First Lines Friday: February 13th, 2026

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

Happy Friday the 13th! I always find it funny when we get a Friday the 13th the day before Valentine’s Day. The juxtaposition is just fun 😂 In honor of this weird, romantic time, I’ve picked a spooky book with a dash of romance for this week’s First Lines Friday! It’s also a bit of a sneak peek into what I picked up at the library this month.

So, without further ado, let’s see if the first few lines can wow us.

The Line(s):

“The gates were beautifully wrought iron, elegantly monogrammed with interlocking Ws. The motor-car’s headlights illuminated the black paint, the curlicues and details gleaming gold.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

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BBNYA 2025 Finalist Tour: By Hook & Crook by S.G. Karam

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Hello, reader!

In 2025, I once again participated as a panelist for the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award! It was a tough competition but we eventually narrowed it down a group of finalists. Now, those finalists are on tour! Today, I’ll be sharing my review for a book perfect for lovers of a good heist: By Hook & Crook by S.G. Karam!

But, before I go on, let me tell you more about this award. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with, typically, 15 finalists (though we had 17 in 2025) and one overall winner. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website http://www.bbnya.com or Twitter @bbnya_official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

And, now, let’s talk about the book 📚

Title: By Hook & Crook
Author: S.G. Haram
Publisher: Chymist Press
Publication date: November 15th, 2024
Length: 364 pages
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Age group: Adult

Book Links

Amazon::StoryGraph::Goodreads

What if robbing a vault earned you a standing ovation?

In the city of Azoria, heists are a sanctioned sport, a dazzling spectacle where only the boldest thieves thrive. And Lars Harrow is the best.

But Lars wants more than fame. He wants the heist that will cement his legacy and put him beyond the reach of the city’s power brokers. When a shadowy patron offers him a job targeting Cecil Thume—the ruthless mastermind who controls every theft in Azoria—Lars sees his shot at something bigger.

Yet the deeper he digs, the more dangerous the game becomes. A brutal murder sends a clear message: Thume isn’t just profiting from the city’s underworld… he is the underworld. And he’ll do whatever it takes to keep control.

As the line between thief and pawn blurs, Lars must decide how much he’s willing to risk. The city, his crew, and his own future hang in the balance.

If you enjoyed books like Six of Crows, Mistborn, or The Lies of Locke Lamora, you won’t be able to put down this electrifying tale of ambition, greed, betrayal, and redemption.

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book reviews

Book Review: The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent

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Title: The Things We Do to Our Friends
Author: Heather Darwent
Publisher: Bantam
Genre: Thriller/Dark Academia
Age Group: Adult
Format: Audiobook
Content/Trigger Warnings: Toxic friendships and codependency, violence, physical abuse, sexual assault, sexual violence, drug abuse, alcoholism, torture, attempted murder, child abuse, mental illness and psychopathy themes
Book Links: Bookshop::B&N::Goodreads::Storygraph

Edinburgh, Scotland: a moody city of labyrinthine alleyways, oppressive fog, and buried history—the ultimate destination for someone with something to hide. Perfect for Clare, then, who arrives utterly alone and yearning to reinvent herself. And what better place to conceal the secrets of her past than at the university in the heart of the fabled, cobblestoned Old Town?

When Clare meets Tabitha, a charismatic, beautiful, and intimidatingly rich girl from her art history class, she knows she’s destined to become friends with her and her exclusive circle: raffish Samuel, shrewd Ava, and pragmatic Imogen. She is immediately drawn into their libertine world of sophisticated dinner parties and summers in France. The new life she always envisioned for herself has seemingly begun. But as Clare starts to realize just what her friends are capable of, it’s already too late—because they’ve taken the plunge. They’re so close to attaining everything they want, and there’s no going back.

Reimagining the classic themes of obsession and ambition with an original and sinister edge, The Things We Do to Our Friends is a seductive thriller about the toxic battle between those who have and those who covet, between the desire to truly belong and the danger of being truly known.

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: 2026 Romance Reads

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish back in June 2010. It is currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and, as is stated on the blog, it was “born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.”

Hello, reader!

It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday! This week’s theme is an ode to Valentine’s Day; it’s a love/Valentine’s freebie. I’ve decided I want to highlight ten romance books I want to read in 2026! This is a mixture of new releases and books that have been on my TBR for ages. They are definitely all books that I’m eager to pick up, though!

Alright, let’s get to my picks 💖

Backlist Romance Reads

Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley

Well Played by Jen DeLuca

The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert

Beach Read by Emily Henry

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goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: February 9th, 2026

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Goodreads Monday/TBR Monday is a bookish meme hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog invites you to post about what books are on your Goodreads “to read” lists or TBR lists, the progress you have made on your current books and reading challenges, and any other bookish news!

Hello, reader!

Goodreads Monday is, once again, upon us. Another new start to the week and another random book pulled from my Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf. Which is down to 831 books this week… two down from last week! I mean, one of those is the book I removed from last week, but still!

Let’s see what I’ll pull this week 😊

Random Goodreads Pick

Book:
The Blood Trials

Author:
N.E. Davenport

Publisher:
Harper Voyager

Publication Date:
April 5th, 20222

Pages:
448

Genre:
Science Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis:
Blending fantasy and science fiction, N. E. Davenport’s fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology of loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior.

It’s all about blood.

The blood spilled between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor long ago. The blood gifts of Mareen’s deadliest enemies. The blood that runs through the elite War Houses of Mareen, the rulers of the Tribunal dedicated to keeping the republic alive.

The blood of the former Legatus, Verne Amari, murdered.

For his granddaughter, Ikenna, the only thing steady in her life was the man who had saved Mareen. The man who had trained her in secret, not just in martial skills, but in harnessing the blood gift that coursed through her.

Who trained her to keep that a secret.

But now there are too many secrets, and with her grandfather assassinated, Ikenna knows two things: that only someone on the Tribunal could have ordered his death, and that only a Praetorian Guard could have carried out that order.

Bent on revenge as much as discovering the truth, Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials–a brutal initiation that only a quarter of the aspirants survive. She subjects herself to the racism directed against her half-Khanaian heritage and the misogyny of a society that cherishes progeny over prodigy, all while hiding a power that–if found out–would subject her to execution…or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all because she needs to find out who murdered her grandfather…and then she needs to kill them.

Mareen has been at peace for a long time…

Ikenna joining the Praetorians is about to change all that.

Magic and technology converge in the first part of this stunning debut duology, where loyalty to oneself–and one’s blood–is more important than anything.

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the sunday post

The Sunday Post: February 8th, 2026

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The Sunday Post is a blog news meme created by @CaffeinatedReviewer! It gives you a chance to post a recap of your last week, whether that pertains to books or not. You can talk about however much (or however little) you would like.

Hello, reader!

It’s time for another Sunday Post! This was an eventful week, in both exciting and not-so-exciting ways 😅 Let’s just say, I’m looking forward to this week because it’s my last week of work before taking a week off and it’s supposed to warm up (relatively…) a bit! I cannot describe to y’all how ready I am for Spring. I was not built for this weather 🥶

Anyways, let’s get to what I’ve been up to for the past week!

Week in Review

My eldest kid turned 19 this week! I continue to be amazed that I have an adult child despite being well into my mid-40s myself, lol. Like… is she not just a baby? What do you mean she’s one year away from being in her twenties?! Inconceivable. She was off at college on her actual birthday, but she did come down this weekend to hang with us and hometown friends. We took her out for birthday dinner of her choice and just enjoyed having her home. It was lovely 💖

My husband and I also met up with friends to check out a Korean pop-up at a local sake brewery. I didn’t even know the place existed until we were invited out! You find the most random things in the suburbs of Boston, haha. The food was delicious, the sake was yummy, and the company was great. I realized as we were driving home that, after 6 years of living here, we’re finally making adult friends. The fact that we’re both homebodies who will always prefer chilling in our nice, comfy house certainly hasn’t helped matters 😂 It’s nice to have made some friends we like enough that they can entice us from our den, haha. Besides my best friend, of course! She could tempt me out if it was below zero and snowing cause she’s family.

The not so fun event of this week was my youngest child getting sick 🫠 He had to stay home both Thursday and Friday, which is much harder to juggle now that my husband has a full time job. Thankfully, I was able to work from home on Friday, which was nice. I get so much more admin work done when I’m not at my desk being interrupted every ten seconds with questions, lol.

A woman sitting at a desk, rubbing her eyes in exasperation with text above that reads "Accidentally became important at work and it's ruining my life."

Ah well, job security, right? And I do enjoy my job though I’ve always enjoyed actually working on the bench as opposed to piles and piles of paperwork. That probably makes more sense if you know I’m a clinical medical laboratory scientist that works in Microbiology, lol. Super interesting job, but paperwork will always suck 😂

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book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Reading Motivation

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The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Crazy-For-Books and is currently being hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Every Friday, a new question is posted for book bloggers to answer in the coming week. The purpose of the hop is connection and community. You can discover new blogs to follow, new books to read, and you may end up with some new followers, as well!

This Week’s Prompt

What drives you to read?

Submitted by Billy, Coffee Addicted Writer

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first lines friday

First Lines Friday: February 6th, 2026

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Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

We’ve made it to Friday and, between illnesses and work stress, I’m happy it’s finally the weekend. Although I do have to work this weekend, soooo… 🫠 At least weekend work days at typically more chill than during the week. Let’s hope this holds true this weekend!

In the meantime, I’m gonna unwind by doing this week’s First Lines Friday! The book I pulled this week is one that has been sitting on my desk, staring at me, making me feel guilty cause I haven’t cracked it open yet. It’s a book I’ve borrowed from the library and I am determined to read in February before I have to bring it back!

Let’s see if the first few lines will get me to pick it up sooner.

The Line(s):

“It all started with a book that made me curious.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

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wrap up

January 2026 Wrap Up

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Hello, reader!

One month of 2026 is done and dusted. That means it’s time to wrap up my reading from January! We’ll start with stats from the ever wonderful Storygraph, then we’ll see how I’m doing with my multiple challenges/projects for 2026. Spoiler alert: January really kicked off my reading year with a bang!

Let’s jump right into it 😁

January Reading Stats

In January 2026, I ended up reading 9 books (for 2,430 pages) and DNFing one. I’m not mad about that! Last January, I read seven books, so I’m already off to a good start to meet my 2026 Goodreads reading challenge.

My most read genre should come as no surprise: fantasy! It’s my favorite genre, after all, so I’m not surprised to see it up at the top. I think this is the first time the essays genre has appeared on one of my wrap ups, though, haha. I really need to stop being such a hater when it comes to non-fiction.

I’m happy to see the digital format making a comeback on my pie chart! Print will always be number one, I think, but I’ve been avoiding my e-books like the plague and it’s time to rectify that. I mean… it’s why I’m so far behind on my Netgalley reads 😅 Audio is holding strong, as it typically does. I won’t be surprised if that number jumps up more throughout the year.

My average star rating for January was 3.89 stars. I told y’all I had a good reading month! I had two five stars in the month, which hasn’t happened in forever. I did end up DNFing Supermarket by Bobby Hall, so that doesn’t have a rating. If it did, there would probably be a 1.5 star on this chart… 😬It was just not for me and that’s fine! I’m trying to be better about dropping books that just aren’t working for me.

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www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: February 4th, 2026

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It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly: I’m really getting into this one now that it’s my main physical read! The author’s writing is really sucking me into the story of these “Black Computers” that worked to help our nation’s space race. It also makes me boil with rage to read about all the injustices they were facing even though they were just as good as (if not better) than their white counterparts. Like, I know that, was a thing (and is still a thing), so you would think I’d be used to it, but the rage still comes, heh. I suppose that is the author doing her job well!
The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent: Oh my god, I am so BORED. It’s just a bunch of rich people (and one wanna-be) being unhinged and I don’t caaaaare. I’ve just arrived at part two after a plot point finally decided to make an entrance, so I’m hoping things pick up from here. Please…
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 edited by Rebecca Roanhorse: I’ve read the first two stories in this collection and I’m happy to report that I loved both of them! This is a good omen for how I’m going to enjoy the rest of this anthology. Fingers crossed that they continue to be stellar.

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