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!
On the bright side of the valley, ten furrows from Lane End and some twenty furlongs from the village of North Owlcot, in a place where the great metal city of Medlock was just a dream, there was a small farm.
This one is the opening to a middle-grade book: any ideas?
This is my current read which is incredibly engaging. I’ve booked myself some reading time tomorrow morning to finish it. Goodreads synopsis:
A year after the death of her older brother, Prue Haywood’s family is still shattered by grief. But everything changes when a stranger arrives at the farm. A new, incredible technology has been discovered in the city of Medlock, where a secretive guild of inventors has developed a way to capture spirits of the dead in animal-like machines, bringing them back to life. Prue knows that the “Ghost Guild” might hold the key to bringing her brother back, so she seizes the stranger’s offer to join as an apprentice. But to find her brother, she needs to find a way to get the ghost machines to remember the people they used to be. Yet if Prue succeeds, all of society could come apart…
Cover Designer: Anneka Sandher Cover Illustrator: Elsa Klever Publisher: Hot Key Books Released: 30th May 2019
There were two reasons I was attracted to
this book: the front cover (Elsa Klever)
which immediately made me think of primordial witchcraft; and, the fact that it
was set in an isolated Irish town. I’m
so glad these were enough for me to begin reading it, and it didn’t disappoint!
Sixteen year-old twin sisters, Maddy and
Catlin move to Ballyfrann, an isolated Irish town nestled in the mountains, with
their mother after her marriage to Brian, the owner of a castle in the
town. Although the twins clearly have a
very close bond, they have very different personalities. Catlin is outgoing, attention-seeking and
quite self-absorbed whilst Maddy is more serious, introverted and reflective. The girls also have different perspectives on
life, with Catlin superfically focussed on religious iconography whilst Maddy
feels more connected to nature, and suspects she may be a witch. Their awkward moments and difficulties as
they try to settle into school life are perfectly portrayed with deft,
pertinent observations.
It does not take Maddy long to sense that there is something strange, and secretive, about Ballyfrann and its inhabitants. She sees her sister enter into an obsessive relationship with an older teenager, Lon, a relationship which threatens the sisterly bond. Is this just young love, or something more sinister? She discovers that Aunt Mamo, who lives with them, is a practising witch who suspects Maddy’s own latent witchcraft. Out in the woods, she makes an horrific discovery … a sacrifice to ward of greater evil? Oh, and there is the small matter of the missing girls … the many, many missing girls …
Catlin is not the only sister making new
relationships. Maddy, who has always
found it difficult to develop friendships, seems to find it somewhat easier to form
friendships, albeit awkward ones, in Ballyfrann, perhaps because she belongs in
the town. Her developing relationship
with Oona, another native returning home, offers some relief from the darker
nature of the main story line, although it is not without its complications. Maddy’s character drives the story. She is a very sympathetic protagonist: full of brutal honesty, uncertainty, confusion,
guilt and incredible loyalty to her sister.
To what lengths will one sister go to protect the other?
There is a pervading sense of foreboding
throughout as Catlin’s insidious obsession with Lon grows, sacrifices are made
and undertones of darkness are drip-fed into the narrative, culminating in the
macabre.
This book is probably not for the faint-hearted
as it does have some disturbing scenes; however, they are such an integral part
of the plot and necessary to understandng the impossible life-changing choices forced
upon Maddy that they can be justified, although uncomfortably so.
I was completely engrossed in finding out Ballyfrann’s hidden secrets, allowing its dark undertones to envelop me, and following Maddy on her journey to discover her talent, something all inhabitants of Ballyfrann have, being that which binds them together.
I’m currently reading Wildspark by Vashti Hardy set in the world of Medlock which I’m looking forward to finding out more about, although I haven’t been able to read as much as I want to. I hate when work gets in the way of reading!
I recently finished Perfectly Preventable Deaths by Deirdre Sullivan. This was an absorbing read about the strange occurrences, and hidden secrets, in an isolated Irish town, Ballyfrann. It is a book full of witchcraft, teenage angst and darkness. I’m just finalising my review, ready to post tomorrow.
I intend to read Circe by Madeline Miller next. This seems to be the book everyone is talking about, and I’ve had a few people recommend it to me, so I’m looking forward to diving into it! One of my work colleagues is also reading it, so it’ll be good to have someone to discuss it with face-to-face!
This is a weekly meme now hosted by The Artsy Girl Reader. This week’s theme is Books From My Favourite Genre. This was a very easy choice for me as my absolute go-to genre is fantasy. I think this goes right back to my childhood when I first entered Narnia and travelled down the rabbit hole with Alice. There are so many fantasy books I adore that I’ve decided to restrict myself to listing only books in series and then divide these into YA and middle-grade.
The trilogy that really got me into reading fantasy as an adult was Lord of the Rings. I remember going to the cinema to watch it, and just really not being able to cope with having to wait so long for the next film! The next day, I ordered Lord of the Rings, and completely lived in that world for the next few weeks. This led to The Belgariad (and all other David & Leigh Eddings books) and The Riftwar Saga, both of which I loved, not just for the world’s created, but because of the characters, who were incredibly believable and sympathetic.
A few of these are probably really obvious choices, but I just
had to include them anyway! I came to
Harry Potter late – after all the books had been published. I remember picking one up at the end of July
and, by the middle of August, I had read them all. The Chronicles of Narnia completely hooked
me, and drew me into this incredible world as a child. James Nichol has created the most amazing
character in Arianwyn, who fails her witch exams, but is really the most fantastic
witch! The Wild Magic Trilogy has had
two books published: Begone the Raggedy
Witches and The Little Grey Girl, which has the best depiction of a ghost that I’ve
ever read in middle-grade – just incredible!
I’m sure there are some great series I’ve missed out on – I
almost feel guilty choosing so few books but it was a Top 10 and, by including
series, I got a few more books in my list!
Have you read any of these? Are there some other great series I’m missing out on?
#20BooksOfSummer is an annual event hosted by 746 Books and runs from 3rd June until 3rd September. The aim is to clear some books from your TBR pile.
I have only been blogging since April, so this is the first time I’m taking part in this challenge. It looks like too much fun not to have a go and, hopefully, it is one I can complete – no pressure! It gives me a good chance to go through my ever-growing TBR pile which seems to have taken on a life of its own – nothing to do with my book buying addiction, of course!
I think the hardest part of this challenge will be keeping to these titles as more books are published that I want to read!
I’ve chosen a mix of YA and middle-grade books. This is my list:
The June theme for Six for Sunday, hosted by A Little But a Lot, is Bookish Wishes and today’s wish is for: Books I Want to be Written.
I’ve decided to go for types of books I would like to see more of, or even more of, in children’s middle-grade fiction. In no particular order, they are:
1. Timeslip novels. I can’t remember when I read my first time-slip story (I must have been just out of primary school), nor could I remember the name, but I do remember that it was about teenagers going back to the time of Cuchulain of Ulster, and that the memory of my fascination with the book still lingers, many, many years later. Just recently, I think I’ve been able to re-discover the book: The Druid’s Tale by Orla Melling, and have now managed to get a copy. I’d love to see more of these stories, travelling to different periods of history. I love the mix of the modern with the historical, and how characters from two very different periods of history interact.
2. Science-fiction set on other worlds. I love sci-fi series like Star Trek and Firefly. I would love to see middle-grade fiction set entirely on other worlds with interaction between alien and human species, as I think these would be fascinating.
3. Celtic mythology/folklore with a modern twist. Growing up in rural Ireland, I read, and heard, many stories of Irish folklore. We had a ‘fairy tree’ (hawthorn) tree on our family farm, which was never allowed to be cut down for fear of causing offence to the faery folk. If I were ever to write a story, it would be linked to faery lore!
4. Pre-historic. I loved Earth’s Children’s series and The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series, and would love to read some more stories set in pre-historic times.
5. Ghost stories: I’ve read Seaglass by Eloise Williams and The Little Grey Girl by Celine Kiernan recently. I would love to find more books suitable for middle-grade in this genre.
6. LGBTQ: I’ve read some excellent YA fiction with LGBTQ characters, but am not really familiar with this population being represented in middle-grade fiction. I would like to see more stories where the diversity of modern families is shown.
If you know any great children’s fiction related to these types of book, I would love to hear your recommendations.
This is the story of one quiet girl making
her voice heard, not by learning to shout the loudest, but by showing her inner
strength, determination and courage, and making others listen in order to do
something that matters.
As full of excitement, power and tension as a
lightning storm! Mina, an Alorrian farm girl, is waiting for her storm beast,
used to help manipulate the weather, to hatch. But the storm beast that emerges
is not what her family expected for their quiet, dependable, sensible girl.
Pixit, a Lightning Beast – unpredictable, loud, brave – bonds telepathically
with Mina and helps her to believe in herself. Theirs is a heartfelt
relationship, full of trust, support, love and humour.
Mina wants excitement and adventure, and to
explore the world outside her farm. She soon finds herself training at Mytris
Lightning School where she develops firm friendships, full of trust and humour,
with some of the other students.
During an attempt to harness electricity from
a lightning storm, she finds herself outside the boundaries of Alorria, where
she makes a startling discovery. Are the devastating storms suffered by the
Outsiders somehow related to the Ten-Year Festival celebrations of her people?
Her visit to the Alorrian Capital does nothing to allay her suspicions, but
what can she do? Can she be the spark that will change the world, just as she
always hoped? Will she be brave enough to defy the authorities, and journey
beyond the mountains to find the truth?
I would highly recommend this book to children of 9+: it is full of adventure, excitement and warmth, and has some powerful messages about self-belief, being true to yourself and inner strength.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt Books for an e-ARC of this book.
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!
Our father died in flames when he was twenty-six and we were two. We don’t remember. All we have is story. Sense memory, the feeling of soft earth. His name upon a pitted slab, limestone, lichen-pocked.
This is from a book just published on 30th May by an Irish author. Any ideas?
This is my current read which I’m loving so far. Goodreads synopsis:
Everyone in Ballyfran has a secret, and that is what binds them together…
Fifteen-year-old twins Madeline and Catlin move to a new life in Ballyfran, a strange isolated town, a place where, for the last sixty years, teenage girls have gone missing in the surrounding mountains.
As distance grows between the twins – as Catlin falls in love, and Madeline begins to understand her own nascent witchcraft – Madeline discovers that Ballyfrann is a place full of predators. Not only foxes, owls and crows, but also supernatural beings who for many generations have congregated here to escape persecution. When Catlin falls into the gravest danger of all, Madeline must ask herself who she really is, and who she wants to be – or rather, who she might have to become to save her sister.
Dark and otherworldly, this is an enthralling story about the bond between sisters and the sacrifices we make for those we care about the most.
I’ve been reading a lot of middle-grade fiction for the
last few months (which I’ve loved, and which I still intend to read lots of). However, I thought it was about time I
started to alternate these with some other books from my TBR. Having looked at my bookshelf, I seem to have
more choice than I thought! And a lot of fantasy, which is not surprising, as
it is my go-to genre that really allows me the absolute escapism which I love
when engrossed in a great book.
These are the books I intend to read over the summer: I’ve shared a sentence from each of the blurbs which helped convince me to buy each book. The front covers are also gorgeous, begging to be picked up and re-homed on my bookshelf.
1. Perfectly
Preventable Deaths by Deirdre Deirdre Sullivan: There’s no such thing as safe in Ballyfrann …
2. The
Assassin’s Bladeby Sarah J
Mass: But behind her assignments lies a
dark truth that will seal her fate – and cut her heart in two forever …
3. WitchBorn
by Nicholas Bowling: Her mother has been
executed for witchcraft, her home destroyed and her spirit crushed … so maybe
it’s true.
4. An
Enchantment of Ravensby
Margaret Rogerson: But when she receives
her first royal patron – Rook, the autumn prince, she makes a terrible mistake.
5. Circe
by Madeline Miller: When Circe’s
gift threatens the gods, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she hones
her occult craft, casting spells, gathering strange herbs and taming wild
beasts.
6. Wolf Light by Yaba Badoe: Mother Earth is on fire and Father Sky weeps
tears of blood.
7. The
Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu: He wanted to tell Hypatia to stay out of his
business, his love life.
8. Firefly: The Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove: She was the very picture of Serenity.
9. Wakenhyrst
by Michelle Paver: A masterfully creepy
gothic thriller.
10. Witchsign
by Den Patrick: Any child found with
witchsign are spirited away, never to be seen again.
11. The
Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge:
Then the spinning wheel starts creaking, terror creeps in and Martha is
faced with an impossible decision …
12. Children
of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi:
Now we Rise.
Have you read any of these? Based on this list, are there any others you would recommend I get?
I’m not sure if this is unusual or not, but I can’t read more than one book at a time! I am currently reading I, Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak (Nosy Crow). This is the first physical proof I’ve been sent by a publisher, so it already feels special. Growing up on a farm, I was surrounded by animals, and I remember our wonderful sheep dogs, Rex and Ben, who were such a part of the family. I’m really looking forward to joining Cosmo as he attempts to save his family!
2. I have recently finished The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Hachette Children’s Group), We Won an Island by Charlotte Lo (Nosy Crow) and She Wolf by Dan Smith (Chicken House).
The
Deathless Girlsis
Kiran’s first foray into Young Adult fiction as part of the Bellatrix
series. It is her imagining of the origin
story of the brides of Dracula: it is
intoxicating, rich and dark and one that will appeal to any fans of the gothic
genre.
We
Won an Islandis the
incredibly heart-warming, uplifting story of a family who win a remote Scottish
island. It perfectly conveys the
‘feel-good’ factor of a summer blockbuster:
full adventures, humour and festivals!
She Wolfis the powerful story of a young Viking slave who finds herself alone on the shores of Northumbria after the murder of her mother. Her battle for survival and revenge is full of adventure, tension and discoveries in the harsh winter landscape.
3. It’s so hard to decide on what to read next as I have so many books I am looking forward to reading. Reading The Deathless Girls and completing favourite books of the last ten years reminded me of how much I love slightly older fantasy – as well as middle-grade! I’ve been reading middle-grade almost exclusively this year, as I keep adding to my class library! On that note, the two books I have lined up to read next are Wildsparkby Vashti Hardy (Scholastic) and Perfectly Preventable Deaths Deaths by Deirdre Sullivan (Hot Key Books).
I absolutely loved Vashti’s first book, Brightstorm, and was desperate to get my hands on Wildspark. I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to read it! Perfectly Preventable Deathsis set in an isolated, Irish town: three words are used on the blurb to describe it: sisters, sacrifice, witchcraft. Perfect reading for me!
Book Craic 