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’s feature is a book that has been patiently waiting on my Kindle: Try Not To Breathe, by Holly Seddon, an engrossing thriller full of page-turning twists and turns, richly imagined characters, and gripping psychological suspense.
Beginning: (Amy, 18 July 1995)
Music thudded through Amy’s body and seized her heart. Music so loud that her eardrums pounded in frenzy and her baby-bird ribs rattled. Music was everything. Well, almost everything.
Later, the newspapers would call fifteen-year-old Amy Stevenson a “ray of sunshine,” with “everything to live for.” Her headphones buzzed with rock and pop as she trudged the long way home, rucksack sagging.
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Friday 56: His voice was once the source of such dizzying excitement. That voice, her hanging up the phone with seconds to spare as Bob’s key clattered in the lock. Leaving her so flustered she had to skirmish to her room to hide.
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Synopsis: Some secrets never die. They’re just locked away.
Alex Dale is lost. Destructive habits have cost her a marriage and a journalism career. All she has left is her routine: a morning run until her body aches, then a few hours of forgettable work before the past grabs hold and drags her down. Every day is treading water, every night is drowning. Until Alex discovers Amy Stevenson. Amy Stevenson, who was just another girl from a nearby town until the day she was found unconscious after a merciless assault. Amy Stevenson, who has been in a coma for fifteen years, forgotten by the world. Amy Stevenson, who, unbeknownst to her doctors, remains locked inside her body, conscious but paralyzed, reliving the past.
Soon Alex’s routine includes visiting hours at the hospital, then interviews with the original suspects in the attack. But what starts as a reporter’s story becomes a personal obsession. How do you solve a crime when the only witness lived but cannot tell the tale? Unable to tear herself away from her attempt to uncover the unspeakable truth, Alex realizes she’s not just chasing a story—she’s seeking salvation.
Shifting from present to past and back again, Try Not to Breathe unfolds layer by layer until its heart-stopping conclusion. The result is an utterly immersive, unforgettable debut.
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What do you think? I am wondering how I could leave this book hiding out on my Kindle. I’m eager to start reading it.
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This sounds like an intense story. Enjoy your current read!
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Thanks, Breana, I think so too. Enjoy your pick!
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thanks for sharing – hope you like it too.
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Thanks, Bev, I had it tucked away and almost forgotten. Now I’m eager to read it. Enjoy your reading.
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Sounds like my sort of read! Like the film ‘Don’t Breathe’, only different lol
Here is my Friday Post! I cannot believe how quick this week has gone!
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Yes, I like the intensity of the title and the excerpts. Thanks for visiting, Sassy, and enjoy your book.
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Sounds like a real page-turner!! That beginning gripped me tight though!! Happy weekend!
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Thanks, Freda, the opening lines gripped me, too. Enjoy your pick.
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Sounds wonderful! It does play on my greatest fear though – being conscious but unable to move or communicate. This week I am featuring a historical mystery – A Dangerous Duet by Karen Odden. Happy reading!
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Thanks for visiting, Kathy, that is a fear of mine, too. Enjoy your weekend.
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Ooh, this sounds quite the suspenseful read. Thanks for sharing! Enjoy! 🙂
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Thanks, Ashley, I think it will be.
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Sounds like a very compelling story and un-put-down-able.
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Thanks, Catherine, I agree…and I’m glad I pulled it forward from the depths of my Kindle.
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Sounds very good. Hope you enjoy the book. My book is called 1968 Do you remember that year?
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Thanks for stopping by, Anne, I’m eager to read this book. And 1968 was a memorable year for me, so I’m curious about your book.
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Sounds like an intriguing tale. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
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Thanks, Nicki, I have a good feeling about it. Enjoy yours.
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Wow. I wasn’t suspecting such an intense story line going by the title. I’d like to read this!
My Friday 56 from Fairest
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Thanks, Laura, I’m excited about it and I’m sorry I’ve put it off for so long.
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I wonder if she can communicate with Amy at some point. I’m sure they find a way.
Ronnie @ Paradise Found
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Thanks for visiting, Ronnie; I am curious about that, too.
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Ooh, wondering how many chapters are devoted to Amy’s perspective. Sounds like a really interesting read. Hope you end up enjoying this one. Happy November!
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Thanks, Alicia, I am curious about that, too.
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Did anyone else figure out how Amy recognized Alex’s voice from long ago? Or why Sue thought Alex looked familiar but couldn’t place her? Alex also seemed to “know” the other characters but couldn’t place them either. I felt like this was brought up a few times in the book but we were never brought up to speed.
Otherwise it was a fantastic read!
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Interesting thoughts. Now I’m wondering, too.
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