First Lines Fridays 30th January 2025 | Jo Linsdell

First Lines Fridays 30th January 2025

    

First Lines Fridays


Books: First Lines Fridays 30th January 2025

Welcome back to First Lines Fridays—the weekly feature where first impressions really do matter. Instead of judging a book by its cover, author, or genre, we’re diving straight into the opening lines and seeing what story unfolds from there. Read on, take a guess, and see if you can identify the book before the big reveal. 

Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full disclosure about all the legal stuff here.


I'm participating in First Lines Fridays as I think it's a great way to highlight more of the books that are on my bookshelves. 

What is First Lines Fridays?

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? 

  • 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!

My Pick For This Week


The first lines of the book:


The grandmother clock chimed midnight in the hallway below my bedroom, and I whispered my first birthday wish, “No shoveling, no shoveling, no shoveling.” The odd shadows cast by the yard light made it seem as though the snowflakes spiraled backward into the sky. Leaning closer to the frosty pane, I was relieved to see only a thin layer of snow on the ground – not enough to shovel, but, thankfully, enough to hide the ashes that had once been our Yule tree.


Do you know which book this is from? Scroll down to find out!


First Lines Fridays




And the book is...

Circle of Nine Beltany by Valerie Biel book cover



About the book


Book synopsis for Circle of Nine: Beltany by Valerie Biel

◆ Kindle Book Award Finalist ◆ Readers' Favorite Book Award Finalist ◆ Gotham Writers' YA Novel Discovery Contest Finalist ◆ B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree

Brigit Quinn has always felt like an outsider. Growing up in a small town where her mom’s pagan practices are the stuff of local gossip, she’s spent her whole life trying to be normal. On her 15th birthday, Brigit makes the same wish she always has—to just fit in. But the universe has other plans.

Instead, Brigit discovers she’s descended from a legendary Celtic tribe—guardians of Ireland’s mystical stone circles. A spellbound book reveals her astonishing family history and the incredible abilities of her ancestors—powers she’ll inherit if she chooses to embrace them.

When an ancient evil resurfaces, threatening her family’s legacy, Brigit is forced to quickly make this impossible decision. Will she accept her magical heritage and fight to protect it? Or reject it to live the "normal" life she’s always wanted?

This thrilling mix of magic, self-discovery, and Irish mythology will captivate fans of coming-of-age stories with a mystical twist. Lovers of ancient legends, enchanted stone circles, and family secrets will be drawn to Brigit's journey into a world where her true power could be her greatest strength… or her downfall.


Buy now



Where to find Circle of Nine: Beltany by Valerie Biel online: 

 



First Lines Fridays


Have you read this book?

0 comments