First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"When you are alone and too tired even to turn on any of your devices, you let yourself linger in a past stacked among your pillows."

~ Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine

 

Bright Side

Have you ever met someone that not only looks on the bright side but lives on the bright side? That is Kate Sedgwick. Despite the loss, hardship and tragedy she has endured, Kate remains happy, optimistic and funny. No wonder her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side.

"You and sadness...they should never be paired together." ~ pg. 224

There is just one thing that Kate doesn't believe in: love. Sure, she ends every conversation with Gus with an "I love you" but she has other priorities and plans that do not include falling in love. So when she leaves San Diego to attend college in Minnesota, she doesn't expect to meet a man let alone fall in love. Keller Banks is a flirt. Nothing ever comes of it. But it is love at first sight when Kate walks through the door of Grounds, a local coffee spot in the college town. Neither of them want to feel love because they each have a secret.

"I feel like I've been asleep for years and I've only just woken up." ~ pg. 67

It was easy to figure out both secrets but it didn't stop the tears from falling as the story unfolded. Reading Bright Side was like riding a ferris wheel. I got butterflies in my stomach as I neared the climax. I enjoyed every minute of the ride. And when it was over, I didn't want to get off. I walked away from the ride with a sad smile.

Bright Side is not a fairy tale. It is not always a feel-good novel. It is reality in fiction literary form. I appreciate the author's writing style and how she quickly grabbed my attention making it hard to let go until the last page was read.

"I need to see the other person and for them to see me. I need body language and non-verbal cues." ~ pg. 20

Kim Holden, please hurry and publish Gus's story. I am on the edge of my reading chair waiting to read his side and what is on his CD. In the words of your characters, "do epic" with the follow-up novel. With this one book, you have gained a new fan.

Title: Bright Side
Author: Kim Holden
Published: July 2014
Pages: 409
Edition: eBook
Challenge: New Author; Popsugar Made Me Cry
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

2015 Daily Devotional: Jesus Calling

I heart daily devotionals. I've become accustomed to reading a daily positive passage to start and end my day right. For 2015, I chose Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young. Per my usual routine, I highlight, jot down quotes and journal my thoughts as I read throughout the year.

Share your daily devotional for this new year.

 

Series Sunday: Finding Emma

(Finding Emma #1)

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Finding Emma, the first book in the Finding Emma series by Steena Holmes. The story begins with three-year-old Emma gone missing. For the next two years, her mother Megan has numerous sightings of her missing daughter: in the grocery market, at the playground, at the donut shop, etc. Looking for her daughter is affecting her marriage and distracting her from parenting her two other daughters. Everyone suggests it is time to move on. Just when Megan is accepting her daughter is gone, she has another sighting of a little girl resembling Emma at the local fair. The next sequence of events changes the course of both families' lives.

"Emma's disappearance created crevices deep within their souls." ~ pg. 25

True to the title, majority of the book is about finding a missing girl named Emma. The point of view alternates between Emma's family and her life with the people who kidnapped her, Jack and Dottie. As I read each chapter, I became more conflicted. Of course Emma should be returned to her family but why am I growing fond of Papa Jack? Surely I am not siding with kidnappers, right? I knew the story must end with Emma being found, but author Steena Holmes did a really good job of playing both sides.

"Over 800,000 children are reported missing every single year." ~ pg. 22

Finding Emma has been in my TBR pile since shortly after its release in 2012. It is an easy to read novel about a tragedy that happens far too often in the real world. Finding Emma will make a good book club selection sparking dialogue amongst readers. Check back next week for my review on the sequel Emma's Secret.

Title: Finding Emma
Author: Steena Holmes
Published: April 2012
Pages: 198
Edition: eBook
Challenge: Popsugar Own But Haven't Read Before
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

2015 Bookish Resolutions

• Borrow More. Based on what I borrowed from the public library last year, I saved an estimated $190.55! Hopefully I save even more this year by borrowing books from the public library or friends.
• Organize TBR Piles. Out of sight, out of mind. I have a personal library complete with bookcases. It is sorted by author and publication date. Only problem is there are books I haven't read mixed in. I plan to put my TBR pile on floating bookshelves (pictured above) as a visual reminder.
• Stick to Book Budget. I set a limit of $12/month to spend on books and magazine subscriptions. This will encourage me to keep current on magazines I subscribe to, borrow more and save money.
• Keep Print Books Alive. There is nothing like holding a physical book in your hands. The sound of pages turning. The feel of paper. The smell of printed ink. The weight of a new hardcover. The comfortable grip of a mass paperback. eBooks are convenient but I make a resolution to keep print books alive by reading more hardcovers and paperbacks.

2015 Bookish Memes

First Lines Friday: Share the first line(s) from current read(s).

Series Sunday: Share a review/recommendation of a book in a series.

Lit Tidbits: Share current literary news.

US vs. UK: Compare covers from books released in US/UK.

Words with Friends: Play me! Username: LiteraryMarie

What bookish memes do you participate in or follow?

2015 Bookish Challenges

My goal is to read 75 books in 2015. You can monitor my progress by the tracker in the lower right column of this blog.

My goal is to read 20,000+ pages in 2015.

My goal is to read 19-24 books by or about a person of color in 2015.

My goal is to read 15 books by authors new to me in 2015.

My goal is to continue reading books in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series.

View all of Literary Marie's Memes and Reading Challenges here.