Showing posts with label First Lines Friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label First Lines Friday. Show all posts
First Lines Friday ★ 5
Friday, 1 November 2019
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page. Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!
Finally… reveal the book!
Some parents tell their kids they can be anything. Mine did not.
I was not told that if I worked hard, my dreams would come true. Or that life was fair. Or that wishes were made of stardust, or candy canes, or were delivered by unicorns.
I was told the truth: that some people get lucky, and some people don't, which is why I'm skipping fifth period to ride an elevator in one of swanky Uptown's old arts buildings.
"What do you mean it's this weekend?"
Holding my cell tightly against my ear, I drill my opposite thumb into my temple, careful not to let the four girls entering the elevator on the fifth floor see the phone's blank screen.
They're late. According to the Copeland Ballet Academy's online schedule, Dance II–a requirement for all third-year students–gets out at ten to four on Mondays. Now I've only got twenty minutes to book it down Lake Street and catch the red line to Devon Park. If I miss it, I'm late for work at Pete's, and that's the last thing I need.
I've got five minutes to work some magic.
I was not told that if I worked hard, my dreams would come true. Or that life was fair. Or that wishes were made of stardust, or candy canes, or were delivered by unicorns.
I was told the truth: that some people get lucky, and some people don't, which is why I'm skipping fifth period to ride an elevator in one of swanky Uptown's old arts buildings.
"What do you mean it's this weekend?"
Holding my cell tightly against my ear, I drill my opposite thumb into my temple, careful not to let the four girls entering the elevator on the fifth floor see the phone's blank screen.
They're late. According to the Copeland Ballet Academy's online schedule, Dance II–a requirement for all third-year students–gets out at ten to four on Mondays. Now I've only got twenty minutes to book it down Lake Street and catch the red line to Devon Park. If I miss it, I'm late for work at Pete's, and that's the last thing I need.
I've got five minutes to work some magic.
How does it sound? Are you intrigued?
This is The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons. I did a whole review of it earlier this year and I can't wait for Scammed to come out.
This is The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons. I did a whole review of it earlier this year and I can't wait for Scammed to come out.
Bookbub✦Goodreads✦LibraryThing
Available at::
Amazon|Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository|Google|Indiebound|Kobo
Available at::
Amazon|Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository|Google|Indiebound|Kobo
About the Book
Pretty Little Liars meets Ocean's 11 in this intrigue-filled contemporary drama from acclaimed author Kristen Simmons.
Welcome to Vale Hall, the school for aspiring con artists.
When Brynn Hilder is recruited to Vale, it seems like the elite academy is her chance to start over, away from her mom's loser boyfriend and her rundown neighborhood. But she soon learns that Vale chooses students not so much for their scholastic talent as for their extracurricular activities, such as her time spent conning rich North Shore kids out of their extravagant allowances.
At first, Brynn jumps at the chance to help the school in its mission to rid the city of corrupt officials--because what could be better than giving entitled jerks what they deserve? But that's before she meets her mark--a senator's son--and before she discovers the school's headmaster has secrets he'll stop at nothing to protect. As the lines between right and wrong blur, Brynn begins to realize she's in way over her head.
Welcome to Vale Hall, the school for aspiring con artists.
When Brynn Hilder is recruited to Vale, it seems like the elite academy is her chance to start over, away from her mom's loser boyfriend and her rundown neighborhood. But she soon learns that Vale chooses students not so much for their scholastic talent as for their extracurricular activities, such as her time spent conning rich North Shore kids out of their extravagant allowances.
At first, Brynn jumps at the chance to help the school in its mission to rid the city of corrupt officials--because what could be better than giving entitled jerks what they deserve? But that's before she meets her mark--a senator's son--and before she discovers the school's headmaster has secrets he'll stop at nothing to protect. As the lines between right and wrong blur, Brynn begins to realize she's in way over her head.
Look at me, working on content, on a schedule, regular-like. I deserve a cookie, oh, look, I have a one sitting here next to me. Don't mind if I do. I finally got around to downloading Tik Tok this week and, y'all, I have a bad addiction to it. Also, my sister's kinda big on the site? And that heifer didn't tell me? If you're reading this, sis, I know and I am hurt. ha! I have no idea what I'm going to do with the account, but it's there. Probably make weird dog videos. Because I'm that person, to be honest.
Anyways, Tune in tomorrow for another review! I am on such a roll!
Anyways, Tune in tomorrow for another review! I am on such a roll!
Friday, 25 October 2019
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page. Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!
Finally… reveal the book!
Now that was a dog.
Harrison Parks stood in front of the Great Dane puppy, watching as he stumbled over his feet and struggled with the weight of his oversize head. Already, the animal's sleek gray fur was something to behold, those beautiful eyes like the sky after a rainstorm. It was easy to see what he would become—majestic and muscled and massive, more like a trusty steed than a canine.
"He's perfect. Where do I sign?"
Harrison Parks stood in front of the Great Dane puppy, watching as he stumbled over his feet and struggled with the weight of his oversize head. Already, the animal's sleek gray fur was something to behold, those beautiful eyes like the sky after a rainstorm. It was easy to see what he would become—majestic and muscled and massive, more like a trusty steed than a canine.
"He's perfect. Where do I sign?"
How does it sound? Are you intrigued?
This is Puppy Love by Lucy Gilmore. I won this in that Sourcebooks Casablanca giveaway a while back and I keep promising myself I'm going to read it and whoops, it slips to the back of the calendar. But I'm in love with this book because it has service dog handler visibility and please, don't let me down, Gilmore! Ha, I'm totally pulling a Gilmore Girls on this.
Bookbub✦Goodreads✦LibraryThing
Available at::
Amazon|Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository|Google|Indiebound|Kobo
Available at::
Amazon|Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository|Google|Indiebound|Kobo
About the Book
A brand new series from debut author Lucy Gilmore, featuring service puppies who might just be matchmakers in the making...
Sophie Vasquez runs Puppy Promise, a service puppy training organization. Sophie's always been treated as the frail baby of the family—a thing she hates but doesn't know how to change. Until, that is, she meets her newest client.
Harrison Parks is a wildfire firefighter who isn't allowed back in the field unless he finds a service dog. Reluctantly, he agrees, never expecting to be assigned a skittish Pomeranian and the equally skittish woman who's supposed to wrangle them both into order. As it turns out, they all have something to prove…and more than enough room in their hearts for a little puppy love.
Sophie Vasquez runs Puppy Promise, a service puppy training organization. Sophie's always been treated as the frail baby of the family—a thing she hates but doesn't know how to change. Until, that is, she meets her newest client.
Harrison Parks is a wildfire firefighter who isn't allowed back in the field unless he finds a service dog. Reluctantly, he agrees, never expecting to be assigned a skittish Pomeranian and the equally skittish woman who's supposed to wrangle them both into order. As it turns out, they all have something to prove…and more than enough room in their hearts for a little puppy love.
Hey-ho, readers! I'm nearly finished my annual Gilmore Girls marathon and thought it would be à propos to have Lucy Gilmore's book be today's featured book! Did you know that Gilmore Girls first aired 19 years ago at the beginning of this month? It's true! It first aired 5 October 2000. Next year, it'll be 20. And then, in 2021, Gilmore Girls will be 21 and we all know how we're supposed to celebrate that, right?
Anyways, I have insomnia and Manny's been working overtime this month because it's October and I don't do October very well, and I have freshly made cookies. Go check out Puppy Love and respect service dogs! Have a happily ever after!
Anyways, I have insomnia and Manny's been working overtime this month because it's October and I don't do October very well, and I have freshly made cookies. Go check out Puppy Love and respect service dogs! Have a happily ever after!
Friday, 27 September 2019
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page. Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!
Finally… reveal the book!
The desert sings of loss, always loss, and if you stand quiet with your eyes closed, it will grieve you too.
Perhaps it is the comfort that the shared sense of sorrow brings that draws her to the desert. Perhaps it is the silence unbroken but for the wind sifting through the grains of sand on the dunes. Or maybe it is the wide desert sky, the blue of which peers into her soul and finds things there better left to the darkness.
Ghazala doesn't know which of these things attracts her the most, but since the day she lost everything, the desert has been a balm to all her hurts. This place with its emptiness and the promise of heat glimmering underneath the sand lies in Qurat, a country divided almost perfectly between the desert and the forest. Every chance she gets, Ghazala slips away from the fiery landscape of her home, from Al-Naar, to soothe herself with the unchanging panorama of the desert. The humans call this place the Desert of Sadness; they believe that the land grieves for the forests that once stood on it.
Perhaps it is the comfort that the shared sense of sorrow brings that draws her to the desert. Perhaps it is the silence unbroken but for the wind sifting through the grains of sand on the dunes. Or maybe it is the wide desert sky, the blue of which peers into her soul and finds things there better left to the darkness.
Ghazala doesn't know which of these things attracts her the most, but since the day she lost everything, the desert has been a balm to all her hurts. This place with its emptiness and the promise of heat glimmering underneath the sand lies in Qurat, a country divided almost perfectly between the desert and the forest. Every chance she gets, Ghazala slips away from the fiery landscape of her home, from Al-Naar, to soothe herself with the unchanging panorama of the desert. The humans call this place the Desert of Sadness; they believe that the land grieves for the forests that once stood on it.
How does it sound? Are you intrigued?
This is The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad. I'm a fan of Nafiza Azad and I'm pretty much in love with this cover, y'all.
This is The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad. I'm a fan of Nafiza Azad and I'm pretty much in love with this cover, y'all.
Bookbub✦Goodreads✦LibraryThing
Available at::
Amazon|Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository|Google|Indiebound|Kobo
Available at::
Amazon|Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository|Google|Indiebound|Kobo
About the Book
Fatima lives in the city of Noor, a thriving stop along the Silk Road. There the music of myriad languages fills the air, and people of all faiths weave their lives together. However, the city bears scars of its recent past, when the chaotic tribe of Shayateen djinn slaughtered its entire population -- except for Fatima and two other humans. Now ruled by a new maharajah, Noor is protected from the Shayateen by the Ifrit, djinn of order and reason, and by their commander, Zulfikar.
But when one of the most potent of the Ifrit dies, Fatima is changed in ways she cannot fathom, ways that scare even those who love her. Oud in hand, Fatima is drawn into the intrigues of the maharajah and his sister, the affairs of Zulfikar and the djinn, and the dangers of a magical battlefield.
Nafiza Azad weaves an immersive tale of magic and the importance of names; fiercely independent women; and, perhaps most importantly, the work for harmony within a city of a thousand cultures and cadences.
But when one of the most potent of the Ifrit dies, Fatima is changed in ways she cannot fathom, ways that scare even those who love her. Oud in hand, Fatima is drawn into the intrigues of the maharajah and his sister, the affairs of Zulfikar and the djinn, and the dangers of a magical battlefield.
Nafiza Azad weaves an immersive tale of magic and the importance of names; fiercely independent women; and, perhaps most importantly, the work for harmony within a city of a thousand cultures and cadences.
My anxiety and depression combined forces and grabbed hold of me this week, so I took the whole week off. I just turned everything off and I've been powering through as best as I could. So, yeah, that's why this week has been postless.
That's it for this post. As always, have a happily ever after!
That's it for this post. As always, have a happily ever after!
Friday, 20 September 2019
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page. Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!
Finally… reveal the book!
Never trust anything you read on the internet.
It's sound advice. I'd read it somewhere, possibly on the internet, but I'd never really taken it seriously until the night Brandon, 26, from Brooklyn stood me up.
According to his bio, Brandon was a "thrill seeker who lived for the oment and loved with abandon," which should've been my first clue that he was full of shit.
It's sound advice. I'd read it somewhere, possibly on the internet, but I'd never really taken it seriously until the night Brandon, 26, from Brooklyn stood me up.
According to his bio, Brandon was a "thrill seeker who lived for the oment and loved with abandon," which should've been my first clue that he was full of shit.
How does it sound? Are you intrigued?
I know I am! I bought this book back in July and I've been waiting for my reading schedule to settle down so I can dive into it - and now that I've read the first page, I can't wait. This is How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway. Because I really have time to read this one too, right?
I know I am! I bought this book back in July and I've been waiting for my reading schedule to settle down so I can dive into it - and now that I've read the first page, I can't wait. This is How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway. Because I really have time to read this one too, right?
Bookbub✦Goodreads✦LibraryThing
Available at::
Amazon|Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository|Google|Indiebound|Kobo
Available at::
Amazon|Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository|Google|Indiebound|Kobo
About the Book
Swipe right for love. Swipe left for disaster.
By day, Mel Strickland is an underemployed helpdesk tech at a startup incubator, Hatch, where she helps entitled brogrammers—"Hatchlings"—who can't even fix their own laptops, but are apparently the next wave of startup geniuses. And by night, she goes on bad dates with misbehaving dudes she's matched with on the ubiquitous dating app, Fluttr.
But after one dick pic too many, Mel has had it. Using her brilliant coding skills, she designs an app of her own, one that allows users to log harrassers and abusers in online dating space. It's called JerkAlert, and it goes viral overnight.
Mel is suddenly in way over her head. Worse still, her almost-boyfriend, the dreamy Alex Hernandez—the only non-douchey guy at Hatch—has no idea she's the brains behind the app. Soon, Mel is faced with a terrible choice: one that could destroy her career, love life, and friendships, or change her life forever.
By day, Mel Strickland is an underemployed helpdesk tech at a startup incubator, Hatch, where she helps entitled brogrammers—"Hatchlings"—who can't even fix their own laptops, but are apparently the next wave of startup geniuses. And by night, she goes on bad dates with misbehaving dudes she's matched with on the ubiquitous dating app, Fluttr.
But after one dick pic too many, Mel has had it. Using her brilliant coding skills, she designs an app of her own, one that allows users to log harrassers and abusers in online dating space. It's called JerkAlert, and it goes viral overnight.
Mel is suddenly in way over her head. Worse still, her almost-boyfriend, the dreamy Alex Hernandez—the only non-douchey guy at Hatch—has no idea she's the brains behind the app. Soon, Mel is faced with a terrible choice: one that could destroy her career, love life, and friendships, or change her life forever.
That's it for today. I hope y'all check this book out and give it a go. And, as always, have a happily ever after!
Friday, 13 September 2019
I told you'd I'd bring more content and I'm delivering! Today I'm joining the First Line Friday book tag. In this bookish feature, I'll be opening up one of the books I'm working my way through this week and sharing with you the first line(s) of the book. Kind of similar to those famous one-liners my school friend used to use when we went to VICA conferences, except these one-liners will have a much higher success rate than his.
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page. Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page. Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!
It happened so fast that I, the Follower of His Word, had no chance to escape. I attempted to run, but the castle halls were quickly filled with battling men and dying women and children. I ended up hiding where I could, but I had to keep moving in order to stay alive.
How does it sound? Are you intrigued?
I guess I'll tell you now that today's first lines are from The Blacksmith Queen written by G.A. Aiken.
For those who don't know, my queen, Shelly Laurenston, also writes as G.A. Aiken. Needless to say, when she started a new series, I was squealing in excitement. And Kensington Publishing was kind enough to send me a finished copy! You'll definitely be seeing this book later on in my reviews!
I guess I'll tell you now that today's first lines are from The Blacksmith Queen written by G.A. Aiken.
For those who don't know, my queen, Shelly Laurenston, also writes as G.A. Aiken. Needless to say, when she started a new series, I was squealing in excitement. And Kensington Publishing was kind enough to send me a finished copy! You'll definitely be seeing this book later on in my reviews!
Available at::
Amazon|Apple|Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository|Google|Kobo
About the Book
When a prophesy brings war to the Land of the Black Hills, Keeley Smythe must join forces with a clan of mountain warriors who are really centaurs in a thrilling new fantasy romance series from New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken.
The Old King Is Dead
With the demise of the Old King, there’s a prophesy that a queen will ascend to the throne of the Black Hills. Bad news for the king’s sons, who are prepared to defend their birthright against all comers. But for blacksmith Keeley Smythe, war is great for business. Until it looks like the chosen queen will be Beatrix, her younger sister. Now it’s all Keeley can do to protect her family from the enraged royals.
Luckily, Keeley doesn’t have to fight alone. Because thundering to her aid comes a clan of kilt-wearing mountain warriors called the Amichai. Not the most socially adept group, but soldiers have never bothered Keeley, and rough, gruff Caid, actually seems to respect her. A good thing because the fierce warrior will be by her side for a much longer ride than any prophesy ever envisioned …
The Old King Is Dead
With the demise of the Old King, there’s a prophesy that a queen will ascend to the throne of the Black Hills. Bad news for the king’s sons, who are prepared to defend their birthright against all comers. But for blacksmith Keeley Smythe, war is great for business. Until it looks like the chosen queen will be Beatrix, her younger sister. Now it’s all Keeley can do to protect her family from the enraged royals.
Luckily, Keeley doesn’t have to fight alone. Because thundering to her aid comes a clan of kilt-wearing mountain warriors called the Amichai. Not the most socially adept group, but soldiers have never bothered Keeley, and rough, gruff Caid, actually seems to respect her. A good thing because the fierce warrior will be by her side for a much longer ride than any prophesy ever envisioned …
That's it for my very first First Lines Friday! Let me know what you think in the comments! And, as always, have a happily ever after!
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