It’s time to play “guess that book” and also watch our TBRs weep.
Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and is all about the first line of a current/upcoming read. Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda’s Voice, where you turn to page 56 (or 56%) in what you’re reading a find a snippet that jumps out at you.
First Lines
Page 56 Snippet
“Many unheard-of things are already happening, Mr Bale. The twentieth centruy will belong to us, I’m sure of it.”
“You mean to Spiritualism, my dear?”
“Oh yes, that too. Spiritualism will be relevant, in my opinion, as long as it continues to find a common interest with the political reforms that this country needs. […] But I mean women, Mr Bale. The twentieth century will belong to women.”
Book Reveal
An extraordinary, page-turning Gothic mystery set in the wilds of the Norfolk Fens from the BSFA-shortlisted author.
London, 1901. After the death of Queen Victoria the city heaves with the uncanny and the eerie. Séances are held and the dead are called upon from darker realms.
Samuel Moncrieff, recovering from a recent tragedy of his own, meets Helena Walton-Cisneros, one of London’s most reputed mediums. But Helena is not what she seems and she’s enlisted by the elusive Lady Matthews to solve a twenty-year-old mystery: the disappearance of her three stepdaughters who vanished without a trace on the Norfolk Fens.
But the Fens are a liminal land, where folk tales and dark magic still linger. With locals that speak of devilmen and catatonic children found on the Broads, Helena finds the answer to the mystery leads back to where it started: Samuel Moncrieff.
Reasons to Read
✿ Deliciously Gothic writing and atmosphere.
✿ Seances and spiritualists and supernatural, oh my.
✿ Something to do with a creepy haunted manor?
✿ Constant dark, sinister overtones of something else lurking around the corner.
✿ Mysterious disappearance that leads to an even more mysterious … mystery?
✿ Woman living her best life at a time when she was told she couldn’t.
✿ Pffft, what do all those silly menfolk know, anyway?
Chat With Me
What’s your first line (or a favorite line) from what you’re reading this week?
Follow Me
I haven’t heard much about this, but you had me at Gothic😁 Hope you enjoy!
I think Gothic writing (or true Gothic writing, I suppose) takes some getting used to, but gosh, this is a lovely example of it! I can’t wait to finish it, because things are just starting to come together and I want to know. xD
This is a book that’s really hit my radar this week after seeing it around. Now I’m even more curious!
It’s a little hard to get through until it really gets going, but about a quarter of the way through, I was really swept up into the mystery of it!
Favorite quotes? “a layered voice” and “it was a lived-in face” both from Anne Enright’s Green Road
Those are great quotes! The “lived-in face” makes me laugh.
So you are enjoying it, then?
Yes! Though I think we’ve mostly discussed this over DM already. xD
Definitely intriguing! Thanks for sharing, and here’s mine: “THE JANES”
Thanks!
I haven’t heard of this book before. It seems interesting, and I like the quotes.
It’s definitely different, but I’m enjoying it!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Today I’m sharing from A Kiss is Just a Kiss by Melinda Curtis: https://christianfictiongirl.blog/2020/02/14/first-line-friday-123/. It’s a really fun, fast read. I’m also reading Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar, so I will share a line from there.
“Every generation nurses the hope that the world will begin anew.”
Hope you have an excellent weekend! 🥰📚
What a beautiful quote!
Squeals! This sounds AWESOME!!!
I think it sounds a little better than it reads, but I’m definitely enjoying it, either way. 🙂
This sounds like something I would like to read 🙂 Here is my Friday meme’s post https://journeyinbookland.wordpress.com/2020/02/14/bookish-memes-on-friday-february-14-2020-features-doctor-dearest-by-r-s-grey/
If you like Gothic literature, I’d definitely recommend it! Feels like a classic Gothic novel, with all the spooky and creepy vibes.
I’m not sure that I have actually read a real Gothic novel, so I think I’ll try this one 😊
I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
I hope it does belong to the women!! Oh, sounds like a good read!! IHappy Valentine’s weekend!
Definitely enjoying it so far! Hope you had a great Valentine’s Day.
I haven’t heard of this one, but I do like the sound of it. Gothic, a haunted manor, seances, and the supernatural? I must read this! I hope it turns out to be as good as it sounds. Have a great weekend!
I think the answer to that is really going to depend on how much you like Gothic literature as a style. :3 It’s a little dry compared to the things I normally read (which is part of the style, generally), but I’m so caught up in the mystery and the spookiness!
This sounds really cool. I’m going to have to add it to my tbr!
Lauren @ Always Me
It’s definitely an intriguing read so far!
I haven’t seen this one until now, but it sounds like a fun Gothic fantasy tale.
I’m definitely appreciating the dark Gothic vibes of this one! <3
This book probably wouldn’t really be for me, but the first line does make it sound quite eerie!
I think it’s a niche sort of book, for sure! I think the reviews on Goodreads pretty much prove that. The Gothic writing style isn’t for everyone (kind of just like every writing style, basically, haha).
Was confused there for a minute because there is another, older book by the same title. I like the mystery aspect.
Yes, there is! And Goodreads keeps trying to tell me that’s the book I’m reading any time I looked this one up haha. I’d never heard of it before picking up this one, though.