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A Sudden Light
A Sudden Light: A Novel | Garth Stein
The New York Times bestselling witty, atmospheric (People) story of a once powerful American family, and the price that must be paid by the heirs as they struggle for redemption: A captivating page-turner (Star Tribune, Minneapolis).Twenty-three years after the fateful summer of 1990, Trevor Riddell recalls the events surrounding his fourteenth birthday, when he gets his first glimpse of the infamous Riddell House. Built from the spoils of a massive timber fortune, the legendary family mansion is constructed of giant whole trees and is set on a huge estate overlooking Seattles Puget Sound. Trevors bankrupt parents have separated, and his father, Jones Riddell, has brought Trevor to Riddell House with a goal: to join forces with Aunt Serena, dispatch the ailing and elderly Grandpa Samuel to a nursing home, sell off the house and property for development, and divide up the profits. But as young Trevor explores the houses hidden stairways and forgotten rooms, he discovers secrets that convince him that the family plan may be at odds with the lands true destiny. Only Trevors willingness to face the dark past of his forefathers will reveal the key to his familys future. Spellbinding and atmospheric, A Sudden Light is rich with vivid characters, poetic scenes of natural beauty, and powerful moments of spiritual transcendence. Garth Stein is resourceful, cleverly piecing together the family history with dreams, overheard conversations, and reminiscencesa tale well told, (The Seattle Times)a triumphant work of a master storyteller at the height of his power.
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Addison_Reads
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Mehso-so

A family secret. Ghosts in the house. Both topics drew me in with the possibilities of where the story might go, but in the end it just never quite reached the point where I was so drawn in that the story absorbed me and held my interest well. Not bad reading, just not a "wow, you have to read this book." I did enjoy the historical parts about timber barons and the creation of National Parks.

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Cinfhen
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#NUYear #AChildWithAGhost This is the first book that came to mind... It‘s a coming of age, multigenerational story which begins on a high note but quickly plummets. I read it for a review copy or else I would have bailed....It‘s the story of young protagonist, who returns to his family‘s rotting estate only to discover a trio of ghosts and long buried family secrets 🙄👻

Cathythoughts Lovely cover 👻👻👻 6y
MyBookLife Lovely cover, and sounds like it could be really good, but I‘ll take your word for it! 6y
DebinHawaii Too bad because yes, lovely cover 💙and a story that sounds promising. 😬 6y
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Cinfhen Don‘t be fooled by the cover.... @Cathythoughts @MyBookLife @DebinHawaii 6y
TrishB I was about to say sounds good!! 6y
Reviewsbylola This is why I rarely read ARCs anymore. I want a book with lots of reviews so I know it‘s a good one. 😂 6y
emilyhaldi I‘m still scarred by ghosts after Sing, Unburied, Sing and Lincoln in the Bardo 😂👻❌ 6y
124 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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GraciesLibrary
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Pickpick

A delightful summer read by the author of "The Art of Racing in the Rain". This is a very different reading experience. I really liked the previous book which was very popular, perhaps more so among "dog people". Though this one was not on a par with Racing in the Rain, it was well crafted and held my interest. Perhaps not as far fetched as "Discovery of Witches", still you have to have an open mind to accept his premise.

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underthebelljar
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Just opened this one up to look at it and noticed it's signed? What a nice surprise! 😁

35 likes1 stack add1 comment
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underthebelljar
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And of course I bought more books while I was at Goodwill. 😅 Pretty excited for the Ruth Ware because I really enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10. Picked up A Sudden Light because it is the community book club pick where I live. And My Brilliant Friend is a #blameitonLitsy buy. 😁

#bookhaul

DebinHawaii Nice haul! 📚👍 7y
Cinfhen Great titles 💕 7y
melbeautyandbooks In a dark, dark wood was really good. Enjoy! 7y
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BeckyK Good haul :) 7y
underthebelljar @DebinHawaii @Cinfhen @Beckykearns Thanks! Time for me to get reading! 😁📚 7y
underthebelljar @melbeautyandbooks Thanks! I have been waiting to read it for a while so I'm glad I found it! 7y
57 likes6 comments
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ShelfSpaceLimited
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This is what Friday night looks like, can life get any better? I don't think so!

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BookishFeminist
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WOW WHAT A FANTASTIC MALE SPECIMEN YOU ARE, ELIJAH. 😒 you sir are NOT fun at parties. #CharactersBeingJerks #TDM

pppooraikul What would that empire be like! 😒 8y
BookishFeminist @pppooraikul He honestly just went to go buy himself a lot of land. 🙄 Continuing to set a shining example for mankind. 8y
pppooraikul An example everyone in their right mind won't follow, I hope. 😂😂 8y
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BookishFeminist @pppooraikul I sure hope not! His wife left him and I'm not mad about it. 😂 8y
LitHousewife Thanks for my morning dose of 😡! I'm up and at 'em now. 😂 8y
BookishFeminist @LitHousewife Lol you're welcome. I got my dose of anger too! I was just chugging along reading my book and went "he did what now?!" ? 8y
BookishFeminist @OrangeMooseReads Right?! What a jerk. 8y
Shvonne How Romantic 😐 8y
BookishFeminist @Shvonne Right. How I feel about his romance standards: 🖕🏼 8y
65 likes10 comments
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BookishFeminist
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Late night ghost story + snack. Shhh don't tell @becausetrains I took his chocolate. The ghost ate it. 👀 👻🍫

tricours How's the book? 8y
tricours How's Greek chocolate compared to Swiss btw? I'm going to Crete soon, but the only foreign chocolate that measures up to Scandinavian so far is Swiss, so I don't know if I should go for any chocolate while there😁 8y
BookishFeminist @tricours The book is great so far! Slowly suspenseful & great storytelling. I hope it stays that way! The chocolate is yummy, but I'm not too picky as long as I have chocolate. 8y
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BookishFeminist @tricours Chocolate > no chocolate. 😁 This stuff isn't bitter like some dark chocolate! So that's good. Not sure how it would compare to Scandinavian or Swiss except that I know both of those are delicious. 😋 8y
tricours I guess trying some won't kill me 😃 8y
brendanmleonard That is a beautiful cover - I'm a sucker for a good ghost story! 8y
BookishFeminist @brendanmleonard It really is! It was one of my fave book covers the year it came out. I am also a sucker for a good ghost story- have any favorites I should try? 8y
brendanmleonard @BookishFeminist most of the names I'm sure you've heard of, like MR James or Lafcadio Hearn. There's a collection called the Dark Thirty that's great. I love this collection edited by Penzler: 8y
BookishFeminist @brendanmleonard YES! Thanks! Love MR James & Lafcadio Hearn. Been meaning to check out the Penzler collection for a while. Maybe it will be my Halloween project this year. Dark Thirty I've never heard of- sounds great! 8y
brendanmleonard @BookishFeminist this is also a great collection - it is my pick for the gold standard of US Ghost Fiction: 8y
becausetrains Dammit 😣 I didn't need that chocolate anyway, lol. @tricours their milk chocolate is pretty good too, comparable to Cadbury or Milka. 8y
BookishFeminist @brendanmleonard YES if it's edited by Peter Straub I am so in. 8y
100 likes9 stack adds13 comments