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 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."

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."

Friday Fun - July 20th, 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 a few weeks ago, and have been having a very hard time putting them down. I finished Everblaze yesterday, and started right in with Neverseen.

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Neverseen by Shannon Messenger is book four 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: Neverseen by Shannon Messenger

"Sophie stumbled backward, scrambling closer to her friends as a cage of neon yellow flames erupted all around them. Heat licked across her skin and smoke choked her lungs while the Neverseen moved forward, their black cloaks gone, disguises abandoned."

Another nerve-wracking scene in the preface of this fourth book of the series.

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.

"'We have to go,' Fitz said, bursting through the doors of Everglen's upstairs guest room. He found Sophie sitting alone on the edge of the giant canopy bed, already dressed in some of her old human clothes."

Seems the book is starting right where the previous book left off. From the last book we know they have to run away, and now we get to find out what is going to happen.

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: Neverseen by Shannon Messenger

"'She blinked out of sight, reappearing a second later knee-deep in the river. Sophie wasn't sure what was crazier, how fast Della had moved, or how she hadn't caused ripples in the water."

Friday Fun- July 14th, 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. Sadly, I guess there is no more Friday Finds. Not sure when she stopped posting them; however, seeing as I haven't posted in a year I can't really talk. Going to try to be more diligent in posting here though.

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 have three books I would like to share about today.   

Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy is the book I just finished. Took me a day. Thankfully we were on the road, on our way home from vacation and I had hours to just read. 

THR3E by Ted Dekker is a book I took out from the library last year for summer reading program, but I never got to it. I decided I should try again, especially after realizing how much I enjoyed Kiss.

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger is book three of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series that I was recently introduced to. I fell in love with the story immediately. The only reason I was able to read Kiss is because I was waiting for this book to become available through inter-library loan. 

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 are my book beginnings:

Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy

"The view from my therapist's window is unremarkable. Four stories down, the parking lot blacktop ripples under waves of Texas's blazing summer heat. I stand here facing the view because it's easier to look at then the two men in the office behind me."

This beginning intrigued me and I was definitely drawn in to read further. Why was she in a therapist's office? Why didn't she want to look at the men behind her? Who were they? I'm so glad I stuck it out with this book.

THR3E by Ted Dekker

"The office had no windows, only electric lanterns to light the hundreds of spines standing in their cherry wood bookcases. A single lawyer's lamp spread its yellow hue over the leather-topped desk."

I honestly am not sure what to think of this first sentence. It definitely isn't drawing me in as the other book did. However, the information on the book flap has intrigued me, so I will give this book a try.

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger

"The mirror slipped from Sophie's hands, landing on the petal-covered carpet with the softest thud. Both sides of the glass survived the crash without cracking. But inside, Sophie shattered."

Oh dear, this is quite a nerve-wracking opening to the third book of the series. Knowing all the hardship Sophie has been through and the challenges that stand against her, I can't wait to see what's happening this time. 

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. 

Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy

"She cried out and opened her eyes. She saw stars . . . through a window. A window over . . . the head of a bed. Her bed. Wayne was sitting on her bed, leaning over here, holding her wrists down on the mattress."

THR3E by Ted Dekker

"Kevin stared at them. It had been a long time since he'd seen them like this. They'd slipped into their role-playing on the fly. For the moment he didn't even exist. It was hard to imagine he grew up with these two.'"

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger

"'They jumped off the mountain together, screaming and flailing until the sky cracked open and they plummeted into the void."

Friday Fun- July 29nd, 2017

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with 3 different book parties that post on Fridays: Friday Finds, 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 a slew of new-to-me books out. 

This is just a fraction of the books, as more came available after I took this picture.

Friday Finds

(FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).)

As you can see, I have a lot of books on my TBR list. This week I am going to share the books that I discovered when I was looking for some fantasy books. One of which was found when I was specifically looking for books with Christian themes or written by Christian authors, the others were books that were on display at the library and caught my attention.

On to:

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 are my book beginnings:

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

"'Block!'
'Where?'
'I can't tell you where -- you're supposed to follow my movements!'"

Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

"Five Enemies.
Five dented helmets sit lopsided over five equally dented breastplates; five black suns shine, scratched yet distinct, on the silver metal"

Well, it seems something bad is about to happen. This is the prologue, so it occurred to me that this probably wasn't happening to the main character of the story, but to the one before, Number Three. I was quite anxious to find out what was going to happen. I didn't have long to wait. 

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

"The dungeon was a miserable place. Light was scarce and flickered from the torches bolted to the stone walls."

Well, this sounds like a charming place to visit. However, the title of the prologue is "The Queens' Visit" so I had to wonder why the queen was visiting this dank place. 

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 Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

"A budding tremble of hope, of eagerness and pride, was growing within him. He could see himself here. Could imagine himself master of a grand estate like this."

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

"He sighs and shakes his head. 'Don't do anything stupid. I'll be right here at the end of the day.'"

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

"' I've never met a person I didn't learn something from!' Grandma said, 'Even the most monotonous people will surprise you. Remember that.'"

Friday Fun- July 15th, 2017

Wow, I did it again. I neglected this poor blog for three years. Well, time to try again. I am currently participating in the summer reading program for adults at my library, so I have a slew of new-to-me books out. 

This is just a fraction of the books, as more came available after I took this picture.

I thought I would start in again with the different book parties I used to be involved with.

I am going to be sharing with 3 different book memes on Fridays: Friday Finds, Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56. So, let's get started. 

Friday Finds

(FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).)

As you can see, I have a lot of books on my TBR list. This week I will share the four that are currently waiting for me that aren't in the library book box.

It's been a few years since I've read anything by Julie Klassen. I remember how much I enjoyed Lady of Milkweed Manor, and I decided I would try another one of her books. In this book a young lady named Mariah is banished from her home and has to live in an abandoned gatehouse on a distant relatives estate. We don't know what she did wrong at the beginning of the story, but she is supporting herself by secretly writing books. Quite intriguing. 

I had taken I Am Number Four out of the library a while ago, but never had time to read it. The librarian mentioned that it was on her list of series she wanted to read, but she hadn't gotten to it yet. So, I decided to try it again. I was reading it in the van while the children played outside, and I have to say, it hooked me right away. The main premise of the book is that their are some aliens living among us who have come to Earth to escape enemies who destroyed their people. They have to live apart from one another so the charm protecting them will keep them safe. However, the first three have been killed by the enemies who found them, and now they are after Number Four.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, was one of the books on display in the children's room of the library. Yes, this is how they get me every time. It looked like a book I would enjoy, so I grabbed it up. It is about a couple of children, twins, who discover that the land of fairy tales is actually real. Well, I love the tv show Once Upon a Time, and other movies like this, so I knew I had to try this book.

Yes, I am reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This is not the first time. I found it at the library because my daughter is reading our copy, so I can include it in my Friday Finds, right? 

On to:

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 are my book beginnings:

The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

"The end of the only life I've ever known, thought Mariah Aubrey, looking back through the carriage window at the shrinking figures of her mother and sister. Nineteen-year-old Julia stood in the foreground shoulders heaving as she wept."

The first question that pops into my mind is, what happened to end her life as she knew it. Knowing the story of Lady of Milkweed Manor and the fact that this book takes place in the early 1800's, I figure it has to be something that probably wouldn't be that big of a deal in this day and age, but back then had earned her the disgrace of her family. I am quite curious as to find out what she did wrong.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

"The door starts shaking, it's a flimsy thing made of bamboo shoots held together with tattered lengths of twine. The shake is subtle and stops almost immediately."

Well, it seems something bad is about to happen. This is the prologue, so it occurred to me that this probably wasn't happening to the main character of the story, but to the one before, Number Three. I was quite anxious to find out what was going to happen. I didn't have long to wait. 

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

"The dungeon was a miserable place. Light was scarce and flickered from the torches bolted to the stone walls."

Well, this sounds like a charming place to visit. However, the title of the prologue is "The Queens' Visit" so I had to wonder why the queen was visiting this dank place. 

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 Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

"A budding tremble of hope, of eagerness and pride, was growing within him. He could see himself here. Could imagine himself master of a grand estate like this."

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

"He sighs and shakes his head. 'Don't do anything stupid. I'll be right here at the end of the day.'"

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

"' I've never met a person I didn't learn something from!' Grandma said, 'Even the most monotonous people will surprise you. Remember that.'"