First Lines Friday: May 1st, 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 sharing on social media, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

Happy Friday and happy first day of May! I can’t believe that April is already over and we’re not in the fifth month of 2026. The beginning of the year always drags for me, but now it seems like time is flying! But, for now, it’s time for this week’s First Lines Friday post. I’ve picked a book that is the latest in a long series that I love. I’m excited to get to this one because I just know I’m going to love it!

The Line(s):

“Doors are magical things. Always. It doesn’t matter whether they connect two familiar, well-known rooms or two entirely undiscovered spaces: to travel from one distinct location into another simply by passing through a portal, whether bound in wood or carved from stone, is a magical act.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: April 24th, 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 sharing on social media, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

It’s finally the weekend! This week has felt ridiculously long and I have been ridiculously tired today, so I’m happy to have some time to relax. I’m also happy to do another First Lines Friday! This week, I’m giving a little sneak peek of my April library haul. This is a novel I’ve been seeing around the bookish community and, when I saw it on my library’s shelves, I decided to see what all the fuss is about.

Now I’ll see if the first lines can pull me in!

The Line(s):

“I decided to write this all down while on a business trip to my European offices in Florence It was one of those romantically black and violent autumn days when the rain does not fall so much as dash itself against the city.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: April 17th, 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 sharing on social media, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

Happy Friday! I’m particularly excited it’s Friday because I don’t have to work this weekend 🥳 Looking forward to some time to relax and read. Speaking of, let’s talk about my First Lines Friday post! I’ve picked a book that I picked up purely because of the title and the cover, haha. I mean, it helps that it was written by an author I typically enjoy.

Now, let’s see if they can pull me in with the first line.

The Line(s):

“It was gruel again for breakfast.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: April 10th, 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 sharing on social media, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

It was such a beautiful day today and that made me so ready for true Spring! I mean… I know it’s officially Spring, but I don’t know if New England got the memo. But today was a sign that it’s coming! Now it’s time to talk about one of my current reads for this week’s First Lines Friday. This is a book that has been my TBR for awhile and, I have to admit, I’m eating it up.

Now, let’s see if the first line can get you intrigued.

The Line(s):

“I was twelve when my daddy put a suitcase by the door.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: March 27th, 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 sharing on social media, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

We’ve arrived at the end of the work week and you know what that means. Time for another First Lines Friday! Today, I’m featuring a novel that I found out existed only a few years ago. My 80s kid heart was thrilled! I’ve had this on my bookshelf for awhile and I think it’s time to finally give it a read.

Now, we’re gonna if the first line can help suck me in.

The Line(s):

“This inscription could be seen on the glass door of a small shop, but naturally this was only the way it looked if you were inside the dimly lit shop, looking out at the street through the plateglass door.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: March 20th, 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 sharing on social media, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

Happy Friday, y’all! I’m enjoying a day off for this First Lines Friday because I’m working this weekend 😭 Still, it’s given me a chance to pick through my Book of the Month books to see which one I wanted to feature today! I’m trying to keep these books in the forefront of my mind because I have been neglecting them terribly in 2026. The book I picked is the first I picked for the year and it still hasn’t been read!

Now, let’s see if the first line can pull me in.

The Line(s):

“I’m the last one out of the limos, the twentieth woman Roland will meet tonight.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: March 13th, 2026

March 13, 2026March 12, 2026 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 sharing on social media, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

We’ve arrived at the end of the (typical) work week, which means it’s time for another First Lines Friday! This week, I’m featuring a romance that I’m hoping to dive into soon. I need a bit of an escape and I think this book would do the trick.

So let’s see if the first line can pull me in.

The Line(s):

“When Jordan Carter tells his family the story of how he met the love of his life, it will go a little something like this…”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: March 6th, 2026

March 6, 2026 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 sharing on social media, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

Happy First Lines Friday! I’m happy to be coming to the end of the work week and that Spring might be making an appearance next week! Who knows if it will stick around, but I would be happy with just a taste right now. I’m hoping y’all had a good week and will have an even better weekend! Now, for the book I’ll be featuring today, it’s a non-fiction that I’ve been itching to read lately. I’ve heard good things and I hope they were all correct, haha.

Now, let’s see if the first few lines will give me hope.

The Line(s):

“I looked up toward the top of the tree. Ferns and orchids sprouted from its trunk, which vanished into a tangle of lianas in the canopy.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: February 27th, 2026

February 27, 2026 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 sharing on social media, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

We’ve made it to the end of a snowy week here in New England and it’s time for another First Lines Friday! I’m pulling myself back into reading mode after an intense Stardew Valley sojourn, which is still going but is less… all-consuming. To help with that, I recently read the first few lines of a few books on my TBR to help pick what I want to crack open next. The book I’m featuring definitely blew the other contenders out of the water!

Let me share the first few lines to see if they pull you in, as well.

The Line(s):

“Hmm. No. I’m telling this wrong.
After all, a person is herself, and others. Relationships chisel the final shape of one’s being. I am me, and you.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

first lines friday

First Lines Friday: February 20th, 2026

February 20, 2026 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 that means it’s time for another First Lines Friday! For this week, I’m featuring a book that I just finished today. This is a book that has become wildly popular in the last year even though it was originally published back in the 90s. It was recently translated from French to English and has been all over the bookish community. I… didn’t love it 😅 But it’s certainly an interesting read!

Now, let’s see if the first lines can pull you in.