This week let’s listen to The Deep, Deep Snow by Brian Freeman for Book Beginnings on Fridays.
Book Beginnings is a fun meme hosted by Rose City Reader blog. To participate, share the first sentence or so of a novel you are reading and your thoughts about it. When you are finished, add your URL to the Book Beginnings page linked above. Hope to see you there!
The Deep, Deep Snow* by Brian Freeman
(*Amazon Affiliate link)
The Deep, Deep Snow is a standalone novel. Because I received a free audiobook, I listened to it rather than read it.
Summary: When Deputy Shelby Lake was abandoned as a baby, she was saved by a stranger who found her on his doorstep in the freezing cold.
Now, years later, a young boy is missing. The only evidence of what happened to ten-year-old Jeremiah Sloan is a bicycle left behind on a lonely road. Can Shelby find the boy as her adopted father once did for her?
First Sentence Prologue:
The first thing you should know about me is that I believe in signs. Omens. Premonitions. I grew up believing that things happen for a reason.
First Sentence Chapter One:
On the day that Jeremiah Sloan disappeared, I was teasing Monica Constant about her dead dog.
Discussion:
Listening to a book is such a different experience than reading it, but both these first lines made me want to continue.
It turns out Monica’s dog is a running joke.
56
The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The premise is simple. Turn to page 56 in the book and pick a quote.
His booming voice scared a few birds, but that was all. There was no answer. That didn’t stop him from hollering again. He was a handsome park ranger with the strong physique of a lumberjack, and strong men always labored under the illusion that they could solve any problem if they swung a little harder, talked a little louder, or ran a little faster. Life didn’t work that way.
I really enjoyed this book. At one point it skips ten years ahead in time, which allows the reader the see who changed substantially and who didn’t change much. There’s also a subplot that explores memory loss that I found poignant.
Aside: Do you regularly listen to audiobooks? I don’t and some things surprised me. For example, I usually skip or skim long descriptions when I read — as a matter of habit. Having to listen to every word made me realize am missing a lot of setting and mood by skimming. In the same vein, I also tend to skim or skip sections that are too emotional or too frightening, which allows me to control how I react to it. Again, by listening, I felt the impact of every word.
Although I said I hear every word, there were a few times when environmental noise made me miss something and it isn’t easy to go back a few lines, at least not on the phone. Has anyone figured out a solution for this?
What do you think? Have you ever read a book by Brian Freeman? Would you continue reading this one?
This sounds intriguing from the snippets you shared.
I will listen to the occasional audio book. I usually listen to about one a month, and have some authors I rotate for that. I really enjoy it, although I’ve never picked my audio books for a Book Beginning and Friday 56. Not patient enough to listen, type, listen, type. And I’d have no way of knowing where to pick a quote for the 56.
Not knowing where to pick the 56 was definitely a problem. Mine was pretty much a random selection. And I’m not 100% sure the quotes are completely accurate because of the whole listening and typing thing.
I used to not be a major fan of audiobooks but during the first lockdown it really helped me stay calm and gave me something nice to focus on! But I’m also quite a quick reader so I subconsciously skip some info I think, so having someone make sure I heart all of it is also nice! This sounds like a really good read and I’m intrigued by the memory loss subplot you mentioned! I hope you have a lovely start to the weekend and do drop by my Friday postif you have the time! – Juli @ A Universe in Words
I’m intrigued by all you’ve shared from and about this book. I’m going to take a closer look now that it’s on my radar.
I’ve found quite a few narrators that I really love and always look for the books they’ve worked in.
Oooh, I really like both of those openings! Definitely grabs you right from the start. Love that 56 snippet, too. This one’s definitely going on the TBR.
I find that I have the same experience with audiobooks! I tend not to listen to them that often, and I’m kind of picky about what audiobooks I listen to versus wanting to read a book, because I feel like I have better retention when I read it. The experience with an audiobook is so vastly different, though. I’m the same as you: I tend to skip a lot of descriptions when I read if I feel it’s too bogged down by them. If I really like a book, I usually go back eventually and listen to the audiobook, because I like having the different experiences. There are some books that I feel like are really well suited for audiobooks that I actually listened to rather than reading for that exact reason.
Here’s my Friday post.
I really like the idea of listening to a book after reading it to add depth. Thank you!
This book sounds great! It’s been quite a few years since I’ve tried to listen to an audiobook. My mind tended to wander, so I’d often miss important parts of the book. But I’m wondering if I’d have better luck now. I’ll have to try it again. Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
I listened both in the car and while cooking, so I had other things to occupy me. That seemed to work.
It sounds like a good story! Thanks for sharing it on Book Beginnings.
I love audiobooks. It took me a while to get used to them, because it requires a different way of paying attention. But I’ve been reading books with my ears now for a long time and enjoy it as much as reading with my eyes. Most audiobook programs have a feature that lets you backup 15 or 30 seconds (depending on the program). There’s usually a little round arrow just to the left of the play button. You can tap it more times if you want to back up more.
I am so embarrassed. When I saw 30, I thought it went back 30 minutes. Good to know!
This one sounds really good! And the cover is intriguing too!
Sounds like a great read!! Happy weekend!
This sounds really good. I’ve been getting into audiobooks lately. I still prefer to read, but listening is fun too. For me, I have to concentrate a little more when it’s a mystery.
Hope you have a great weekend!
I enjoy audiobooks. Though often the narrator will make all the difference in whether it is enjoyable or not. Thanks for visiting.