Welcome to the ‘I’m in Cleveland’ edition of Book Blogger Hop, Book Beginnings and The Friday 56 hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Rose City Reader and Freda on Freda’s Voice. It’s likely that I’m on a plane as you read this. Head on over there and check out the other participating blogs.
This is my first Book Blogger Hop and I plan to make this a recurring thing (as long as I like the questions!). This week’s question is,
Have you ever received a bound galley from a publisher for review? What did you think about it? Were you surprised at anything?
I’m more familiar with the term ARC, but yes, I’ve received a few. Some of them, I won through Goodreads and some through blog competitions and one or two directly from the authors themselves. I like the idea of having a book before it’s available, which seems so forbidden! I think of the scene in The Devil Wears Prada where the main character gets advanced copies of the next Harry Potter books for her boss’s children. Sometimes I find mistakes that I hope are caught before publication. Sometimes I’m surprised at how big the release of the book is. I received an ARC once that I hated and then saw it on the front shelves at Barnes and Noble a few months later. Ugh.
My newest book is The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, which I’m reading for my work book club. Here’s the summary from Goodreads:
The white tiger of this novel is Balram Halwai, a poor Indian villager whose great ambition leads him to the zenith of Indian business culture, the world of the Bangalore entrepreneur. On the occasion of the president of China’s impending trip to Bangalore, Balram writes a letter to him describing his transformation and his experience as driver and servant to a wealthy Indian family, which he thinks exemplifies the contradictions and complications of Indian society.
Book Beginnings is all about that very important opening sentence (or two) that us writers are always worrying about!
Mr. Premier,
Sir.
Neither you nor I speak English, but there are some things that can only be said in English.
Not going to sugar coat it, I love this beginning. It’s a little intimidating because it makes me wonder if the book is going to be written in broken English, but at the same time, it’s pulled me in completely. I want to know what’s so important to the speaker and who he’s writing to. I want to read more.
The way this meme works is pretty simple. If you want to join in, head over to Freda’s blog and add your link.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book (I grab the one I’m currently reading)
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
Page 56 is a scene where the main character is trying to get a job as a taxi driver and he’s speaking to the man who will give him driving lessons.
‘That’s like getting coals to make ice for you.. Mastering a car’ -he moved the stick of an invisible gearbox- ‘it’s like taming a wild stallion – only a boy from the warrior castes can manage that. You need to have aggression in your blood. Muslims, Rajputs, Sikhs – they’re fighters, they can become drivers. You think sweet-makers can last long in fourth gear?’
Coal was taught to make ice, starting the next morning at six.
I haven’t gotten to this point in the book yet, so I’m a little lost on the plot. However, the imagery of this scene is great. I love the speaker and the snark of the protagonist. He’s determined and very happy when he gets his way. It will be fun to get into this book.
Until next time, write on.
You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!
Taking On a World of Words 
Leave a Reply