Currently Reading First Lines

[Lilisa]

Janice wrote: "That sounds very interesting, Lilisa!"

Yes I think I'll keep reading :-)

[Lisa]

I recently started A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
"On a morning in the springtime of the year, when the snows of the mountains were melting and the rivers swift in their running, Aelis de Miraval watched her husband ride out at dawn to hunt in the forest west of their castle, and shortly after that she took horse herself, travelling north and east along the shores of the lake towards the begetting of her son."

[Margo]

Very long opening sentence! I will be reading my first book by that author soon so I'm interested to hear what you think 🤔

[Lisa]

Margo wrote: "Very long opening sentence! I will be reading my first book by that author soon so I'm interested to hear what you think 🤔"

Lol, yes it is long. Guy Gabriel Kay is quite verbose. He is very good though. This is the second book by him I have read, the first was Tigana which I highly recommend. What book of his are you going to be reading?

[Peggy]

Lisa's and siriusedward's are a bit too long for my liking. I feel out of breath when I reach the end of the sentence!

I like the one with nachos and wine too ;-)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Lilisa wrote: ""Clara, patron saint of television and eye disease, stood three feet tall in the church at the end of the road." - Lucky Boy"

I love that. The rival Catholic girls school to mine here in Canberra is St Clare's. So I was highly amused when I was 14 or so when I found out what she was the patron saint for.

That said, I remember sitting in assembly in primary school at 6 learning that St Jude, who our school was named after, was the patron saint for hopeless cases. I remember vividly that slow realisation of me going "... ... ...hang on!"

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "I like the one with nachos and wine too ;-)"

Oooo... that sounds like a good dinner plan.

[Janice, Moderator]

I read quite a bit of Guy Gavriel Kay when I was younger and I really enjoyed his books. I don't remember much about them now and keep thinking I should re-read them. I do have Children of Earth and Sky coming up so maybe that will take care of the nostalgia.

[Lilisa]

Rusalka wrote: "Lilisa wrote: ""Clara, patron saint of television and eye disease, stood three feet tall in the church at the end of the road." - Lucky Boy"

I love that. The rival Catholic girls s..."

Had no idea there was a saint for tv/eye disease. St. Jude for hopeless cases, hmm! -- assuming they expected the hopeless cases were redeemable 😂😂😂

[Cherie]

Lisa wrote: "Margo wrote: "Lol, yes it is long. Guy Gabriel Kay is quite verbose..."

Every time I pick up one of his books at the book store, it is the first thing I feel when I read a little. I do not really mind verbose, but it seems so dry. I like the idea of them in the summaries, but I never seem to be in the mood to get to them.

[Lisa]

Cherie wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Margo wrote: "Lol, yes it is long. Guy Gabriel Kay is quite verbose..."

Every time I pick up one of his books at the book store, it is the first thing I feel when I read a little. I d..."

I think you definitely have to be in the mood to read them. If not, they will probably seem slow and/or dry. I'm not entirely sure if A Song for Arbonne is what I want to be reading right now. It's not commanding my attention like Tigana did, yet I reckon I would love it if I read it at the right time. It's for the monthly challenge, which I really want to complete, so I'm going to persist with it a bit longer but if I still can't get into it, I may put it back on the TBR pile and try again another time.

[Margo]

Lisa wrote: "Margo wrote: "Very long opening sentence! I will be reading my first book by that author soon so I'm interested to hear what you think 🤔"

Lol, yes it is long. Guy Gabriel Kay is quite verbose. He ..."

I'm going for The Summer Tree. It was recommenfed by a friend. Hope it's good!!

[Lisa]

Margo wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Margo wrote: "Very long opening sentence! I will be reading my first book by that author soon so I'm interested to hear what you think 🤔"

Lol, yes it is long. Guy Gabriel Kay is quite..."

I have heard plenty of good things about that trilogy. It's got quite a Lord of the Rings feel about it by the sounds of it.

[Margo]

That's what i am hoping. The person who recommended it it a big LOTR fan.

[Lisa]

Margo wrote: "That's what i am hoping. The person who recommended it it a big LOTR fan."

Let me know how you get on with it when you read it. I would be interested to know.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

"Dr Siri lay beneath the grimy mesh of the mosquito net watching the lizard's third attempt."

Disco For The Departed

[Janice, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: ""Dr Siri lay beneath the grimy mesh of the mosquito net watching the lizard's third attempt."

Disco For The Departed"

Third attempt at what? Hmmmm.... I have book 2 on my zodiac challenge.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Talk about building the suspense by leaving you to hang for 17 hours.

"Twice, the small grey creature had scurried up the wall and ventured out across the ceiling. On both occasions the unthinkable had happened. The animal had lost its grip and come plummeting down with a splat onto the bare concrete of the guesthouse floor. For a house lizard this is the equivalent of a man coming unstuck from the ground and falling up with a crash onto the ceiling. Siri could see the stunned confusion on its little puckered face. It looked around to get its bearings then headed once more for the wall."

[Sarah]

"I bounded over the gray, dusty terrain toward the huge dome of Conrad Bubble. Its airlock, ringed with red lights, stood distressingly far away."

Artemis

[Lisa]

I started The Iron King by Maurice Druon
"A huge log, lying upon a bed of red-hot embers, flamed in the fireplace. The green, leaded panes of the windows permitted the pale light of a March day to filter into the room."

[Janice, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: "Talk about building the suspense by leaving you to hang for 17 hours.

"Twice, the small grey creature had scurried up the wall and ventured out across the ceiling. On both occasions the unthinkabl..."

It starts with a bang. Well, a bang for the lizard at any rate.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Poor little lizard

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Lisa wrote: "I started The Iron King by Maurice Druon
"A huge log, lying upon a bed of red-hot embers, flamed in the fireplace. The green, leade..."

ooo moody. And March!

[Lisa]

I have just started The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
"Jonah Hancock's counting house is built wedge-shaped and coffered like a ship's cabin, whitewashed walls and black skirting, beam pegged snugly to beam. The wind sings down Union Street, raindrops burst against the windowpane, and Mr Hancock leans forward on his elbows, cradling his brow in his hands."

[Lilisa]

Lisa wrote: "I have just started The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
"Jonah Hancock's counting house is built we..."

This sounds intriguing...

[Margo]

Lisa wrote: "I have just started The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
"Jonah Hancock's counting house is built we..."

Great description - I can really picture it! Good opening :-)

[Cathie]

I started The Body Reader yesterday, and have hardly been able to put it down. It's so good. First line: "One day she stopped screaming." This book has had me hooked from page 1, line 1.

[Janice, Moderator]

Cathie wrote: "I started The Body Reader yesterday, and have hardly been able to put it down. It's so good. First line: "One day she stopped screaming." This b..."

I have this one to read and that first sentence packs a wallop. Looking forward to reading it.

[Lisa]

Cathie wrote: "I started The Body Reader yesterday, and have hardly been able to put it down. It's so good. First line: "One day she stopped screaming." This b..."

That's a good opening sentence. It hooks you right in.

[Janice, Moderator]

I was just going to give you the first sentence of Trouble in Mudbug, but the first paragraph is.... well you decide for yourself.


"I still can't believe she's gone," Maryse Robicheaux murmured as she stared down into the coffin.

Of course, the pink suit was a dead giveaway - so to speak - that the wearer was no longer with them. For the miserable two years and thirty-two days that she'd had to deal with her mother-in-law, Maryse had never once seen her wear a color other than black. Now she sort of resembled the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man dressed in Pepto-Bismol.

[Margo]

Cathie wrote: "I started The Body Reader yesterday, and have hardly been able to put it down. It's so good. First line: "One day she stopped screaming." This b..."

Minamalist! I like it ;-)

[Sarah]

I don't think I could keep reading that one Janice. I'm curious how you will fair.

[Lisa]

Janice wrote: "I was just going to give you the first sentence of Trouble in Mudbug, but the first paragraph is.... well you decide for yourself.


"I still can..."

That opening paragraph is....quite something!

[Sandra, Moderator]

"progris riport 1 martch 3
Dr Strauss says I shoud rite down what I think and remembir and evrey thing that happins to me from now on. I dont no why but he says its importint so they will see if they can use me. I hope they use me becaus Miss Kinnian says mabye they can make me smart."

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

[Janice, Moderator]

Sandra wrote: ""progris riport 1 martch 3
Dr Strauss says I shoud rite down what I think and remembir and evrey thing that happins to me from now on. I dont no why but he says its importint so they will see if th..."

I'm on the fence on that one and I'm not sure why. So many of my friends have 5-starred this, and yet I waiver.

[Margo]

Sandra wrote: ""progris riport 1 martch 3
Dr Strauss says I shoud rite down what I think and remembir and evrey thing that happins to me from now on. I dont no why but he says its importint so they will see if th..."

I'm glad I am going to be listening to that one! It is tough enough having dyslexia without having to struggle with misspelt words by others lol

I am intrigued :-)

[Mariab]

"The body you are wearing used to be mine."
from The Rook

[Sandra, Moderator]

Margo wrote: "I'm glad I am going to be listening to that one! It is tough enough having dyslexia without having to struggle with misspelt words by others lol"

Funny, because I was wondering how a narrator manage to make Charlie's struggles with the language evident. :)

[Sandra, Moderator]

Janice wrote: "I'm on the fence on that one and I'm not sure why. So many of my friends have 5-starred this, and yet I waiver. "

It took me more than 2 weeks after I checked it out to actually start reading it. I was scared of it being too upsetting. That is why the e-copy was overdue and I had to switch for a hard copy.
It is being a great reading.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Mariab wrote: ""The body you are wearing used to be mine."
from The Rook"

I'd definitively keep reading. :)

[Janice, Moderator]

Mariab wrote: ""The body you are wearing used to be mine."
from The Rook"

That sounds interesting!

[Janice, Moderator]

Sandra wrote: "It took me more than 2 weeks after I checked it out to actually start reading it. I was scared of it being too upsetting. "

I can understand that.

[Lisette]

"At a place where two tracks met, the carter brought his horse to a sudden halt."

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

[Sarah]

Mariab wrote: ""The body you are wearing used to be mine."
from The Rook"

Ooh. I'd keep reading for sure.

[Sarah]

"She dipped her hand in the barrel of ice-cold water and held it down, watching hairs rise on her forearm."
Kin

[Margo]

Sandra wrote: "Margo wrote: "I'm glad I am going to be listening to that one! It is tough enough having dyslexia without having to struggle with misspelt words by others lol"

Funny, because I was wondering how a..."

Good question! I will let you know :-)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Mariab wrote: ""The body you are wearing used to be mine."
from The Rook"

I soooo want to know what you think of this.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sandra wrote: ""progris riport 1 martch 3
Dr Strauss says I shoud rite down what I think and remembir and evrey thing that happins to me from now on. I dont no why but he says its importint so they will see if th..."

Ooo nice. I like that.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: ""She dipped her hand in the barrel of ice-cold water and held it down, watching hairs rise on her forearm."
Kin"

Oh I just found that the other day. I'm interested.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Lusie wrote: ""At a place where two tracks met, the carter brought his horse to a sudden halt."

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier"

So many possibilities! I had to look at the book, as I had about 5 different directions in my head it could go.