Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Tuesday Memes: The Explanation For Everything

Every Tuesday Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where you can share the first paragraph, or a few, of a book you are reading or thinking about reading soon.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Today I am spotlighting The Explanation for Everything by Lauren Grodstein

There is nothing inherently threatening about Melissa, a young evangelist hoping to write the definitive paper on intelligent design. But when she implores Andy Waite, a biology professor and a hardcore evolutionist, to direct her independent study, she becomes the catalyst for the collapsing house of cards surrounding him. As he works with Melissa, Andy finds that everything about his world is starting to add up differently. Suddenly there is the possibility of faith. But with it come responsibility and guilt—the very things that Andy has sidestepped for years.

Professor Waite is nearing the moment when his life might settle down a bit: tenure is in sight, his daughters are starting to grow up, and he’s slowly but surely healing from the sudden loss of his wife. His life is starting to make sense again—until the scientific stance that has defined his life(and his work) is challenged by this charismatic student.

In a bravura performance, Lauren Grodstein dissects the permeable line between faith and doubt to create a fiercely intelligent story about the lies we tell ourselves, the deceptions we sustain with others, and how violated boundaries—between students and teachers, believers and nonbelievers—can have devastating consequences.

Opening Paragraph

    The first time Andy met Louisa, she was covered in blood. He was a bit bloodied himself, having just suffered a minor bicycle accident where Nassau intersects with Mercer and nobody can see himself coming or going. It was a Sunday morning in 1994, and Andy was wearing the ridiculous clothing he’d let himself get talked into by the cute salesgirl at Kopp’s, purple spandex shorts — “junk huggers!” Rosenblum hooted — and a black and silver nylon shirt. Anyway, he’d been daydreaming, yes, but he was reflexively careful at that intersection. And then an Audi out of nowhere, some cursing, an unnecessary ambulance, and now here he was, cradling what was almost certainly a broken wrist and thinking about his dissertation and the way the Mercer County emergency room smelled like urine and paint. The orange plastic chair was hard under his butt; his bicycle-friendly spandex shorts offered no padding whatsoever.

My Teaser

    “And when I’m done, I’ll be sending it to the Board of Trustees.”
    “Are you threatening me?” Andy suppressed a smile.
page 20


So...what do you think? Is this one you would pick up? Leave a comment below!
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18 comments:

  1. I like the opening paragraph and teaser, so would read more. I hope you enjoy it.

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  2. I love books with an academic setting...Mercer and Nassau...sounds like Princeton. This book is going on my list. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  3. That's an interesting opening paragraph. I'm not absolutely sure it sounds like a book I would read, but the author does a good job of drawing you right into the story. Also, "junk huggers"-- ha!

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  4. I love Grodstein, so I'd definitely keep reading.

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  5. Oh, yes, now you have piqued my interest. Thanks for sharing...and here's mine: “THEN AND ALWAYS”

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  6. The opening is catchy for sure! Especially under the particular circumstances that Andy and Louisa met; I would keep reading! Thanks for sharing :)

    Here's my TT:
    The Book Thief | Markus Zusak

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  7. Love his response to the threat. Mine's at http://suziequint.blogspot.com/2014/09/tuesday-teaserfirst-paragraph-governess.html

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  8. I liked the intro, but the blurb didn't really grab me.
    Here's Mine: http://www.sarahsbookshelves.com/fiction/first-chapter-first-paragraph-tuesday-intros-children-act-ian-mcewan/

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  9. Both the opening and the teaser make me want to read this book. I like Andy's knowledge about himself ("ridiculous clothing he let himself get talked into"). Sounds like a good story.
    Here's the link to my Tuesday post: Retirement Can Be Murder.

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  10. Yes, I would try it. I think it's interesting when a person changes their philosophy of life. I would like to see how it works out for him.

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  11. The cover really stands out, doesn't it? I like it. This sounds interesting, and based on the intro I would keep reading.

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  12. I like the cover art. Very creative and complimentary to the plot. I'd read more.
    Here is my tease - http://fuonlyknew.com/2014/09/09/teaser-tuesdays-80-unbroken-ties-by-m-latimer-ridley/

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  13. I like the intro a lot and having been meaning to try this one Kim --enjoy

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  14. I love the opening, I will have to check that out!
    Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings

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  15. I do like the summary and intro. I would keep on reading.

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  16. I definitely like this teaser. I wonder if that's really enough to threaten this guy. Sounds like an interesting story. Happy reading!
    My Teaser.

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  17. Yes, I think I would enjoy the story, has an interesting background to the characters.
    The Pegster Reads

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  18. I'd keep reading. I loved the title and the paragraph. Thanks for sharing.

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