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Archive for the ‘Books’ Category

Book Beginnings

Posted in Books, tagged , , , , on June 15, 2012| 1 Comment »

Welcome to this Friday’s edition of Book Beginnings here at Picture Perfect Cooking.  Join me and other avid readers/bloggers over at Rose City Reader for this awesome link party that highlights the books we are or have been reading recently. 

Today I am bringing you the first lines of a young adult book named "The Mortal Instruments Books 1: City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare.  A few short months ago, I wouldn’t be caught dead reading young adult fiction because I thought I was too old for the drama and angst of this genre.  I am here to tell you that I was so so wrong.  Not all of YA fiction is my cup of tea, but I have really enjoyed a few series such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.  Here is the first paragraph of City Of Bones:

" "You’ve got to be kidding me," the bouncer said, folding his arms across his massive chest.  He stared down at the boy in the red zip-up jacket and shook his shaved head.  "You can’t bring that thing in here." "

Now I will admit that these first words are not the most inspiring, but the book is pretty good.  The writing style is a little more simple than HP or Hunger Games, but so far it has been enjoyable.  Enjoyable enough that I will more than likely read the rest of the series when time permits

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Book Beginnings

Posted in Books, tagged , , , , on June 1, 2012| 3 Comments »

Please join me today over at Rose City Reader and get inspired!  You may find your favorite new book in the ones the linked-up bloggers are reading.

Today I am bringing you the first few lines from “Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins.  This is the third and final book in “The Hunger Games” trilogy.  These are supposed to by “young adult” books, but I think the young adult would need to be very mature to read these.  I have really enjoyed them but they are not for the faint of heart.  These books are set in the future after a major war and the United States is no longer.  There are “districts” with one being the Capitol and the leaders pick two young people from each district to fight every year in the Hunger Games. 

“Mockingjay”, book three, has started out differently from the first two.  A revolution is coming!

“I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather.  This is where the bed I shared with my sister, Prim, stood.  Over there was the kitchen table.  The bricks of the chimney, which collapsed in a charred heap, provide a point of reference for the rest of the house.  How else could I orient myself in the sea of gray?”

Wow, that really paints a picture in your mind, doesn’t it?  I can’t wait to see how this ends and I really hope that Ms. Collins keeps writing!

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Book Beginnings

Posted in Books, tagged , , , on May 18, 2012| 5 Comments »

Please join me today over at Rose City Reader for Book Beginnings.  Who knows?  You might find your new favorite book over there.

Today I am bringing you the first few lines from “The Girl Who Chased The Moon” by Sarah Addison Allen.  I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Ms. Allen’s books and look forward to whatever she writes next.

"It took a moment for Emily to realize the car had come to a stop.  She looked up from her charm bracelet, which she’d been worrying in slow circles around her wrist, and stared out the window.  The two giant oaks in the front yard looked like flustered ladies caught mid-curtsy, their starched green leaf-dresses swaying in the wind."

Poor Emily!  You just have to wonder what’s on her mind and where she is going. 

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Book Beginnings

Posted in Books, tagged , , , on May 4, 2012| 7 Comments »

Come on over to Rose City Reader every Friday for her link party called “Book Beginnings”.  That is where I and other book loving bloggers talk about the books we have around us by leaving the first few lines and then giving our opinion about these.

Today I am bringing you the lines from “The Sugar Queen”, another book by Sarah Addison Allen.  I received three of her books as Christmas gifts and I have loved every one of them.

"When Josey woke up and saw the feathery frost on her windowpane, she smiled.  Finally, it was cold enough to wear long coats and tights.  It was cold enough for scarves and shirts worn in layers, like camouflage.  It was cold enough for her lucky red cardigan, which she swore had a power of its own."

Can you tell Josey is trying to hide behind all those clothes?  This is another wonderful book by Ms. Allen that is full of Southern quirkiness and charm along with a dose of make-believe and magic.  Great read!

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Book Beginnings

Posted in Books, tagged , , , on April 20, 2012| 11 Comments »

Please join me and other bloggers over at Rose City Reader for today’s Book Beginnings.  Want to join up, too?  It’s so easy…just grab the book you are reading, or have read or want to read, and type the first couple of lines in said book.  Then give us your opinion. That’s all there is too it!

My book beginnings for today is from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” by J.K. Rowling:

"The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive."

This sentence really doesn’t give us a strong idea of what is going to happen in just a few short pages, but it does kind of give you a feeling that the “drowsy silence” may not last too much longer.  This is a great book and series!!

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Book Beginnings

Posted in Books, tagged , , , , on April 6, 2012| 5 Comments »

Book Beginnings has a new host, Rose City Reader, and I am so glad she decided to continue this link party!  Don’t forget about A Few More Pages.  Just because she isn’t able to host anymore, doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve some reader love.  Other bloggers link up the books they are reading and their feelings toward them.  It is always interesting reading.

Today, I am bringing you the first few lines of the fourth Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling.  I have really enjoyed the first three and this one is just as good.  Ms. Rowling’s imagination and creativity are amazing and I wish I had just a drop of  her writing ability!

“The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it "the Riddle House," even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there.  It stood on a hill overlooking the village, some of its windows boarded, tiles missing from the roof, and ivy spreading unchecked over its face.”

Doesn’t this sound like a sad place to be?  It turns out to be a dangerous place to be for one poor man and a temporary safe haven for another very bad man.  This book, along with the others in the series that I have read, are awesome.  I can easily understand how these books exploded onto the scene and I am glad I decided to give them a try.

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Book Beginnings

Posted in Books, tagged , , on March 23, 2012| 7 Comments »

Hello, my fellow book lovers and welcome to this edition of Book Beginnings.  Pop on over to A Few More Pages to see this and other blogger’s posts about books they are reading now.

My first lines come from “Explosive Eighteen” by Janet Evanovich.  Ms. Evanovich is great at cranking out funny and entertaining easy reads, and this is no exception.  All of the Stephanie Plum books are great!  If you want to laugh out loud, try her books.

“New Jersey was 40,000 feet below me, obscured by cloud cover.  Heaven was above me, beyond the thin skin of the plan.  And hell was sitting four rows back.  Okay, maybe hell was too strong.  Maybe it was just purgatory.”

What has Stephanie got herself into this time?  Well, you will just have to pick up this book and find out.  It is a heck of a ride!

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Book Beginnings

Posted in Books, tagged , , on March 9, 2012| 2 Comments »

Please join me and other bloggers today over at A Few More Pages for Book Beginnings.  Here’s the scoop…pick up the book you’re reading now and jot down the first line or two then tell us what you think. 

My post today is about “Garden Spells” by Sarah Addison Allen.  I had already read “The Peach Keeper” by this author and was really impressed.  I received three other of her books for Christmas and “Garden Spells” was the one I started first.  Here are the first few lines:

“Every smiley moon, without fail, Claire dream of her childhood.  She always tried to stay awake those nights when the stars winked and the moon was just a cresting sliver smiling provocatively down at the world, the way pretty women on vintage billboards used to smile as they sold cigarettes and limeade.”

Doesn’t this paint a beautiful, mysterious picture in your mind?  I haven’t finished this one yet, but I am really enjoying it.  It has a little magic, a little sisterly love, and a little Southern charm all thrown together. 

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Book Beginnings

Posted in Books, tagged , , , , on February 24, 2012| 4 Comments »

I can’t wait to tell you about the book I am reviewing today!  It is so good! Please join me over at A Few More Pages for today’s Book Beginnings link party to see what everyone else is reading, too.

Usually I am not a big fan of young adult fiction just because I am definitely not a “young adult” anymore, but sometimes there is a special book out there that spans the generations and this is one of them.  It is “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins.  Now I know this book has been out for a while, but I just discovered it in the last few months and I am so glad I did. 

Here are the first line(s):

“When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.  My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress.  She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother.  Of course, she did.  This is the day of the reaping.”

The reaping?  Does this sound ominous or not?  It definitely is as you will find out by reading this awesome book. 

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Book Beginnings

Posted in Books, tagged , , , on February 10, 2012| 5 Comments »

Please join me and other bookish bloggers over at A Few More Pages for today’s edition of Book Beginnings.  I hope you will find your new favorite book among our choices.

Today I am bringing you the first line(s) of Phillipa Gregory’s new book “The Lady of The Rivers”.  I have read almost all of Ms. Gregory’s books and have enjoyed them very much.  She mainly writes about the English monarchy around the time of the War of the Roses and Henry VIII.  I am a sucker for that time period and love to read about it. 

“She sits, this odd trophy of war, as neat as an obedient child, on a small stool in the corner of her cell.”

The surprise here is who they are talking about…Joan of Arc!  Now this is fiction so I am sure the author takes license to spin her story, but it is a good one!  If you like historical fiction, give this book a try. 

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