Tuesday, November 19, 2013

First Paragraph, Tuesday Teaser -- The Interestings

Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the first paragraph of her current read. Anyone can join in. Go to Diane's website for the image and share the first paragraph of the current book you are reading
I just opened up The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. I know I've read something by Wolitzer before but can't remember what. Hope I get a chance to read this over the upcoming holidays.
 On a warm night in early July of that long-evaporated year, the Interestings gathered for the very first time. They were only fifteen, sixteen, and they began to call themselves the name with tentative irony. Julie Jacobson, an outsider and possibly even a freak, had been invited in for obscure reasons, and now she sat in a corner on the unswept floor and attempted to position herself so she would appear unobtrusive yet not pathetic, which was a difficult balance. The teepee, designed ingeniously though built cheaply, was airless on nights like this one, when there was no wind to push in through the screens. Julie Jacobson longed to unfold a leg or do the side-to-side motion with her jaw that sometimes set off a gratifying series of tiny percussive sounds inside her skull. But if she called attention to herself in any way now, someone might start to wonder why she was here; and really, she knew, she had no reason to be here at all. It had been miraculous when Ash Wolf had nodded to her earlier in the night at the row of sinks and asked if she wanted to come join her and some of the others later. Some of the others. Even that wording was thrilling. 

Also this week  is Teaser Tuesdays. Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Open to a random page of your current read  and share a teaser sentence from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.
Here's my randomly selected teaser from page 64:
Her suite mates were a group of girls as mean as you could ever find, not to mention slatternly, unacademic. It was just a piece of bad luck that she had been put with them. The suite smelled of hot comb. The girls screamed at one another with abandon and contempt, as though this place were some kind of halfway house for the deranged. 
What do you think? Have you read this one?

15 comments:

Nise' said...

I have read and enjoyed this book. Hope you do as well.

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

I really enjoyed this one, although the characters were often annoying...lol.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Heather said...

This one is on my list of books to watch for. Sounds good! Thanks for visiting. ☺

Unknown said...

I haven't read this book yet but I'd like to, it sounds great. I've read some of Wolitzer's other books and enjoyed them. I hope you like this book!

Stephen said...

Sounds oddly intriguing.."the Interestings" invites a lot speculation as to its meaning.

kayerj said...

I do like the beginning of this one. Enjoy your book. kelley—the road goes ever ever on

Literary Feline said...

I just read a glowing review of this book that has gotten me interested in it although I was on the fence before. I hope you enjoy this one!

Keri said...

Oh god, I have totally lived in places that would be accurately described like the one in the teaser. Here's my Teaser Tuesday

Kimberly @ Turning the Pages said...

I haven't read it yet, but I am hoping to get to it in January.
Great teaser though.
Come see my Teaser Tuesday Post

-Kimberly @ Turning the Pages
+New GFC Follower

Anonymous said...

hmm, maybe a bit too wordy for me

Yvonne said...

I haven't heard about this book but it sounds good. I would keep reading.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I would definitely keep reading. I like the writing and it is on my TBR list as well -- enjoy and thanks for joining us today.

Sandra Nachlinger said...

Sounds like a really interesting cast of characters! I think I'd like this story.
My Teaser is from THE HUSBAND'S SECRET.

Catherine @ Book Club Librarian said...

I had hoped to read The Interesting by now. (I've had a copy since May.) Hope you enjoy it!

My Tuesday post: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2013/11/first-chapter-first-paragraph-40.html

By the way, love the cover and description of your forthcoming novel.

Margot said...

I haven't read this book or author but I like the intro. Sounds like lots of people like it.

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