Book Beginning: The Days When Birds Come Back by Deborah Reed

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

It was nearly noon on the Oregon coast, the day already hot, when June Byrne shook out her fathers old camp blanket on the backyard lawn, removed her T-shirt, and lay with bare breasts to the sun.

-- The Days When Birds Come Back by Deborah Reed. I like this woman already! She knows how to make the most of a rare hot day at the Oregon coast.

The Days When Birds Come Back is Deborah Reed's fourth novel and it's getting a lot of good buzz, including that Apple's iBooks named it one of "Winter's Most Anticipated Books."

Deborah will be reading from and signing The Days When Birds Come Back on January 9, 2018, at Powell's City of Books in downtown Portland at 7:30 pm. Click here for more details or to pre-order a signed copy.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING

2017 CHALLENGE: My 2017 European Reading Challenge Wrap Up Post

COMPLETED

This is my own wrap up post for the 2017 challenge. To post your own wrap up post for the 2017 Challenge, go to the 2017 wrap up post page here. The 2017 Challenge officially ends January 31, 2018.

To sign up for the 2018 European Reading Challenge, go here, or click the 2018 Challenge button to the right. The 2018 Challenge started January 1, 2018.

I signed up for the FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE) level to read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

BOOKS READ

Bech at Bay by John Updike (Czech Republic; Czechoslovakia at the time)

When You Lunch With the Emperor by Ludwig Bemelmans (Austria)

The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen (UK)

Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally (Poland)

On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town by Susan Herrmann Loomis (France)

The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan (Italy)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Spain)

The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo (Norway)

Roseanna by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (Sweden)

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking (Denmark)

The Manticore by Robertson Davies (Switzerland)

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Germany)

The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney (Ireland)


I read books set in 13 different European countries, which is the most I have ever achieved doing this challenge. And I read several books written by European authors and translated to English, which I am usually not so good about doing.