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!
My name is Stina and I’m probably going to die soon. No one has told me so, but I’m no fool. I see it in Mama’s eyes. I hear the neighbourhood women murmur and mutter. They tilt their heads and cluck their tongues when the see me. Tut-tut-tut.
Any ideas?
Goodreads Synopsis:
The grown-ups all think she’s going to die soon-she can see it in their eyes. Still, when poor twelve-year-old Stina is sent to remote Raspberry Hill Sanatorium she can’t believe her luck. She gets to ride in a real motor car to the hospital, which looks like a magnificent castle hidden deep in the forest.
But as Stina explores the long, echoey corridors of her eerie new home, she begins to suspect that the building is concealing a dark secret. How did the old East Wing burn down? Why doesn’t her mother reply to any of her letters? And what are the nurses all so afraid of? Stina is determined to solve the mystery of Raspberry Hill-but as she edges closer to the truth, she finds herself in terrible danger…
Today, I’m excited to reveal the cover for a wickedly funny debut from Luke Marchant and illustrated by Rory Walker. It will be published by Everything with Words on 18th April.
Synopsis:
The Narzat lives in the Ungle Bungle Jungle with his friends the Looky Looky Lizard (a feisty reptile who communicates through sign language) and the Chatty Chiwunga (a comically talkative bird who never shuts up). Little is known about how the Narzat arrived there, but he wears a necklace bearing a meaningful inscription. The Ungle Bungle Jungle is full of animals you’d love to meet because they’re fun and friendly but some, like the roaring Ravenoserous are absolutely lethal. One day two villains arrive, Lord and Lady Snide armed with guns and a fierce desire for furs and the Narzat’s necklace. Can the Ungle Bungle Jungle defeat the two awesome newcomers and their wicked plans?
About the Author:
Luke studied English and Creative Writing at Cardiff University. He’s worked as a primary school teacher for more than ten years and he’s always loved writing.
“I was influenced by the fantasy world-building of Terry Pratchett’s ‘Maurice and his Amazing Rodents’, the environmental adventures of Nizrana Farook’s ‘The Boy Who Met a Whale’, and having a humorous ensemble of characters such as Maz Evans’ ‘Who Let the Gods Out?'”
I have just started two new books. I am listening to A Place Called Perfect which has been recommended to me by a child in my class. I am also reading the third book in the Emba Oak series, Emba Oak and the Screaming Sea.
I have finished reading The Ice Whisperers which I really enjoyed. I loved the concept of travelling back in time to meet your sister, and thought the whole premise of this story was fascinating. I also finished reading Magicborn and loved the blend of Georgian England and Fairyland in this action-packed read. Finally, I finished listening to Morgana Mage in the Robotic Age which was a fun read for slightly younger readers with a mix of magic and technology.
I still didn’t manage to get to this one last weekend – blame Christmas shopping!
I love reading books set during the Christmas period/about Christmas in the lead-up to and over the Christmas holidays, so I thought I’d share some of my favourite reads over the last few years. I have a selection of new books to read over this Christmas.
Where I have written a blog post of these, I have shared it alongside the synopsis from Waterstones.
Ever since her sister, Agnes, died, Pearl has a tradition every time it snows. She makes a person out of snow. A snow sister. It makes Christmas feel a little less lonely.
On Christmas Eve, her father receives a letter about a long-lost relative’s will. Is their luck about to change? In anticipation of a better Christmas, Pearl goes to beg credit at Mr Noble’s grocery to get ingredients for a Christmas pudding. But she is refused, and chased down the street where she is hit by a hansom cab. The snow is falling so hard that they can’t take her home. She’ll have to stay at Flintfield Manor overnight, in a haunted room… Will Pearl make it home for Christmas?
It’s the Christmas holidays and Thea is looking forward to spending them with her father. She can tell him all about her plans to become a writer, and maybe he’ll buy her the typewriter she’s been dreaming of.
But when Thea arrives in snowy Norway, everything feels… wrong. Her father is as distant as ever and now she has to share him with his new family: his girlfriend Inge and her children. Then Thea makes a surprising discovery. Deep in the snowy woods by the house, is a bear. He’s scared and hungry and he desperately needs Thea’s help.
When the town hears about a bear living in the woods, Bear’s life is in even greater danger. Thea needs to show everyone that he’s not dangerous – he’s a good bear – if she’s to save him.
After a tumultuous term in Paris, Libby and Connie are looking forward to a quiet holiday at Connie’s family home. But before long they find themselves caught up in another mystery, this time set against the dramatic backdrop of the Scottish Highlands and Edinburgh.
For Aiden, Chloe, Ava and Josh, holidays at their grandparents’ cottage mean wild beaches, no curfew, Bella the dog, and most of all – adventure!
The lead actress in Frost Castle’s winter play is sure she’s cursed! A break-in, a car accident, and now her precious locket is missing. But the cousins suspect a ruthless thief. With a blizzard raging outside and a legendary ghost in the castle corridors, unmasking this villain will take all their bravery and skill…
Eleven-year-old Emily doesn’t think Badger Cottage will ever be home. But there is something out there that needs her; a bright pair of eyes in the darkness. In the middle of a fierce battle between conservationists, who want to to rewild the lynx in the woods, and the local farmers, Emily tries to shield a baby lynx she calls Lotta, afraid it will be killed by the person who killed its mother. But can Emily work out who the illegal hunter is in time, and who can she trust?
A magical story of snow and stars by Catherine Fisher. The Clockwork Crow is a mysterious gothic Christmas tale set in a frost-bound Victorian country mansion. When orphaned Seren Rees is given a mysterious package by a strange and frightened man on her way to her new home, she reluctantly takes it with her. But what is in the parcel? Who are the Family who must not be spoken of, and can the Crow help Seren find Tom, before the owner of the parcel finds her?
George is about to spend his third Christmas without his mum. Since she died, George’s life has felt dull and grey; his dad has thrown himself into his work and has no time for family, and definitely no time for Christmas.
Then, George stumbles across Marley’s Curiosity Shop. There he finds a mysterious snow globe, which – though George can’t quite understand how – appears to show a scene from George’s past. A Christmas in which he and his family were together, and happy…
That night, George and his dad are swept on an adventure to three Christmases – past, present, and future. With help from new friends, and just a touch of magic, can they begin living life in full colour again?
When Oscar and Molly rush outside to investigate a crash in the night, they’re not expecting to find a dazed Angel Gabriel wandering around their grandparents’ back garden. And they’re certainly not expecting to find themselves in a race to save Christmas.
But if they don’t track down a missing shepherd, wise man, donkey and the actual Mary and Joseph, who’ve all crash-landed in Chipping Bottom, not only will Christmas cease to exist, but they will too.
Wish it could be Christmas every day? Well, for nine-year-old Holly Carroll and her family, it is! Living her merriest life in a house with year-round fairy lights and Christmas trees, a carol-singing toilet and a diva donkey who thinks he’s a reindeer, home-schooled Holly tries to spread cheer wherever she goes.
But when she goes to a new school with a singing Santa backpack and first day Christmas cards (during a heatwave in September!), she realises not everyone shares her enthusiasm for spreading cheer. In fact, when the neighbours try to remove the Carrolls from the street and Holly discovers a group of children that may not get a Christmas at all, her snowglobe world begins to crack. Is the world’s most Christmassy girl about to lose her Christmas spirit?
It’s 1952 in smog-shrouded London. Christmas might be fast approaching, but with her mum away and Uncle Frank busy running the post office, Penny Black is lonelier than ever. All that changes when Penny discovers a small, fluffy, funny, springy and – most importantly – talking creature in the post office one night, trying to make off with a letter. But Wishyouwas is no thief.
He’s a Sorter, and he soon introduces Penny to a fascinating secret world hidden in the tunnels underneath the city’s streets. Self-appointed guardians of lost mail, the Sorters have dedicated their lives to rescuing letters that have gone astray and making sure they get delivered to their rightful owners. Penny is determined to protect the Sorters, but how long will she be able to keep them safe with Stanley Scrawl, the sinister Royal Mail Rat Catcher, on the prowl? Can Penny save the Sorters and deliver a joyful Christmas?
Sometimes at the darkest hour, hope shines the brightest…
When Col’s childhood imaginary friends come to life, he discovers a world where myths and legends are real. Accompanied by his guardians – a six-foot tiger, a badger in a waistcoat and a miniature knight – Col must race to Blitz-bombed London to save his sister.
But there are darker forces at work, even than the Nazi bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything.
It’s a dark and lonely Christmas Eve in the dining room of ancient Soul’s College. The kitchen boy, 11-year-old Lewis, has helped prepare a highly unusual meal, made with unrecognisable ingredients, cooked by a mysterious chef. And then the guests arrive … and carnage ensues. They are ex-students of Soul’s College, and they are all completely demented. They demand bottle after bottle of wine, flinging their cutlery and howling like banshees until … silence. The Dean of Soul’s College has arrived, and the evening’s ceremonies must begin.
For this is the annual meeting of a secret club for those who despise children, warmth, happiness, and above all Christmas. Each member must try to outdo the others by telling the most terrible, disgusting story they know.
Without hope there would be no magic.
Once upon a time, Father Christmas didn’t come to visit children every year. In fact, it nearly came to pass that there was no Christmas as we know it.Father Christmas had a lot to deal with; there were troubled elves, reindeers that kept falling from the sky, and more than a few angry trolls for him to contend with.
The reason? There was not enough magic in the world. Magic is born of hope – and if the children of the world couldn’t see any magic, then why would they hope for it?
It is Christmas Eve and all is not well. Amelia Wishart is trapped in Mr Creeper’s workhouse and Christmas is in jeopardy. Magic is fading. If Christmas is to happen, Father Christmas knows he must find her.
With the help of some elves, eight reindeer, the Queen and a man called Charles Dickens, the search for Amelia – and the secret of Christmas – begins …
It’s Christmas, and the snow is falling in Cambridge, where the detective duo Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are spending the festive period.
But Hazel’s hopes of relaxing amongst the beautiful spires, cosy libraries and inviting tea-rooms are dashed by the danger lurking in the dark stairwells of Maudlin College.
Two days before Christmas, there is a terrible accident.
At least, it appears to be an accident – until the Detective Society look a little closer, and realise a murder has taken place.
Faced with several irritating grown-ups and fierce competition from a rival agency, they must use all their cunning and courage to find the killer (in time for Christmas Day, of course).
Whether you’re looking to find a Christmas mystery, a heart-warming treat, a rib-tickling read, an engrossing fantasy or a little horror, I hope there is something from this list that will appeal.
Where did November go! I’ve been ridiculously busy at work this month and often working late in the evening with planning, so not as much reading done as I would have liked. I’m so glad I’ve made it a rule that I don’t work at the weekend, but I have now started a Christmas Movie Sunday afternoon, so only read in the morning.
Books I’ve read:
I’ve read 9 books this month which was a lot less than when I had half-term! I enjoyed all of these – the ones that really stood out for me were The Colour of Hope, Utterly Dark and the Heart of the Wild and Stitch.
Books sent by publishers:
I am grateful to have been sent 6 books by Publishers this month as well as a copy of Ember Spark, thanks to the kindness of two wonderful authors, Abi Elphinstone and Mel Taylor-Bessent.
NetGalley:
My Netgalley ratio is at 96%. I have five books on my shelf. I have read Stitch which is amazing and will hopefully find time to write my review this weekend. I have also been sent physical copies of three of these after I had requested them.
Books bought and gifted:
It was my birthday in November so I had some book presents but, as always, I also treated myself to some new books! I tend to ask mostly for adult/young adult books for my birthday and Christmas and buy children’s books myself.
How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these?Have you any of them on your TBR?
The Beastly Baron of Beaux Bottom is a humorous, cautionary tale with an important message about the importance of kindness and keeping your promises. It will make younger readers giggle aloud – lots! – but also shares some deeper messages.
The Baron of Beaux Bottom is not popular amongst the townsfolk as he spends a lot of time shouting at people, and blaming others for his choices. One day, he decides to follow his mother’s request to go on a training exercise with his regiment but to watch rather than take part. Once in the woods, Major Mountjoy suggests that he take a walk in the Wild Western Woods …
And so begins an adventure that changes the Baron in more ways than he could ever have expected, and which teaches him the importance of being kind and not breaking promises to others. What happens when a witch’s spell has unexpected consequences? Can a greedy goat have eaten more than she can stomach? And, can two children seeking adventure outsmart the Gossamer Green Ghost?
This is a wonderfully humorous tale with lots of unexpected moments that will bring giggles as the Baron finds himself in some very strange circumstances – but it is also a tale that brings important messages to readers.
There is no doubt that, at the beginning of the tale, the Baron is a horrible, self-centred person who expects others to do what he tells them to simply because he is the Baron. He has no problem with making and breaking promises to others, or with ordering people to do what he wants. However, there is also an underlying sense that the Baron feels that he has no-one to trust and is less self-assured than the image he projects to others. Could feeling that he won’t be judged lead to a change of character for the Beastly Baron?
There are wonderful full-and-partial-page illustrations throughout this tale. They are vibrant and expressive and complement the story-telling – and humour – perfectly.
A fun tale for readers of 8+ who will giggle as they read, but also learn some important messages about kindness towards others.
Thank you to Literally PR for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Author Information
Jeremy Hullah grew up in the rural Midlands, where he spent a lot of time dreaming about being a pianist or a writer, or something equally unattainable without the required level of effort. After proving beyond all doubt that education was not something that came naturally, he moved to London where he worked on building sites for a few years before retraining in IT. Now, many years later, he works for a bank in the City, writing books on the train to and from his home in East Sussex, where he spends whatever time is left cycling around the countryside, dreaming up ideas for new books to keep his two boys entertained.
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!
When the fairies arrived in Clonbridge town, the wind changed direction. It blew away the rain that had battered the town for weeks and brought with it a low, rolling mist and the promise of frost.
Any ideas?
Goodreads Synopsis:
For the first time in over fifty years, the Trooping Fairies arrive in the small town of Clonbridge for their annual revels. Their arrival awakens other creatures, who have mischief and chaos in mind. Cat Donnelly and her friends spend their final day of school before midterm break swapping scary stories and planning the ultimate trick-or-treating strategy. But with the Fairies back in town, this Halloween will be one where Cat has to face real danger and use all her wits and bravery to save those she loves.
I’m currently reading MagicBorn which I’m really enjoying, especially the fairy link. I’m listening to The Ice Whisperers which has a brilliant premise as sisters meet out of time. There’s plenty of peril and an awful villain – a wonderful read.
I really enjoyed this brilliant read. Utterly is a wonderful character who has made such a huge decision in this story – definitely looking forward to reading the final part of this trilogy.
I had such a busy week that I didn’t get a chance to get to this one, so I’m hoping to pick it up over the weekend.
Written by Christine Aziz Cover & Illustrations by Ewa Beniak-Haremska Published by Everything with Words
The Kingdom of Broken Magic is a spectacularly surreal and brilliantly bizarre adventure that completely captured me in its unique magic. I was swept into a highly imaginative, wonderfully strange world where nothing is ever as it seems – and I absolutely loved it!
Maggie and Josh live in a dreadful place: Scribbens’ Home for Very Wayward Children. Left there as babies, they have become inseparable, the only family each has. Whilst Josh works in the Home, Maggie has proved herself a master pickpocket, so is sent out to increase the cruel and unscrupulous Miss Scribbens’ wealth. Both children long to escape from the clutches of Miss Scribbens and her loyal spy, the crow, Carry-On; however, all their attempts have proven unsuccessful, and they are caught and returned to face punishment.
That is, until the day Maggie almost gets caught stealing, and finds herself pulled to safety by Madam Lulu, a trapeze artiste in Mrs Gumbo’s Flying Circus. Although Maggie wants to return for Josh, she makes do with sending him a letter, and begins a new life in the circus …
She soon discovers that her new life may not quite be the sanctuary she had hoped for. Whilst forming bonds with the strange and wonderful animal and human performers, she discovers that some have gone missing in strange circumstances. Could she be in danger of disappearing too? Maggie is determined to solve the mystery, and begins her investigations …
Meanwhile, Josh is not prepared to lose his best friend and only family, and sets out to find Maggie. But, will he find her before the evil mastermind behind the world’s broken magic strikes yet again? Will these two daring children be reunited in their efforts to defeat a power-hungry villain? Can they fix the world’s broken magic, and return those who have disappeared?
Oh my goodness! This is just brilliant, and like nothing I’ve ever read before! I loved the peculiar circus with its vegetarian, party-loving tigers and keen-knitter elephant not to mention the wonderful Madam Lulu who takes Maggie into her care, believes in her, and helps her discover a dazzling talent. I loved the twists and turns, the danger and intrigue and the unexpected revelations as I got closer and closer to discovering the villain. There is both darkness and light, humour and sadness and moments of surrealness that make this an exceptional read. I don’t want to say too much about the Kingdom of Broken Magic itself except that it is a dark, strangely curious, imaginative feast with surprises galore – superb!
A truly magical, mesmerising adventure: a story of finding family, friendship and a place to belong whilst fighting against the darkness brought by those whose greed and thirst for power corrupts and seeks to control.
The partial-and-full-page illustrations are just stunning – dark, intricate, expressive wonder-pieces that capture the atmosphere of the story perfectly.
An unmissable read to captivate young readers of 9+ as they join a curious circus and meet its strange and wonderful performers.
Thank you to Mikka at Everything with Words for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Please do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour:
I’m really enjoying Twice we Make Magic although I haven’t had the chance to read it as much as I would have liked to this week. I’m listening to the audiobook of Utterly Dark and the Heart of the Wild which is just as wonderful as the first. Such wonderful connections with old magic and nature – gorgeous writing.
I’ve finished reading And Away … a really open and honest account which was a wonderful read. I also finished listening to the audiobook of The Colour of Hope which was utterly brilliant. I loved the premise of the return of colour to the world and, oh my goodness, the twists were fantastic – this will be a book of the year for me. I also read Stitch by one of my favourite authors and it was just brilliant – I will post my review shortly. Scariest.Book.Ever was a quick, enjoyable read – and my first Goosebumps story. I have posted my review.
I have so many books to read that I’m not completely sure what to pick up next. I think it might be The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts.
Book Craic 