March 14, 2016

Tuesday's First Chapter, First Paragraph - City of Thieves


Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading. This week I'm sharing the first paragraph from the book I recently finished (and loved).

by David Benioff
You have never been so hungry; you have never been so cold. When we slept, if we slept, we dreamed of the feasts we had carelessly eaten seven months earlier--all that buttered bread, the potato dumplings, the sausages--eaten with disregard, swallowing without tasting, leaving great crumbs on our plates, scraps of fat. In June of 1941, before the Germans came, we thought we were poor. But June seemed like paradise by winter.
At night the wind blew so loud and long it startled you when it stopped; the shutter hinges of the burned-out cafe on the corner would quit creaking for a few ominous seconds, as if a predator neared and the smaller animals hushed in terror. The shutters themselves had been torn down for firewood in November. There was no more scrap wood in Leningrad. Every wood sign, the slats of the park benches, the floorboards of shattered buildings--all gone and burning in someone's stove[...]
I finished this book last week and the characters continue to haunt my dreams. This is my first 5-star book for 2016 and I can't wait to share my review with you.

Happy Tuesday, friends! Visit Bibliophile By the Sea for more introductions.

10 comments:

  1. This teaser sounds good if a bit depressing. Look forward to your review!

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    1. Kay, it does sound depressing, doesn't it? But then, it's WWII. The book was excellent, in spite of the subject matter.

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  2. Yikes, that opening is a bit of a downer. Can't wait for the review!

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    1. JoAnn, I know. I wish I could've shared something a bit more uplifting. As I mentioned to Kay, the book is very, very good, in spite of the subject matter. I highly recommend it!

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  3. Ugh, so sad - I try to avoid books of this era but I am listening to All the Light We Cannot See; Doeer right now so I broke my own rule LOL

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    1. Diane, it is a sad passage, but the friendship that develops between the two young men is so touching. I loved those characters and was so sorry when I finished the book. I wanted more!

      I loved All the Light We Cannot See and hope to read it again, either in print or the audio. Such lyrical writing!

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  4. Can't wait for the review, I absolutely loved this book! It's been several years since I read it and it still sticks with me.

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    1. Lee, I'm going to start reviewing my books out of order, so I can write about the most recent while they are still fresh in my mind. I hope to get to this one later this week. And, I need to pop over to your blog and see if you reviewed it. Wasn't it great?!

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  5. Oh, this sounds good. I will have to check this out!

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    1. It was amazing, Kailana! I'm very picky about giving 5/5 stars.

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