Good morning, my fellow book enthusiasts!
I’ll be frank: life has thrown a few curveballs my way lately. My mother is ill, and with each passing day, my responsibilities seem to multiply like rabbits in spring. She has a “procedure” coming up soon—fingers crossed it’s just that and not an operation, but we’ll find out more at the end of October when we meet the specialist. Just this week, we had another little escapade to the ER for an overnight stay. More meds have been prescribed to help manage her blood pressure and keep those pesky “events” at bay. If you could spare a prayer or two, I’d really appreciate it.
I had intended to keep all this under wraps until my Sunday Post, but I figured the wonderful friends in the Friday 56 community deserved a heads-up in case I go radio silent for a week or two. I’m holding onto hope that that won’t happen, but just in case, I might schedule some posts in advance. Expect a mix of horror and thrillers from my upcoming "31 Reads of Terror," or perhaps a sprinkle of Westerns.
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| 'The Friday 56' is hosted by My Head is Full of Books. |
Now, onto my Friday 56 picks this week: After Midnight by Daphne du Maurier, hitting the shelves on September 30th. I’ve been slowly reading the ARC I received, reading it bit by bit between other books—kind of like nibbling on Halloween candy when you really should be saving it for trick-or-treaters. All the stories in this collection have graced previous releases, but I fell head over heels for Du Maurier’s writing after indulging in the remake of Rebecca. The snippet I chose is from the short story “Don't Look Now.”
"Well's that's final," said John. "I'm psychic, am I? Fine. My psychic intuition tells me to get out of this restaurant now, at once, and we can decide what we do about leaving Venice when we are back at the hotel."
— Du Maurier, Daphne. "Don't Look Now." After Midnight, Scribner, 2025, p. 56.
But enough about me—what are you all reading these days? I’d love to hear your recommendations!
〜B.J. Burgess
I never thought to see what else Daphne had written after reading Rebecca. Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteShe wrote a lot of books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her short story "The Birds" was loosely adapted into an Alfred Hitchcock film. Hitchcock also directed Rebecca (1940) and Jamaica Inn (1939).
DeletePrayers to your mother. I hope all goes well with her procedure. I'll have to look for this book. It sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the prayers.
DeleteI hope the procedure went okay for your mom. Sending positive thoughts her way--and yours too.
ReplyDeleteI have only read one book by Daphne Du Maurier, a short story collection, which I really enjoyed. I hope to read more by her eventually.
My mom hasn't had the procedure yet. The earliest appointment with the specialist/surgeon is at the end of October, and that visit is just to meet the doctor. The actual procedure or surgery will happen later. She is on additional medication and is feeling okay, but we need to keep a close eye on her blood pressure. If it spikes up to the 150 range, we will have to go back to the emergency room.
DeleteWas the collection titled The Breaking Point? I recently found a copy at a thrift store, and a few of the stories in it also appear in After Midnight.
What is your mother's first name? I like to pray for folks by name.
ReplyDeleteDid I read that right. This is an ARC version of a du Maurier book. How can that be? Hasn't the author been gone for many years?
Yes, du Maurier died many years ago. "After Midnight" is a new short story release with an introduction by Stephen King. All the stories have previously appeared somewhere else.
DeleteMy mom's first name is Debra.