First Line Friday

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

"1874~Colorado Territory
The stench of death hung in the air, molded, gray, dank rotting."
Meggie's Remains
Joanne Sundell

This first line is very descriptive... almost too much so. Not in a bad way, though. It throws me right into Meggie's dream. I'm wondering if it's really a dream or a flashback remembered in her dream.

Wow, it's been two weeks since I last blogged. School started for J and M. They just finished their first week. It was great but already...a lot of homework. Tomorrow is M's 11th birthday. She is foregoing a party. Instead, she is going to a movie and lunch with her BFF. She's so grown-up... that's exactly the way I like to spend my birthday. Although, their choice of movie wouldn't be mine...but then, I'm not a sixth grade girl.


My bag today was a white bag. I still follow the "No White after Labor Day" rule, so I've been wearing a lot of my white bags. I know it's silly but I just can't seem to wear white comfortably after that day...even if Stacy and Clinton say it's OK.

First Line Friday

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

"Gwenda was eight years old, but she was not afraid of the dark."
World Without End
Ken Follett


I love first lines that begins with a character, rather than something like, "The sky was blue and the grass was green." While that is one way to begiin a novel, I love when you are immediately introduced to a chracter. Is Gwenda the heroine of World Without End? Will she make it out of the dark? Is her lack of fear a catalyst for a bigger event? Those are things I think about when I read this line.

World Without End is the sequel to Pillars of the Earth. I loved Pillars, even with it's flaws. It's a novel that readers either really like or really hate. I think it has one of the best first lines, though... "The small boys came early to the hanging."

I finally bought World as a paperback... although, at over 1000 pages, it's still a hefty read. I'm not sure when I'll start reading it. It's just nice to know it's there. Sometimes, I'll look at my bookshelves and my TBR pile and wait for something to jump out at me. I know this will be a go-to book... when nothing else strikes me. I'm not saying that this isn't going to be a great read as I'm sure it is. I just know it'll be a book I can put down and come back to... a "comfort" book, so to speak.


Today, I carried two different bags. I used a Kathy Van Zeeland Cheetah print bag for work and, later, when we went shoe shopping for J, my bag was my Vera Wang black satchel with patent trim. Before you think I'm crazy, I have to say that I'm completely organized and switching bags is a very simple process. With minor changes... my wallet is a Dooney & Bourke, my planner is a black & white Fleur-de-Lis and my phone now has a white faceplate... this is all I carry...

Teaser Tuesdays and Teachers

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

"They talk for ten more minutes, interrupted only by the woman getting up put more quarters in her dryer. Finally they finish, and the woman gathers up her papers before retrieving her clothes."
page 40
New Tricks
David Rosenfelt


These setences touch on one if the funniest parts of this series. Andy's friend, Kevin, runs a combination laundromat/legal aid. It's called The Lawdromat.

This is the latest in the Andy Carpenter series. He is a New Jersey lawyer who inherited a subsrantial fortune from his father. As a result of that, he can pick and choose which cases he takes. Dogs, especially Andy's Golden Retriever Tara, play a significant role an each novel. I'm a cat person (we have three) and like dogs when they're someone else's so I was surprised how much I enjoy these books. I think it goes beyond the dog. It's really about being an animal lover. These novels are also just really good mysteries. My favorite thing, though, is Andy. The stories are told in first person and in a very conversational way. While the author is great at setting scenes and creating dialogue, it's Andy's voice that is at the heart of the novel. He is witty, wry, clever and very smart.

Today was Registration for J & M. They will be in 8th and 6th grade, respectively. We went to J's school first. He wasn't even with us as he didn't feel so great. It started at 11am and we showed up at 10:45 and were probably sixth in line. Not bad... considering when we left, there were probably 75 families in line. It's a small school so I'm hoping that when we go back tomorrow to get J's picture taken, we won't have to wait too long.

M's Registration was a fiasco! I'm not sure why, though, nothing changed from years before. The line to pay fees was at least a half hour long. "I should have paid online" was something I heard several times and something I thought, too. I was helping at the PTA table so I made M stand in line. She had a great time because some of her friends were with her. She really wanted Mr. A. He's the only male teacher (besides the PE teacher) in the school and he's very cool! J was in his class two years ago and it was the best experience! Mr. A had told me that he was pretty sure he'd have M in his class as the school tries to put siblings with the same teachers if it's a good fit and with M... it's a great fit. She was so excited. She was on the phone all evening with her friends discussing who is in which teacher's class. One of M's friends, H, is having a hissy fit because she's not in Mr. A's class with M and some other girls. Apparently, her Mom will be calling the school tomorrow to try to switch her into that class. Good luck! Our school is very strict on changing student's class assignment. There has to be a very valid reason and H's hissy fit isn't one. I'd be very surprised if they change it. The sixth grade is set up so that they change classrooms for Math, Social Studies, Science in order to get them prepared for middle school. So, H will see all theses girls, anyway. M even told me that she gave H seven reasons not to switch classes... not because she doesn't want H in her class but because M's a little politician and is trying to be diplomatic :o)


Because I had so many registration papers, a water bottle and, of course, my book, I carried my huge black woven tote. It's large enough to carry it all and still fit over my shoulder.

First Line Friday & Handbag Genius

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?
"I was arrested in Eno's Diner."
Killing Floor
Lee Child
That is a perfect first line. Short, to the point and really creates anticipation as to what happens next. It also says, to me, something about the narrator. He is a no-nonsense man who gets right to the point. I can truly appreciates first lines that meander... with a enough description to fill a paragraph. However, reading a first line like that is a pleasure, as well. Several of the author blurbs on the back actually mention the first line and first scene.

This book is our November book club choice, so it's actually pretty far down in my TBR pile. Like I said before, some book club books are out of my comfort zone. This is definitely another one. I would not have chosen this if I was browsing at Barnes & Noble.


My bag today was my Liz Claiborne cheetah print bag with red patent handles. I wore black, white and red and it set the bag off perfectly. There is a zippered divider pocket in the bag that always fall down... drives me crazy! Today, I put my planner in it to hold it up. I'm a genius! It worked... the bag stayed divided. Wow...I'm sure MENSA will want me now... NOT!!!!

Teaser Tuesday

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
"He nodded in agreement. The boat began the broad left turn that would take them into the canal of Arsenale."
page 111
Death at La Fenice
Donna Leon

This mystery is our September selection. Technically, it's not my current read as I will begin it tonight when I go to bed. I've never read one of these mysteries as I didn't think it would be appealing to me. That's one of the great things, I think, about belonging to a book club... reading books that you might not have otherwise. I now read several authors that I found through my book club, ones I know I never would have chose off the bookstore shelf.

My book club met tonight an there were three new people. They were a welcome addition to our discussion. We read a superb mystery, The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson. I cannot recommend this series highly enough but the books need to read in order. We read his latest in anticipation for his visit to our group in about two weeks. He is one that a book club friend recommended and that we later read and discussed. I'm very happy to have found him.

My purse for today a black studded "motorcycle" bag. I absolutely love "motorcycle" handbags. I have four of them... two black, one burgandy and one dark hunter green. They're a little edgy without being gaudy. A lot of women won't carry black bags in the summer but one of my favorite summer color combinations is black and white. If white is the dominant color in my outfit, a black bag just "pops" the outfit.