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Title: BelovedAuthor: Toni Morrison
Back in the keeping room, Denver was about to sit down when Beloved's eyes flew wide open. Denver felt her heart race. It wasn't that she was looking at that face for the first time with no trace of sleep in it, or that the eyes were big and black. Nor was it that the whites of them were much too white -- blue-white. It was that deep down in those big black eyes there was no expression at all.
Title: When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden StressAuthor: Gabor Maté
Year: 2012
Genre: Non-fiction, the psychology of addiction and recovery
And here is where I’m humbled. I’m humbled by my feebleness in helping this person. Humbled that I had the arrogance to believe I’d seen it all and heard it all. You can never see and hear it all because, for all their sordid similarities, each story in the Downtown Eastside [of Vancouver] unfolded in the particular existence of a unique human being. Each one needs to be heard, witnessed and acknowledged anew, every time it’s told. And I'm especially humbled because I dared to imagine that Serena was less than the complex luminous person is. Who am I to judge her for being driven to the belief that only through drugs will she find respite from her torments?
Edspace and Guy, those are both emotionally rich paragraphs. They make people stop and think about what it is they've truly read. I'm glad this thread is being used for such awesome pieces of literature. :)
Hello Garrison. :-) So glad you liked it. The book is interesting, as Gabor is writing about the people he worked with in a 'down and out' section of my city. Night!
I don't remember exactly who said it, but there's a quote that applies to your paragraph that I'd like to share: "The hardest ones to love are the ones who need it most."
Yes. That can often be true. Also true is that if you love someone set them free. The challenge is knowing when to apply these truths and with whom. :-)
It is indeed a challenge for many people, myself included.
Book Title: RunnerAuthor: Patrick Lee
Section: "If we do this and it goes badly," the man said, "we're in a lot of trouble."
"We're in more trouble if she gets away from us."
Silence on the line. Gaul heard the man breathing.
"I'll talk to Marsh at Homeland," the man said. "Let me know when this goes from the back burner to the front." He hung up before Gaul could reply.
I like how he hangs up right after giving him that ultimatum. That's a suspense builder if I've ever seen one. :)
Yep and it's a great set up within this good thriller. :)
BOOK TITLE: ChompAUTHOR: Carl Hiaasen
YEAR: 2012
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Environmental Thriller
From that day on, Mickey Cray was fascinated with creatures small and large, furry and scaly. He spent every minute of his spare time in the woods and wetlands, chasing after snakes, chameleons, turtles, toads, eels, even baby gators. If it slithered, scampered or hopped, Mickey would grab for it.
As a result, he frequently got bitten. That wasn’t his favorite part of the outdoor experience, but the pain was nothing, really, compared to the fun he was having. Rare was the evening when he rode his bicycle home with no fresh puncture wounds or bloody spots on his jeans. His parents knew better than to ask about the squirming pillowcase he’d be carrying, as long as he remembered to lock whatever creature it held in the utility room.
That's interesting. I don't think I've heard of an environmental thriller before.
Basically, an environmental thriller in the Carl Hiaasen sense is a comedic take on the consequences of damaging Mother Nature and her creatures. His books take place in his home state of Florida, so naturally he has a lot of creative fuel to work with. Habitat destruction, hurricane exploitation, animal abuse, and even something as minor as littering have grave repercussions for those who committed these sins. By the end of a Carl Hiaasen novel, everybody, and I do mean everybody, gets what’s coming to them.
Wow, that's crazy! But still that's pretty intriguing.
Carl Hiaasen is one of my favorite authors of all time. His books are witty, quick-paced, and poignant.
BOOK TITLE: Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and ScrewjobsAUTHORS: James Dixon and Justin Henry
YEAR: 2016
GENRE: Nonfiction
SUBGENRE: Wrestling Biography
Traditionally, the very name Wrestlemania earned a certain austerity. But in financially and creatively leaner times for the World Wrestling Federation, and with a pay-per-view calendar ballooned to monthly offerings that diluted the specialness of supercards, the luster of the event had dulled somewhat. Yet the show remained propped-up through the genuflection of Titan’s power brokers. Once the original incarnation beamed there would forevermore be a landmark coda on the WWF calendar. The florid mayhem could criss-cross in perpetuity throughout the year, especially at Wrestlemania itself. But for one night, an overstated formality would blend with such zaniness. Through celebrity involvement, glossier production values, and posh video packages, Wrestlemania had to resonate above the grunting din. The thirteenth incarnation would be no different. It was the first Wrestlemania to emanate from Chicago’s Rosemont Horizon since one-third of tri-mulcast Wrestlemania 2 took place there in 1986. On March 23, 1997, over 16,000 fans paid $837,150, a then-record for any wrestling event in the Windy City, to see the show.
BOOK TITLE: Child of the Night GuildAUTHOR: Andy Peloquin
YEAR: 2017
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Dystopian Fantasy
A quiet gasp sounded among the hooded figures. The man with the brown armband rose. He moved with fluid grace, coming to stand before her. Seven's heart thudded as she stared up at him. She couldn't see his features within the hood, but felt his gaze boring into her. He knelt and retrieved her dagger, then returned to his seat.
BOOK TITLE: Once Upon a PastryAUTHOR: Ashley Uzzell
YEAR: 2017
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Fairy Tale
Dumping the lavender into the small pouch, Mona presented it to Gertrude, placing it in her open palm. “Lavender is good for a few things, besides the oil. The buds can be used for tea but I ground these up for you to use in your baking or cooking at home. It can be a substitute for rosemary but with your baked goods, like cookies and cakes, it can present a slightly different, and unique, flavor.”
OOC: Sounds delicious! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
BOOK TITLE: What Hides in the DarknessAUTHOR: K.L. Cottrell
YEAR: 2014
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Paranormal Fantasy
I shiver and bounce on the balls of my feet. It’s colder outside today than it was yesterday, and the sky is full of low gray clouds. I heard on the TV that snow is expected to blow through today. I’m rather excited about it, except that it’ll probably make walking hither and thither a little more difficult.
OOC: Good thing the main character doesn’t live here in Washington State. It’s balls-shrinking cold in the Pacific Northwest right now. Hehe!
Adult OnsetAnn-Marie MacDonald
2014
Fiction
She winces. When did her mother start using such execrable grammar? 'No, I have not yet received it. When did you mail it?'
BOOK TITLE: Cyborgs and SorceryAUTHOR: Marie Krepps
YEAR: 2017
GENRE: Fictional Short Stories
SUBGENRE: Science-Fiction and Fantasy
To be perfectly honest, she was nervous about seeing her older brother again. Because of security reasons, the family had been unable to receive contact from him. He could get their letters and emails, sure, but he wasn’t allowed to send any of his own. Being her only sibling, Gina was diligent in her monthly correspondences - if you could even call them that - with her brother. She wrote letters telling him all about her different jobs over the years, how her parents were getting on, and other little details about her life. In return, she received a confirmation email from the company. Just letting her know that Gabe had gotten her mail. It was also the only proof she had that he wasn’t fricking dead.
BOOK TITLE: Benevolent SlayersAUTHOR: Marie Krepps
YEAR: 2017
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Fantasy
The healer was not happy to find Brock at her doorstep in the early hours of the morning. Nor was her husband. Especially when Brock asked him to go wake the mayor. The man would have refused, but Brock was a frightening guy and when angry, quite terrifying. And Brock was most definitely angry. He should have known they would target the girl first. The shape shifter had, after all, seen her in action in the village and was sure to want revenge for his friend.
Title: The Thing About JellyfishAuthor: Ali Benjamin
Paragraph: Mom and I sat in the car, in the parking lot of the First Street Schoolhouse building. Which, for the record, is actually on Garis Street, and isn't a school at all. It's a bunch of offices, one of which happens to belong to Dr. M. Legler, child psychologist.
A book I've been rereading and I think this captures the premise so well!Title: Left Behind
Author: Tim Lahaye
Paragraph: The first (e-mail) was from Steve Plank, his executive editor, addressed to all field personnel:
Stay put. Do not try to come to New York. Impossible here. Call when you can. Check your voice mail and your E-mail regularly. Keep in touch as possible. We have enough staff to remain on schedule, and we want personal accounts, on-the-scene stuff, as much as you can transmit. Not sure of transportation and communications lines between us and our printers, nor their employee levels. If possible, we'll print on time.
Just a note: Begin thinking about the causes (of the disappearances). Military? Cosmic? Scientific? Spiritual? But so far we're dealing mainly with what happened.
Take care, and keep in touch.
Reader note: Parentheses added by me.
In celebration of a book that I’m about to publish in a few days…BOOK TITLE: Poison Tongue Tales
AUTHOR: Garrison Kelly
YEAR: 2017
GENRE: Fictional Short Stories
SUBGENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror
April walked through the forest and took in the senses of nature. The gentle trickling sound of the freshwater creek rolling through. The sounds of birds chirping a gorgeous tune in the trees above. The smell of elderly trees and lovely flowers. The taste of fresh oxygen in her lungs as she breathed deeply through her slender nose. The forest was a beautiful place that had so much to offer an equally beautiful huntress looking for something to eat.
BOOK TITLE: A Nose For JusticeAUTHOR: Rita Mae Brown
YEAR: 2010
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Cozy Mystery
“Oliver knows where water rights are being purchased, where someone refuses, that kind of stuff. He’s always on Craig Locke’s tail, asking about what and where have we bought. He’s nosy, but then again, after all the bigwigs look at the aerials and the topo maps and decide where a pump has to go in, Bunny and I usually go out with Oliver because he has to make the equipment call. We don’t use the same kind of pump each time. There’s a lot to this. How deep do we have to sink the shaft? What kind of drill bits? What will be the draw on the pump? How many gallons per minute during peak use now and what about projected peak use five years from now? Plus you never really know what you’re going to hit when you go down. So the truth is, the three of us figure it out. Much as I hate his guts, Oliver’s good at it.”
OOC: The hardest part about doing these 55th page challenges is holding the book open and typing at the same time. If something in this paragraph doesn’t make sense, it probably has something to do with what I just said.
BOOK TITLE: Basket CaseAUTHOR: Carl Hiaasen
YEAR: 2002
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Environmental Thriller
I see oily-fingered Ellis alone in his cubicle, intently tapping on a portable calculator. Janet hangs back while I peer in the doorway.
Ellis quickly turns his head sideways while simultaneously swiveling his chair toward the wall. “Can I help you?” he squeaks over his shoulder.
“Nice earring, dickhead. But it looked better on Mr. Stomarti.”
Ellis claps one hand over his right ear in a futile effort to conceal the stolen diamond.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he yelps. “Doesn’t anybody ever knock anymore?!”
OOC: I know the rules say one paragraph, but if I posted any of these by themselves, they wouldn’t make sense nor would they be particularly entertaining.
BOOK TITLE: This Is MeAUTHOR: C.E. Wilson
YEAR: 2016
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Sci-Fi Romance
The stranger from the café looked even better than she remembered. Like her, he had changed clothing for the event, and dark jeans clung way too well to his hips. His crisp, white button-down strained under his thick shoulders and forearms, and Chloe immediately wanted to see if his body was as hard with clothes off as they were with them on. Despite being short, he seemed to be in incredible shape.
BOOK TITLE: The Best in the World: At What I Have No IdeaAUTHOR: Chris Jericho
YEAR: 2014
GENRE: Nonfiction
SUBGENRE: Wrestling Memoir
I was in the middle of a pre-match promo explaining how all Londoners were hypocritical, gelatinous parasites with bad teeth, when someone threw a glow stick and hit me right in the eye. (What was with the aim of these Jericho haters? They should all be trying out for the Yankees!)
BOOK TITLE: Paper TownsAUTHOR: John Green
YEAR: 2008
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Young Adult Drama
“What’s up, Q?” asked Gus.
Oh, we’re just scattering some dead fish around town, breaking some windows, photographing naked guys, hanging out in skyscraper lobbies at three-fifteen in the morning, that kind of thing. “Not much,” I answered.
BOOK TITLE: Stuck Rubber BabyAUTHOR: Howard Cruse
YEAR: 1995
GENRE: Graphic Novel
SUBGENRE: LGBT Memoir
TOLAND: Suppose you were an atheist. Do you think you’d feel funny about all the hymns and prayers at Reverend Pepper’s rallies?
GINGER: I doubt that disbelieving in god would make me skeptical about the things those songs and prayers are really about. An atheist is still going to care that Sledge Rankin got murdered, isn’t he?
TOLAND: I’m an atheist. You know that.
GINGER: So? Take yourself as an example.
TOLAND: Of course I care about Sledge. As much as a person can care about somebody he never knew. But to be honest, I’m not sure how much of what I feel these days comes from the fact that I know you and tend to pick up on what you feel.
BOOK TITLE: WrestlecrapAUTHORS: R.D. Reynolds and Randy Baer
YEAR: 2003
GENRE: Nonfiction
SUBGENRE: Wrestling Biography
Eventually, the pair winds up in what is likely the world’s smallest orphanage. Inside are three children, a woman who oversees them, and Garrett Morris of Saturday Night Live fame. At this point, more of Frost’s hoodlums show up in an ice cream truck and try to run over Garrett Morris, presumably for no reason other than the fact that he’s Garrett Morris. Santa stops the truck by grabbing a chain and pulling with all his might, like in one of those “World’s Strongest Man” competitions they show on ESPN2 at 3:30 in the morning. The newspapers get wind of this and dub our hero “Santa with Muscles”; hence the idiotic title of this idiotic film.
Book: Sparkling CyanideAuthor: Agatha Christie
Paragraph: His first reaction was always the same, a quick, irresponsible shudder as he remembered the scene in the restaurant. At least he need not think again of that. His thoughts turned further back, to Rosemary alive, Rosemary smiling, breathing, gazing into his eyes...
BOOK TITLE: SeraphinaAUTHOR: Rachel Hartman
YEAR: 2012
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Fantasy
The visions were like peering into someone else’s life with a mystical spyglass. In the case of Jannoula, she had somehow been able to look back at me through her avatar. She had spoken to me, pried, prodded, stolen, and lied; she had drunk my fears like nectar, and smelled my wishes on the wind. In the end, she began trying to influence my thoughts and control my actions. In a panic, I’d told Orma and he helped me find a way to banish her to the Wee Cottage. I barely managed to trick her into entering. It was hard to fool someone who could tell what you were thinking.
BOOK TITLE: Fang and Claw: Undead Unit 1AUTHOR: Markie Madden
YEAR: 2015
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Urban Fantasy
Colton looked almost embarrassed, but pulled on gloves of his own. He too smelled the fragment of glass. His nose twitched as he inhaled deeply several times. “You’re right, it’s not human. At least not any human I’m aware of. You got a bag on you?”
BOOK TITLE: Born a Crime: Stories From a South African ChildhoodAUTHOR: Trevor Noah
YEAR: 2016
GENRE: Nonfiction
SUBGENRE: Apartheid Memoir
I learned to use language like my mother did. I would simulcast – give you the program in your own tongue. I’d get suspicious looks from people walking down the streets. “Where are you from?” they’d ask. I’d reply in whatever language they’d addressed me in, using the same accent that they used. There would be a brief moment of confusion, and then the suspicious look would disappear. “Oh, okay. I thought you were a stranger. We’re good then.”
BOOK TITLE: The Cat Who Robbed a BankAUTHOR: Lilian Jackson Braun
YEAR: 2000
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Cozy Mystery
“And no one had any fears about bombing last year. Times are changing…No doubt Delacamp has the stuff insured, but in the case of a theft, would the inn be liable? Would Delacamp’s insurance company sue the inn’s insurance company? I think I should go as a security guard, so that the inn is covered.”
Title: Call of Cthulhu and other weird stories
Author: H.P. Lovecraft
And for seventeen years after that West would look frequently over his shoulder, and complain of fancied footsteps behind him. Now he has disappeared.
Author: H.P. Lovecraft
And for seventeen years after that West would look frequently over his shoulder, and complain of fancied footsteps behind him. Now he has disappeared.
BOOK TITLE: No Cure For CancerAUTHOR: Denis Leary
YEAR: 1992
GENRE: Nonfiction
SUBGENRE: Comedy Routine
See, the rock stars told us to do the drugs back in the sixties and the seventies, so now they feel guilty. “Do the drugs. Wear the bell-bottoms – we are! Stare at the album covers, there’s messages in there!” Now they’re trying to tell us to get off because they’ve quit. Hey, I don’t need ‘em to tell me. I quit it all, folks. I quit it all.
BOOK TITLE: Alley Kat BluesAUTHOR: Karen Kijewski
YEAR: 1995
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Mystery Thriller
I liked the name Courtney better than Daisy, even though Courtney has a yuppie ring and Daisy had a nice down-home quality about it. I thought, too, that Courtney was a name a young woman might have outgrown in time just as she had Daisy. On the street outside, a car approached and slowed and Mrs. Dillard stiffened, head to one side, listening until it passed. Then she sighed and turned back to the photos.
Slytherpuff wrote: "Title: Call of Cthulhu and other weird storiesAuthor: H.P. Lovecraft
And for seventeen years after that West would look frequently over his shoulder, and complain of fancied footsteps behind him...."
Ooh, I have been wanting to get into reading Lovecraft for a while. I know someone who has his works, hopefully he'll let me borrow one or two!
CJ wrote: "Slytherpuff wrote: "Title: Call of Cthulhu and other weird stories
Author: H.P. Lovecraft
And for seventeen years after that West would look frequently over his shoulder, and complain of fancied f..."
I started reading it because I was playing the Fluxx game based off of it and I wanted to find out the backstory. I felt like the book had some really good parts but it wasn't the best book I've ever read.
Author: H.P. Lovecraft
And for seventeen years after that West would look frequently over his shoulder, and complain of fancied f..."
I started reading it because I was playing the Fluxx game based off of it and I wanted to find out the backstory. I felt like the book had some really good parts but it wasn't the best book I've ever read.
Slytherpuff wrote: "I started reading it because I was playing the Fluxx game based off of it and I wanted to find out the backstory. I felt like the book had some really good parts but it wasn't the best book I've ever read."Yeah I could understand. Some books have parts feel better than the work as a whole especially when it's a bunch of stories. I've experienced that with Stephen King and even Mary Higgins Clark.
BOOK TITLE: A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up with GeorgeAUTHOR: Kelly Carlin
YEAR: 2015
GENRE: Nonfiction
SUBGENRE: Comedian Memoir
In the summer of 1973, the Carlins hit the road again. Something magical always happened when we went on the road together – all the friction, fighting, and frustration would just melt away. After my dad did a few gigs in New England, we rented a camper van and toured the area. Mom made us stop at every antique store in search of turn-of-the-century medicine bottles, and Dad loved to stop at historical monuments. After a week or so, we ended up in Vershire, Vermont, to visit Uncle Pat and Aunt Marlene. They now lived and worked in a private school/summer camp that catered to rich kids who just wanted to “turn on, tune in, and drop out,” but whose parents wouldn’t let them. Everyone had long hair, wore tie-dyed shirts, and didn’t care for authority. This was a perfect place for my uncle and aunt, since they themselves had definitely turned on, tuned in, and dropped out, and never much cared for authority to begin with. Aunt Marlene ranted in the kitchen, and Uncle Pat provided “security”. The Derek and the Dominos’ song “Layla” reverberated throughout the main building. It must have been the only album that the campers had, because I don’t remember any other song playing that entire summer. My cousin Dennis and I roamed the forest, learned to play mumblety-peg from the older campers, and bought Mountain Dew and Oh Henry candy bars at the gas station down the road – the only place to buy anything for miles and miles.
BOOK TITLE: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon EmperorAUTHOR: Max Allan Collins
YEAR: 2008
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Urban Fantasy
He lifted the safari hat by the brim and the skull rolled off and down the stairs, making little clunks as it went; the absence of the skull revealed (stuck in the stone) an oversized bronze throwing star.
BOOK TITLE: Dog Man: A Tale of Two KittiesAUTHOR: Dav Pilkey
YEAR: 2017
GENRE: Graphic Novel
SUBGENRE: Children’s Adventure
(Dog Man hides behind a plant.)
COP A: Why are you hiding behind that plant?
COP B: Were you a bad doggy?
COP A: Did you do a bad thing? What did you do?
BOOK TITLE: Through the Shattered GlassAUTHOR: Jeanie Clarke (with Bradley Craig and Neil Cameron)
YEAR: 2016
GENRE: Nonfiction
SUBGENRE: Wrestling Memoir
I sat with him for several hours trying to calm him down and get him to relax but it was hopeless. Suddenly, the day was breaking and, just as the first rays of sun came through the window, he snapped out of it. The fear of whatever was out there in the night had passed. He finally laid down, content and safe that nothing was going to get him.
I just wanted to add that I think this thread is great. Not only do I like that I see the variety of genre interests but I get little snippets of works that make me want to go to the library and seek the whole thing!
Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company!
Books mentioned in this topic
Debt: The First 5,000 Years (other topics)How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer (other topics)
Adult Onset (other topics)
When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress (other topics)
Morning Star (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Ann-Marie MacDonald (other topics)Gabor Maté (other topics)
Marie Kondō (other topics)
Barbara Stoler Miller (other topics)
Marcus Aurelius (other topics)
More...
AUTHOR: Marcus Sakey
YEAR: 2007
GENRE: Fiction
SUBGENRE: Crime Drama
In all the times he’d imagined seeing Evan, he’d pictured the Evan from the pawnshop, the one whose temper seared and burned and left him all too ready to pull the trigger. The one who’d gone crazy, lost his head and his humanity. But for all of that, in his calm moments, a buddy. A partner. A childhood friend who had always had his back.
But that’s not the way it worked. In all those fantasies, Danny had forgotten that time would have passed for both of them. He wasn’t dealing with the same man. The real Evan had lived a maximum-security nightmare for seven endless years. Had come out of it twice as muscled and half as talkative. Had adapted to a world built to hide the most dangerous of men.
OOC: I know the rules say one paragraph, but I had to post both of these gems for the context to make sense.