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The Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings): The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan + 50/50 Friday




On Friday's I take part in three weekly link ups - The Friday 56, hosted by Freda's Voice, Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader, and 50/50 Friday is a new weekly link up and it is hosted by Carrie @ The Butterfly Reader and Laura @ Blue Eye Books. For The Friday 56, you choose a book, a book you have just finished, a book you are about to start, your current read, and share a line or a few lines that grab you (but don't spoil anything) from page 56 or 56% of the way through the ebook. Post it and share your post's url on Freda's most recent Friday 56 post. As for Book Beginnings, you share the first sentence or so and your initial thoughts, impressions, or whatever else it inspires, and then link up your post's url with Rose City Reader. Then, for 50/50 Friday, every week there's a new topic featuring two sides of the same coin - you share a book that suits each category and link up on the hosts blogs.


This week I'm spotlighting one of my current reads, The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan, which is one of my 2018 Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge - it will fulfill the task to read a book published posthumously.  If you want to learn more about this challenge, please go here.  According to Goodreads, this novel was one of the Best Books of 2014 for Nonfiction.  I've heard quite a bit about this since it's release, but somehow I've never read it before.  Keegan died in a car crash in 2012 at the age of 22, five days after her graduation from Yale and this collection of her work was published on April 8, 2014.

Beginning: [From "The Opposite of Loneliness"]

We don't have a word for the opposite of loneliness but if we did, I could say that's what I want in life.  What I'm grateful and thankful to have found at Yale, and what I'm scared of losing when we wake up tomorrow after Commencement and I leave this place.

56: [From "Reading Aloud"]

"I miss dreaming forwards," Anna said.

"What?"

"I dream backwards now.  You won't believe how backwards you'll dream someday."

50/50 Friday: Best/ Worst Book Read In February


Worst - See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt - I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately I ended up DNF'ing the audiobook at 15%.  Even though it's based on such a fascinating story, I couldn't get into it and I had a hard time differentiating between the characters.



Best - I had a few five star reads, but I think I was the most impressed with Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds and Dear Martin by Nic Stone.  I can't recommend either of them enough.


Have you read any of these books?  What are you reading this weekend?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. Yes, incredibly impactful. I'm glad I gave it a try.

      Thanks for sharing, Anne!

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  2. I've heard a lot of good things about Dear Martin. I've been meaning to read it.

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  3. Hi! The Opposite of Loneliness seems like strange book to me, good, but imagine - dying and then your thoughts published for all... without your knowledge... If the cover is actually her, it's very sad, knowing she's no longer alive. Bless her!

    Also, I'm coming back to add my Music Mondays, if it's possible. I join in every Monday, but always seem to forget to come back and link up!!!

    My BB / F56 choice this week, is very different to my normal reads: http://bit.ly/2F5OwEE

    Have a lovely weekend! x

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  4. I wouldn't want people to read my personal thoughts after I die. Kind of curious about this one.

    My Friday 56 from Witch Creek

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  5. How absolutely tragic about the author. I imagine that makes the book all the more poignant.

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  6. I love that 56!! Dreaming backwards, what a notion! Happy weekend!

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  7. I know there are a number of posthumously published books, but this one is particularly sad because she died so young.

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  8. All of the books you show are new to me. I do love the 56. I'm spotlighting Lake Silence by Anne Bishop - her latest set in the world of The Others. Happy reading!

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  9. How sad about Marina Keegan. It sounds like she would have been quite a good writer.

    I felt sort of the same way about "See What I Have Done" -- wanted to love it but it just didn't live up to expectations. I did finish it, but a few months later don't really remember much about it.

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  10. Nice post!! Happy Reading!
    http://justmeandmyblogreviews.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-friday-56.html

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  11. So tragic about the author. I think I would have a hard time emotionally reading this knowing about her death at such a young age.

    Jo-Ann at Inspiration PIe

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  12. I've heard about that author :( it's a shame, I heard her work was very good, so hopefully you're enjoying that one.
    Long Way Down is on my list to hopefully read this year

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  13. The 56 is brilliant!! I rarely read non-fiction and when I do I mostly read (auto)biographies. The Opposite of Loneliness looks like something else altogether, but also something that might interest me.

    Ronnie @ Paradise Found

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  14. I had to DNF See What I Have Done as well... it was just such a mess. The first couple of chapters I really loved, but then it seemed to fall apart.

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  15. I'm really liking that excerpt and I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed Dear Martin and The Long Way Down. The former I loved and the latter I really need to get to.

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  16. I've heard AMAZING things about Dear Martina and I need to read it ASAP! I just read The Hate U Give and I was blown away and right now I'm kind of on a diversity roll so now is the perfect time :) Thanks for linking up, Lauren!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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