, a place that so often seems determined to break us down–but ultimately may be the very thing that saves us.
***
I’ve heard really good things about this book, and I’m also always up for a story set in New York City. What do you think?
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That one reminds me of my college years and I’m not sure I want to go back there. Hope you enjoy it.
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Oh, dear, I wouldn’t want to go back to college years, either…but for me, the NYC setting and the times…those aspects make it work for me. Thanks for stopping by, Roberta.
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Good morning
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Good morning, and thanks for visiting.
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This is a new one to me Laurel but it sounds good – I do like that line about love slackens and the character thinking she understands… many a good person has been tripped up that way. This sounds like a really good read – enjoy.
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Thanks for stopping by, Cleo, and I’ve heard good things about this book. I hope to love it.
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This sounds like a compelling story. I haven’t heard of this book before so thanks for mentioning it.
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Thanks for visiting, Breana, and it’s a fairly new discovery for me. Enjoy your reading!
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This sounds like it might be a good one! Probably not for me, necessarily, but it sounds like it would be good for those of you who like more serious reads 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, Karen, and I do hope to enjoy it. Enjoy your pick!
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This sounds very good. I think it will keep you guessing, and those excerpts have me intrigued. Enjoy.
My Friday Book is Faithful , by Alice Hoffman.
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I agree, Bev, and thanks for stopping by. I loved your pick!
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Sounds interesting, hope you enjoy it!
Stormi
Friday Memes
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Thanks, Stormi, I hope so, too. Enjoy your reading.
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Sounds promising and I’m always curious about debuts.
My Friday 56 from Chasing Fireflies
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Yes, so am I, Laura, and hopefully this one will be wonderful. Thanks for visiting.
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I love all things NYC so the setting alone pulls me in! 🙂 Happy weekend!
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Yes, I love the NYC setting, too, and I’m also intrigued by the times in which this one is set…the financial meltdown! Thanks for stopping by, Freda.
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I like books that are tied to real-life events and their effects on relationships. This sounds like a good story.
Thank you for leaving a comment on my blog post this morning.
Sandy @ WRITING WITH A TEXAS TWANG
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Thanks for returning the visit, Sandy, and I also love books tied to real-life events. I haven’t read anything set during the “meltdown.” Enjoy your pick.
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I’ve never heard of this, but I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Lauren @ Always Me
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Thanks, Lauren, I hope I do, too….and happy reading to you.
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This one is new to me but I’m curious about it. It’s a little more serious than my usual read but I like the sound of the setting and time period and and am curious about how it all plays out. I’m looking forward to your review of it.
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Thanks for stopping by, Katherine, I am also drawn to it for those reasons. Enjoy your reading.
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Sounds good.
You always have a good book each week for us. THANKS.
Have a good weekend.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Book Beginnings
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Thanks, Elizabeth, and I am always happy to find interesting books from the blogging community. Enjoy your pick.
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I’m really intrigued by the title. I feel like it had to do with the many different paths each of these characters could take. Happy weekend!
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Thanks, Alicia, I think so, too. Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for stopping by.
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I like the looks of this one. I”m going to add it to my wishlist.
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Thanks, Yvonne, I’ve heard good things about it…eager to begin reading.
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Sounds like this one will be a roller coaster of emotions. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I’d love for your readers to check out mine. http://tinyurl.com/LisaKsBookReviewsBDS
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Thanks for visiting, Lisa, and I agree..definitely a roller coaster!
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