Friday, June 21, 2024

June 21st's Friday Post

It's been a few weeks.  Time to get back into the Friday Post swing of things.  As usual, I am linking up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

This week, I have something a little different for the first three.  I'm pulling quotes from a short story collection: Three Strikes - You're Dead.


Yes, it is a crime story collection.  Yes, all the stories also have something to do with sports.  No, not all of them have to do with baseball, but it makes a great title for the collection, right?

Having said that, the lead off story does use baseball.  Here's the opening line from "Murder at Home" by Alan Orloff:

Two outs, bottom of the fourteenth inning, score knotted at five, game seven of the National League Championship Series. Winner of this game gets their ticket punched to the World Series.

Even someone who doesn't know sports super well (that would be me) gets that this is a high pressure situation.  Where does the crime come from that?  I'm not telling.

56% of the way through the book, we are near the beginning of the story "Off the Beaten Trail" by Maddi Davidson.  There's where we get this quote:

When the car stopped, Brooke heard two doors open and close, then another door—a closer door—opened and closed too. The woman leaned over the SUV’s rear seat and threw a ratty blanket that reeked of sweat over Brooke. She stifled a gag.
“I’ve got a Smith & Wesson Forty-five,” the woman said. “Don’t move, don’t talk, or I’ll use it.”

I enjoyed this anthology.  I'll have my review up on Thursday next week, so I hope you'll come back then to see what I thought.

For now, let's get to this week's Book Blogger Hop.  The question of the week is:

Will society suffer in the future as a result of the younger generations' lack of reading?

If it is true that the younger generation isn't reading, then yes.  However, I'm going to question the premise.  I know plenty of young people who love to read.  I wonder if we are decrying the lost art of reading way too soon.

Of course, what you are reading is just as important as reading in general.  And what you do with what you read.

That's it for me.  Have a good weekend.

9 comments:

  1. I'm not really a sports person either but this does sound tempting.

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  2. We're both reading baseball-related books this week. This sounds like a good one.

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  3. Happy Friday!
    I'm currently reading For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer. It is SO good!
    "It wasn't quite midnight as I walked through the door of the stylish Hotel Victoria in the heart of the theater district with both excitement and trepidation."
    I hope you have an excellent weekend filled with relaxing reading time. 🙂❤️📚

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  4. That sounds like a good collection of short stories. I have no idea about sports, but the title and cover are eye catching!

    The Book Blogger Hop was an interesting question. As someone from the UK I feel in the minority when it comes to book related social media - not that I mind it can just be a bit strange being roughly 5 hours ahead! So I do wonder how many people read. I think it could go either way. There is a lot of fake stuff out there that if people read and believe then it could be a problem!

    Have a great weekend!

    Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
    My post:
    https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2024/06/21/first-line-friday-second-chance-summer-by-phillipa-ashley/

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  5. That anthology sounds so interesting! I find anthologies to be hit or miss, though; it bothers me that as soon as I've gotten into one author's voice and story, the story ends and I have to readjust to another author.

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  6. I've read hockey romcoms, but I've never read a sports-themed crime story. That sounds fun! And I agree with you completely on your book blogger response, although I think there's hope even for young people who don't like to read. For me, it did take a while, but I eventually got there. :)

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  7. I'm reading my third short story collection of summer right now. It is not a form I often read but I usually do enjoy the stories which don't requite a huge commitment.

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  8. This sounds like a great idea for an short story collection. I'm adding it to my wishlist. Thanks for sharing. Hope you have a great week! :)

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