Always With a Book

First line: They came for her at dawn. From the back cover: England, 1554. In the wake of the failed Wyatt Rebellion, a vengeful Queen Mary has ordered all conspirators captured and executed. Among the imprisoned is her own sister, twenty-one-year-old Princess Elizabeth. Though she protests her innocence, Elizabeth’s brave stand only angers Mary more. Elizabeth longs to gain her liberty – and her sister’s crown. In Honor and Richard…

First line: Snow crunched under the feet of three cloaked figures – a queen, her lady, and a gravedigger – as they hurried along a moonlit path in Windsor Castle’s lower ward. From the back cover: Upon the death of her father, Henry VIII, Queen Mary assumes the throne after a long and bitter wait. Her first order of business is to wed the devout Prince Phillip of Spain, creating…

First line: She would remember this forever after as the night she watched two men die, one at peace and one in terror. From the back cover: London, 1527. Marry or serve: for Honor Larke, the choice is clear. Unwilling to perish of boredom as an obedient wife, she leaves the home of her ward, the brilliant Sir Thomas More, to attend Her Majesty, Queen Catherine of Aragon. But life…

First line: Failure wasn’t a feeling; it was a taste in his mouth, an ache at the base of his neck. From the inside cover: After giving up his post at the Hollows Police Department, Jones Cooper is at loose ends. He is having trouble facing a horrible event from his past and finding a second act. Then, on a brisk October morning, he has a visitor. Eloise Montgomery, the…

First line: Some people are harder to kill than others. From the inside cover: An innocent art student finds $13 million in diamonds. Let the manhunt begin. RUN, RUN, RUN Matthew Bannon, a poor art student living in New York City, finds a medical bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Terminal. Plans for a worry-free life with his gorgeous girlfriend, Katherine, fill his thoughts –…

First line: Marguerite didn’t know where to start. Why I read this: I was trying to finish reading all of Elin Hilderbrand’s older works. From the inside cover: It’s a hot August Saturday on Nantucket Island. Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, two lives will be transformed forever. Marguerite Beale, former chef of culinary hot spot Les Parapluies, has been out of the public eye for more than…

First line: Okay, so I accidentally wrapped my reading glasses in one of the packages I mailed. From the inside cover: As a professional home stager, Sandy Sullivan is an expert at transforming cluttered rooms into attractive houses ready for sale. If only reinventing her life were as easy as choosing the perfect paint color. She’s eager to put her family’s suburban Boston home on the market, to downsize, and…

First line: “My name is Molly Pink and I’m a yarnoholic,” I announced to my crochet group, the Tarzana Hookers, as I put my stash on the table. Why I read this: I bought this book a while ago but had not gotten to it. My mom had read the first in the series and was eager to read the next, so I wanted to read it first before giving…

First line: They used to be called the Firefly Lane girls. Why I read this: I picked this up at a book sale last year after not having read anything by this author in a while. From the back cover: In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the…

First line: Dylan North walked down the streets of Acton, savoring the familiar sights. Why I read this: This is one of Carly Phillips earlier works and when I saw that it was available for my Nook, I jumped on it. Synopsis from Goodreads: You never forget your first love … High school sweethearts, Dylan North and Holly Evans believed their future together was a done deal. But right after…

First line: It’s way too early in the morning for dead people. Why I read this: It’s a James Patterson book that I somehow missed when it came out. From the inside cover: YOU’VE BEEN NICE, VERY NICE Kristin Burns has lived her life by the philosophy “Don’t think, just shoot” – pictures, that is. Struggling to make ends meet, she works full-time as the nanny for the fabulously wealthy…

First line: The thing about lying to your parents is, you have to do it to protect them. Why I read this: I’ve read all the Shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella and when I saw that this one was available for my Nook, I decided to give it a try. Synopsis from Goodreads: Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive.…

First line: “I’ve reached a decision.” Why I read this: This is one of Carly Phillips earlier works and when I saw that it was available for my Nook, I jumped on it. Synopsis from Goodreads: No sooner had Chelsie Russell and Griffin Stuart lost their siblings in a car crash than they find themselves fighting for custody of their two year old niece. Griff wins only to discover Chelsie…

First line: Dear Sophie, I nearly canceled Christmas last year when my children found their presents. Why I read this: I love Krista Davis’s Domestic  Diva series and I am using this to count towards the Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge.  Synopsis from Goodreads: A Scrooge steals presents right from under Sophie Winston’s family Christmas tree. Then her sister-in-law’s father show’s up with a diva girlfriend just a month…

First line: The end began with a plane crash. Why I read this: I had picked this up at a book sale last year after reading a few other books by Katherine Center and am also using this book to count towards the Reading From My Shelves Project. From the back cover: Sometimes the worst thing that can happen is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. Very pregnant and not…

First line: Mary Bliss McGowan and Katherine Weidman had reached a point in the evening from whence there was no return. Why I read this: I picked this up at a library book sale and it’s been sitting on my shelf for a while – I was in the mood for a quick, fun read and this definitely was that and a whole lot more. I am also using this…

First line: I was born beautiful. Why I read this: I had recently read Something Borrowed and was curious as to what would happen with Darcy. I am also using this book to count towards the Reading From My Shelves Project.  From the back cover: Darcy Rhone thought she had it all figured out: the more beautiful the girl, the more charmed her life. Never mind substance. New mind playing…

First line: I’d already tossed the driver a twenty and was bouncing up and down like a preschooler last in line for they potty when my taxi finally stopped across from the Hudson hotel on West 58th. Why I read this: It’s a book by James Patterson – enough said!!! From the inside cover: To save her own life, Nina Bloom vanished. Now, to rescue an innocent man, she confronts…

First line: Today I signed the papers on our first house! Why I read this: I love anything by Debbie Macomber and Susan Mallery and so when I saw this, I had to get it. From the back cover:  Knitting is many things to many people Knitting is a way of life The Twenty-First Wish by Debbie Macomber Anne Marie Roche and her adopted daughter, ten-year-old Ellen, have each written…