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.
“You mean … Uncle, Uncle?”
“That’s right.”
This felt much more real than his usual nightmare about Uncle knowing that he was involved with Carpathian Intelligence. Everything was more vivid. Aside from that, the only real differences were that he had a stab wound and that he wasn’t naked.
You’ve got to have rules. According to the good folk of the Old Country, they’re all that’s holding the dismal tide at bay. Start playing fast and loose with the rules, and it all comes tumbling down.
First comes the goblins. Nothing entices them quite like minor breaches of etiquette. Cut in a line, say a swear word, or speak the proper name of the Old Country aloud, and your house will be infested with them before you know it.
No one in the Old Country follows the rules half as well as Sloot Peril, who has never so much as given alms to a beggar without getting a certified receipt. He had his entire life planned out to the end and was so looking forward to making as faint a mark on the world as possible. Then he was asked to correct the worst financial report ever written.
Had they called upon a lesser accountant, that report might have gone on to topple financial markets, drive honest people to utter ruin, or quite possibly acquire a taste for human blood and start terrorizing the countryside in bestial form.
Sloot’s corrections prevented that annihilation from coming to pass; however, if he’d known what he was setting in motion instead, he might have heard annihilation out.
Sloot will have to set aside his affinity for the rules and go up against underworld kingpins, secret societies, the undead, bloodthirsty cannibals from Carpathia, and even the ruthless Vlad the Invader! If that weren’t enough, the steely gaze of Mrs. Knife follows him wherever he goes. Does she really want to murder him, or does she just have one of those faces?
At least Sloot’s misadventures bring the lovely Myrtle into his life. She has the sort of smile that makes him want to stand up straighter and invest in some cologne. He’s not even bothered by the fact that she’s possessed by the laziest philosopher ever to have died.
Will the events put in motion by the ghastly financial report end in Sloot’s grisly death? Almost definitely. Is that the worst thing that could happen? Almost definitely not.
✿ Comedic fantasy!
✿ A sort of tongue-in-cheek humor that makes for a quick, easy read.
✿ Pratchett-esque world-building and descriptions.
✿ Fun, interesting characters that pull you in with them.
✿ Available on Kindle Unlimited!
This is a weekly meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook meant to take place on Mondays, but since Fridays tend to be my TBR-focused post, I’ve decided to combine them here. Next Monday’s prompt is: animals.
I don’t generally like books with animal protagonists, but there are definitely books featuring animals (and one or two animal protagonists) that I’m really looking forward to.
I really enjoyed The One and Only Ivan, and I’ve been looking forward to reading the next book The One and Only Bob. All the animals in these books are adorable, and I love Applegate’s work, so I know this is going to be a win for me!
I’ve been meaning to read Scary Stories for Young Foxes for quite a while now, but I got it for Minion for Christmas, so now seems like a good time. I think it’ll be a fun one to read together next year!
Another book I’ve been looking forward to (and finally bought so I can read) is How You Trap a Tiger. I absolutely love tigers and also mythology, so marrying the two is even more exciting!
Wait … dragons count as animals, right?! I’m totally counting them. You didn’t think I’d really make a list like this without at least one dragon book, did you? Pffft. The title of The Part About the Dragon was (Mostly) True caught my attention immediately (because how could it not?!), and I hit the Want to Read button on Goodreads so fast, I probably broke it.
I’ve been looking forward to Ashlords since it came out, but I didn’t get my hands on it until recently (so many thanks to Susan @ Novel Lives for that one!). I wanted to read it immediately, but I’ve been holding off a bit because the sequel, Bloodsworn, comes out in February, and I’d love to be able to read them back-to-back!
What are some animal books on your TBR?!
Love that beginning! I generally don’t read books about animals though dragons tend to be the exception. I’m spotlighting The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley which was a read/listen combo for me. Happy reading!
I like the quotes for this one. It seems like an interesting story.
Breana M. recently posted…The Friday 56 (191) & Book Beginnings: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
It was a super fun series, in general! A nice little comedy to break up the more serious reads.
Sounds like a fun read, for sure!! Happy weekend!
Freda Mans-Labianca recently posted…The #Friday56 & #Instagram56
I never would have guessed Peril in the Old Country. I like the excerpts though–it sounds like a fun book. I hope you are enjoying it!
I’m not a huge fan of animal protagonists either, although sometimes I go there. I really liked The One and Only Ivan, which I read with my daughter. If she has her wish, she’ll get The One and Only Bob for Christmas and we can read that together too. I love dragons. I could read a book with a dragon protagonist. 🙂
Literary Feline recently posted…Where Is Your Bookmark? (More Dork Diaries & Five Fun Holiday Reads)
It was a super fun series! I think I needed something a little lighter for a change.
Did you get The One and Only Bob?! I haven’t read it yet, but I enjoyed the first one. Still need to watch that movie, too, because I’m curious. I’m hoping to read Bob this year.
Is it weird that I’m a little surprised you didn’t have more dragons on your animal book covers??? LOL
I had no idea The One and Only Ivan was a series? But Ivan is on my TBR and I have a feeling I should be adding Bob to my TBR too — these books look like they’re gonna make me cry! Haha great picks, Sammie 😊
dini @ dinipandareads recently posted…Jingle Bell Book Tag
I’m a little disappointed in myself, honestly. But I don’t want to be TOO predictable, so I tried to vary it a little bit. You definitely should add Bob to your TBR if you’re going to read Ivan! Ivan was a pretty quick read, and I imagine Bob probably will be, too.