Friday, November 17, 2017

First Line Fridays


My best friend told me recently that she was listening to the beloved classic The Secret Garden.  I loved reading this book when I was younger, and I loved seeing the film, which debuted in the 90's, that accompanied this amazing story.  It is such a lovely tale of friendship that shows how each character must find their own way to belong to a world they never thought they would enter. 

Raise your hand if you wanted your own secret garden as a child.  :)  If you have not had the opportunity to read this incredible story, I urge you to pick up a copy today, and if you are an ebook reader...this copy is on Kindle for $0.99. 



Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line!

Today I am going to post a line from: 

  The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett 



And the first line is...

"When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child every seen."  

Happy Friday and happy reading!  


Let me know your first line in the comments & then head over to Hoarding Books  to see who else is participating! 





26 comments:

  1. I have to confess I haven't actually read it, but my eldest daughter has, and the kids have seen the movie.

    I’m featuring Melissa Tagg’s new Christmas novella on my blog this week, but I’m going to share the first line from ‘Grace in Strange Disguise’ by Christine Dillon here:

    “You have cancer.”

    Despite its opening line, it’s quite an uplifting read!

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    1. Oh my, what a startling first line. It definitely grabs the reader's attention. Happy Monday!

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  2. I’m sharing the first line from The Engagement Plot by Krista Phillips on my blog today, but I’ll share the first line from the book I’m currently reading here. “If you’re willing to admit it, you probably know me as Raine de Bourgh.” The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner. Happy Friday!

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    1. That book by Bethany Turner looks so interesting...I love the cover. Happy Monday!

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  3. Happy Friday!

    MONTANA, LATE AUGUST 1895
    “Mama?” Emily Carver whispered the word as she opened the door to her parents’ bedroom. – A Treasure Concealed by Tracie Peterson

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  4. Wanted? I still want my own secret garden! :-) That is a lovely, lovely book in many ways!

    Over on my blog, I'm sharing the first line from Joyce Rogers' Lean Hard on Jesus, but I'll share the first line from Where We Belong by Lynn Austin here:
    "Rebecca Hawes lay awake in her tent, convinced that the howling wind was about to lift her entire camp into the air and hurl it to the far side of the desert."

    Have a blessed weekend, Heather!

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    1. Lynn Austin is such a wonderful author. Happy Monday Alicia!

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  5. Happy Friday!

    Today, my first line Friday is from Christmas at Grey Goose Lodge by Phyllis Clark Nichols.....

    When Maude opened the door to the Christmas closet in early December that year, she had no reason to think there would only be nine more Christmases celebrated at Grey Sage.

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  6. Happy Friday!

    Today, I am showcasing Vanishing Point by Lisa Harris on my blog for FLF, so here I will post from the book I am currently reading, A Season to Dance by Patricia Beal. Currently, I am on chapter 9, so I'll post the first line from that:

    "Fumbling with a keychain that grew lighter every day, I closed my apartment door for the very last time on the day before our Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. A cold, ordinary Thursday to everyone else -- extraordinary to me."

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    1. I just received A Season to Dance from the author...can't wait to read it--stay tuned for the Spotlight Tour. :) Happy Monday!

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  7. Happy Friday, Heather! I remember watching the movie at my Grandma's when I was young and always dreamed of having my own secret garden. What a lovely place. :) Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Happy Friday! It's been a long time since I read that book. My first line (a little longer) is from Anne Greene's Avoiding the Mistletoe:

    Olivia Rose Baker glanced up from the headlines in the Massachusetts Matrimonial Gazette. With an explosive smack, she slapped the newspaper on the top of the breakfast table. "No! I refuse."

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  9. My daughter is itching to watch the Secret Garden, we need to make time for that! Love Held Captive by Shelley Shepard Gray is featured on my blog today with a giveaway but I’m currently reading The Vexing by Tamara Leigh. Here’s the first line:
    Normandy, France
    Early December 1161
    Women were more trouble than they were worth. Or so Sir Durand Marshal told himself each time one dragged him into a mess like this one promised to do.

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    1. Oh my goodness, what a complex first--what happens next?! Happy Monday Beth!

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  10. too bad that first line is not terrific, the book is so awesome!
    Mine is here: https://francebooktours.com/2017/11/17/first-line-fridays-drawing-lessons/

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  11. A definite classic!

    I’m getting in the Christmas Spirit with my FLF blog post, but here are the first lines from the book I’m currently reading:

    “Being a teacher was turning out to be a little like having the flu. Simon O’Keefe. Her heart broke for him at the same time her stomach twisted with dread for herself.” From The Calico and Cowboy Romance Collection by Mary Connealy.

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    1. I used to teach, so I can definitely identify with this first line. Happy Monday Suzie!

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  12. This is one of the first books I remember owning and reading. I also remember my teacher reading it to us when I was about seven. That's a few years ago!

    I'm sharing from Imperfect Justice by Cara Putman over on my blog today. But I'm currently reading Piercehaven by Robin Merrill, which is kind of a girls basketball version of Friday Night Lights, except set on an island off the coast of Maine. Here's the first line:

    She had expected it to be a poetic voyage. She had expected sunshine and whitecaps, a sea song to serenade her as she sailed toward her new home.

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    1. That's so lovely that your teacher read The Secret Garden to your class. :) Happy Monday Iola!

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  13. I really enjoyed reading The Secret Garden! When I was little I always wished I had a secret garden to play in. :)

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