September Round-Up and First Lines.

 

September was a bit of a rocky month, reading wise.  My husband left for an extended deployment and that left me taking care of my 4 year old and 9 month old without any help from family (since none lives nearby).  While that leaves me lots of time for reading in the evenings, sometimes the loneliness is more than I can take and I need to invite friends over (or at least turn on the tv so that I can hear another person's voice).  There is also the never ending battle with the Heir about bedtime and is ever growing list of "Just One Thing"s that he uses to delay my favorite part of the day - when he is asleep!

I did manage to fit in 6 books (and The Witch's Daughter was super long so that has got to count for 2); one phenomenal, and a few "meh". 

The first words you read can often set the tone for the entire story.  I thought it would be fun to keep track of the first lines of the books I read each month and share them with you.  Below are the first lines for all the books I read in September.

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

"All the best things in my life have started with a Dolly Parton song."

This was my favorite first line this month.  It just tells so much about the character in that one little line.  This was also my favorite read for the month.  I know it is super hyped right now, but if you haven't yet given this one a shot, do.  It is a great story with fantastic characters and shares a very important message, that everyone is beautiful and that everyone struggles with insecurities.  

The Suffering by Rin Chupeco
"I'm no hero, believe me."

A solid opening, if a little boring.  The Suffering is an awesome read for October, in fact I really wish it has been released next month instead of this one.  Incredibly creepy but with a bit of heart.

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
"The feathers were Lace's first warning."

Interesting first line but not as compelling as I had hoped.  That goes for the rest of the book as well.  Good, but not great.  Disappointing for someone who is as big a fan of magical realism as I am.

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston
"Bess ran."

B-O-R-I-N-G.  Worst first line of the month.  The book wasn't as bad, but for a character who had been around for hundreds of years it sure took Bess a long time to figure out the obvious. 

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
"On the day we're the last people to see indie kid Finn alive, we're all sprawled together in the Field, talking about love and stomachs."

Runner up for best line.  Loved the concept of this book, I just wanted MORE.  Even though living in a world of heroes was interesting, it didn't really impact the plot and, if it weren't for that gimmick, I'm not sure I would have bothered to read the book.

A Madness so Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
"They all had their terrors."

This book had a lot of potential but the lackluster characters just couldn't pull it off.  Trigger warning on this one - the first few scenes in the Boston asylum are pretty disturbing.

UP NEXT:

In October I have review copies of:

We'll Never Be Apart by Emiko Jean
The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow
Walk on Earth A Stranger by Rae Carson (a leftover from Sept)

I am also looking forward to the releases of:

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
The Rose Society by Marie Lu
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink

And I am really hoping to fit in a few books that I missed out on this summer:

Uprooted by Naomi Novik
The Last Ever After by Soman Chainani
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

We are expecting some serious storm weather over the next couple days so I am hoping to jump start my October list on those dark, rainy nights.

That's it from me this month.  What titles are you looking forward to? 

First Lines: June 2014

The first words you read can often set the tone for the entire story.  I thought it would be fun to keep track of the first lines of the books I read each month and share them with you.  Below are the first lines for all the books I read in June.

 The Martian by Andy Weir

"I'm pretty much fucked."

Don't You Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn
"It was a bizarre May day parade at midnight instead of midday."

 Fan Art by Sarah Tregay
" 'Nah,' I say about the brunette at the next table."

Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
"This job could kill her."

I am really hoping to be on the other side of my reading slump.  May and June were incredibly busy and I just couldn't seem to garner the least motivation to read anything.  So, things have been slow going, hence the slim pickings for first lines this month.

My favorite first line was definitely from The Martian.  It told so much about the situation and the character in just four words.  Don't You Forget About Me also get an honorable mention for drawing me into the scene.

My least favorite line was from Fan Art.  It just didn't grab me at all. 

First Lines: April 2014

The first words you read can often set the tone for the entire story.  I thought it would be fun to keep track of the first lines of the books I read each month and share them with you.  Below are the first lines for all the books I read in April.

Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen

"On the second day of January, windswept and bright, a half-blood Seminole named Sammy Tigertail dumped a dead body in the Lostmans River."

 

 The Break Up Artist by Philip Siegel

"Couples are made to be broken."

A Creature of Moonlight by Rebecca Hahn
"All summer long the villagers have been talking of the woods."

Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley
"At precisely seven in the morning, my oldest sister, Ericka, arrived at our Brooklyn shack and was horrified to find out dad sprawled out on the couch basting in a sea of beer cans."

Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times by Emma Trevayne
"There are doorways and there are doorways."

Life by Committee by Corey Ann Haydu

"Hey, Tabitha? I have a secret, Joe types."

I Kill The Mockingbird by Paul Acampora
"My mother's wheelchair does not fit through the bathroom door, and I don't know what to do about it."

Some great lines this month! I wasn't the biggest fan of Nature Girl but I did enjoy the detail and the picture that its first line painted.  I also really enjoyed both A Creature of Moonlight and Flight's and Chimes and Mysterious Times for their fantastical lines 

 

My least favorite was from Life by Committee.  It was a pretty standard and boring line and set us up for a lackluster teenage romance. 

First Lines: March 2014

The first words you read can often set the tone for the entire story.  I thought it would be fun to keep track of the first lines of the books I read each month and share them with you.  Below are the first lines for all the books I read in March.

 

 The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer

"Just call me Ethan."

Far From You by Tess Sharpe

"It doesn't start here."

Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong

"After three days of tramping across endless lava fields, Ronan quickened his steps at the sight of the forest."

A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani
"There is an uneasiness that remains after your best friend tries to kill you."

House of Ivy and Sorrow by Natalie Whipple
"They say a witch lives in the old house under the interstate bridge."

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
"I didn't recognize the name on the street sign."

Sleep No More by Aprilynne Pike
"I sit on the itchy couch and stare at Mommy's eyes, wishing for them to open."

My favorite first line this month came from A World Without Princes.  It was the perfect way to re-introduce the reader to the story while also keeping that sense of other-worldliness that makes this series so wonderful.  My least favorite line was probably from Vigilante Poets.  It just didn't have any zing and that theme continued through the rest of the novel. 

First Lines: February 2014

The first words you read can often set the tone for the entire story.  I thought it would be fun to keep track of the first lines of the books I read each month and share them with you.  Below are the first lines for all the books I read in February.

 Fog Magic by Julia L. Sauer

"From the time she was a baby in her cradle, Greta had loved the fog."

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

 "The wet night air bounced against the electric street lamps, giving off tiny sparks like flint."

World After by Susan Ee

"Everyone thinks I'm dead."

The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty

"Maximillian Reisman can stand on his head for thirty minutes if he wants to."

Going Over by Beth Kephart

"We live with ghosts."

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan
"The morning before our ship, Parastrata, docks at the skyport, I rise early."

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

“Please tell me that's not going to be part of my birthday dinner this evening.”

Cress by Marissa Meyer

"Her satellite made one full orbit around planet Earth every sixteen hours." 

My favorite this month is a toss up between Lost Lake's  "The wet night air bounced against the electric street lamps, giving off tiny sparks like flint." and The Cracks in the Kingdom's "Maximillian Reisman can stand on his head for thirty minutes if he wants to."

I love the magic and beauty of Sarah Addison Allen's line and the sheer ubsurdity of Jaclyn Moriarty's.  

My least favorite line was Salvage's "The morning before our ship, Parastrata, docks at the skyport, I rise early."  It isn't that there is anything in particular that is WRONG with this line, it just isn't particularly interesting.

First Lines: January 2014

The first words you read can often set the tone for the entire story.  I thought it would be fun to keep track of the first lines of the books I read each month and share them with you.  Below are the first lines for all the books I read in January.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
"I remember being born."

 Waking Kate by Sarah Addison Allen

 "Kate was in the kitchen putting ice cubes on a plate of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, two glasses of wine on the counter next to her, when she heard the evening news come on."

The Lure by Lynne Ewing

"The night heat melted over me, the quiet unsettling since the laughter had stopped."

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
"The feathers were starting to be a nuisance."

Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore

"Adventure awaits."

The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen

"In my life, I'd had my share of fights, sometimes with fists, sometimes with knives, occasionally with a sword."

How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller

"My father never wasted his wisdom on me."

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
"To many, I was myth incarnate, the embodiment of a most superb legend, a fairy tale."

My favorite first line this month was from The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender.  I have not yet finished the book, but from the very first line it set up the beautiful and whimsical language that Leslye Walton favors and which lends a magical quality to this book.  

My least favorite line was from Manor of Secrets.  "Adventure awaits." was far too simple and boring for my taste.  Unfortunately, it was also indicative of the type of character that the book featured.  It was not terribly bad, but it certainly wasn't all that great either. 

First Lines: December, 2013

The first words you read can often set the tone for the entire story.  I thought it would be fun to keep track of the first lines of the books I read each month and share them with you.  Below are the first lines for all the books I read in December.

Unhinged by A.G. Howard

"My art teacher says that a real artist bleeds for her craft, but never told us that blood can become your medium, can take on a life of its own and shape your art in vile and gruesome ways."

Defy by Sara B. Larson

The crackle and hiss of the flames devouring our house couldn't block out the screaming and wailing of those who were still alive."

Wow.  Slim pickings this month.  With report cards and Christmas prep, I didn't get much reading time in this month.  To be honest, netbinging 8 seasons worth of Supernatural didn't help either!

First Lines: November 2013

The first words you read can often set the tone for the entire story.  I thought it would be fun to keep track of the first lines of the books I read each month and share them with you.  Below are the first lines for all the books I read in November.

Embers and Echoes by Karsten Knight

 "Ashline Wilde lay battered on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway and watched her boyfriend emerge from the fiery car wreck, back from the dead."

 Afterglow by Karsten Knight

"Colt's snowmobile picked up speed as he revved the engine, racing north across the vast glacier."

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

"Eleven years, two months, seven days."