TEASER TUESDAYS is hosted by MizB at Should be Reading; I’ve modified this version to allow more than two sentences from anywhere on the page:
- Grab your current read.
- Let the book fall open to a random page.
- Share with us one or two “teaser” sentences” from that page. Please share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Here are my teaser sentences (OK, I’ll admit it, it’s an entire paragraph!):
… The landscape here on North Uist is female: pale, undulating, yielding. There are no cliffs or mountains, no wide rivers, no great heights or depths, not even many trees. There are sparkling lochans like jewels, wild flowers scattered on the dunes like bright beads, burns that chatter and gurgle like Shona’s children. I feel safe here, even in the teeth of a gale. To be sure, the wind and sea seem male, gnawing away at the land, occasionally beating her into submission, but they come and they go, like the fisherman.
This is from the novel Emotional Geology, written by Linda Gillard. Emotional Geology was recommended by, not one, but two Jills – Rhapsody in Books and Fizzy Thoughts. I’ll be reading it this week, and love the excerpt that I thumbed to for this teaser. Isn’t it interesting to consider the gender of nature (we read so many books about the nature of gender!)?
Care to share a teaser from the book you’re reading?
Huh. This is interesting. I’ve never looked at nature as having a gender, but I suppose it could. Hey if both Jills liked it, who am I to argue?
Since reading Emotional Geology, LG has become one of my favourite authors. This was her first and I read them in order and found that with each one her writing keeps getting better. However her second novel is still my favourite A Lifetime Burning so I hope you will go on to read her other novels:)
I am reading Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks this week and here are my teaser sentences.
‘He has had all the same thoughts yet they have come from a different life, a different world. It’s like two men bumping into each other in the jungle when one started in Iceland and one in China – and finding they are reading the same book.’
These sentences are part of a conversation one of the protagonists has with his sister.
Beautiful teaser, very vivid and descriptive. My TT: http://www.rundpinne.com/2010/04/teaser-tuesdays-alexandra-gone_13.html
Interesting idea. Sounds like an intriguing book, and I love the teaser!
Here’s mine.
Interesting teaser. I’m going to be looking for this book.
Interesting teaser. Very descriptive….it does make you think! I hope you enjoy your book!
Hm, sounds interesting. Not sure about it though – I always get annoyed at what is supposed to be considered female (or male). Why must a woman be yielding?
Here’s my teaser at arch thinking.
Tell me honestly … have the Jills (Fizzy and Rhapsody) gotten you to read this book? They are a two-woman Linda Gillard promotional team! (Not that she doesn’t deserve it or anything>) : )
And oh yes … I await your raptorous review!
Sandy – no kidding, “endorsed by both Jills!” would make a great cover blurb
LindyLouMac – I’ve dutifully added A LIFETIME BURNING to the wishlist; thanks for the recommendation. Your Teaser is interesting, too!
Jennifer – I’m off to check out your Teaser …
Joy – ditto; I’m linking over to read it now …
Melissa & Christina – I’ve only just started it (30 pages of so), and am quite liking the style.
Lorrin – I haven’t read far enough to put the pasage in context. I’ll sort it out in my eventual review.
Jenners – oh, yes! The two Jills have me drinking the Linda Gillard kool-aid
Thanks, Dawn, for selecting an extract of my novel for your TT.
Two of my books have been short-listed for 3 awards between them. If I ever actually win, I’m sure I shall accept, sobbing Paltrow-style, and claim, “I owe it all to the two Jills!”
Lorin – I share your reservations about the cliche of yielding femininity, but in context the piece describes the contrast between 2 islands, Skye and North Uist. They aren’t that far apart but couldn’t be more different. In an attempt to convey that, I characterise Skye as male and Uist as female.
I totally forgot that I wanted to read this one. Your teaser is fabulous.
I’m laughing at Linda’s comment…”I owe it all to the two Jills!” It does have a certain ring to it, though.
Linda – thanks for stopping by the post … the writing in EMOTIONAL GEOLOGY is quite lovely!
Beth F – yes, you’ll drink the two-jill-kool-aid, too; I’m enjoying the book (and am adding Gillard’s others to my l.o.n.g. wish list)
softdrink – we’ll hold her to that acceptance speech