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<article class="single-post"> <header> <figure> <img width="1070" height="270" src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2023/06/iStock-662946264-1070x270.jpg" class="attachment-post_cover size-post_cover wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" /> </figure> <section> <div class="category"><a href="https://offtheshelf.com/category/lists/">Lists</a></div> <h1>6 Books That’ll Hook You from Line One</h1> <div class="author-share-container"> <div class="author-info "> <figure> <img src="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/313271a73ca6f71bee248735620d9888?s=34&d=mm&r=g" alt="Sarah Walsh" title="Sarah Walsh"> </figure> <div class="meta"> <div class="date">January 11 2024</div> <div class="by-line">by <span class="author"><a href="https://offtheshelf.com/author/sarah-walsh/" title="Posts by Sarah Walsh" class="author url fn" rel="author">Sarah Walsh</a></span></div> </div> </div> <button class="share-button" data-open="share"><i class="share-icon"></i> Share Article</button> <div id="share" class="reveal" data-reveal> <button class="close-button" data-close>×</button> <div class="title">Share <em>6 Books That’ll Hook You from Line One</em></div>  <div class="addthis_inline_share_toolbox text-center"></div> </div> </div> </section> </header> <section> <div class="post-content"> <p>Some books need only a few opening words to instantly call to mind their titles. “Call me Ishmael” (<em>Moby Dick</em>) immediately transports you to salty seas, while “It’s a truth universally acknowledged . . .” (<em>Pride and Prejudice</em>) conjures images of ballrooms and bonnets. Such powerful opening lines are generally associated with the classics, but there’s a myriad of current books out there with writing so compelling, you’ll be hooked from their first lines too. To save you the work of having to hunt down these gems, here’s a roundup of six titles, some that are known but that you’ve might not discovered yet and others that are coming out this year.</p> </div> <div class="books"> <div class="book-info has-cover "> <div class="book-cover"> <a id="Book_5533" data-open="Book_5533_modal"> <img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2015/04/the-glass-castle.jpg" alt="The Glass Castle" title="The Glass Castle"> </a><br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_5533" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <a data-open="Book_5533_modal"> <div class="book-title">The Glass Castle</div> <div class="book-author">by Jeannette Walls</div> </a> <div class="book-description"> <p><em>“I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster.”</em></p> <p>In Jeannette Walls’s unflinching memoir, THE GLASS CASTLE, she recounts the dysfunctional yet vibrant relationship she had with her family. Her father’s struggle with alcoholism led to Jeannette navigating two versions of her dad. One where he’s sober, charismatic, and an excellent teacher to her and her three siblings. The other, inebriated and loose with the truth. While present in their lives, Jeanette’s mother was not the domestic type interested in raising children. Because of this, the Wells kids learned to take care of themselves, ultimately finding a home in New York City. Yet their parents continue to follow them, determined to be a part of their lives.</p> </div> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Castle-Memoir-Jeannette-Walls/dp/074324754X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid&sr&tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Amazon" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Audible', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="http://www.simonandschuster.biz/books/The-Glass-Castle/Jeannette-Walls/9781442339712" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Audible" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/audible.svg" alt="Audible logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Audible" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Barnes & Noble', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/glass-castle-jeannette-walls/1100321217?ean=9780743247542" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Barnes & Noble" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/barnes.svg" alt="Barnes & Noble logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Barnes & Noble" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Books a Million', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Glass-Castle/Jeannette-Walls/9780743247542?id=6849401554984" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Books a Million" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/books_a_million.svg" alt="Books a Million logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Books a Million" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Google Play', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jeannette_Walls_The_Glass_Castle?id=auZXJuwLw8QC" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Google Play" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/google_play.svg" alt="Google Play logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Google Play" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'iBooks', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-glass-castle/id381917405?mt=11" title="Buy The Glass Castle on iBooks" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/ibooks.svg" alt="iBooks logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on iBooks" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Bookshop', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1688/9780743247542" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Bookshop" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/bookshop.svg" alt="Bookshop logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Bookshop" /></a> </div> </div>  <div id="Book_5533_modal" class="book-modal reveal small" data-reveal> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <button data-close aria-label="Close Modal" type="button"> <i class="fi-x-circle"></i> </button> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 medium-4 text-center"> <img class="book-cover" src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2015/04/the-glass-castle.jpg"> <br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_5533" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <div class="columns small-12 medium-8"> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="book-title"> <span class="title">The Glass Castle</span> <br> <span class="author">Jeannette Walls</span> </div> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <p class="book-description">Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose stubborn nonconformity was both their curse and their salvation. In this astonishing memoir—the basis of the forthcoming film starring Brie Larson—Walls recounts how her family’s dysfunction left her and her siblings to fend for themselves, weather their parents’ betrayals, and finally find the resources and will to leave home. <p>Read a review of THE GLASS CASTLE <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2017/03/the-glass-castle-by-jeannette-walls/">here</a>.</p></p> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Castle-Memoir-Jeannette-Walls/dp/074324754X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid&sr&tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Amazon" /></a> 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Noble" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Books a Million', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Glass-Castle/Jeannette-Walls/9780743247542?id=6849401554984" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Books a Million" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/books_a_million.svg" alt="Books a Million logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Books a Million" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Google Play', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jeannette_Walls_The_Glass_Castle?id=auZXJuwLw8QC" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Google Play" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/google_play.svg" alt="Google Play logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Google Play" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'iBooks', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-glass-castle/id381917405?mt=11" title="Buy The Glass Castle on iBooks" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/ibooks.svg" alt="iBooks logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on iBooks" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Bookshop', 'book_isbn': '9780743247542', 'book_title': 'The Glass Castle' });" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1688/9780743247542" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Bookshop" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/bookshop.svg" alt="Bookshop logo" title="Buy The Glass Castle on Bookshop" /></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="post-mentions row" data-isbn="9780743247542"> <div class="columns small-12"> <p class="mentions">MENTIONED IN:</p> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2024/01/books-hook-from-beginning/"><h2 class="post-title">6 Books That’ll Hook You from Line One</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Sarah Walsh | January 11, 2024</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2023/04/books-mom-mothers-day/"><h2 class="post-title">10 Books Mom Will Love This Mother’s Day</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Off the Shelf Staff | April 14, 2023</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2021/05/beloved-books-mom-loves/"><h2 class="post-title">6 Beloved Books We Cherish Because of Our Mothers</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Off the Shelf Staff | May 6, 2021</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2020/05/consistent-most-popular-books/"><h2 class="post-title">Influential Fiction: 9 Popular Books Our Readers Can’t Get Enough Of</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Off the Shelf Staff | May 14, 2020</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2020/03/nonfiction-for-book-clubs/"><h2 class="post-title">Spark Conversation At Book Club With These 9 Remarkable Reads</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Off the Shelf Staff | March 10, 2020</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2020/01/best-books-21st-century/"><h2 class="post-title">Our Top 20 Books from the 21st Century (So Far)</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Off the Shelf Staff | January 15, 2020</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <span class="close" data-close>Close</span> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="book-info has-cover "> <div class="book-cover"> <a id="Book_41809" data-open="Book_41809_modal"> <img src="https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781982177973/beartown-9781982177973_xlg.jpg" alt="Beartown" title="Beartown"> </a><br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_41809" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <a data-open="Book_41809_modal"> <div class="book-title">Beartown</div> <div class="book-author">by Fredrik Backman</div> </a> <div class="book-description"> <p><em>“Late one evening toward the end of March, a teenager picked up a double-barreled shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else's forehead and pulled the trigger.”</em></p> <p>In Beartown, a small forest town with an ice rink, the junior ice hockey team is determined to come out victorious in the national semi-finals. After all, the hopes and dreams of the whole town are resting on Kevin, Amat, Benji, and the rest of the team’s shoulders. But the exciting match soon turns into a catalyst for violence. One teenage girl is left traumatized, accusations fly, and the citizens of Beartown are thrown into turmoil as they grapple with life-changing decisions.</p> </div> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1982177977?tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy Beartown on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy Beartown on Amazon" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Audible', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B06XH9B3TH&source_code=SASP0002WS030910" title="Buy Beartown on Audible" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/audible.svg" alt="Audible logo" title="Buy Beartown on Audible" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Barnes & Noble', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781982177973" title="Buy Beartown on Barnes & Noble" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/barnes.svg" alt="Barnes & Noble logo" title="Buy Beartown on Barnes & Noble" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Books a Million', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781982177973" title="Buy Beartown on Books a Million" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/books_a_million.svg" alt="Books a Million logo" title="Buy Beartown on Books a Million" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Google Play', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Fredrik_Backman_Beartown?id=-ITZDAAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=beartown_9781501160783_sscom" title="Buy Beartown on Google Play" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/google_play.svg" alt="Google Play logo" title="Buy Beartown on Google Play" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'iBooks', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="http://books.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501160783?at=101rBC&ct=beartown_9781501160783_sscom" title="Buy Beartown on iBooks" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/ibooks.svg" alt="iBooks logo" title="Buy Beartown on iBooks" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Bookshop', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1688/9781982177973" title="Buy Beartown on Bookshop" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/bookshop.svg" alt="Bookshop logo" title="Buy Beartown on Bookshop" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Libro.fm', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781508230984" title="Buy Beartown on Libro.fm" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/libro.svg" alt="Libro.fm logo" title="Buy Beartown on Libro.fm" /></a> </div> </div>  <div id="Book_41809_modal" class="book-modal reveal small" data-reveal> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <button data-close aria-label="Close Modal" type="button"> <i class="fi-x-circle"></i> </button> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 medium-4 text-center"> <img class="book-cover" src="https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781982177973/beartown-9781982177973_xlg.jpg"> <br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_41809" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <div class="columns small-12 medium-8"> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="book-title"> <span class="title">Beartown</span> <br> <span class="author">Fredrik Backman</span> </div> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <p class="book-description"><p><b>Now an HBO Original Series</b></p> <p> <b>“You’ll love this engrossing novel.” —<i>People</i></b></p> <p> <b>Named a Best Book of the Year by <i>LibraryReads</i>, <i>BookBrowse</i>, and <i>Goodreads</i></b></p> <p> <b>From the #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Anxious People,</i> a dazzling and profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.</b></p> <p>By the lake in Beartown is an old ice rink, and in that ice rink Kevin, Amat, Benji, and the rest of the town’s junior ice hockey team are about to compete in the national semi-finals—and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys. </p> <p>Under that heavy burden, the match becomes the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown. </p> <p>This is a story about a town and a game, but even more about loyalty, commitment, and the responsibilities of friendship; the people we disappoint even though we love them; and the decisions we make every day that come to define us. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.</p> </p> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1982177977?tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy Beartown on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy Beartown on Amazon" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Audible', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B06XH9B3TH&source_code=SASP0002WS030910" title="Buy Beartown on Audible" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/audible.svg" alt="Audible logo" title="Buy Beartown on Audible" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Barnes & Noble', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781982177973" title="Buy Beartown on Barnes & Noble" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/barnes.svg" alt="Barnes & Noble logo" title="Buy Beartown on Barnes & Noble" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Books a Million', 'book_isbn': '9781982177973', 'book_title': 'Beartown' });" href="https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781982177973" title="Buy Beartown on Books a Million" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/books_a_million.svg" alt="Books a 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</div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="post-mentions row" data-isbn="9781982177973"> <div class="columns small-12"> <p class="mentions">MENTIONED IN:</p> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2024/01/books-hook-from-beginning/"><h2 class="post-title">6 Books That’ll Hook You from Line One</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Sarah Walsh | January 11, 2024</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2023/05/books-read-over-weekend/"><h2 class="post-title">11 Unputdownable Books for a Long Summer Weekend</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Alice Martin | May 11, 2023</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2022/09/popular-novels-revisit-new-releases/"><h2 class="post-title">7 Popular Novels to Revisit Ahead of the Authors’ New Releases</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Holly Claytor | September 14, 2022</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2021/07/5-reasons-fredrik-backman/"><h2 class="post-title">5 Reasons I Moved Fredrik Backman to the Top of My TBR Pile</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Holly Claytor | July 21, 2021</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2021/07/broadway-musical-books-2/"><h2 class="post-title">9 Larger-Than-Life Books That Remind Me of Broadway Musicals</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Sarah Woodruff | July 1, 2021</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2021/03/new-paperback-reads-march/"><h2 class="post-title">11 Delightful New Paperback Reads Coming Out This March</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Alice Martin | March 16, 2021</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <span class="close" data-close>Close</span> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="book-info has-cover "> <div class="book-cover"> <a id="Book_16063" data-open="Book_16063_modal"> <img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2016/08/Dark-Tower-I.jpg" alt="The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger" title="The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger"> </a><br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_16063" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <a data-open="Book_16063_modal"> <div class="book-title">The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger</div> <div class="book-author">by Stephen King </div> </a> <div class="book-description"> <p><em>“The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.”</em></p> <p>If you’re looking for an iconic series to engage with that’s tremendous from the very start, THE GUNSLINGER by Stephen King is the place to begin. In this first book in the Dark Tower series, we meet Roland of Gilead: the Last Gunslinger. Alone in a desolate world (that mirrors ours a little <em>too </em>closely), his mission is to find the Man in Black. As he gets closer to his target, he comes across a boy seemingly out of place and time, as well as an enticing woman named Alice.</p> </div> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9781501143519', 'book_title': 'The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger' });" href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-I-Gunslinger/dp/1501143514/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470079530&sr=1-1&keywords=dark%25252Btower%25252Bbook%25252B1&tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Amazon" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Audible', 'book_isbn': '9781501143519', 'book_title': 'The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger' });" 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onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Books a Million', 'book_isbn': '9781501143519', 'book_title': 'The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger' });" href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Dark-Tower/Stephen-King/9781501143519?id=6365416803489" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Books a Million" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/books_a_million.svg" alt="Books a Million logo" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Books a Million" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Google Play', 'book_isbn': '9781501143519', 'book_title': 'The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger' });" href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Stephen_King_The_Dark_Tower_I?id=jbYACwAAQBAJ" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Google Play" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img 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Bookshop" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/bookshop.svg" alt="Bookshop logo" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Bookshop" /></a> </div> </div>  <div id="Book_16063_modal" class="book-modal reveal small" data-reveal> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <button data-close aria-label="Close Modal" type="button"> <i class="fi-x-circle"></i> </button> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 medium-4 text-center"> <img class="book-cover" src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2016/08/Dark-Tower-I.jpg"> <br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_16063" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <div class="columns small-12 medium-8"> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="book-title"> <span class="title">The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger</span> <br> <span class="author">Stephen King </span> </div> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <p class="book-description">For almost a decade, Stephen King fans have been yearning to see this epic series on the big screen, and they’ll finally get their wish with this adaptation, starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. It tells the story of the fallen land of Mid-World, through the eyes of a knight whose primary mission is to save his decaying world by reaching the titular tower that stands at the intersection of time and space. This mix of horror, western, and sci-fi will be a must-see. RELEASE DATE: February 17, 2017 </p> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9781501143519', 'book_title': 'The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger' });" href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-I-Gunslinger/dp/1501143514/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470079530&sr=1-1&keywords=dark%25252Btower%25252Bbook%25252B1&tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Amazon" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Audible', 'book_isbn': '9781501143519', 'book_title': 'The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger' });" 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onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Books a Million', 'book_isbn': '9781501143519', 'book_title': 'The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger' });" href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Dark-Tower/Stephen-King/9781501143519?id=6365416803489" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Books a Million" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/books_a_million.svg" alt="Books a Million logo" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Books a Million" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Google Play', 'book_isbn': '9781501143519', 'book_title': 'The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger' });" href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Stephen_King_The_Dark_Tower_I?id=jbYACwAAQBAJ" title="Buy The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger on Google Play" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img 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Tissues Handy: 5 Stephen King Books That Will Make You Cry</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Aimee Boyer | September 21, 2020</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2019/09/our-favorite-stephen-king-books/"><h2 class="post-title">8 Stephen King Novels That Remind Us Why He’s a Master Storyteller</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Off the Shelf Staff | September 20, 2019</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2018/02/rain-snow-shine-9-books-read-winter-weather-forecast/"><h2 class="post-title">Rain, Snow, or Shine: 9 Books to Read For Any Winter Weather Forecast</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Erin Madison | February 28, 2018</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2017/09/13-stephen-king-books-every-kind-reader/"><h2 class="post-title">13 Stephen King Books for Every Kind of Reader</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Sarah Jane Abbott | September 21, 2017</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <span class="close" data-close>Close</span> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="book-info has-cover "> <div class="book-cover"> <a id="Book_29865" data-open="Book_29865_modal"> <img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2018/07/Debut.jpg" alt="The Debut" title="The Debut"> </a><br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_29865" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <a data-open="Book_29865_modal"> <div class="book-title">The Debut</div> <div class="book-author">by Anita Brookner</div> </a> <div class="book-description"> <p><em>“Dr. Weiss, at forty, knew that her life had been ruined by literature.”</em></p> <p>For those who love to read, this book might require a little extra upfront suspension of disbelief (because how could books ruin someone’s life?). Our protagonist, Ruth Weiss, has spent her life escaping into books and has devoted her scholarly efforts to Balzac. Ruth looks back on growing up with self-involved parents and the relationships she’s cultivated across the years. Through these flashbacks, she unravels what it means to really <em>know </em>and connect with another person.</p> </div> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9781982107512', 'book_title': 'The Debut' });" href="https://www.amazon.com/Debut-Anita-Brookner/dp/1982107510/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532293159&sr=1-1&keywords=the%25252Bdebut&tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy The Debut on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy The Debut on Amazon" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Barnes & Noble', 'book_isbn': '9781982107512', 'book_title': 'The Debut' });" href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-debut-anita-brookner/1000099602?ean=9781982107512" title="Buy The Debut on Barnes & Noble" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/barnes.svg" alt="Barnes & Noble logo" title="Buy The Debut on Barnes & Noble" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Books a Million', 'book_isbn': '9781982107512', 'book_title': 'The Debut' });" href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Debut/Anita-Brookner/9781982107512?id=7271088023616" title="Buy The Debut on Books a Million" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/books_a_million.svg" alt="Books a Million logo" title="Buy The Debut on Books a Million" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Google Play', 'book_isbn': '9781982107512', 'book_title': 'The Debut' });" href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Anita_Brookner_The_Debut?id=hsFVDwAAQBAJ" title="Buy The Debut on Google Play" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/google_play.svg" alt="Google Play logo" title="Buy The Debut on Google Play" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'iBooks', 'book_isbn': '9781982107512', 'book_title': 'The Debut' });" href="https://itunes.apple.com/pa/book/the-debut/id1372954146?l=en&mt=11" title="Buy The Debut on iBooks" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/ibooks.svg" alt="iBooks logo" title="Buy The Debut on iBooks" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Bookshop', 'book_isbn': '9781982107512', 'book_title': 'The Debut' });" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1688/9781982107512" title="Buy The Debut on Bookshop" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/bookshop.svg" alt="Bookshop logo" title="Buy The Debut on Bookshop" /></a> </div> </div>  <div id="Book_29865_modal" class="book-modal reveal small" data-reveal> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <button data-close aria-label="Close Modal" type="button"> <i class="fi-x-circle"></i> </button> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 medium-4 text-center"> <img class="book-cover" src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2018/07/Debut.jpg"> <br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_29865" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <div class="columns small-12 medium-8"> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="book-title"> <span class="title">The Debut</span> <br> <span class="author">Anita Brookner</span> </div> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <p class="book-description"></p> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9781982107512', 'book_title': 'The Debut' });" href="https://www.amazon.com/Debut-Anita-Brookner/dp/1982107510/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532293159&sr=1-1&keywords=the%25252Bdebut&tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy The Debut on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy The Debut on Amazon" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Barnes & Noble', 'book_isbn': '9781982107512', 'book_title': 'The Debut' });" href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-debut-anita-brookner/1000099602?ean=9781982107512" title="Buy The Debut on Barnes & Noble" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/barnes.svg" alt="Barnes & 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class="post-mentions row" data-isbn="9781982107512"> <div class="columns small-12"> <p class="mentions">MENTIONED IN:</p> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2024/01/books-hook-from-beginning/"><h2 class="post-title">6 Books That’ll Hook You from Line One</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Sarah Walsh | January 11, 2024</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2021/11/most-popular-books-november/"><h2 class="post-title">The 10 Most Popular Books of November</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Off the Shelf Staff | November 30, 2021</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2021/11/books-like-olive-kitteridge/"><h2 class="post-title">7 Character-Driven Novels for Fans of <em>Olive Kitteridge</em></h2></a> <p class="meta">By Emily Lewis | November 2, 2021</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2018/09/enter-for-a-chance-to-win-the-ultimate-book-lovers-prize-pack/"><h2 class="post-title">Enter for a Chance to Win the Ultimate Book Lovers Prize Pack</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Off the Shelf Staff | September 10, 2018</p> </div> <div class="post-mention"> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2018/07/12-novels-for-a-stellar-summer-staycation/"><h2 class="post-title">12 Novels for a Stellar Summer Staycation</h2></a> <p class="meta">By Taylor Noel | July 31, 2018</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <span class="close" data-close>Close</span> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="book-info has-cover "> <div class="book-cover"> <a id="Book_54869" data-open="Book_54869_modal"> <img src="https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781668015148/the-storm-we-made-9781668015148_xlg.jpg" alt="The Storm We Made" title="The Storm We Made"> </a><br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_54869" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <a data-open="Book_54869_modal"> <div class="book-title">The Storm We Made</div> <div class="book-author">by Vanessa Chan</div> </a> <div class="book-description"> <p><em>“Teenage boys had begun to disappear.”</em></p> <p>Set in Malaya in 1945, THE STORM WE MADE introduces us to Cecily Alcantara and her family as Japanese forces invade their country. Her son is missing, her younger daughter is in hiding, and her older daughter gets angrier every day as she serves drunk Japanese soldiers at a teahouse. To make matters worse, Cecily knows she’s responsible for her fractured family. Wanting more for herself, she began a life of espionage ten years earlier. But in pursuing her dream of “Asia for Asians,” she also helped usher in the Japanese occupation and, unwittingly, set in motion the dissolution of her family.</p> </div> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9781668015148', 'book_title': 'The Storm We Made' });" href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668015145?tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Amazon" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Audible', 'book_isbn': '9781668015148', 'book_title': 'The Storm We Made' });" href="http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B0C1DGLKPR&source_code=SASP0002WS030910" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Audible" rel="noopener 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href="http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9781668015162" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Kobo" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/kobo.svg" alt="Kobo logo" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Kobo" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Kindle', 'book_isbn': '9781668015148', 'book_title': 'The Storm We Made' });" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BZQC5JL3?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0BZQC5JL3&linkCode=xm2&tag=simonsayscom" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Kindle" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/kindle.svg" alt="Kindle logo" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Kindle" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Bookshop', 'book_isbn': '9781668015148', 'book_title': 'The Storm We Made' });" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1688/9781668015148" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Bookshop" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/bookshop.svg" alt="Bookshop logo" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Bookshop" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Libro.fm', 'book_isbn': '9781668015148', 'book_title': 'The Storm We Made' });" href="https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781797166247" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Libro.fm" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/libro.svg" alt="Libro.fm logo" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Libro.fm" /></a> </div> </div>  <div id="Book_54869_modal" class="book-modal reveal small" data-reveal> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <button data-close aria-label="Close Modal" type="button"> <i class="fi-x-circle"></i> </button> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 medium-4 text-center"> <img class="book-cover" src="https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781668015148/the-storm-we-made-9781668015148_xlg.jpg"> <br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_54869" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <div class="columns small-12 medium-8"> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="book-title"> <span class="title">The Storm We Made</span> <br> <span class="author">Vanessa Chan</span> </div> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <p class="book-description"><p><b><b>A spellbinding, sweeping novel about a Malayan mother who becomes an unlikely spy for the invading Japanese forces during WWII—and the shocking consequences that rain upon her community and family.</b></b></p> <p>Malaya, 1945. Cecily Alcantara’s family is in terrible danger: her fifteen-year-old son, Abel, has disappeared, and her youngest daughter, Jasmin, is confined in a basement to prevent being pressed into service at the comfort stations. Her eldest daughter Jujube, who works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers, becomes angrier by the day. </p> <p>Cecily knows two things: that this is all her fault; and that her family must never learn the truth.</p> <p>A decade prior, Cecily had been desperate to be more than a housewife to a low-level bureaucrat in British-colonized Malaya. A chance meeting with the charismatic General Fuijwara lured her into a life of espionage, pursuing dreams of an “Asia for Asians.” Instead, Cecily helped usher in an even more brutal occupation by the Japanese. Ten years later as the war reaches its apex, her actions have caught up with her. Now her family is on the brink of destruction—and she will do anything to save them.</p> <p>Spanning years of pain and triumph, told from the perspectives of four unforgettable characters, <i>The Storm We Made</i> is a dazzling saga about the horrors of war; the fraught relationships between the colonized and their oppressors, and the ambiguity of right and wrong when survival is at stake.</p> </p> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9781668015148', 'book_title': 'The Storm We Made' });" href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668015145?tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy The Storm We Made on Amazon" /></a> <a target="_blank" 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</div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <span class="close" data-close>Close</span> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="book-info has-cover "> <div class="book-cover"> <a id="Book_55114" data-open="Book_55114_modal"> <img src="https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781668009321/the-bullet-swallower-9781668009321_xlg.jpg" alt="The Bullet Swallower" title="The Bullet Swallower"> </a><br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_55114" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <a data-open="Book_55114_modal"> <div class="book-title">The Bullet Swallower</div> <div class="book-author">by Elizabeth Gonzalez James</div> </a> <div class="book-description"> <p><em>“Aflerez Antonio Sonoro was born with gold in his eyes.” </em></p> <p>It’s 1895 and Antonio Sonoro, a skilled but destitute Mexican bandido, sets off on a journey to Texas. He plans to save his family from the drought the only way he knows how: by causing trouble. But when his attempted train robbery goes awry, it leads him on a quest for revenge. Almost seventy years later, in 1964, we meet Antonio's grandson, Jaime Sonoro, an acclaimed actor and singer who lives a serene life. But when Jaime discovers a book that reveals his family’s criminal past and encounters an enigmatic mystical figure, he realizes he himself may be the one paying for his family’s generational sins.</p> </div> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9781668009321', 'book_title': 'The Bullet Swallower' });" href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668009323?tag=offtheshelf-20" title="Buy The Bullet Swallower on Amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/amazon.svg" alt="Amazon logo" title="Buy The Bullet Swallower on Amazon" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Audible', 'book_isbn': '9781668009321', 'book_title': 'The Bullet Swallower' });" href="http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B0C83DFRVC&source_code=SASP0002WS030910" title="Buy The 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'Bookshop', 'book_isbn': '9781668009321', 'book_title': 'The Bullet Swallower' });" href="https://bookshop.org/a/1688/9781668009321" title="Buy The Bullet Swallower on Bookshop" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/bookshop.svg" alt="Bookshop logo" title="Buy The Bullet Swallower on Bookshop" /></a> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Libro.fm', 'book_isbn': '9781668009321', 'book_title': 'The Bullet Swallower' });" href="https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781797169521" title="Buy The Bullet Swallower on Libro.fm" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/plugins/bookmanager/assets/img/libro.svg" alt="Libro.fm logo" title="Buy The Bullet Swallower on Libro.fm" /></a> </div> </div>  <div id="Book_55114_modal" class="book-modal reveal small" data-reveal> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 text-right"> <button data-close aria-label="Close Modal" type="button"> <i class="fi-x-circle"></i> </button> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12 medium-4 text-center"> <img class="book-cover" src="https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781668009321/the-bullet-swallower-9781668009321_xlg.jpg"> <br> <a data-open="login-add-to-shelf" id="bookshelf_55114" class="bookshelf-add-link">|+| Add to Your Shelf</a> </div> <div class="columns small-12 medium-8"> <div class="row"> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="book-title"> <span class="title">The Bullet Swallower</span> <br> <span class="author">Elizabeth Gonzalez James</span> </div> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <p class="book-description"><p><b>A dazzling magical realism western in the vein of Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez,<i> The Bullet Swallower</i> follows a Mexican bandido as he sets off for Texas to save his family, only to encounter a mysterious figure who has come, finally, to collect a cosmic debt generations in the making.</b></p> <p>In 1895, Antonio Sonoro is the latest in a long line of ruthless men. He’s good with his gun and is drawn to trouble but he’s also out of money and out of options. A drought has ravaged the town of Dorado, Mexico, where he lives with his wife and children, and so when he hears about a train laden with gold and other treasures, he sets off for Houston to rob it—with his younger brother Hugo in tow. But when the heist goes awry and Hugo is killed by the Texas Rangers, Antonio finds himself launched into a quest for revenge that endangers not only his life and his family, but his eternal soul.</p> <p>In 1964, Jaime Sonoro is Mexico’s most renowned actor and singer. But his comfortable life is disrupted when he discovers a book that purports to tell the entire history of his family beginning with Cain and Abel. In its ancient pages, Jaime learns about the multitude of horrific crimes committed by his ancestors. And when the same mysterious figure from Antonio’s timeline shows up in Mexico City, Jaime realizes that he may be the one who has to pay for his ancestors’ crimes, unless he can discover the true story of his grandfather Antonio, the legendary bandido El Tragabalas, The Bullet Swallower.</p> <p>A family saga that’s epic in scope and magical in its blood, and based loosely on the author’s own great-grandfather, <i>The Bullet Swallower</i> tackles border politics, intergenerational trauma, and the legacies of racism and colonialism in a lush setting and stunning prose that asks who pays for the sins of our ancestors, and whether it is possible to be better than our forebears.</p> </p> </div> <div class="columns small-12"> <div class="retail-buttons"> <a target="_blank" onclick="window.dataLayer.push({'event': 'retailerLinkClicked', 'book_retailer': 'Amazon', 'book_isbn': '9781668009321', 'book_title': 'The Bullet Swallower' });" 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class="custom-content"> <div> <p>Photo credit: iStock / struvictory</p> </div> </div> </section> <footer> <div class="posts"> <article class="list "> <figure> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2024/01/a-note-from-the-editors/"> <img width="233" height="177" src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2020/07/Book-Pile-Sunlight_iStock-1222365300_Get-Lit_EL-233x177.jpg" class="attachment-post_list size-post_list wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" /> </a> </figure> <section> <div class="category"><a href="https://offtheshelf.com/category/uncategorized/">Uncategorized</a></div> <div class="post-title"><a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2024/01/a-note-from-the-editors/">A Note from the Editors</a></div> <div class="by-line">by <span class="author"><a href="https://offtheshelf.com/author/offtheshelf/" title="Posts by Off the Shelf Staff" class="author url fn" rel="author">Off the Shelf Staff</a></span></div> <div class="date">January 24 2024</div> </section> </article> <article 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rel="author">Off the Shelf Staff</a></span></div> <div class="date">January 16 2024</div> </section> </article> <article class="list "> <figure> <a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2024/01/reading-challenges-goals-2024/"> <img width="233" height="177" src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2022/03/BookPile_iStock-1335708681_OTS-4-233x177.jpg" class="attachment-post_list size-post_list wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2022/03/BookPile_iStock-1335708681_OTS-4-233x177.jpg 233w, https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2022/03/BookPile_iStock-1335708681_OTS-4-300x228.jpg 300w, https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2022/03/BookPile_iStock-1335708681_OTS-4-1024x777.jpg 1024w, https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2022/03/BookPile_iStock-1335708681_OTS-4.jpg 1070w" sizes="(max-width: 233px) 100vw, 233px" /> </a> </figure> <section> <div class="category"><a 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href="https://offtheshelf.com/2024/01/new-january-paperback-books/"> <img width="233" height="177" src="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2021/05/Paperbacks_iStock-491656224_OTS-233x177.jpg" class="attachment-post_list size-post_list wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2021/05/Paperbacks_iStock-491656224_OTS-233x177.jpg 233w, https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2021/05/Paperbacks_iStock-491656224_OTS-300x228.jpg 300w, https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2021/05/Paperbacks_iStock-491656224_OTS-1024x777.jpg 1024w, https://offtheshelf.b-cdn.net/app/uploads/2021/05/Paperbacks_iStock-491656224_OTS.jpg 1070w" sizes="(max-width: 233px) 100vw, 233px" /> </a> </figure> <section> <div class="category"><a href="https://offtheshelf.com/category/lists/">Lists</a></div> <div class="post-title"><a href="https://offtheshelf.com/2024/01/new-january-paperback-books/">New in Paperback: 10 January Releases for Easy 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