Tuesday, August 2, 2016

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros #5 - A Useful Woman, The Assassin Game, and Zahrah the Windseeker

Hosted by Diana @ Bibliophile by the Sea

Every Tuesday, I share the first paragraph(s) of what I am currently reading and/or will soon be reading.

First up is a historical cozy mystery series, inspired by the novels of Jane Austen ( <3 ):

A Useful Woman (Rosalind Thorne Mysteries #1); Darcie Wilde
Berkeley - 2016

When the Dance Finishes Early 
LONDON, FEBRUARY 15, 1812 
When she told the story afterward, Rosalind would say the noise woke her up. The truth was, however, she had never actually been asleep. 
She'd come home unusually early from the Wednesday ball at Almack's. She'd been tempted to stay, but if she did, she knew she'd have blurted out her secret. As it was, she feared she'd given herself away.

The next book is a very different kind of story, a YA thriller I got from NetGalley:


The Assassin Game; Kirsty McKay
Sourcebooks Fire - 2016

It is about 4:00 a.m. when they come for me. I am already awake, strung out on the fear that they will come, and the fear that they won't. When I finally hear the click of the latch on my dormitory door, I have only a second to brace myself before they're on me.

And finally, an African-influenced YA fantasy novel that I just bought:

Zahrah the Windseeker; Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
HMH Books for Young Readers - 2005

Dear Reader,

My name is Zahrah Tsami. This is my story. As many of you may know (and some of you may not, for who knows how far this book has come), I decided to write this book because of the stupid photos published in the Ooni Inquirer. Anyone who would stalk two innocent teenagers, hide in a tree, and take pictures of them really needs to question his or her job. That's not journalism. Yes, it was Dari and me in those photos. Yes, I can fly. No, I am not a witch, a jinni, or a ghost posing as my living self. I am a Windseeker. My story will tell you what really happened. And no matter where you're from, I want you to understand it well.

Sincerely, 

Zahrah Tsami
______________________________________________________________________

What do you think? Keep reading all three? Which one catches your interest the most?

20 comments:

  1. Good beginnings for all three books! I'm waiting on a copy of A Useful Woman from the library after seeing it in your blog post yesterday. Now I'm adding the other two to my reading list.

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    1. Just returned A Useful Woman to the library today. I really, really enjoyed it and plan on putting up a review soon.

      Glad to have influenced some of your reading choices ^^

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  2. I love the cover of A Useful Woman, but they all look good!

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    1. Just finished A Useful Woman (loved it!), starting The Assassin Game tonight.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Wow I love the cover of Zahrah the Windseeker -- I agree with JoAnn, they all look good.

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    1. Isn't the cover gorgeous? One of the things that drew me to it.

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  4. A Useful Woman appeals to me. I'd like to read more.

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    1. I'm a sucker for anything Jane Austen-inspired and this did not disappoint.

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  5. A Useful Woman looks like something I'd really enjoy. Zahrah the Windseeker is intriguing too, and both have great covers!

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    1. I highly recommend A Useful Woman. Hoping to have a review up sometime this week.

      I love the covers too ^^

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  6. Three very different books! I think I'd enjoy A Useful Woman, and although I don't read much YA, the others sound good as well.
    My Tuesday post features BLUEBONNET SPRING

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    1. Yeah, I've been in a rut lately of only reading cozy mysteries and wanted to change it up a little bit. It's been a while since I've read YA, but I thought I should get back into it since it's so popular.

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  7. I definitely want to read A Useful Woman! What a way to start! I want to know what this secret is, and why she was pretending to be asleep. Whom was she pretending for?

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    1. Plenty of twists and turns and a very enjoyable read. I definitely recommend it ^^

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  8. All of these sound like they will be good! I especially like the sound of An Useful Woman.

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    1. Haha, A Useful Woman seems to be a very popular choice! You should definitely add it to your TBR list.

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  9. Oh wow I'd try them all. I think Useful Woman would be my first choice.

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    1. A popular choice, and a very good one I might add. Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. I like the sound of A Useful Woman. Enjoy!

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    1. You should definitely check it out. Just finished it today and loved it ^^

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