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Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.
Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.
With an effort, Patrick walked back to the hired coach and thrust the puppy inside. Then, catching the door frame, he pulled himself up after. "You, my miserable little whelp, are a sad case indeed," he told the cowering creature. "But I think I know someone who will doubtless welcome you."
Posted for The Friday 56, which is hosted by Freda's Voice
This novel is set in decadent Regency England. Elise Rand is the only child of a very wealthy merchant, Bart Rand. Patrick Hamilton is a rich and ambitious merchant. When Bart Rand is accused of murdering a prostitute, Elise goes to Patrick to defend her father. Patrick refuses to do that but agrees on one condition that she will give herself to him. Elise agrees to it.
However, there is more to it. Elise is a reformist. She is not above helping poor girls who have been forced to sell their bodies. She goes out of her way to get medical help for them. She is not from the nobility but she can stand on her own. She believes her father to be innocent although he refuses to reveal the truth. Patrick is not convinced of Bart's innocence. Yet he agrees to fight the case.
In the midst of the case, we find out that many other prostitutes too have been murdered. Now who is the culprit? The novel keeps the suspense alive till the end. This novel is more like victorian suspense then a romance and that suits me fine!
Dewy was a very good rat; he was brilliant about finding information without ever being found seen or heard.
All Mine by Ella J. Quince
Lillian St. James is the daughter of a duke. Her mother remarries a seedy merchant after the duke's death. Her mother dies and Lillian St. James has so place to go to when a scandal erupts because of her stepfather's treason. She goes to work as a cook’s assistant in the kitchen of a mysterious aristocrat.
Dominic Coel, Earl of Redwick, is a spy and he must track down a young girl who has disappeared with stolen royal jewels. Meanwhile, he is distracted by the mysterious Miss Millie James who has joined his staff.
As a regency romance, it had a good pace. Dominic is a good, protective hero. Lillian is not afraid of anything. She does not mind the work. The equation between them is good.
Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.
Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.
It wasn’t every day a woman lost her virginity.
This was the only justification Annalise could give herself for the way her hands trembled. Ordinary wedding day nerves and nothing more.
Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.
"....And, oh yeah, your mother can be a real asshole," Ben's father said, like he forgot to put it on a grocery list. A simple aside. Just like that.
Title: Snoveling Snow
Author: Brett Sills
ASIN: B00JHLY7A2
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services/2014
Pages: 225
Each of the four main characters in this novel, is running away from his/her problems in one way or another. Each one of them of them needs to figure out how to cope with the devastating pitfalls of life, and face it as bravely as one can.
Ben has grown up in a cold place and in his adult life he moves to a warmer place. However, as soon as he faces problems in his relationship, he runs away to a cold place to escape from it all. His landlady's daughter, Smoof is only 10 years old and is not an endearing child at that. She is bitter about life and always stays away from people by her attitudes and actions. One of her teachers, Rose wants to get close to the child but Smoof does not let her. Smoof's mother Maggie is so much wrapped in her grief that she forgets to take care of her daughter.
All these people are brought together and although Ben tries to stay away from Smoof, slowly he is drawn into her world. Interacting with her, he comes to terms with his own life and knows that he has to go back. But tragedy strikes and Smoof needs him in her own way.
Three adults. A child. An independent child. Brett Sills has written a beautiful novel about relationship, choices and consequences of those choices. The writing is uncomplicated and flows beautifully. It is not a fairy tale but a very real story of loss, fear, anger, forgiveness, acceptance, letting go and moving on.
Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.
The prison was quiet and Tom Bishop couldn’t sleep. He did one thousand
push-ups and stopped when he heard footsteps echo down the hall.
It was 12:37 AM.
‘Open, two, four, nine,’ a voice called out.
The metal locks disengaged and the door pulled open to reveal the round silhouette of a guard. Bishop recognised his shape – it was Gale. Not too bright but he didn’t pretend to be otherwise. ‘Get dressed. You’re being transferred.’
Bishop glanced around at his small four-by-eight cell. ‘I was just beginning to like it here.’
Title: Out Of Exile
Author: Luke Preston
ISBN: 9781760080495
Publisher: Momentum Books/2013
Pages: 248
When ex-cop Tom Bishop is taken out of prison in dead of night, he does not know what to expect. Then he finds out that the cops who wanted him out of prison are bad cops. They expect him to be one of them.
He finds himself in the midst of a conspiracy which is connected to his past. He also knows that that he can never be one of the corrupt cops. He is now a part of the kidnappers of the family of one of his ex colleagues and he has to save them. He puts his life in stake to do that.
What follows is an adrenaline pumping thriller which makes us sit on the edge. The fine line between good and bad cops is difficult to understand. But Luke Preston has done that very well. Action packed, violent to boot, yet there is economy of words. More of a mind play. It stays long after one finishes it.
Screams
He wants to hold my hand in this race
Where everyone tries to keep the pace
Where every smile has a shadow of disgrace
He wants to be mine
He wants to be the reason to rise when I slide
The colours of day during night
And the knife that doesn't cut my life and
He wants to stay by my side
He wants to breath for me when I can't
And substitute carelessness with concern
And chase away the demons that haunt
Every single corner of my world
And I said to him
I don't know what you mean
I only know how I feel
I don't know what you dream
I only hear those screams
~ Screams, Extra Care by Alina Cosma
It is a collection of fifteen poems. All are reflective of emotions. One can easily relate to the poems as feelings and emotions are universal. The questions we ask ourselves and answers we find within the questions. I could get that and more. Do pick it up. This thin volume is worth it.
Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.
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“You are not fond of poetry? I thought all young ladies adored poetry. Poets are such romantic creatures, are they not?”
“I am afraid I must be a philistine,” she replied. “As soon as I hear a rhyming couplet, my eyelids begin to droop.”
Waite laughed. It was a warm laugh of genuine amusement, and at the sound of it, Rose felt her heart flip-flop in her chest. Such an odd feeling! She wanted to grin like an idiot. And stare. She wanted to stare and stare until she could remember every inch of him.
Unforgivable by Joanna Chambers
He held her more firmly. "You will not die, Emma. I will not let you die."
Posted for The Friday 56, which is hosted by Freda's Voice
Title: Tennessee Bride
Author: Rosanne Bittner
ISBN: 9780445206342
Publisher: warner books/1998
Pages: 384
Sixteen year old Emma Simms, born in a small village in the Tennessee mountains. Her mother dies in childbirth and Emma is now all alone with her cruel stepfather, Luke Simms.
Tommy Decker, a lecherous neighbor attempts to rape Emma, but she manages to escape and gives Tommy the beating of his life. Tommy is angered and swears she will pay for it. Meanwhile, Luke decides to sell Emma to Sam Gates, a man who uses the women he bought to service men in his saloon in Knoxville.
But Emma has always been under the watchful eye of River Joe, a white man, who was taken in by the Cherokee when he was only five years old after his parents were attacked by a band of white marauders- his mother raped and both parents killed. By the time he comes for her, Emma has been sold to Hank Toole, and is on her way to Sam Gates. River Joe manages to rescue Emma, and they return to his people's village, at the top of the mountain.
Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.
Ann Olson and her six-year old son were alone in the house. It was already dark.
“Mom, can you read the story again? Please. I have to make sure that the bird finds his mother.”
Ann scooped up the book and placed it on the shelf next to Travis’s bed. Tucking the blue
striped quilt around her only child, she said, “I’ve read it three times. It’s time to go to sleep, sweetie.” She kissed her son’s freckled nose and stood up. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Mom?”
She knelt and caressed his soft brown hair. “What, honey?”
He pulled the blanket to his neck. “I’m scared of the dark.”
Title: Sufficient Ransom
Author: Sylvia Sarno
ISBN: 9781484884591
Publisher: Savvy Scribe Press/2014
Pages: 326
6-year old Travis goes missing one day while playing in the backyard. Ann Olson is frantic. At first the police suspect her and her husband for his disappearance.
Just before Travis went missing, a welfare officer, Kika Garcia, had wanted to take the boy away, citing Ann as a bad mother. When Kika is traced, she too is worried about Travis. Without any clue, Ann turns to religion but her husband, Richard is none too happy.
Ann can go to any length to get back Travis. She does not heed the police or her husband and we see her traversing to seedy Mexico to find him. She gets embroiled in it all. Drug dealers, murderers and preachers. All these seem to be somehow connected. When the truth comes out, everyone is devastated.
This novel keeps us on edge. The writing is easy and flowing. The plot is good. The characters are well etched. It is scary yet evil can never get away. A good thriller.
December
This cold has taught me
about the nature of souls.
Although I have known
a long time ago that the body
is meant to be a sieve for
the soul fermenting inside,
I am still surprised by the fog
of breath coming out of my mouth.
So dense. It seems that I am not the only one
who is exhaling in this frozen yard.
Night Fish by Kristine Ong Muslim
Night Fish is a 13-poem chapbook. The poems refer to water, all kinds of water bodies and watery life. Life is compared with the uncertainty of the ocean and how the human mind adapts to it.
A key poem that familiarises the reader to the whole collection is “Heat Stroke”, a condition where moisture is non-existent and grief has triumphed. Heat Stroke is palpable. We can almost touch it----
We ultimately learn to slice impressions,
separate them according to texture.
Smooth-skinned on top. Rusty underneath.
Grit and cruelty crammed in the middle.
Heat presents itself in the form of waves
melting the world away. Squandering nothing.
"What kind of life did you have planned for him, Holly? Oh, that's right, you don't have a plan. How many years will he suffer because you decided to bring him into the world? If I were to butcher him in cold blood, he would suffer less than what you have in store for him.”
Posted for The Friday 56, which is hosted by Freda's Voice
Unseen by John Michael Hileman
Jake starts seeing pregnant women, toddlers and an old woman. Only he can see them. And then his estranged sister, Holly's son is kidnapped. Most likely by a serial killer who targets children from single mothers.
How are these two connected? But why are they only seen by him? The children Jake sees are not ghosts.
We see two parallel stories going in there. And both keep us engrossed. Revealing more would spoil the story. This novel did not get much publicity but it is very engrossing and the supernatural element keeps us going. The characters are flawed in a realistic way. The conclusion of the book was worth it.
Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.
On an icy cold November morning in 1956, Bartholomew Jones died in the Poynter Coal Mine. His death came as no surprise to anyone. He was only one of the countless men forever lost to the mine. They were men loved and mourned by their families, but to the world they were faceless, nameless people, not worthy of mention in the Charleston Times.
Morning after morning those men descended into the belly of the mountain, into a world of black dust that clung to their skin with a fierceness that no amount of scrubbing could wash away. In the winter the sky was still black when they climbed into the trolley cart that carried them into the mountain. And when they returned twelve hours later, daylight had already come and gone.
Jubilee's Journey by Bette Lee Crosby
Paul, 16 and Jubilee, 7 are orphans. After their father's death, they travel to find a relative in Wyattsville. Paul gets shot in the midst of robbery in a shop, where he had gone to ask for a job. Jubilee waits for him on a bench where Paul had told her to wait. Ethan Allen, 13 sees her there and with much coaxing takes her to his grandmother Olivia's place. Olivia takes to the girl immediately and vows to herself to help the girl.
Meanwhile, Paul has been taken to the hospital in a comatose state and he is suspected to be one of the robbers. No one knows the two children in Wyattsville and hence no one reports them missing. Jubilee knows that her brother did no wrong. Olivia is determined that no harm should come to the girl. Ethan Allen is very caring about Jubilee.
This story touches us at many levels. Love between siblings. Paul has always taken care of Jubilee and when her turn comes, she does the same for him. Ethan Allen, a orphan himself, takes to the little girl easily enough. Olivia, although thinks Ethan a handful, does not mind looking after Jubilee. In a strange place, there are people who still care about kids who are not theirs.
There are beautiful use of metaphors and the human element is so palpable. It also contains an evil person who thinks nothing of killing people. One of the best novels, I read in 2014.
I had a dream last night
that I stood in a field of pure white wheat
and it swayed and bowed to the will of the wind.
The sky grew angry and started to cry.
The wheat wilted and rotted away.
Underneath the wheat
crows had been hiding
and now hundreds of them
spread their wings and took to the sky,
turning day to night.
~from The Crow, Silver Threads by Jade Kennedy
Title: Silver Threads
Author: Jade Kennedy
Genre: Poetry
ASIN: B0088GV99Y
Publisher: Valley Press/2012
Pages: 34
Cut off. Alexander had finally done it. She’d wondered, with her pittance of an allowance coming later and later every quarter, whether this was where it was headed. She scanned the letter again, searching for any sign of filial affection. There was none. Rather, she detected anger behind his words. Her present situation could only refer to her being divorced. If he truly felt no obligation to support his divorced sister, why had it taken him nearly three years to say so?
Posted for The Friday 56, which is hosted by Freda's Voice
Once a Duchess by Elizabeth Boyce
Duchess Isabelle Fairfax is wrongfully accused of infidelity by her particularly awful mother-in-law and ceremoniously divorced then cut off without a penny by both her former husband, Duke of Monthwaite and by her own brother. But she is not one to give up and works as a cook in inn in a remote village. Marshal Lockwood, the Duke stops at that inn and finds her working there. Marshal is surprised to know that his ex-wife is a wonderful cook. He starts having serious doubts about her infidelity as he had expected her to be living comfortably with that other person. He writes to Isabelle’s brother and encourages him to take his sister back. Her brother decides that the solution to everyone’s problems is to get Isabelle married off as soon as possible. Isabelle has no other option and agrees.
Isabelle and Marshal have been manipulated by his mother. Marshal realizes it and makes it all right. He publicly apologises for divorcing her wrongfully. They discover they have still something going between them and try to right the wrongs done to them.
Elizabeth Boyce has covered a difficult subject of divorce in the 19th century. The story may have some misgivings but the topic covered was very relevant of that period.
Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.
London, England
January 1, 1815
Tucked in amongst the odors of wax and smoking wicks, lavender and musk, lurked the aura of anticipation. Faint, yet distinct, it hung like a scent itself in the heavy air of the Carstairs drawing room.
It became more than a smell. Sophie heard it in the sudden hushing of voices, saw it in the slight raising of eyebrows. Previously attentive gentlemen stiffened, and with polite nods faded away as if they had not been fluttering about her just moments before. Her nape prickled, and Sophie felt like she was a goat staked out in a tiger trap.
"It's Lucas," whispered her friend Minerva, her narrowed silver eyes tracking the movement behind Sophie's back.
Even the music stopped. Lords and ladies stood still in the blue and gold drawing room, their sly glances in Sophie's direction reflected in the mirrored wall.
