Teaser Tuesday - The Man from the Train by Bill James

I'm back with a Teaser Tuesday after what feels like forever! I've been finishing books before Tuesday/not reading a book on Tuesday and didn't really feel the urge to share. But I'm in the middle of a book now and thought I'd just share a teaser!

The book is The Man from the Train and basically tries to unravel/prove that one man was behind a string of gruesome axe-murders. It's really interesting, but I do with that the book is more focused.

Teaser:

"John Zoos, a Polish immigrant, worked in a plumbago mine, got home about dusk, found his family murdered. (The world plumbago is now only used for a flowering plant. A hundred years ago, however, it was primarily used for graphite)."

The teaser sort of shows one of the problems I have with the book - there are all these inserts that I don't really think are necessary.

What about you? What are you reading this week?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday:  

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Teaser Tuesday - The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic by Nick Joaquin

Hey everyone!

I'm reading a book of short stories now which is awesome because:

- I only have short bursts of reading time (during lunch break, a few minutes before I leave for work, etc) so this is perfect for reading but not being late, and
- It's by a Filipino author and I've been wanting to read more South East Asian fiction so this is perfect!

I'm really, really enjoying it, although enjoying may be a bad word because these tales are very dark. But they are very intense and make me feel a lot more than I expected from short stories.

My teaser:

"The bells continue pealing throughout the enchanted hour and break into a really glorious uproar as St. Sylvestre rises to bestow the final benediction. But when the clocks strike one o'clock, the bells instantly fall mute, the thundering music breaks off, the heavenly companies vanish - and in the cathedral, so lately glorious with lights and banners and solemn ceremonies, there is suddenly only the silence, only the chilly darkness of the empty naves; and at the alter, the single light burning before the Body of God."

What about you? What are you reading?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday:  

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Teasr Tuesday - The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

Hey everyone! So we're at the last teaser Tuesday for May, which is a bit of a shock for me because I thought the month just started. Today's teaser is from The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy and I was super excited about this because I studied The God of Small Things for literature a long, long time ago. My teaser:

"True, it was only a routine bit of humiliation for Hijras, nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing at all compared to the tribulations others endured during those horrible months. 

It was nothing, but still, it was something."

I'm actually really conflicted about the book right now because well... the language. There's a lot more swearing than I expected and I don't think I can handle it right now. The writing is lovely and what I've read so far is really captivating and heartbreaking at the same time but the language is making me not want to turn the page (It's not every other word, but it's crude and frequent enough to be too much for me). I may give this a rest and hopefully come back to it before my NetGalley copy expires and decide that I loved it or something like that.

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday:  

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

What would you do? Would you read on?

Teaser Tuesday - The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham

Hey everyone!

I've not been reading much - just here and there before and after work. But I have been trying to catch up on the weekends and because of that, I feel a mystery reading binge coming on! Right now, I'm reading The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham. It's a pretty fun read so far!

My teaser:

"They were getting on like a house o fire. He had begun with his nearest and dearest, and Meg Elginbrodde had been subjected to a catechism which had not only satisfied but scandalised the sergeant."

What about you? What are you reading now and how do you find it?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday:  

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

Hey everyone!

I'm currently juggling two books because my reading mood isn't really settled. One is From Agatha Christie to Ruth Rendell and it's not very quote worthy (it's on the academic side but fascinating) and the other is The Pearl Thief. The Pearl Thief is a novel so that's where my teaser is coming from:

"My grandmother, the Dowager Countess of Strathfearn, whom my brothers and I call by the French pet name Memere, had been reduced to three rooms in her late husband's ancestral mansion - four if you counted the bathroom. (Not the nursery bathroom - it gave everyone vapors to think I was lounging blissfully unclothed in that enormous bathtub, which was also used by the workmen in the easy wing.)"

The Pearl Thief started of really well, but three chapters in and I'm... starting to wonder if I'm going to finish it. Apart from my odd want-to-read-but-don't reading mood, the narrator and protagonist Julia is starting to get on my nerves. I quite like the heiress dectective/investigator as an idea, but please either own your snottiness or don't have any, because the mock-humble "I'm not vain but I am and I can mimic all languages" Mary Sue thing is starting to get a little annoying.

I'm hoping it's just a mood thing and not that the voice doesn't agree with me (I mean this is a very strong first person so you either like it or don't).

(Ok, I just went and checked Goodreads and apparently I really liked the second book in the series - which had a completely different protagonist - so I'm really, really hoping I warm up to Julia now)

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday:  

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom

I'm so glad that my work is finally back to normal! I still don't have a lot of time to read (less now, since I'm driving to work and back) but I'm sneaking pockets of time to read Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom. I've been meaning to read more of the Matthew Shardlake series and I figured it was time to stop just saying it and actually read more.

My teaser:

"'Who's fault is that?' he asked roundly. 'They fought each other in the wars of York and Lancaster till they near wiped each other out.'" 

I hope everyone is having a good start to their week!

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday:  

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday: Agatha Christie on Screen by Mark Aldridge

Guess what? Today is part of Golden Week* which is peak season for my company (since everyone else is on holiday). I did manage to finish one book yesterday, because I started a sensation novel and ended up sacrificing sleep. Today though... hasn't been that productive for reading. I started Agatha Christie on Screen and while it is interesting, it's a little bit academic which means it's easier to put down (not saying academic is bad - this just isn't a book I want to rush through).

My teaser (which is from a quote):

"Isn't it time Slack put on his thinking cap and realised that Miss Marple is one of the most dangerous serial killers since Jack the Ripper? Not content to shoot, strangle and poison her way through England, this dangerous person, simpering modestly over the teacups, always manages to frame someone else."

Most of the book is a bit dry, but I'm a huge Christie fan so I find it really interesting (though I don't think I've actually watched any of the adaptations. I just read the books)

*Golden Week is when public holidays converge to give Japanese people almost one week of rest from work (depending on how the holidays fall and if there's a weekend between them).

What about you? What are you reading?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday:  

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Hey everyone! It's Tuesday again and I managed to start another book(: Although I'll be working over the weekend, I do have tomorrow off (and I'm planning to meet some friends so I may not get much reading done).

Right now, I'm reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik, which was actually a recommendation from Wendy over at Literary Feline! I read her review and just had to read the book, especially since the library has it. I'm thoroughly enjoying it, so thank you so much for the review!

My teaser:

"When we were through I slid to the floor next to my small heap of pine-needle ashes and stared at them, hollow. I almost hated them for stealing the lie from me."

What about you? What are you reading right now?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday:  

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram

Hey everyone! I'm now in my actual department (second day!) and am slowly getting used to work. Which means I haven't had much time to read, although I try to make up for that on the weekend. Right now, I'm slowly reading Last Night I Dreamed of Peace as part of my SEA reading challenge. It's a diary of a doctor who worked for North Vietnam during the Vietnam war.

My teaser:

"With only a few short minutes in the middle of the crowd, I somehow comprehend and feel what those dear eyes are saying to me: We are silent, but we understand each other entirely.  

Good-bye, dearest dark eyes."

What about you? What are you reading?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday:  

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - The Story Cure by Dinty W. Moore

Hey everyone! Guess who just entered the working world?

I've worked for two days, and I'm now in the training phase. But I'll get assigned to my first department soon, so hopefully I get used to things and can read more. Not to mention write more - right now, I'm reading a book on writing as a way of continuing to learn even when I'm not actively writing.

The quote:

"Novels and memoirs that captivate readers do so because they are an experience, an escape into a new world, a voyage of sorts, allowing us to feel how it might be to briefly live a life different than the one we've been given. This experience goes back to the most primitive storytelling das, the gathering of our distant ancestors around a communal fire, the long-ago beginnings of our great myths and hero's journeys." 

I'm quite enjoying The Story Cure, because it gives both good and bad examples. The bad examples are probably more illuminating than the good ones because they show you what not to do.

What are you reading, and how are you doing?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday:  

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - Binu and the Great Wall by Su Tong

It's Tuesday again! My sister is here (yay!) and the day that I start working draws nearer too (ok, I'm a bit worried about this one). I'll have an entrance ceremony for my company this week, so I'm trying to balance preparing for the test that will happen then and bringing my sister around. As you can imagine, that doesn't leave much time for books. I just started Binu and the Great Wall today. It's supposed to be a retelling of Meng Jiang, a legend based on the fact (fact? I remember hearing that as a child) that people were buried in the Great Wall of China.

My teaser:

"At that moment, the boys were plunged into inexplicable terror, from which emerged the certainty that they must stop the woman from shouting. Her shouts were so shrill that they swirled around the forest, just as their mothers' cries had when they were calling their sick children's spirits back from the mountains."

What do you think? Would you read this?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday: 

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - The Shadows by Jacqueline West

Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing well(: I'm preparing for my sister to come and I just got four new books so the struggle is very real right now.

Right now, I'm reading The Shadows by Jacqueline West. I'm only seven chapters in, but I'm enjoying it very much so far - more proof that I'm still a child at heart.

My teaser:

"A normal person's skin was full of tiny details: moles and freckles, fine wrinkles and fuzzy hairs. But Morton's skin was perfectly smooth and slightly shiny. It wasn't skin at all. It was paint."

Ok, it's four sentences but I had to get to the reveal.

What about you? What are you reading?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday: 

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco

Hi everyone! Long time no see :D I had to take a really, really long break when I moved and found out that my internet would come much later than what I was originally told. So I was without wifi for slightly more than a week, but I'm back now and happily reading away.

Right now, I'm reading Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco, as part of my SEA Reading Challenge, where I'm challenging myself to read more books by and about people in South East Asia. If you've got a recommendation, let me know! So far, Ilustrado is a...challenging read, but I hope it will be rewarding in the end. I mean, the summary sounded good, which is why I'm pressing on.

My teaser:

"The President's speech yesterday to members of the Combined Military Forces at Fort Bonifacio was disrupted when twenty-six hecklers were arrested and charged with "scandal" and "alarm". They were mauled by crowds as they were brought into the precinct office, though none suffered significant injuries."

This is supposed to be from a blogpost. The entire book is basically excerpts from an 'unpublished' work, emails, blogposts, and the occasional conventional narrative. It should be interesting, but it's not make much sense yet (I'm still in the first third of the book, though, so I haven't given up hope yet).

What about you? What are you reading and how have you been?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday: 

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - Talking about Detective Fiction by P.D. James

Hey everyone! How are things going?

I'm more or less done with school (last tutorial was yesterday) and almost done with packing my books! I've just got a few more that I want to read, which means that I haven't decided if they're going into the box or the handcarry that I'll be bringing alone :p And of course, that means I still have all my clothes (and kimonos, which will be a whole other beast) to pack.

Right now, I'm reading Talking about Detective Fiction. I think I got the book quite some time ago, but I just didn't get around to reading it. I can't really imagine why, because I'm enjoying it very much. My teaser:

"It is not really possible to kill someone by injecting air into a vein, at least not with a normal-sized syringe. I am advised that the syringe would have to be so large that the patient would be more likely to die of shock on beholding it than from any effects of the injected air!" (page 109)

What about you? What are you reading this week?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday: 

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

In the Cities of Coin and Spice by Catherynne M. Valente

Hey everyone! It's Tuesday which means that it's time for another teaser. And if you were here last week - well, I decided to stop reading that book. I just wasn't enjoying it and there were so many more books to read, so I decided to read those.

Right now, I'm reading In the Cities of Coin and Spice, and I'm really enjoying it. The language is beautiful, and I like that the stories are all connected. I do get a bit confused at times, however. My teaser:

"I shall not dance until my bones crack," she said. "I shall dance every morning until my heart catches on the sun, and I fill up with gold like a crystal cup!"

What about you? What are you reading this week?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday: 

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - Dare to Remember by Susanna Beard

Good Tuesday everyone! I hope you're having a good start to the week. I'm almost done with my driving classes, I've hired a moving company for next month, and I've submitted my final paper (although I have a presentation to go) so things are rapidly moving forward.

Right now, I'm reading Dare to Remember by Susanna Beard, but I'm considering stopping it. Even about 50 pages in, I'm not feeling the draw of the book. I think it may be because it's in present third person. I'm alright with third person most of the time, but for some reason, I'm very conscious of the present tense in the story, and instead of a sense of immediacy, I'm just feeling detached from the story.

My teaser:

"In the end, she decides to call the police and delay going to the house until at least the next day. Knowing there's no way she'd want to go with her, Lisa urges her to make the call straight away." 

Would you continue reading? Has anyone read this? What did you think about it?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday: 

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

Happy Tuesday everyone! How's the year starting out for you? I'm slowly getting into the "moving" gear, since my uni-related stuff will be winding down and I'll be moving to a different prefecture next month. I've still got some time, but the thought of packing (especially all my books! I think I've double - maybe tripled - the number I own since I arrived) fills me with fear.

I finished The Bear and the Nightingale yesterday, and it was fantastic. Right now, I've just started The Gift of Rain, which is also very highly acclaimed (or at least so I've heard). I'm just hoping that the high from The Bear and the Nightingale doesn't influence how I feel about The Gift of Rain.

My teaser:

"On the day I was born, my father planted a casuarina tree. 

It was a tradition begun by his grandfather."

What about you? What are you reading?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday: 

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - The Road to Enchantment

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope January has been treating you well(:

I'm going full-out with my driving lessons this week - I've finally decided when I'm moving, and I need to get my license before then! So, full steam ahead it is!

On the reading side of life, I'm currently reading The Road to Enchantment. I can't remember why I requested it, but I'm enjoying it quite a lot. Managed to read about half on the train to school and back today, so hopefully I can finish it soon. My teaser (it's a bit longer than usual, but I just couldn't fit it into two sentences):

"What a thing it must be, I thought, to know what door you wanted to walk through, to know behind which door your heart resided. I thought about the door to the apartment Ian and I used to have. Nope. Home is a time every bit as much as it is a place."

What about you? What are you reading this week?

"George's letters home were Eeyore-ishly self-pitying. "The amount one is expected and has to do is simply awful," he grumbled."  (page 247)

What about you? What are you reading for the new year?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday: 

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday - George, Nicholas and Wilhelm by Miranda Carter

It's the first Teaser Tuesday of 2017! Woohoo! Happy New Year everyone!

I'm starting the year with a non-fiction book - George, Nicholas and Wilhelm. It's the story of three royal cousins and how they (plus their grandmother, the Queen Victoria) ended up on the road to World War I. Talk about family conflict. It's not a very quotable book, but I am enjoying it.

My teaser:

"George's letters home were Eeyore-ishly self-pitying. "The amount one is expected and has to do is simply awful," he grumbled."  (page 247)

What about you? What are you reading for the new year?

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday: 

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesday: The Grand Tour by Agatha Christie

IT'S CHRISTMAS WEEK!

Doesn't feel much like Christmas though, since I was at school today (and had a test). Plus my family went back yesterday so...

But on to happier topics, I'm currently reading The Grand Tour by Agatha Christie. It's about the 10 month tour she did and apparently it's told through her letters and photos. I'm pretty excited about reading it - I started today and only finished the preface so far.

My teaser:

"He gave me something which 'might quieten things down,' he said, but as it came up as soon as it got inside my stomach it was unable to do me much good. I continued to groan and feel like death, and indeed look like death; for a woman in a cabin not far from mine, having caught a few glimpses of me through the open door, asked the stewardess with great interest: 'Is the lady in the cabin opposite dead yet?'."

That was Christie talking about seasickness. I'm glad that I never had it!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas week!

How to participate in Teaser Tuesday: 

•Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.