The Giver - Teaser Tuesday and First Chapter / First Paragraph

I don't often read science fiction or young adult novels, but after seeing the opening paragraph and synopsis of The Giver on someone's blog, I decided to give this book a try. I was blown away by this story! No wonder the book has won all kinds of awards. I highly recommend The Giver for readers of all ages. It is Book 1 in the Giver Quartet, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest ASAP.
FYI: I understand this book was made into a movie but when I watched the trailer, it seemed to encompass more than the story told in this book. Perhaps it is based on all the books in the series.

First Paragraph:
     It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he had felt a year ago when an unidentified aircraft had overflown the community twice. He had seen it both times. Squinting toward the sky, he had seen the sleek jet, almost a blur at its high speed, go past, and a second later heard the blast of sound that followed. Then one more time, a moment later, from the opposite direction, the same plane.

Teaser (from 51% on my Kindle):
"Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness. Before my time, before the previous time, back and back and back. We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences."

Genre: Young Adult / Science Fiction

Book Length: 204 Pages

Amazon Link: The Giver

More Books by This Author: Amazon Author Page

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
The haunting story centers on Jonas who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

Read a National Public Radio (NPR) interview with the author here: Lois Lowry Interview. There's also an audio interview included here.

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Post two sentences from somewhere in a book you're reading. No spoilers, please!

Link at ADailyRhythm.com

First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is hosted by Bibliophile By The Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or a few) from a book you're reading or thinking about reading soon.

Link at BibliophileByTheSea

Twitter: @SandyNachlinger

Facebook: sandy.nachlinger

Shadow of the Hawk - Teaser Tuesday and First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros

Shadow of the Hawk is so rich in detail and has such a compelling plot that I had a hard time putting it down to go to sleep at night. Seems like one catastrophe after another piles onto the Williams family's shoulders, all told in the voice of sixteen-year-old Sooze. The author's attention to the day-to-day realities of life in rural Arkansas during the Great Depression adds depth to the story without slowing down the action and gave me a greater appreciation for the hardships many people experienced during that era. I found much to admire in the characters K. S. Jones created.

I didn't realize Shadow of the Hawk was classified as young adult until I started putting together this post. The book would appeal to all ages. The plot and the themes of family, loyalty, perseverance, and love kept me intrigued until the story's end.

First Paragraph(s):
     The town of Coaldale wound through the timbered valley like a black snake in the dark hole of an outhouse. Folks knew it was there by the grim feeling it posed, but the need to stay overpowered the urge to run.
     I had lived my whole life in the low-lying basin between the Arkansas Western Railroad and the Poteau River--the only river in the state which flowed north. Fitting, I suppose. It seemed everything had turned around backwards and was running the wrong way. I wasn't blaming God though. A lot of trouble we caused ourselves.

Teaser from 35% on my Kindle - You'll appreciate your microwave after reading the author's descriptions of cooking:
     I filled two small saucepots with water, set them on the stovetop, and then added kindling to the coal inside the stove's belly and lit it. Our heavy cast iron skillet took two hands to lift onto the stovetop, but as soon as I placed it, I dropped in a glob of butter and readied it for the pork and mush.

Genre: Young Adult
Amazon Link: Shadow of the Hawk
Length: 347 Pages
Author Website: K. S. Jones

Synopsis:
     It is May 1932 and life in the timbered rise and fall of Western Arkansas has just gotten harder for sixteen-year-old Sooze Williams. With debt mounting and both friends and family fleeing, Sooze is determined to ‘do the right thing’. She promises her heart to a well-to-do man believing true love is just another loss along the way. 
     But when her uncle is murdered and family is accused of the crime, Sooze vows not to be beaten. Is salvation within her grasp by relying solely on truth, or is it in the security of her intended’s money? Sooze must decide before it’s too late.

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Post two sentences from somewhere in a book you're reading. No spoilers, please!

Link at ADailyRhythm.com

First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is hosted by Bibliophile By The Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or a few) from a book you're reading or thinking about reading soon.

Link at BibliophileByTheSea

Elizabeth's Landing - First Paragraph/First Chapter & Teaser Tuesday

Interested in environmental issues? How about sea turtles? Maybe neither subject captures your imagination but if you like a good story, then you'll enjoy Elizabeth's Landing by Katy Pye. I had fun getting to know 14-year-old, aspiring photographer Elizabeth Barker as she tries to adjust to life in fictional Port Winston, Texas. I also enjoyed learning more about sea turtles, the shrimping industry, and the effects of commercial and residential development along our coastlines. This is a terrific young adult novel that's full of adventure, insight, and well-researched information. It's award-winning and G-rated too.

First Paragraph/First Chapter:

Port Winston, Texas

Saturday, April 3, 2010

     "Straighten that girl out before it's too late, hear?" Grandpa's trapped Dad inside the swayback garage behind our dump of a rental house. Another one of his "I know best" lectures spews out the open window. Only this morning's gripe isn't about dragging for shrimp, Dad's landscaping job, or Mom being gone. It's about me.

     I straddle my bike, bend low, and roll in close, listening for one more reason to hate this place.

Teaser (from 73% on my Kindle):

     Dad steadies the boat as we ride up the wave, then dip down the other side. The sky flashes white from another lightning hit.

     He's going to die. We're all going to die.

    

Genre: Young Adult
Length: 354 Pages
Amazon Link: Elizabeth's Landing
Author Website: Katy Pye

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Post two sentences from somewhere in a book you're reading. No spoilers, please!
Link at ADailyRhythm.com

First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is hosted by Bibliophile By The Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or a few) from a book you're reading or thinking about reading soon.

Link at BibliophileByTheSea

Six Strings - Teaser Tuesday and First Chapter / First Paragraph

A story about a 17-year-old who travels through time doesn't sound like the kind of book I'd like, but I really enjoyed Six Strings. The reason? The characters. Jen Sanya Williamson did an excellent job of going deep into the protagonist's head--showing her insecurities, hopes, fears, and strengths. Williamson's bio says she teaches junior high school, and that comes across in her realistic dialogue. I could easily hear those high school kids talking. Her descriptions brought the settings to life too, both in present day and back in 1973. Although I'm not the genre's target audience, I was drawn into the plot. This was an enjoyable, nicely edited read.

FYI: Six Strings is the first book in a series, and although the story is complete, lots of issues were not resolved in this volume. 

First Paragraph:
I am running out of time. That thought tugs at the corner of my mind a lot these days, but right now, as I speed somewhat erratically toward downtown Tucson, I am definitely running out of time. If I don't make it back home before my mother, I'm dead.

Teaser (from 15% on my Kindle): 
My mom thinks there is something wrong with me. I can tell by the way she studies me sometimes. Like she's wondering, where did you come from?

Genre: Young Adult (Time Travel)
Length: 216 pages
Amazon Link: Six Strings

Synopsis from Goodreads:
      Riley Witt is running out of time.
      Battling Alzheimer’s disease, Riley’s grandmother Mary suffers from memory loss, mood swings, and a tendency to wander off.
      As senior year approaches, Riley has to face the reality that the one person she depends on most is slowly fading. Making matters worse, when Mary does remember the past, she tells tales of time travel and visions. As Mary’s version of the past gets more confused, Riley knows they are running out of time together.
      But when Riley discovers a guitar belonging to a famous rock star at Mary’s house, the truth behind the crazy tales finally comes out.
      SIX STRINGS tells the story of Riley’s journey back to 1973 where she enters a world of music, long-lost family, and first love. Her adventure is all about discovering her past, understanding her present, and figuring out how to step into her future. 

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