Wednesday, February 19, 2025

38 Best First Lines!

  Here they are in no particular order, with a few pretty covers thrown in... 

"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."
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

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"I've been locked up for 264 days." Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

""First the colors.
Then the humans.
That's usually how I see things.
Or at least, how I try."
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

"A thief is a lot like a wizard. I have quick hands. And I can make things disappear. But then I stole the magician's locus magicalicus and almost disappeared myself forever."
The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas

"Prague, early May. The sky weighed gray over fairy-tale rooftops, and all the world was watching."
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

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"The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle."
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

"Congratulations. The fact that you're reading this means you've taken one giant step closer to your next birthday."
Maximum Ride, The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

"Ironically, since the attacks, the sunsets have been glorious."
Angelfall by Susan Ee

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"How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed."
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

"The assassins dropped into the palace grounds at midnight, four fleet shadows dark against the wall. The fall was high, the ground was hard; they made no more sound on impact than the pattering of rain."
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud

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"I stood in front of today's schedule still holding my skateboard, still drenched from the ride over, and still desperately wishing I hadn't dropped out of college."
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

"Turner Buckminster had lived in Phippsburg, Maine, for fifteen minutes shy of six hours."
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

"Once, in a house on Egypt street, there lived a rabbit who was made almost entirely of china."
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo

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"The night breathed through the apartment like a dark animal."
Reckless by Cornelia Funke

"Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive."
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
by JK Rowling

"Prayer candles flicker in my bedroom. The Scriptura Sancta lies discarded, pages crumpled, on my bed. Bruises mark my knees from kneeling on the hard tile, and the Godstone in my navel throbs. I have been praying― no, begging― that King Alejandro de Vega, my future husband, will be ugly, old, and fat."
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

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"I've always been competitive. Maybe it's because I'm a dragon, and that's how we are, at least the males of our species."
Phoenix by Finley Aaron

"Jacob Fielding stood in a small room and stared at a body."
Thirteen Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman

"Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache."
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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"It was as black in the closet as old blood."
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

"I've confessed to everything and I'd like to be hanged. Now, if you please."
Chime by Franny Billingsley

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"The man sitting across from me at the café was thinking about murdering his wife."
The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton

"I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one. Or at least as close as we're going to get."
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

"You stop fearing the Devil when you're holding his hand."
Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

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"The world is a clock winding down."
The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

"There's a hint of wind coming over the top of the stone walls and through the barbed-wire sky on the day Alexander Stowe was to be Purged."
The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

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"The Austrian horses glinted in the moonlight, their riders standing tall in the saddle, swords raised."
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

"Despite her casting him down to this place, despite the fresh bruises on his skin and the blood under his nails, Roiben still loved Lady Silarial."
Ironside by Holly Black

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"Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you're dead."
A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

"In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes."
Howl's moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones

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"Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death."
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"There's a right way to do things and a wrong way, if you're going to run a hotel in a smuggler's town. You shouldn't make it a habit to ask too many questions, for one thing. And you probably shouldn't be in it for the money."
The Greenglass House by Kate Milford

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."
The Graveyard Book by Nail Gaiman

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"When my brother Fish turned thirteen, we moved to the deepest part of inland because of the hurricane and, of course, that fact that he'd caused it."
Savvy by Ingrid Law

 

"The wolf tasted the babe's face with the tip of his tongue and pronounced her sweet, and the fox licked the back of her head to see if it was so. For the rest of her life, when this child grew into a faerie with bright eyes and a laugh as loud and unladylike as a crow's, that spot on her hair would never lie flat."
Dreamdark by Laini Taylor

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"The shutters swinging in the storm winds were the only sign of her entry." Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

"Of the first few hauntings I investigated with Lockwood and Co. I intend to say little, in part to protect the identity of the victims, in part because of the gruesome nature of the incidents, but mainly because, in a variety of ingenious ways, we succeeded in messing them all up."
The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

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"There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair." Divergent by Veronica Roth


And an honorable mention in the category of Best First Chapter Title!

I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I hope you've enjoyed this list!

Friday, January 17, 2025

How do you keep up with with your reading when there are so many new books every month?

Incorporating more reading into a busy schedule can feel challenging, but with a few tweaks to your daily routine, you can carve out more time for books without feeling overwhelmed. Here are some practical ideas to help you include more reading:

1. Set Specific Reading Goals


   - Daily Pages or Minutes: Set a target, such as reading 20 pages or 20 minutes a day. This can be manageable even with a busy schedule.

   - Reading Streaks: Use a habit tracker or an app like Goodreads to keep track of your reading. Sometimes just seeing your progress motivates you to keep going.

 


2. Incorporate Reading into Downtime

   - Waiting Periods: Whether you’re waiting for your parents to pick you up from school, waiting for a doctor's appointment or waiting for the bus, these moments add up and can be used to squeeze in a few pages.

   - Breaks at school: Use your lunch break or nutrition break to squeeze in some reading, either bring a book or audiobook and use that time to read.

3. Use Audiobooks

   - Audiobooks are a great way to consume books while doing other tasks. You can listen while walking home, waiting to be picked up or doing chores.

   - Platforms like Audible, Libby (with a library card), or even podcasts (WOW in the World) can be good sources of audio content.


4. Read Before Bed - my favorite!


   - Make reading a part of your bedtime routine. Even if it’s just 10 minutes, it can help wind down the day and encourage more consistent reading habits.

   - Try switching from screens to paper books, which can improve your sleep quality and make reading feel like a more natural transition to rest.




5. Start with Shorter Books or Stories

   - Choose shorter books or even short stories that you can finish in a shorter time frame. Shorter reading material can fit better into small gaps in your day.

   - Short-form content, like essays or articles, can also be great for quick reads and can build momentum to help you tackle longer books.

6. Join a Reading Challenge or Book Club

   - Challenges like the Goodreads Reading Challenge can provide a fun incentive to read more. Having a goal to reach encourages regular reading.

   - A book club can motivate you to read more regularly and interact with others about books, making the experience more social.

7. Combine Reading with Other Hobbies

   - If you enjoy activities like journaling, scrapbooking, or sketching, try reading books related to your interests in those areas to enhance your experience and motivation.

   - If you enjoy fitness, you might try listening to fitness-related audiobooks or podcasts to merge those interests.

8. Morning or Evening Routine

   - Adding 10-15 minutes of reading to your morning or evening routine can make a big difference over time.

   - Try reading first thing after waking up or right before starting school to set a positive tone for the day.

9. Create a Reading Nook

   - Make a comfortable space in your home for reading. A cozy corner with good lighting and a comfy chair can encourage you to read more often.

   - Make this space inviting by surrounding it with your current reading material or any books you're excited about.

    


10. Always Have a Book with You

   - Keep a book or e-reader in your bag or have an app like Kindle on your phone so you’re always prepared to read during moments of downtime.

   - If you're often on the go, digital options are handy and easy to access. Libby (you need a library card) is my favorite. 


11. Use a "Reading Break"

   - Designate a specific time during your day for reading. Treat it like an appointment—whether that’s a set time in the morning, lunch, or after school. Block it off in your schedule.

   - If possible, use reading as a form of self-care, a break from school, or a healthy distraction from stress.


12. Try Different Formats

   - If physical books feel hard to keep up with, consider digital versions (eBooks) or audiobooks. These are often more portable and flexible, allowing you to read on the go.


13. Read Multiple Books at Once

   - If you have a busy schedule, consider having a couple of books on the go, one for short, snatched moments (like during a commute) and one for when you have longer stretches of time.

   - Reading different genres or formats (e.g., fiction and non-fiction) can keep it interesting and ensure you’re always in the mood for something.

14. Social Media Detox

   - Consider cutting back on social media time or other digital distractions that often steal time away from reading.

   - Use that extra time to get lost in a book.




By experimenting with some of these ideas, you can find what works best for your schedule and lifestyle. The key is to make reading a consistent habit, even if it's just for a few minutes a day!