The Friday 56 (95) & Book Beginnings: Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

A captivating and colorful adventure that reads like a modern day fairy tale, from the bestselling author of the Shatter Me series...

Inspired by her childhood love of books like The Secret Garden and The Chronicles of Narnia, bestselling author Tahereh Mafi crafts a spellbinding new world where color is currency, adventure is inevitable, and friendship is found in the most unexpected places...

There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him. But it’s been almost three years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she’s about to embark on one to find the other.

But bringing Father home is no small matter. In order to find him she’ll have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. It will take all of Alice's wits (and every limb she's got) to find Father and return home to Ferenwood in one piece. On her quest to find Father, Alice must first find herself—and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss...

Beginnings: "The sun was raining again. Soft and bright, rainlight fell through the sky, each drop tearing a neat hole in the season."

56: "But the simple reason no one every left Ferenwood for long was that Ferenwood folk needed magic to survive."

Comments: The beginning is a perfect example of the writing in this book. It was very descriptive and the scenery was colorful and creative. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed Furthermore. I wasn't much of a fan of Shatter Me, but now I kind of want to go back and read the last two books in the series.

What are you reading this week?

The Friday 56 (94) & Book Beginnings: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands. Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home. Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself. In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch...

Beginnings: "Everything had gone horribly wrong. None of Safiya fon Hasstrel's hastily laid plans for this holdup were unfolding as the ought."

56: "Once Iseult felt certain that her hair was sufficiently covered, her face sufficiently shaded, and her sleeves sufficiently low enough to hide her pale skin, she reached for Safi's Threads so she could find her Threadsister among the crowds."

Comments: The opening sentence doesn't say much about what happened in the following scene, but the beginning was just alright. That's basically how I felt about Truthwitch. There wasn't anything particularly bad about the story, but it was just an average read for me. What about you? Have you recently read any books that you didn't like as much as you thought you would?

The Friday 56 (93) & Book Beginnings: A Dash of Magic by Kathryn Littlewood

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

This second helping in Kathryn Littlewood's Bliss series combines hilarious magic and daring adventure to make one delectable reading treat...

Rosemary Bliss will do anything to get back her family's magical Cookery Booke. That's why she challenges Aunt Lily to an international baking competition in Paris: If Rose wins, Lily agrees to return the cookery Booke that she stole. If Rose loses...well, the consequences are too ugly to think about. But Lily isn't playing fair--she's using a magical ingredient to cheat. The only way for Rose to compete is for her to find magical ingredients of her own. Together with her long-lost grandpa, his sarcastic talking cat, and a turncoat French mouse, Rose and her brothers race around Paris to find essential--and elusive--magical ingredients that will help her outbake--and outmagic--her conniving aunt. She has to win or the Bliss Cookery Booke will be lost to her family forever...

Beginnings: "It was nine months after her aunt Lily stole the Bliss Cookery Booke right our from under her nose that Rosemary Bliss discovered something horrible on the shelves of Ralph's Super Mart in Downtown Calamity Falls."

56: "At the end of the long corridor was a man in a black suit and white gloves. He was holding up a poster board with Bliss printed on it in block letters."

Comments: I really did enjoy the beginning of A Dash of magic. At the mention of Calamity Falls I automatically thought of Gravity Falls, just because the names are kind of similar. They don't actually have anything to do with each other. As for the rest of the book, A Dash of Magic was alright. I had some problems with it, but overall, the story was pretty good.

What are you reading this week?

The Friday 56 (92) & Book Beginnings: The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Magic lives in our darkest corners...

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she’s ever known. Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she’s fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it’s time to act. Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it’s how to hunt down what she wants…and how to take it. But some jobs aren’t as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire...

Beginning: "The Ala had gone to the library in search of hope."

56: "Caius stretched, spine popping. When he tilted his head back, he could see the mural painted on the library's ceiling. It depicted the tale of some long-forgotten battle, colors faded as surely as the memory of the heroes who'd fought in it."

Comments: Eh, this one was just okay for me. I was pretty excited for The Girl at Midnight but just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. However, I still think the opening sentence is great. It was a pretty interesting place to start the story. 

What are you reading this week?

The Friday 56 (91) & Book Beginnings: Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

In a tale steeped in action, romance, and the gaslit intrigue of Victorian London, Mary Quinn’s detective skills are pitted against a cunning and desperate opponent...

Mary Quinn has a lot on her mind. James Easton, her longtime love interest, wants to marry her; but despite her feelings, independent-minded Mary hesitates. Meanwhile, the Agency has asked Mary to take on a dangerous case: convicted fraudster Henry Thorold is dying in prison, and Mary must watch for the return of his estranged wife, an accomplished criminal herself who has a potentially deadly grudge against James. Finally, a Chinese prizefighter has arrived in town, and Mary can’t shake a feeling that he is somehow familiar. With the stakes higher than ever, can Mary balance family secrets, conflicting loyalties, and professional expertise to bring a criminal to justice and find her own happiness?

Beginning:"It was a miserable day for a walk: sleety, frigid, dark. Nevertheless, Mary Quinn and James Easton, Private Detectives, were out for a ramble about Bloomsbury, bundled against the penetrating drizzle, straining to distinguish people from lampposts in the dense fog that swamped the streets."

56:"James refrained from rolling his eyes, and unfolded the letter. As he read, his eyes widened and he glanced up at his brother's smirking face."

Comments: I have been meaning to read Rivals in the City for a long time. While I'm a little sad that the series is over, this book was fantastic. I like the beginning of Rivals in the City, especially the descriptions about how the weather effected their walk. 

What series have you recently finished reading?

The Friday 56 (90) & Book Beginnings: Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Kathryn Littlewood’s culinary caper blends rich emotional flavor with truly magical wit, yielding one heaping portion of hilarious family adventure...

Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke—an ancient, leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Stone Sleep Snickerdoodles and Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and whisk-shaped key while their parents are out of town, but then a mysterious stranger shows up. “Aunt” Lily rides a motorcycle, wears purple sequins, and whips up exotic (but delicious) dishes for dinner. Soon boring, non-magical recipes feel like life before Aunt Lily—a lot less fun. So Rose and her siblings experiment with just a couple of recipes from the forbidden Cookery Booke. A few Love Muffins and a few dozen Cookies of Truth couldn’t cause too much trouble . . . could they?

Beginning:" It was the summer Rosemary Bliss turned ten that she saw her mother fold a lightning bolt into a bowl of batter and learned--beyond the shadow of a doubt--that her parents made magic in the Bliss bakery."

56:"On her mother's side: no one."

Comments: I really love the beginning of this book. It introduces the type of magic that's found in the story as well as the character, Rosemary. Overall, it was a pretty good book.

What are you reading this week?

The Friday 56 (89) & Book Beginnings: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

French naturalist Dr. Aronnax embarks on an expedition to hunt down a sea monster, only to discover instead the Nautilus, a remarkable submarine built by the enigmatic Captain Nemo. Together Nemo and Aronnax explore the underwater marvels, undergo a transcendent experience amongst the ruins of Atlantis, and plant a black flag at the South Pole. But Nemo's mission is one of revenge-and his methods coldly efficient...

Beginning: "The year 1866 was signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten."

56: ""I can understand perfectly, sir, that your nets furnish excellent fish for your table; I can understand also that you hunt aquatic game in your submarine forest; but I cannot understand at all how a particle of meat, no matter how small, can figure into your bill of fare."

Comments: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is one of the classics I've been meaning to read. It's the first book I tackled in 2017, and I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed it. I also really liked the opening sentence.  

What are you reading this week?

The Friday 56 (88) & Book Beginnings: A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city--and the one she loves?

Beginning: "The Sorcerer arrived on a Saturday."

56:"Blackwood shook his head. His expression was cold. "We'll do our best, but with her background, I doubt she'll be capable." 

My face felt flaming hot. I had to dig my fingers into the palms of my hands, lest the fire come upon me suddenly."

Comments: I actually like the beginning for this one. It didn't tell me much about the story, but it quickly got to the point. I read A Shadow Bright and Burning last week, and it was just alright.  

What are you reading this week?

The Friday 56 (87) Now with Book Beginnings: The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Something is wrong in the house Lin's family rented. The clocks tick too slowly. Frost covers the flowerbed, even in a rain storm. And when a secret key marked "Twistrose" arrives for her, Lin finds in a crack in the cellar and unlocks a gate to the world of Sylver. This frozen realm is the home of every dead animal who ever loved a child. Lin is overjoyed to be reunited with Rufus, the pet she buried under the rosebush. But together they must find the missing Winter Prince in order to save Sylver from destruction…and they’re not the only ones hunting for the Prince...

Beginning: "The grave that Lin had made for her friend  could not be touched by the wind. Above, the dripping rose-bush flailed, scratching its thorns at the wall. But the whittled cross of twigs and string did not so much as shiver. Instead a lick of rime had crept up to cover the wood with white. Late, Lin Rosenquist would remember this as a sign, the first."

56: "When the last hope is lost, a Twistrose is called.

She tilted her head. The dark colors of the background bled into one another, and she had missed it at first. But now she saw that the wall had tumbled in the middle, so a hole opened into the unknown shadows. On the edge stood a girl with her back turned, with tangled hair and a scruffy-looking sweater."--The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell

Comments: I'm so glad that I picked up The Twistrose Key. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I've also joined Book Beginnings this week. I just haven't had a chance to update the header yet.

What are you reading this week?