Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Tuesday Intros No. 11: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, by Katarina Bivald



Welcome to First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros,
hosted by Diane @

Every Tuesday, each participant
shares the first paragraph 
(sometimes two) from a book
they're reading,
or thinking about reading.


The book I've picked this week is...


 The Readers of Broken Wheel
Recommend  
Katarina Bivald
Translated from Swedish by Alice Menzies 
Trade Paperback, 400 pages
Sourcebooks Landmark
January 19, 2013
Bibliophilia, Contemporary Fiction,
Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25573977-the-readers-of-broken-wheel-recommend?ac=1&from_search=true





About the Book
  
Once you let a book into your life, the most unexpected things can happen...

Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara, who traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her pen pal, Amy. When she arrives, however, she finds that Amy's funeral has just ended. Luckily, the townspeople are happy to look after their bewildered tourist—even if they don't understand her peculiar need for books. Marooned in a farm town that's almost beyond repair, Sara starts a bookstore in honor of her friend's memory.

All she wants is to share the books she loves with the citizens of Broken Wheel and to convince them that reading is one of the great joys of life. But she makes some unconventional choices that could force a lot of secrets into the open and change things for everyone in town. Reminiscent of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, this is a warm, witty book about friendship, stories, and love.




Books 1 - Life 0


The strange woman standing on Hope's main street was so ordinary it was almost scandalous. A thin, plain figured dressed in an autumn coat much too gray and warm for the time of year, a backpack lying on the ground by her feet, an enormous suitcase resting against one of her legs. Those who happened to witness her arrival couldn't help feeling it was inconsiderate for someone to care so little about their appearance. It seemed as though this woman was not the slightest bit interested in making a good impression them. 

Her hair was a nondescript shade of brown, held back with a carelessly placed hair clip that didn't stop it from flowing down over her shoulders in a tangle of curls. Where her face should have been, there was a copy of Louisa May Alcott's An Old-Fashioned Girl.  







I was at good ol' Barnes & Noble this past weekend, and this book immediately caught my eye. I love that cover! I glanced through it briefly, but didn't buy it. I was trying to be "good", since I had just spent my money on two books.....However, the memory of this novel has been torturing me since then, so I've looked it up on Amazon, and will order it as soon as my next paycheck arrives!
(I really don't need to ask if I should keep reading it because I definitely will!)







10 comments:

Brian Joseph said...

The plot of this book sounds very appealing. Books about books always interest me. The Pen pal traveling so far only to find her friend deceased also seems like an intriguing plot twist.

I would want to0 keep reading this book.

JoAnn said...

I always enjoy books about books... this sounds so good!

Maria Behar said...

Hey, Brian!

I love books about books, too! This one includes a plot that sounds very heartwarming indeed! The pen pal being deceased adds some pathos, which does put me off, in a way. But I like that Sara opens a bookstore, and then does her best to convince the townspeople that reading is one of the most enjoyable things n life!

Thanks for the nice comment!! :)

Maria Behar said...

Hi, JoAnn!

This book has garnered quite a bit of praise, from what I've seen! I was drawn to the cover, but the plot then reeled me in!

Books about books are always a GREAT read!

Thanks for commenting!! :)

Beth F said...

I can't believe I haven't read this yet! Sounds wonderful.

Emma Litttlefield said...

Although not my usual type of book I like the sound of this. It seems like something that would be fun to read.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Curious for a bit more, sounds promising.

Maria Behar said...

Hi, Beth! Yes, it does sound wonderful! I can't wait to read it! thanks for stopping by! :)

Maria Behar said...

Hi, Emma! I think you would really like this novel! Thanks for visiting! :)

Maria Behar said...

Hi, Diane! I'm glad you like this one. I think it will be a very enjoyable read! Thanks for commenting back! :)