Friday, November 23, 2018

Friday Fun - November 23rd, 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

I finally got to read the newest book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. My husband had gotten me the exclusive edition of Flashback from Barnes and Nobel, which had illustrated end pages, plus a short story from the perspective of one of the characters, Fitz. I didn't get to read it as soon as it arrived because I was trying to finish rereading the previous books. Once I did start it, I found it very hard to put back down, which didn't surprise me as I have been quite obsessed with this series. 

I will be sharing my review of the book at some point over on my homeschooling blog, Tots and Me. For now, I will be sharing my Book Beginnings and my Friday 56


Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for The Keeper of the Lost Cities: Flashback by Shannon Messenger.


From the Preface

"This time we win.
It was Sophie's only thought, even as the world around her fell into shadow and chaos.
Even as the Neverseen revealed their next more - their next twist in this deadly game.
A game Sophie had lost over and over again."

Sounds like the conflict between Sophie and her friends and the Neverseen is getting quite intense now. I was definitely looking forward to finding out what was going on. 

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection.

 The Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

"'Grizel handed her a new throwing star. 'Okay, then try aiming for the forehead this time.'
Sophie stared at the dummy, telling herself it was just a faceless, weathered hunk of wood shaped like a body. But her queasy stomach didn't get the message.'"

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Friday Fun - October 26th, 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

Last time I shared from Fugitive Six by Pittacus Lore. This is the second book in the Lorien Legacies Reborn series, which takes place after the events of the I am Number Four series. Since then I have finished the Land of Stories series and started rereading the Keeper of the Lost Cities books in preparation for book 7: Flashback, coming out in a week and a half. The fourth book that we were waiting for never did become available. It appears we were not first in line to receive it, but third, which means we won't be seeing it until at least December. Sooo, my hubby surprised me by buying the boxed set of the first five books. Anyhow, I will be reading these books for the next couple of weeks. 

For today I wanted to share my Book Beginnings and Friday 56 from the last book of the Land of Stories series titled: Worlds Collide. It was an action packed ending to this great series. 


Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer.

"Bookworm Paradise had never been so crowded. Over a thousand guests were cramped inside the bookstore's event space, until there were no more open chairs and no standing room left"

Well, this wasn't quite what I was expecting from the prologue of the last book of this series. The picture on the page and the title share that there is a birthday party occurring, and even who it is for. Many years have passed since the events of the last book, which was a bit confusing. I had to question whether this event was real or a dream. I will say, after reading the entire book, I do like the way the author kept us in suspense throughout the entire book, not knowing for sure what happened to a certain character who was in trouble at the end of the previous book. 

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection.

 The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer

"'You can't let the darkness consume you,' Froggy told himself. 'There is too much you'll miss out on if you give in to it! You have to find a way out of this prison so you can have a future with the people you love! You must hold on to your identity so you don't suffer the same fate as the man from the Evil Queen's magic mirror!''"

Saturday, October 6, 2018

Friday Fun - October 6th, 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

Last week I shared that I was reading Generation One in the Lorien Legacies Reborn series because I had to hurry up as Fugitive Six (the second book) was due back at the library. Well, I finished it and started Fugitive Six. So, today that is the book I am sharing.


Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for Fugitive Six by Pittacus Lore.

From the Prologue:

"Duanphen watched the beggar as he scurried through traffic with his bucket and rag. The boy couldn't have been more than twelve, small, with a mop of greasy black hair. He picked his cars smartly-shiny ones with tinted windows and drunk passengers."

Well, I was a bit surprised that the book opened by introducing a new character. Wasn't sure if I would like it, but fortunately it was just setting the stage for what was going on, and in chapter two we were back with the characters we've come to know and love. 

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection.

 Fugitive Six by Pittacus Lore

"'They've got moles here,' Taylor said. 'Maybe we should get some there.'
'How do you suggest we do that?'
'Let me go back,' Taylor replied. 'Let them recruit me. I'll be a double agent.'"

Friday, September 28, 2018

Friday Fun - September 28th, 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

Yep, we are still waiting on book 4 in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger. If the person who has it out from the library returns it on time, we have about a three week wait. Which puts us really really close to the release of book 7. Tabitha is really hoping to read the rest of the series before book 7 is released, as am I. 

Last week I had mentioned that I had the Lorien Legacies Reborn series in the library book box but was waiting to read them until I was done with The Land of Stories. Today I realized the second book in that series is due, so I put the Land of Stories book down and picked up Generation One, because I can't remember very many details as I read it a year ago. So, I am reading two books: The Land of Stories: An Author's Odyssey by Chris Colfer, and Generation One by Pittacus Lore. As I shared snippets from Generation One a couple of weeks ago, today I will be sharing from An Author's Odyssey.


Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for The Land of Stories: An Author's Odyssey by Chris Colfer.

From the Prologue:

"Willow Crest Unified School District spared no expense celebrating the retirement of a beloved principal. The community banquet hall was decorated so elegantly, there wasn't a trace of Senior Bingo from the night before."

Well, that was a bit different. Obviously this was back in the real world and I knew who the retirement party was for. The question was, why was the author coming back here. I thought I might know, but I wasn't quite sure.

From Chapter 1:

"The air was filled with so much smoke, you could barely see the sky. Every time it was cleared by a strong wind, it was quickly replenished from another pillaged town or forest fire."

Well, things aren't looking good for the fairy tale world at the beginning of this book. No surprise for anyone who read the previous book. But it sure was a bit depressing to see how bad things had gotten.

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection.

 The Land of Stories: An Author's Odyssey by Chris Colfer

"'You will get what I promised once the royals have been recaptured and executed,' the Masked Man said, 'You agreed to make me an emperor, and I won't be a true emperor until all my adversaries have been destroyed!'"

Friday, September 21, 2018

Friday Fun - September 21st, 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

Well, we are still waiting on book 4 in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger. I do still have the Lorien Legacies Reborn series in the library book box, but I decided I needed to finish the Land of Stories books we have out first, seeing as they will be due sooner. Plus, I stopped The Enchantress Returns halfway through. So, I actually finished that book, plus the third in the series, A Grimm Warning, and am now reading book number four in this fun, imaginative tale by Chris Colfer called Beyond the Kingdoms.

Today I will be sharing my Book Beginnings and Friday 56 from these two books.


Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer.

"It was no mystery why this part of the countryside had been christened the Black Forest. The abnormally dark leaves and tree bark were nearly impossible to see in the night."

This is from the prologue, and it was a bit different than how the other books in the series began. I honestly had no clue what was going on, but was eager to find out. This seen took place 200 years prior to the events in the story and I was so curious how they fit into the story.

Here is my book beginnings for The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms by Chris Colfer.

"In the cozy study of his home, Hans Christian Andersen was busy writing at his desk."

Well, having read book 3, I had a better idea where this prologue was coming from, and I was quite intrigued. I couldn't wait to read more back story.

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections. 

The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer

"They hadn't said a word to Conner since the school year began. Instead, they would just stare daggers at him from afar-as if he had publicly humiliated them in the past and never apologized for it."

The Legacy Chronicles: Trial By Fire by Pittacus Lore

"No matter how logical it was to her, the Fairy Council refused to believe the two were connected. Alex did the best she could to keep her frustration in check, but she could feel it bubbling up inside her like a volcano."

Friday, September 14, 2018

Friday Fun - September 14 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

Though books 5 and 6 of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger are now in my possession, it appears it is going to be quite the wait for book number 4. Seems we are second in line, which means if the book gets returned on time it will still be another month before we get it. I can't believe there is only one copy in our entire library system (of 50 libraries). I did start The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer, but I sort of put it aside when I spied a new book in the I Am Number Four Series at the library. 


The Legacy Chronicles: Trial By Fire by Pittacus Lore is a collection of three short stories that feature Sam and Six from the I am Number Four series. This story takes place "behind the scenes" while the events of Generation One are taking place (from what I can figure).  When I found this book, I was also thrilled to see the sequel to Generation One was also out. I can't wait to read Fugitive Six in the Legacies Reborn series, but first I plan on reading Generation One, as it has been awhile. So, today's Book Beginnings and Friday 56 are coming from Generation One and The Legacy Chronicles Trial by Fire


Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for Generation One by Pittacus Lore.

"The week before the invasion, Kopano's father, Udo, sold their TV. Despite his mother's fervent prayers for his father to find a new job, Udo was unemployed and they were three months behind on rent."

Didn't quite know where this was going at all, when I first read it last year. It was quite a bit different from the I am Number Four series. But I am glad I stuck with it, even with all these new characters and such.

Here is my book beginnings for The Legacy Chronicles: Trial By Fire by Pittacus Lore.

The city was coming back to life. As Six and Sam walked up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan's middle latitudes, they were surrounded by crews repairing the damage from the Mogadorian invasion that had taken place more than a year earlier. While huge swaths of the city had been reduced to rubble, new buildings were rising from the ashes of the old."

Now this is more of what I expected to hear from a followup of the I am Number Four series. Of course, I have already read Generation One, so I know what is going on. But it was so nice to see Sam and Six again. I couldn't wait to read the rest of this book.

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections. 

Generation One by Pittacus Lore

"She nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired. Then, Taylor reached for the salt and the little glass shaker slid across the table right into her waiting palm. The looked at each other."

The Legacy Chronicles: Trial By Fire by Pittacus Lore

"Six took it. A moment later, she felt a warmth penetrate her skin. Surprised, she looked into Edwige's face. The girl looked back at her, expressionless, and almost imperceptibly shook her head. She held Six's hand for another moment, then let go. Six ran her fingertips over her palm. There was no cut."

Friday, August 31, 2018

Friday Fun - August 31st, 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

We are still waiting for books 4, 5, and 6 of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger to become available through interlibrary loan. It may be a couple more weeks. In the meantime, I finished The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer, and today I started the second book titled The Enchantress Returns. So, today I will be featuring just the one book.


Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer.

"The East was in a period of great celebration. Daily parades marched through the village streets, every home and shop was decorated in colorful banners and wreaths, and handfuls of flower petals were thrown and floated through the air."

Such a wonderful glimpse at what the Eastern Kingdom, formally known as the Sleeping Kingdom, has become since Alex and Connor left the Fairy Tale realm at the end of the first book. Sadly, the reader knows that this is the calm before the storm, seeing as the Enchantress is known from the first book to be the one who cast the Sleeping curse on Sleeping Beauty. Can't wait to see where the story is going to go from here.

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections. 

The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer

"Conner realized he wanted to get Alex's input on all of this. But as he reached their house, he came to a halt. There was something there he didn't expect to see.

The front door flew open before Conner could open it himself. Alex was standing on the other side, wide-eyed and white-faced."

Friday, August 24, 2018

Friday Fun - August 24th, 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

I finished the first three books in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger again. Now we are waiting for books 4, 5, and 6 to become available through interlibrary loan. It may be a couple of weeks. So, I read a book I had been wanting to read for a while, but we had to wait until we finished the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan as the events in the book take place after the events in that series, and the events in the first two Percy Jackson series. That book is Demigods & Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes. This book is a compilation of three crossover stories, which is really cool. I'll be posting my review on my Fun Fiction Friday over on Tots and Me...Growing Up Together. I also decided to reread The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer. I actually reviewed this book last summer, but I never got to any of the sequels. My daughter is now ahead of me in this series, and I figured I'd catch up while waiting for the next Keeper of the Lost Cities books. 

I'm going to be sharing my Book Beginnings and Friday 56 for the following three books:


Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger

The last time I shared my Book Beginnings for this book, I took it from the Preface. This time it is from chapter 1.

"'What are you waiting for?' Keefe shouted over the howling wind and the roaring sea. 'Don't tell be the great Sophie Foster is afraid.'"

I admit, I had to wonder why Sophie was afraid and what these two were up to.

And here is my Book Beginnings for The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer



Again, I did already share a Book Beginnings for this book. Last year. However, it was also from the prologue, so I figured I would share one from chapter 1 this time around.

'"'Once upon a time. . .' Mrs. Peters said to her sixth-grade class. 'These are the most magical words our world has ever known and the gateway into the greatest stories ever told.'" 

A great beginning to this magical series, especially in light of the prologue. 

Finally, here is my Book Beginnings for Demigods & Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes by Rick Riordan.

"Getting eaten by a giant crocodile was bad enough. The kid with the glowing sword only made my day worse."

Well, that sure was a way to grab the reader's attention. As someone who had read the Kane Chronicles and the Percy Jackson books, it was obvious that Carter Kane and Percy were meeting, but such interesting circumstances to be meeting over. I couldn't wait to keep reading this one.

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections. 

Keeper of the Lost Cities Everblaze by Shannon Messenger

"Thunder crashed as the sky split, and Sophie and Keefe tumbled across a patch of sunlit grass, coming to a stop on the path leading up to Everglen"

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

"'She told them all about her recent trips, the difficulties she and her friends experienced getting into and out of places, and all the interesting people she had met along the way."

Demigods & Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes by Rick Riordan

"The platform was strangely empty, but a flash of light by the exit stairwell caught Annabeth's eye. A young blond girl in white clothes was swinging a wooden staff, trying to hit a strange animal that weaved around her legs, barking angrily."

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Friday Fun (on Saturday) - August 11th, 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post, a day late. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Friday and the Friday 56.

I still have a bunch of books out from the library. Last week I had every intention of reading at least one new book. And I did start one, I chose House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo. However, I was still in "obsessed-mode" with the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger, so I borrowed the first book from my daughter and we took turns reading it. I am now on book two for the second time, Keeper of the Lost Cities: Exile. I am also not sad anymore about having to wait so long for the seventh book. My husband let me pre-order the limited collectors edition of Keeper of the Lost Cities: Flashback. Still have to wait for November, but that is a lot better than having no clue when I would have been able to get it from the library.

So, seeing as I didn't start back up with these Friday Fun posts until I was past the first two books of the series, I will share those this week.




Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

From the Preface:

"Blurry, fractured memories swam through Sophie's mind, but she couldn't piece them together. She tried opening her eyes and found only darkness."

The little peek from the Preface caught my attention a lot more than the first paragraph of chapter 1.

"'Miss Foster!' Mr. Sweeney's nasal voice cut through Sophie's blaring music as he yanked her earbuds out by the cords. 'Have you decided that you're too smart to pay attention to this information?'"

I wasn't sure what to think of Sophie at first, but I am so glad I gave this series a chance. It is one of my favorites now. It helped that the reader learns quite quickly why Sophie was listening to her music instead of paying attention.

And here is my book beginnings for Keeper of the Lost Cities: Exile by Shannon Messenger

First from the Preface

"Sophie's hands shook as she lifted the tiny green bottle. One swallow held life and death -- and not just for her.

Now that little peek was quite intriguing. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but it sounded like there was going to be quite a hard decision for her to make. But why? 

And from Chapter 1

'"I still can't believe we're tracking Bigfoot,' Sophie whispered as she stared at the giant footprint in the muddy soil. Each massive toe was as wide as her arm, and the print formed a deep, mucky puddle." 

Sounded like fun.  

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections. 

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

"She peeled her eyes away from the strange scene as Alden led her out of the garden to a meadow with a house in the center, one so large, so elegant, she couldn't believe anyone could call it 'home.' Part castle, part manor, it was made almost entirely of intricately cut crystal, and among the numerous turrets and gables rose a tower that resembled a lighthouse."



Keeper of the Lost Cities:Exile by Shannon Messenger

"'You don't have to come today, ' he told Sophie after a second. 'It's not an easy thing to do--'
'I know,' She wrapped her arms around him, wishing she could squeeze away the sadness in his voice. 'But I want to come.'"

Friday, August 3, 2018

Friday Fun - August 3rd, 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Friday and the Friday 56.

I am currently participating in the summer reading program for adults at my library, so I have quite a few books out of the library. I just finished the sixth book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger. I was so sad when I learned I have to wait months before the seventh book is out. According to Amazon, the book should be out in November. Unfortunately, my library doesn't have the series, and I have to take it out through interlibrary loan. What makes it "unfortunate" is that new books can't be transferred between libraries, so I don't know when I will be able to read it. 

For now, I will be sharing from the sixth book, Keeper of the Lost Cities Nightfall, and I will also be sharing from the two books I started today, trying to figure out which one to read. I'm curious which one you would choose.




Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for Keeper of the Lost Cities: Nightfall by Shannon Messenger

"Sophie stared at the gleaming trail that wound down. And down. And down. Disappearing into the misty shadows far below. The path of ancient silver and gold stones shouldn't exist - and yet it had been there all along."

Definitely intrigued. What new secrets are going to be uncovered in this sixth book of the series. The thing with the prefaces in this series is, the author takes them from scenes further in the book. But for some reason, I forget all about the preface while I'm reading and don't even realize when I've come to the scene.

As that is really the preface, which is sharing a scene from later in the book, I decided to share the beginning of chapter one as well, like I did the last two weeks.

"''You remember me?' The question slipped from Sophie's lips before she could stop it, and the weighted words seemed to hit the floor of the messy bedroom with a thud. The wide-eyed, trembling girl standing in front of her slowly nodded, and Sophie's heart swelled even as it plummeted into the sour pit of her stomach."

Well, I'm not going to give away who it is that is remembering Sophie, but if you read the previous five books, you will know at the very end of book five, and it was quite the twist. This character plays an interesting, and unexpected role in the sixth book.

Here is my book beginnings for House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

"Thirty Years Ago
The walls of the house absorbed the woman's screams, until they felt to her as muffled and pointless as yelling underwater. Still, her lungs kept pushing out cries for help. Her attacker carried her over his shoulder."

Well, that is quite the beginning. Definitely going to be some suspense in this book, and some creepiness from what I can tell looking at the cover and the back of the book.

Here is my book beginnings for The Road Home by Beverly Lewis

"August 29, 1977
If you're anything like me, you want to plan ahead. Not too far, but enough to feel prepared. Or at least somewhat settled." 

Honestly not sure what to think here. Knowing that sometime there is going to be a death that leaves this person separated from her old life and family it seems that these first few sentences show that though we may want to plan ahead, things happen in life that make that tricky or difficult at times. 

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections. 

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Nightfall by Shannon Messenger

"'I can't let anything happen to you,' she said quietly. 'I could never live with that guilt. I promise I'll check in - and you can hail me anytime you want. Just please say you'll stay here in Atlantis, where it's safe.'"

House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

'But. . . doesn't it bother you?' Obviously not, since they were heading to a real estate agent to buy the place.
Dad smiled at Xander. 'Not yet.'"

The Road Home by Beverly Lewis

"In the end, Tessa had been more anxious to leave home than either he or Mimi had expected, leaving Mimi high and dry with work when Tessa accepted Manny's proposal after a whirlwind courtship."

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Friday Fun - July 27th, 2018

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Friday and the Friday 56.

I am currently participating in the summer reading program for adults at my library, so I have quite a few books out of the library. However, I only have one book I'd like to share today. I have been quite obsessed with the Keeper of the Lost Cities books I took out several weeks ago, and have been having a very hard time putting them down. I finished Neverseen a few days ago, and started right in with Lodestar.


Keeper of the Lost Cities: Lodestar by Shannon Messenger is book five of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series that I was recently introduced to. 

It is a wonderful fantasy series about a girl who finds out the family she was living with wasn't really her family, and she isn't even really human. She goes to live with her people and finds out many strange truths about her life, getting herself into lots of disasters along the way, but also making some very close friends as she goes about trying to figure out just what her part is in this world and what nefarious secrets are being kept by those who should be trusted.

Book Beginnings on Fridays


(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for Keeper of the Lost Cities: Lodestar by Shannon Messenger

"This is what they want. The words tumbled through Sophie's mind as she raced up the spiral staircase, counting her steps, trying to guess which door to take."

Not as nerve wracking as the preface from Neverseen, but still has me wanting to find out what is going on..

As that is really the preface, which is sharing a scene from later in the book, I decided to share the beginning of chapter one as well, like I did last week.

"''This is a security nightmare!' Sandor grumbled, keeping his huge gray hand poised over his enormous black sword. His squeaky voice reminded Sophie more of a talking mouse than a deadly bodyguard."

I was so glad to see they were back at Foxfire, the elven school, and things seemed to be back to "normal" compared to the previous book.

Now for:
The Friday 56


The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection. 

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Lodestar by Shannon Messenger

"She could feel the threads of his conviction, like roots digging deep. But whether they would hold him steady through the coming storms, she couldn't tell. She'd have to keep an eye on him."