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:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: February 6th, 2026

Featured kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

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:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: January 30th, 2026

Featured kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

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!

For today’s First Lines Friday, I decided to pick a book randomly off my shelf. I have so many stacks of books just chilling around me that I thought “Why not?” haha. This is a Book of the Month pick that I got last year and, as I am wont to do, I still haven’t read it. I know, I know… yet another reason why my physical TBR is out of control! So I suppose featuring this book for this post will give it a chance to finally move over to the “currently reading” pile.

Let’s see if the first few lines can capture my attention as well as yours!

The Line(s):

“In the city of Nuremberg in 1938, a man told his daughter a bedtime story.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: January 23rd, 2026

Featured kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

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 made it to the end of the week 🥳💃🏾 I’m excited to spend the next couple of days not thinking about work before I have to potentially fight through a foot of snow to get back to it on Monday, lol. Welcome to New England! But we’re gonna think “cozy” and my pick for this week’s First Lines Friday should help with that! Now, this novella may not be the epitome of the cozy vibe, but it certainly left me feeling warm and comfy!

Let’s see if the first few lines will pull you into the story.

The Line(s):

“Interrupt
Wake up processor
Restore memory
Decoding request for service
‘Water detected’
Property protection protocol
Queue Command check
Command check timed out
HEEI main start
Relay emergency notification
Emergency
Emergency
Emergency”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: January 9th, 2026

Featured kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

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!

For this week’s First Lines Friday, I’m featuring a book that I’m sure many of you will instantly recognize. It’s one that has been talked about ad nauseum in the bookish community and it made me curious. It’s not often that a book seems to be so beloved! I’ve already started reading it and, so far, I can kind of see why it’s so popular!

Now it’s time for the first line to see if it can capture your attention, as well.

The Line(s):

“The transformation occurred at approximately 2:23 A.M., Pacific Standard Time.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: February 14th, 2025

February 14, 2025 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

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 Valentine’s Day! I hope all of you are having a wonderful Friday. I’ve had the day off and have spent it getting breakfast with my husband and reading in bed. Kind of a perfect Valentine’s Day, if you ask me! Today’s featured book for this First Lines Friday has a bit of a romance sprinkled in, so I think it’s a perfect pick for the day. Also I’m loving my reading experience with it, so far, so I would have picked it either way 😂

I’ve already been sucked into the story, but let’s see if the first few lines can capture your imagination.

The Line(s):

“The modern world is severely lacking in magic, and those who crave it are at a constant disadvantage because they are desperate and it’s in short supply. Some places – amusement parks, country fairs, museums, old bookstores – can temporarily fill the void, but there will always be people who check every armoire for a door to Narnia, every rabbit hole for a road to Wonderland.“

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: January 31st, 2025

January 31, 2025 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

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!

Welcome to another First Lines Friday! I’m happy to gotten through another work week and not have to worry about working the weekend. Two whole days off of work? Whatever shall I do with myself? (Spoiler alert: I’ll be reading 😂) For this week, I’m featuring a sequel that I just picked up and am already loving. If you’ve been paying attention around here, you’ll probably be able to guess what it is without even the first line, haha.

That being said, let’s see if the first lines can pull you into the story.

The Line(s):

“The darkness bled into itself – no beginning, no end. I floated, buoyant on a tide of salt water. Above me, the night sky had blackened – moon and stars masked by heavy, water-laden clouds that never receded.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: January 24th, 2025

January 24, 2025 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

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!

Welcome to another First Lines Friday! For this week’s installment, I didn’t have a specific book in mind. I’m really stuck in Babylonia at the moment and it has taken over the bookish corner of my brain, haha. So we’re gonna be completely random with this one and grab something off my full-to-bursting bookshelf!

Perhaps reading the first line will not only make you want to read it, but me as well.

The Line(s):

“The legend they tell about me goes something like this:

First, you’ll see a streak of silver across the sky, like a comet burning through the fog.

Then, the clock hands will still halfway between this second and the next.

The world will fall silent, and the Reaper will knock three times on your bedroom door.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: January 17th, 2025

January 17, 2025 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

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, everyone! And, possibly, happy long weekend if you celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day in your neck of the woods. This is the first time in a loooong time that I actually have all three days off! That’s the life of being a healthcare worker for ya. To kick off a weekend of rest, relaxation, and lots of reading, it’s time for another First Lines Friday. Today’s pick is a novel that explores a culture that isn’t usually visited in historical fiction novels. I’m having an incredible time reading it, so far, and I have to say, the first line definitely pulled me in!

Now, let’s see if the first line will be intriguing enough to pull you in, as well.

The Line(s):

“She kills her lover on the altar of a foreign goddess.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

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First Lines Friday: January 10th, 2025

January 10, 2025 kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

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!

It’s time for my first First Lines Friday of 2025! I miss doing this particular bookish meme because I do love a guessing game. This week, I’m featuring one of my current reads that has proven to be quite the ride. It’s a thriller that has completely sucked me in and I’m so eager to see how it ends.

Now, let’s see if the first lines will be intriguing enough to pull you in, as well.

The Line(s):

“She looks at the body of her mother, sprawled in the hallway. If she turns her head, she will see her father, slumped in his chair by the fireplace in the next room, one fingertip still touching the side of a glass in which his whiskey, the ice long melted, still sits.”