Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events: First Chapter/Intros, now hosted by Socrates Book Reviews; and Teaser Tuesdays hosted by The Purple Booker.
Today’s feature is Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman.
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Intro: A bank robbery. A hostage drama. A stairwell full of police officers on their way to storm an apartment. It was easy to get to this point, much easier than you might think. All it took was one single really bad idea.
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Teaser: So what do you do? You struggle on. Hope that’ll be enough. Then you receive another threatening letter from the lawyer. (p.60).
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Synopsis: Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom, and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world.
Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.
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Would you keep reading? I’ve heard really good things about this one.
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I really loved this one, I hope you do as well.
Here’s my pick for this week:http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2020/09/first-chapter-first-paragraph-tuesday_22.html
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I am glad to hear that, Diane; I hope to read it soon. Enjoy yours!
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It seems like everyone is reading this book. I’ve not read any of his books. Maybe I will check my digital library for an audiobook.
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I have only read The Man Called Ove, but did love it. I have another unread book of his on my Kindle, about the grandmother.
Thanks for visiting.
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This sounds really good. Hope you are enjoying it! And thanks for stopping by my blog today!
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Thanks, Denise, I have heard good things! Can’t wait to dive in.
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A mystery and suspense novel from Bachman! Of course, I’d read on!
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Thanks, Harvee, I am definitely eager to read it.
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I can’t wait to read this one. It was my Book of the Month club selection, and it’s sitting on the living room floor right now–it’s colorful cover taunting me. I do love this author for his character development and interaction.
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I am eager to read it, too, Catherine!
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I have to add this to my list. I love that intro. It grabbed me right away.
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Thanks, Yvonne, I am eager to read it!
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