First Paragraphs: Half Irish by Peter J. S. Waugh

It was quite hard to decide today's first paragraph! I'm currently reading a lot of different books including February (Calendar Girl, #2) by Audrey Carlan, Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. However, I decided that I wanted to share the first paragraph of my next read with you today! I'm hoping to start it today since A Clockwork Orange has been putting me in a reading slump (until I read the first book in the Calendar Girl series last night) so I'm hoping I can let go of the reading slump with Half Irish by Peter J. S. Waugh.

I was sent this for review in October last year but of course life got in the way so I'm now very behind on my review books! I went to Ireland in 2014 and I'm in love with the country! I have definitely judged books by their destination since!

Half Irish is about 17-year-old Tyler. We're taken on a journey from Manhattan to Ireland and I believe there's a love story along the way. Although, Ireland or Irish was the only thing I needed to hear upon grabbing this book.

The first paragraph from the prologue;

I waitFor youTo comeAnd sitWith meAnd tell me all the things that make your soul sad. 

I think it's absolutely beautiful! The prologue is actually a letter from Tyler to us, readers, and now that I've read the entire prologue it has become hauntingly beautiful! I think I'm going to love it!

The first paragraph from the first chapter;

My mind was dominated by the finer details of plate tectonics and the literary musings of a certain William Shakespeare on an otherwise mundane November afternoon. After finishing a sketch of a diagram about the Earth's core, I began to make some comments on a few sonnets of arguably the world's finest writer. But I was bored, so for at least twenty minutes I sat and played with my pencil, trying to make it do that helicopter thing between your thumb and forefinger. I managed a few stalled take-offs before my stomach let out an earth-shattering rumble.  

Well, I can honestly say that I'm in love with his writing style! Now I can't wait to delve in!

I've been wanting to do a new monthly post where you 'read with me'. I plan on reading a book (like always) but documenting my thoughts along the way and in the end make a post about it. It's not going to be a typical review but maybe a more in depth look at my thoughts?

Happy Friday everyone!

First Paragraphs: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

I'm about halfway through Sense and Sensibility now and I'm really beginning to enjoy it! I was a bit disappointed with the first 100 pages but now, almost 200 pages in, I just want to keep on reading! I don't think I'm loving it as much as Pride and Prejudice but maybe in the end?

This is my third book by Jane Austen and I'm hoping to get through the last three and her short stories before I turn 20! I really love reading about this period in time, if you have any recommendations, please write them in the comments! 

The family of Dashwood had been long settled in Sussex. Their estate was large, and their residence was at Norland Park in the centre of their property, where, for many generations, they had lived in so respectable a manner, as to engage the general good opinion of their surrounding acquaintance.

Sense and Sensibility is the story about Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Elinor has sense while Marianne has sensibility and it's basically about their quests for love and how different they are!


Which one of Austen's work are your favorite? If you haven't read any, why?

First Paragraphs: The Narnia Chronicles #4-6

First Paragraphs is a weekly meme where I share the first paragraph, and some thoughts, from my current read or an upcoming book. 

Last Friday I shared the first paragraphs of the first three books in the Narnia Chronicles so it's fitting that I'm going to share the next three paragraphs with you guys! I'm really enjoying it so far and while I was a bit disappointed by Prince Caspian (#4) I was very impressed with The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader" and it's definitely my second favorite (after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). My goal is to finish this hunk of a book by the end of the month and, since I only have the last two books left, I think I can do it! 

I'm a bit saddened by the fact that the first paragraph doesn't tell what's to come in these books opposed to the first three. I loved that because I found it unique! 

Prince Caspian

This took me a while to read, or at least it feels like it took a while to read. It was very slow going and I wanted more action! It's still a great read though! 

Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, and it has been told in another book called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe how they had a remarkable adventure. They had opened the door of a magic wardrobe and found themselves in a quite different world from ours, and in that different world they had become Kings and Queen in a country called Narnia. While they were in Narnia they seemed to reign for years and years; but when they came back through the door and found themselves in England again, it all seemed to have taken no time at all. At any rate, no one noticed that they had ever been away, and the never told anyone except one very wise grown-up. 

The Voyage of the 'Dawn Treader'
This is probably one of the longest books in the series and it is so so good! I read it late last night and it is definitely captivating! It's somehow reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean since it's on a ship and other details I can't give you! I also love how we get diary entries in this one! It's really one of the best in the series out of the 5 I've read so far.

There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. His parents called him Eustace Clarence and masters called him Scrubb. I can't tell you how his friends spoke to him for he had none. He didn't call his Father and Mother "Father" and "Mother", but Harold and Alberta. They were very up-to-date and advanced people. They were vegetarians, non-smokers and teetotallers, and wore a special kind of underclothes. In their house there was very little furniture and very few clothes on beds and the windows were always open.

The Silver Chair
I've never, ever, read or heard about The Silver Chair. I've watched some movie adaptations of some of the other books and I've met Caspian in those movies so I had a feeling of what was to come. This one is totally new to me and I'm going to read it today;

It was a dull autumn day and Jill Pole was crying behind the gym. 

Which book are you going to read today? Feel free to share the first paragraph of said book or leave a link!

First Paragraphs; The Narnia Chronicles #1-3

First Paragraphs is a weekly meme where I share the first paragraph, and some thoughts, from my current read or an upcoming book. 

I have recently been reading in my gorgeous copy of the Narnia chronicles, hopefully I'll read the third book, The Horse and His Boy, today! Which is why I'm bringing you the first paragraphs of The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe AND The Horse and His Boy. As usual I'm going to share a few thoughts on each of the stories (books?). I actually tried reading this last year because I had to use it for a school project and I managed to read the first 3 and a good portion of the 4th - hopefully I'll get all the way through this time!

I absolutely love that we get a summary in the first paragraph of each story, so far at least, it's such a great way to write a chrildrens book!

The Magician’s Nephew

In this edition The Magician's Nephew is the first book, since that's what C.S. Lewis wanted. It's actually published as the 6th book in the series, but if you read it in publication order I strongly advice you to read The Magician's Nephew first. It basically tells the story of how Narnia came to be and how to travel from our world to Narnia - I'm so happy to have read this!

It's definitely a bit slower than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but the last 30 pages is full of background information about Narnia which is the main reason that I loved it.

This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child. It is a very important story because it shows all the comings and goings between our world and the land of Narnia first began. 

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
I think we've all read or seen this particular one. And to be honest, the movie is actually quite good when it comes to follow the storyline! It's definitely one of the best adaptations by far.
This time around I had to read it for our book club, which is the reason why I'm reading it now, and since I'm in charge of snacks I thought I'd take inspiration from the book. I therefore wrote down everything they ate and well, they drink a whole lot of tea! But that's perfect!

I've read this so many times now and it's still my favorite.

Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids. They were sent to the house of an old Professor who lived in the heart of the country, ten miles from the nearest railway station and two miles from the nearest post office. He had no wife and he lived in a very large house with a housekeeper called Mrs. Macready and three servants. (Their names were Ivy, Margeret and Betty, but they do not come into the story much.)

The Horse and His Boy
And now we've reach the one I'll hopefully read today. It's similar to the story of Moses (he's the one who was laid in a basket and sent down the Nile, right?). It's actually a great story. 

This is the story of an adventure that happened in Narnia and Calormen and the lands between, in the Golden Age when Peter was High King in Narnia and his brother and his two sisters were King and Queens under him. 

Have you ever read Narnia? Which one is your favorite? 
Happy friday and happy reading!

First paragraphs: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte

I've just changed my title of these kinds of posts from 'Book Beginnings' to First Paragraphs. I love sharing my current reads with you - or upcoming books - and I just prefer First Paragraphs to Book Beginnings. Let's get to it!

I knew nothing about Jane Eyre going in to it other than it's a classic by a Brontë and romance. I also realized recently that I made a fool of myself naming Heathcliff as the male character in Jane Eyre - which I now know is wrong.

I love the writing style in Jane Eyre, I love that our narrator, which is Jane Eyre herself, skips over boring bits and says 'dear reader' or 'reader' once in a while! It's definitely quite an experience even though I'm about 130 pages in so far. I also LOVE that Jane is a reader herself.
I definitely sympathize with Jane, she has to live with Mrs. Reed and her 3 kids since her parents are dead - Mrs. Reed doesn't even want her there and only keeps her because of a promise to her late husband. It's getting a bit 'lighter' when she's sent to school and she's a great pupil! I love seeing Jane from different angles and in different settings - both social and geographical.

Jane Eyre begins with 10-year-old Jane and I'm currently reading and learning about 18-year-old Jane. I love that it's a bit of a coming-of-age novel! And it's even better since Jane reflects over her actions and comments on them - in the best way possibly. It's quite a splendid book.

There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so somre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question.