You've Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It's Good

We've got another delight here, my friends! Now I know Sanderson's a big name in fantasy writing, but I wasn't expecting a Jane Austen-style cover for one of his books. Apparently, Tress of the Emerald Sea was to be something for his wife, so its voice, characters, world, etc. are not meant to be connected to anything else he's written. This is fine, as I'm one of those heathens who's never read Sanderson. :) I do hope his other books have such a playful narrative voice! That's what hooks you in these first few pages, honestly. The first chapter is almost entirely exposition about where protagonist Tress lives: a putrid island where nothing can grow and only salt can save you from the cosmic spores raining from the sky. I was keenly reminded of Tolkien's asides to readers as I went, though this narrator's tongue is a bit more, shall we say, barbed: "Ships sailed that dust like ships sail water here, and you should not find that so unusual. How many other planets have you visited? Perhaps they all sail oceans of pollen, and your home is the freakish one."

We learn more about the world than we do about Tress in this opening chapter, but it's enough to keep us going. For a girl who insists she's happy on an island where the government orders the residents to remain until death, she still collects cups decorated with things that can't survive where she lives. For a girl who does her best to tame her hair and be socially presentable, she never seems to succeed. For a girl with a family name like Glorf ("don't judge," says the narrator), she deserves a chance to be more. And hopefully, we'll read on to see just that.

What will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

Ever hear of the sci-fi cult classic Logan's Run? It's a 1976 film about a world where everyone is young and perfect, and life will always give you just what you want. Once your hand's computer light starts flashing, you have to go be "renewed"--or as one quickly finds out, you die.

This immediately came to mind when I picked up Justin Cronin's The Ferryman, so I was a little wary of how this deceiving utopia would compare with the likes of Logan's Run. Happily, my concern was unnecessary. The prologue (yes, a prologue) introduces readers to the "mother" of the book's protagonist. She is preparing to leave all that she knows; since the dust jacket says that folks of a certain age in this utopia are taken away to be "renewed," we can safely assume she's preparing herself for that journey. Unlike Logan's Run, it appears this renewal is almost like a reincarnation: the aged or taken away, bodies de-aged and minds erased, to come back to the island as teenagers to start life again as wards to selected adults of the city. Yes, this prologue is a lot of exposition, but the prose fits the moment, for the woman is describing all that she says as she says farewell to her life. She then recalls meeting her ward, the protagonist Proctor, and is surprised by the maternal feelings she holds. She doesn't understand them.

And frankly, the alienness of family feeling is what I find so compelling here. As a writer, we can create whatever kind of world we want, and I see Cronin's done precisely that. Yet something must be relatable for the reader, or they won't feel the story is accessible. Most people have their own sense of family, whether by birth or friendship, but the fact that this society has turned that sense of family into an alien feeling leads readers to question what else has been essentially removed from the human experience--perhaps the soul itself?

And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

Oh, this is a fun one, my fellow creatives. Jesse Q. Sutanto has a marvelous narrative voice for Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, which made this first chapter a delight to read. Even though this chapter is exposition, we as readers can still see the unfussable Vera Wong launch herself into her morning routine. While this may not sound very interesting for a hook, the narrator's lighthearted, playful tone mixed with Vera's eccentric personality hook readers into loving this old lady very quickly. Plus, using the exposition helps us realize that this morning routine isn't unique or special to the narrative--rather, this is how she always is, from texting her son at 4:31am to tell him he should be awake, to counting every one of her 3,112 steps on her morning walk. Yet even this first chapter is not without its emotional weight, for that same morning walk takes her by the tai chi group her husband, long passed, used to attend. In fact, the chapter ends with Vera, while resolute and determined to continue her day as normal, cannot completely silence her sadness over the dwindling relationship with her son since her husband passed. It's an artfully done first chapter, full of humor and uniqueness with an emotional tug at the end...all disguised in an elderly lady's morning routine.

And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

For the first time, I have to say that this novel may very well need an engaging prologue to hook readers. Granted, at the outset, Eleanor Catton's Birnam Wood isn't bad. The prose is dense but vivid, its opening paragraphs dedicated to establishing the setting of a landslide in New Zealand and the aftermath of a small town in isolation. We meet Mira in the third paragraph: she is described to us as well as how she is willfully using an alias and misleading real estate agents of that isolated small town because...we don't know.

So, we as readers have a compelling reason to read on. We want to know why our main character is not being honest about her identity and motivations.

Yet the more I read the first chapter, the more exposition I got. Paragraph after paragraph details what Mira reads in her research of one person in that town. That's it. The curiosity I had for Mira's motivations dwindled with every paragraph of exposition. Perhaps I was spoiled by Janice Hallet's The Appeal, which also gave us such research, but in its original format of emails and newspaper clippings vs. an omniscient narrator telling us the protagonist is reading these things. The middle man, in a sense, was cut out in The Appeal; plus, reading the original messages from characters gave us a sense of different characters and their voices. Five pages into Birnam Wood, I only know that "Mira read on." Now, chances are this story is a slow burn with the action coming later on, and that's fine for those content to wait. For the picky, impatient reader such as myself, however, I think I'll go back to the New Release Shelf.

And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

Ooo, folks, this is a neat one. The atmosphere of a dark fairy tale hangs heavy in the old farmhouse where Kelly Barnhill's The Crane Husband takes place. Our narrator is a fifteen-year-old girl who's become the caregiver to both her little brother and mother--a mother who, on this day, brings home a large crane and calls him their father. We as readers are as agog as the little brother, while the teen is doing her best to maintain a cynical sanity to her mother's artistic whims. The fact we as readers do not know about the crane being dressed in human clothing until the second page irked me at first, but as a writer I respect Barnhill's choice to show the reactions to the initial shock of a crane in the kitchen before the next shock of the crane in clothes. The third shock comes when the mother shows intimate displays of affection to the crane--and the crane reciprocates. The chapter ends with the teen blowing this off, eager for the crane's departure like her mother's other lovers, but the chapter ends with yet another masterful twist by Barnhill*:

My mother wasn't one to keep anything around, save for me and Michael. So I wasn't particularly worried about the crane.

I should have been worried about the crane.

With such a bizarre start, I can only imagine where Barnhill's tale can go from here.

And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

*If I refer to Kelly Barnhill as Kate at some point, I humbly apologize. I goofed!

Well, what do you know? Here the author from last week's episode left a positive blurb on the book for this week--The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz. The opening pages introduce us to Alex, a woman who is hung up on a broken friendship with Wren while attending a book release party for a mutual friend. At times the voice really shines in this prose--a bit immature, a bit creative, but overall unique. Other times the word choices do not jive with that personality--who on earth says "unselfconsciously affable"? But it was the last paragraph I read that promised redeeming qualities to the voice, for that last paragraph gave us a very clear, colorful picture of just how badly Alex latched herself to Wren. Alex describes all sorts of glittery, beautiful dreams of a friendship with Wren mere moments after meeting her at a job. This not only explains why Alex keeps lamenting the loss of Wren and why she can't stop thinking about her; it makes us wonder what Wren really thinks of Alex. We could very well be dealing with one character obsessing over another, fantasizing about the scale of that relationship while the truth is quite different. If so, then this suspenseful read just got more...suspensefuler.

And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

This review, I'm afraid, is going to be rather short, as this novel is not quite like other novels. Rather than a traditional narrative and/or paragraph structure, Janice Hallett's The Appeal is created with emails, text messages, and other media snippets compiled for two lawyers to study in preparation for tackling a murder case. On the one hand, this means we're not getting any details regarding setting or character appearance. On the other hand, we're getting a wealth of first-person perspectives over a period of time that *should* guide us readers to the ultimate solution of the mystery. As a reader, I'm definitely intrigued. As a writer, I admire Hallett taking on this risk. It's a dangerous thing to essentially tell readers, "You don't have all the materials. Hopefully, it's in the right order. Good luck!" It'd be all too easy to just withhold all sorts of things so you can just dump it all in the resolution later. Hopefully, Hallett does not do this. The extra challenge is also to make sure the writing voices for all these characters is consistently different. So far, I couldn't help but chuckle that one character only writes in two-word responses compared to the gushing emails from another character. It's an interesting dynamic, and I've got to continue at least a bit more into the tale to see where these emails take me.

And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

Well, we had a good run. The prologue has returned, and a rambling prologue, at that. Kate Morton's Homecoming opens with a woman named Isabel. Isabel is pondering various things while hanging up some bunting for a New Year's Day family celebration. The prose itself is well-crafted, and there are certainly some interesting lines that help us feel the weight of natural Australian dangers on Isabel as she's out and alone. Actually, Morton's quite good at dropping hints of danger and trouble within Isabel without Isabel actually saying these are troubles--moments relating to her depression, her marriage problems, her desire to do away with her own kids, her "guilty conscience" and her determination to "make things right"--it's all quite good foreshadowing for SOMEthing to happen. And the prologue does end with the promise of something bad about to happen.

The downside, at least to me, comes with how long it takes to reach that moment. We spend the entire prologue with Isabel thinking. That's it. Now a few pages of thoughts can be well done, for as I mentioned, Morton's cleverly hiding hints of danger within Isabel's psyche. But it's a slow, slow process through all of Isabel's thoughts, and by prologue's end I'm saying, "Thank goodness THAT'S over." That's not what a writer wants a reader to feel. As writers, we've got to make every line count. We shouldn't need to hide a hint of foreshadowing beneath a mountain of exposition. A little goes a long way, whether one's writing a short story, a novel, or anything in between. And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

Goodness, ANOTHER happy find! I don't know if I've ever had such a run with great books on this podcast. :) Babel by R.F. Kuang not only has a fascinating book cover, but an intriguing premise as well: the world's magic is manipulated through words and silver, and in the early 1800s, England is the master of that magic. The opening is not set in England, though, but in China, where a young boy awaits his death from cholera, the same illness that had already taken his family. A mysterious British professor knows where he lives and magically heals him before taking him to the English Factory. Where this factory actually is I've no idea, as this would take us past five pages, but I can safely say the first five pages do a wonderful job of hooking us as readers. Kuang's use of descriptive language wastes no time ensnaring us with her description of the boy's mother dying of cholera and his acceptance of his fate. On the second page, we're already shown a magic healing; while it doesn't tell us how the boy is healed, it's enough worldbuilding for us to know that some have magic, and others do not. As a writer, I'm also intrigued by the details dropped about the mysterious professor and English woman who helped raise the boy. What is it about this particular child that has drawn distinctively different English people to him, thousands of miles away in China? I don't know, but I'm excited to find out. :)

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

Another happy surprise! When I saw Frances Brody's A Mansion for Murder had a prologue, I immediately rolled my eyes. Yet that little prologue provided a lovely scene with just enough ominous foreshadowing. Does the prologue create a "bait and switch" for a boring first chapter? Nope! Chapter One gives a few brief paragraphs about the protagonist and why she's an investigator, then dives right into the letter she receives summoning her to her latest case. Considering this is the thirteenth (!!!) book of the series, I did not feel lost or behind. Brody's introduction of the character is a fine piece of succinct exposition, giving readers just enough to go on regarding the protagonist and her career. Plus, by using first-person prose, Brody can have Shackleton essentially "introduce herself" so readers can understand Shackleton's frank and fearless personality. It's a smart strategy for a writer. The cadence of the prose, too, is well formulated, the movement of consonants and vowels making it pleasant to read aloud. For those searching for a cozy mystery, this may be just the literary escape you've been looking for.

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I did not read the blurb for Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese, but by the end of the first page I realized we were dealing with a character who inspires Nathaniel Hawthorne to write The Scarlett Letter. It's an interesting concept, especially since Isobel, the protagonist here, does seem to be experiencing some sort of magic by seeing the world in vibrant colors. Her mother scares her into keeping it secret, for witch-burnings can and do still happen in Scotland in the early 1800s. The prose itself reminds me of Louise Erdrich--lines to experience by sound as much as by sight. And for one who doesn't dive into historical fiction much, I found myself intrigued by Isobel's determination to enjoy the colors of her visions "safely": through needlework as a seamstress. If you are not one for historical fiction, I understand passing on this one. For those who want a unique journey to the past or to experience a classic story from a fresh perspective, then I highly recommend Albanese's imagination here.

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

Okay, that gripe aside, the opening pages of The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin do successfully balance hints at the fantastical while remaining grounded in New York City. Our protagonist, who's unnamed in the opening pages, hears something breathing and calling back to her whenever she sings or paints the city. It's a unique balance of active exposition that helps readers see and feel the same unsettled curiosity as the protagonist. The only interaction we see the protagonist has with another human being is Paulo, who seems to have this mentor kind of position of a side character. Paulo is trying to share his own moment of seeing something alive in the depths of the city and knows the protagonist can hear whatever that thing is. But the protagonist doesn't care about a thing; she cares about getting some food in her stomach and having a safe place to sleep from one night to the next.

So this story is something of a slow burn. I'm not saying that's bad; Jemisin isn't shy that this is the first book of a series, so Book 1 will of course be full of dropped seeds and mystery boxes to compel readers to read. And these opening pages do have moments alluding to the fantastical hidden among the everyday grit and grime of the city. Why this had to be inside a huge prologue I don't know, but for those who enjoy urban fantasy stories, I'm sure Jemisin will not disappoint.

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

Deanna Raybourn's Killers of a Certain Age certainly needs no prologue to hook readers! Instead, her opening chapter starts with the protagonists preparing for their first mission--not only as stewardesses, but as assassins, too. I mean, when the third and fourth sentences of the novel are "It's not murder," Helen corrects. "It's an assassination, and you can make an effort to look nice.", you as a reader know you're in for a fun time. The opening scene introduces us to a group of women new to this "life of lies" as they prepare for their first mission under their supervisors posing as airline pilots. The dialogue drags a smidge on the fourth page, but there's enough personality in the exchange that we as readers are okay with the slow preparation, as we are learning to differentiate the character traits of the team. Plus, a brief reflection by one of the women helps remind readers just how much is at stake: not just the mission, but the lives of everyone on the mission, too. The use of movie lines during the exchange also helps emphasize the timeframe we are dealing with, as this first chapter is, essentially, a flashback to the protagonists' first mission in 1979. The majority of the story is to take place in the present day when all these female assassins are older. For one who loved the movies Red, Harry Brown, Sea Wolves, and yes, Arsenic and Old Lace, I'm really excited to see what time does to these ladies--and what happens to those foolish enough to underestimate them.

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

Not that I'm complaining in this case. Clare Mackintosh's The Last Party contains beautiful setting details that could easily be the stuff of prose poetry. The third-person omniscient narrator allows for easy movement through the occasional mutterings of different village characters before the main event: the annual New Year's Day dive into a lake along the Welsh/English border. Only this year, these villagers are joined by a dead body.

The prologue is long enough that it took me to the end of the episode, and yes, I admit to being a bit silly this time with my movie trailer voice. :) The premise here just reminded me of too many trope movies--the "cop who doesn't play by the rules," the "outsider who must become a hero," and so on. This time, we have "the victim who wanted everyone dead and everyone is a suspect." Goodness, the dust jacket itself says, "With a lie uncovered at every turn" and "In a village with this many secrets..." It feels a touch absurd with such descriptions, but you know what? Action schlock with those anti-rule cop buddies are still fun. Fantasies that always count on that reluctant hero are still fun. So I bet this mystery with a town full of Edward Gorey-esque suspicious people will be fun, too.  

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

 Liv Andersson's thriller Little Red House gave me a delightful surprise. Not through it's subject matter, for the record--it's a dark thriller that starts with the perspective of a rape and torture victim held captive in a man's basement. If you do not want to read about rape, just avoid this book. I'm sure Andersson will understand.

No, the surprise for me came as a writer. Andersson avoids prologues, yet her first chapter reads like a prologue we so often see here: it's short, first-person, and a vivid telling of a dangerous scene. Listening to the victim describe what she hears when her tormentor approaches, hearing her focus on details of her environment for she's determined not only to escape but kill her tormentor in the process--it is, in short, a compelling opener. I feared that Andersson had given us a stark first chapter to offset what we often see in this podcast: a really slow "second" opener to the book. 

Yet that is not the case here! While Chapter 2 does "start over" with another character in first person, we see that this new character is related to the first, which immediately gets us wondering how well the two may know or know of each other. The voice of the new character is similar, but not to the point where I have to check what their names are to keep them straight. Her chapter is also pure active movement with just the teensiest bits of background, so the momentum started with Chapter 1 continues onward. Even though we've left one protagonist in a prison, this new character also seems to be in a prison of her own making. Even though she has a key to escape (metaphorically speaking), she refuses to use it. Why?

Again, for those who do not wish to read of sexual trauma, please wait for next week's installment. But for those who read thrillers into the darker turns of human nature, you'll not be disappointed with Andersson's protagonists here. As a writer, too, I find her balance between present action, voice, and "telling between the lines" to be most instructive.

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

While Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood is not a new book, it is new to my library. It's the first of a "hard-boiled" detective series featuring a pair of women (one with multiple sclerosis) solving crimes in the 1940s. When I read that blurb about the detectives, I just had to give it a go, and I'm so glad I did. No need for bait-and-switch prologues here! We jump right into character Willowjean Parker describing the first time she meets detective Lillian Pentecost: "The first time I met Lillian Pentacost, I nearly caved her skull in with a piece of lead pipe." It's a wonderful opening line that brings the classic game/film Clue to mind, and it got me hooked to see how these two would really interact. Just as Pentecost's body language and dialogue share a lot about her, so do Parker's thoughts one what she sees and reacts to ("I took the wire out of her hand and had the job done in ten seconds flat. I'd picked harder locks blindfolded. Literally.") I'm already eager to see how the other two books in this series shape up, for if these opening pages are any indication, Pentacost and Parker are not a pair to pass up. 

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

Well, my curse on this podcast strikes again. The prologue of Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths is quite well-crafted and compelling and leagues ahead of the first chapter, which is an exposition dump detailing a separate character's fast-track in her career with law enforcement. Now I can see that Griffiths herself is an avid mystery writer, winner of awards, etc., and the prologue shows me why. Writers would do well to study those first couple of pages to see how this first-person narrative shares a lot about the character without saying it directly. For instance, the first two lines read: "Is it possible to forget that you've committed a murder? Well, I'm here to tell you that it is." This isn't shocking necessarily, as the dust jacket alludes to the group of main characters committing murder during their school days. It's how the paragraph ends that gets me: "...everyone [during the murder mystery game] would get drunk and forget the clues. This rather irritated me. I like following rules." This speaks LOADS about the unique juxtaposition of character Cassie's traits and morals, not to mention the way her mind works. I was ready and willing to continue with Cassie, only the official first chapter just starts the story over again with a different character. Had Griffiths given us a bit more time with Cassie and smoothed that shift over to another character's pov--ending a chapter with Cassie realizing this new character would be in attendance at a party, for instance--I think readers would be more intrigued to learn about her "friend" even if it takes sifting through an exposition dump to do so.

And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

I had originally planned a mystery for today, but once I saw my selection directly tied back to a previous book without much context, I took my daughter Blondie's offer to read Beasts and Beauty by Soman Chainani instead. I'm so glad I did! The illustrations of the first story, "Red Riding Hood," are stark and bleak--a perfect balance with the vivid yet succinct prose that describes the story-world. Just look at this first sentence: "On the first day of spring, the wolves eat the prettiest girl." That right there is intense and violent while also providing a sense of time and action. Even though the story is written in third-person omniscient, we as readers feel like we are a part of the story, watching the girl who never thought herself beautiful be chosen by the wolves for their meal. We watch her discard fear, take up her red cloak and knife, and enter the forest. We have heard this tale a thousand times, yet we cannot help but read on, for we don't know where Chainani's unique tellings will take us. His control over language is pure magic, and I cannot wait to see his imagination play with the story-worlds of Snow White, Peter Pan, and other classic fairy tale folk.

And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

Once again, we have a prologue, and once again, this is where the action happens in the opening pages of Alice Henderson's A Ghost of Caribou. On a technical level, the writing itself is fine: the pacing of the action is clear. The details help us see the woman being chased by a "thing." Yet this prologue also feels very distant; we're not really feeling things as the character feels, but merely stand as witness as this old woman runs and is eventually captured. And that's something that snapped me back to reality, too: a seventy-two-year-old is outrunning what sounds like a drone through dangerous terrain in the dark. Whaaat?! It reminds me of the opening sequence to a tv episode like X-Files, where we've got to see someone in danger so we can be motivated to keep watching and see that person be saved.

But this is not TV. This is a book. And so we have the words and ability to gather the words that could help readers feel what someone in danger is feeling. 

The first chapter's opening pages continue to give me those "TV vibes." After writing the characters' full names for the reader, Henderson then has the characters say their names as if they've not seen one other in twenty years. "Alex Carter!" "Ben Hathaway!" But they did see each other only a year ago. Why this double-dump of information? It happens again when Ben asks if Alex wants to get something from the coffee shop. We get double-details that the shop is decorated with local art on the walls and has an "artistic" vibe. This kind of repetitive description simply isn't necessary, especially since such an environment has become quite common in the western world and therefore is easy for readers to picture. Again, it feels like these details are there as if a script needs a quick setting description before the dialogue starts.

But this is not TV. This is a book, where every word counts. And when one's writing a mystery, those words should always propel us toward the mystery's heart rather than its "artistic" walls of generic detail. 

And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

Ironically, the prologue is my favorite part of the opening pages in Kimberly Belle's The Personal Assistant. These first two pages are a well-paced scene with balanced external action and sensory detail from the perspective of an unnamed girl without a dime to her name. Her car's run off the road by a farmer in the middle of nowhere, her tire blows out, and she has no one she could turn to for money. The prologue ends with a mysterious man pulling up to her vehicle offering aid.

Now I mention in my episode that prologues make me nervous because they seem to be the author's backup plan to hooking readers when they know the first chapter is a slog. Lo and behold...

We meet protagonist Alex, a social media influence married to a financial talking head named Patrick who also does a lot on social media. The opening pages detail how happy she is with her rise to fame, his skepticism about why people care enough to follow her online, and how he never cared about her daughters.

+++CORRECTION+++ It is not clear in these opening pages if Patrick is the father of those girls or not. In the episode, I interpreted that he is, which makes him sound like an even bigger jerk than he might be. Just wanted to clarify that. +++

Kimberly Belle clearly knows how to craft a scene. Belle knows how to balance detail and action, and she knows how to use dialogue to relay information. If I spot another book by Belle, I'll likely give it a try. I just struggle to read a story about this particular kind of character. For folks who enjoy the realm of social media drama, or thrillers with that social media flare, this fiction will fit right in with your tastes. As one who is not as keen on such drama, I struggle to relate to such personalities. So, I'm going to see what the next mystery from my library contains.

And what will you learn from these opening pages? Let's find out! Cheers!

CORRECTION: Over the course of the podcast I say The Twist of a Knife is the third book of Horowitz's series, but it is actually the fourth. My apologies!

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it!

One of my favorite styles of writing is writing with personality. Horowitz's The Twist of a Knife has plenty of personality in the prose because the narrator, Horowitz himself, IS a character in the series. It's a delightful homage to the Watson-style storytelling approach Doyle took for chronicling the adventures of Sherlock Holmes--except in Horowitz's case, the story begins with him and his Detective Hawthorn parting ways. 

NOOOOOooooooo.....

Of course they can't stay parted. There is a whole book here, after all. But such a beginning does help establish some immediate conflict between protagonists that is bound to help make future points of plot--such as the murder of Horowitz's critics--more challenging to overcome. The pair's banter and chemistry were a joy to read, rather like the Thursday Murder Club in Richard Osman's series. My one niggle here is that Horowitz opens his story with an exposition dump. While I appreciate we are getting exposition from the character in character voice that establishes the story-world, it's still a bit of a slog, especially when compared to the quick, delightful dialogue that follows it.

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

To be blunt, the first chapter of The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas by Tad Safran and James Patterson was infuriating. The first page begins with a lighthearted approach about the worst Christmas present being different kinds of socks--this is relatable and fine. Then the next paragraph goes in a different direction and says the worst Christmas present for two siblings was the death of their mom. This is a shock so early in the story, but also something many of us can relate to. We're even ready as readers to sympathize and perhaps even empathize with the characters.

But unfortunately, the exposition establishing this family's situation is so distracting that it turns off any desire to empathize and actually inspires us to abandon those kids to their fate, unread. The narrator wants to be lighthearted about their dead mom--don't worry, they didn't "technically" lose her because she's in a cemetery. Don't worry, she's not a zombie. Don't worry, she didn't spend all her time outside because she wasn't house-trained. What on earth was this supposed to be? Humor? I can appreciate that folks use humor to cope with grief. Again, completely understandable. But we are brand new to this story-world and this family. We want to meet this family and understand them, but we can't if we're only told poor jokes about the family member all of them love and miss so much. If anything, we only learn about the narrator in this first chapter, and what I've learned does not encourage me to stick around and get to know the narrator better. It's a shame, really, because there really are some lovely lines about the family at the end of the first chapter that, sadly, are soured by what came before.

Perhaps you are fine with this brand of humor. Please enjoy! As for me, I think I'll see what's on the library's new release shelf next week.

Cheers!

It's been a while since a story truly tickled me, and Richard Osman's The Man Who Died TWICE did exactly that. Here we watch a group of four friends having lunch after their "Murder Club" meeting, where they get together to study cold cases. I didn't even realize this was the second book of the series until I caught this brief exposition in the first chapter, and thankfully, that was all I needed to be brought up to speed. The chemistry and personalities of these characters will have readers chuckling before they've even gotten to the third page, let alone to any murder. When a writer can establish four unique characters through a single lunchtime conversation, then you know their writing is worth a study! For those who need a lift in the heart and spirit while also tucking into a good mystery, then I have a feeling Osman's Thursday Murder Club series will be the perfect fit for you. I know I'm excited to find the first book!

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

When I first grabbed Haven by Emma Donoghue from my library's New Release shelf, I was admittedly hesitant because of my mixed feelings for her previous novel Room. Once I saw Haven is a historical novel featuring monks, though, my hesitation dissipated. I'm a big fan of Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose and the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, so another mystery with monks? Sign me up!

And as a writer, Donoghue packs a lot in those first five pages for readers. We open with an active abbey meal from the perspective of a young, hungry monk. We see the importance of the abbey to a community and the power the abbot enjoys. Yet there is an outsider visiting the abbey who, as the rumors say, is far more intelligent, far stronger, and simply far more blessed than any resident of that abbey, and this conflict reveals itself in a brief public interaction between the abbot and the outsider. It's a terrific setup for a number of possible progressions of plot, especially since we know from the book's blurb three monks are going to essentially be stranded on a small island. Will that be by choice, or by punishment?

The worldbuilding, too, is artfully done. I mentioned earlier that we can see the abbey is a central part of life, but I particularly dug how Donoghue utilizes the vocabulary of the period with her prose so that modern readers can use context to know what she's talking about. This is one of the biggest challenges of historical fiction, and these early pages show that Donoghue conquered that challenge.

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

The opening pages of The Peacekeeper by B.L. Blanchard are a bit of a slow burn, but it does successfully mix character development, worldbuilding, and a major cataclysmic event all at once, and that is a major feat. The first chapter is preceded by excerpts from two Native American authors whom I mistook for fictional writers in Blanchard's universe--my apologies for that! This is what I get for reading too many mysteries, apparently. :) That said, I can see how Tommy Orange's words on the "Urban Indian" help inspire the setting Blanchard creates in this first chapter. The United States and Canada never came to be: these lands are still dominated and governed by different Native American tribes, such as the Ojibwe around the Great Lakes region. Names of places and things are connected to their language, which readers see with the reference of Shikaakwa for Chicago. Chapter 1 also shows seven different cultural calendar dates, and I see that it's just past five pages that we learn the Aztec and Mayan empires still exist. I can see there will be a richness in the alternative history timeline here, and that fascinates me as a writer and reader alike. Our adult protagonists struggle with their mother's murder at their father's hands during their childhood, and the opening pages help us see their current relationship, which definitely inspires empathy and sympathy from readers. I was worried that the family drama would dominate this story--we had enough of that with Anne Tyler's French Braid--but by the end of five pages, protagonist Chibenashi is showing readers more of his world and preparing us for the coming murder that launches the story's plot. For those who love alternative histories and/or mysteries, this could very well be a perfect fit for you.

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

This is hands down one of my favorite finds so far for this podcast. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher may be a reimagining of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, but in five pages it still reads very much as its own unique work. I'm reminded a bit of John Scalzi's Kaiju Preservation Society as far as the wry narrator goes, and of Jeff VanderMeer's Area X trilogy with the unsettling, unnatural forms Nature seems to take. Everything is bleak and grotesque--even the sight of mushrooms growing hints at violent death for humanity. Setting this grim landscape inside a fictional country also makes the story feel like it's one step off kilter from reality--it could be in our Europe, but surely not, right? This book moves at a quick clip, so if you'd like to take a few days to shift into some spookier tales for the coming Halloween season, I can't think of a better place to start.

 What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

I'm not going to type up my little meandering to the question "Why I don't read literary fiction" here for you, but I will say that the first pages of French Braid by Anne Tyler reinforce the feelings I describe in that meander. To be blunt, I like knowing what I am getting into, and genres give me that sense. Literary fiction can go to any old place, and for some folks, they just want to enjoy that journey. Good for them! Nothing wrong with that, especially with a writer like Anne Tyler. Her prose here is easy on the eyes and ears, and the personality of the narrator comes through in these little parenthetical asides that made me smile now and then. 

This book, though, is a family drama with events spanning decades. For some folks, that's all they want in a story. For me, not so much. And while the characters I meet in the first few pages are perfect fits for a family drama, they also, frankly, could fit into any genre fiction's opener, and that kind of generic impression put me off as a writer.

What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

The opening pages of Hatchet Island by Paul Doiron is, sadly, a return to prologues. We meet a nameless character suffering insomnia, one who has simply given up on life in college and in general. After months of isolation, he finally ventures out into the world...only to throw himself from a bridge.

Now I'm sure some readers will be intrigued by what happened to this nameless character. Why did this character make that choice? Was it the birds and the birdkeeper he worked for that drove him to kill himself? How could living with birds do such a thing?

For me, though, this prologue put a sour taste in my mouth. I'm all for a good murder mystery, but when life is lost in a story, it should mean something. Like Colleen Hoover's Verity, I felt like killing off a nameless person for the sake of shock value in the first few pages dulls the impact of any future loss of life later in the story. Plus there are so many other ways to show that time on an island has transformed a person for the worse: their habits, their language, their little actions. All these can steadily impact those around them and lead to other, bigger transformations down the road. I know not every writer feels this way, but I will always appreciate a chance to peel back layers to find the rot, rather than simply smashing the fruit underfoot to send that rot flying in bits all over the ground.

What will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

We return to cozy mysteries this week with A Secret About a Secret by Peter Spiegelman. The first chapter is only three pages long, and don't you worry: Spiegelman uses those three pages to his advantage. By using the first-person narrative, we meander through the protagonist's mind as his car travels through an isolated, bleak landscape. While some of these internal musings felt a bit long-winded, I did appreciate the little tastes of what we as readers are getting into: that this protagonist is some sort of investigator who is also occasionally sent to "punish," that he has "Masters" he must answer to, and that he is not so curious about his duties that he cares to learn more about where he's going for his latest assignment and why. The setting is beautifully described and is currently timeless in its way, but the back cover blurbs promise some futuristic details to come our way. By the end of three pages, we learn our protagonist's name--Myles--and that he's going to visit an isolated manor house where someone has died. Why or how? We don't know, but we as readers are eager to find out.

What will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

Huzzah, a book without any prologues of any kind! This week I couldn't find any westerns, but I did try a type of mystery I've never read before: a pet-themed mystery. Doggone Deadly by Deborah Blake took me back to the kid mysteries like Nancy Drew, which felt nostalgic, but I also had some niggles I couldn't shake.

We jump right into Chapter 1 with our protagonist hiding her friend from a snob who's throwing her weight around at a local dog show. The pacing between exposition and action is solid, and the setting is broken down in quick details readers can absorb as the scene moves along. This all works very well, especially considering I'm not in the first book of this mystery series. 

Then come the characters. While the protagonist and best friend are easy to follow on the page, a third character is in the scene for conflict, and...oh, this snob is all unrealistic stereotype without any playful depth. I appreciate a writer's use of a few "loud" traits to make characters stand out in a big cast, but detail after detail emphasizes how rich this woman is, how much she hates shelter dogs, how little she cares about other people, and did we mention how rich she is? It's just way too much emphasis on a few traits, and it makes her act far more like a puppet for plot than a human being. If anything, it could have been far more interesting to see this snob play up the protagonist's shelter as if it were her goodwill move for the community so the snob could garner more praise and attention. Then the protagonist wouldn't know how to handle that saccharine sweetness hiding the snobbery from others, and more hijinks could ensue.

But that's just my picky reading self talking. What will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

Oddly enough, this has to be the first podcast where I didn't even get to the first chapter all. The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn has three--THREE--prologues. There's a wee preface to tell you of the original person on which the novel is based, the "official" prologue, and then a couple of pages entitled "Notes by the First Lady."

Now the wee preface is not badly written at all. It's just a succinct few verses that explain this woman was a real person who served as a Soviet sniper in World War II. At one point this woman was First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's friend; this can be hard for modern audiences to grasp, but it's important to remember that in 1942, the Soviet Union and United States were allies against the Axis Powers.

This is where the "official" prologue helps a little with establishing the mindset at the time. Perhaps folks who've watched Mad Men know how women were often treated as second-class and unable to do "man's work," but in the 1940s the United States had to take a serious look at their approach to what women can and cannot do. (Of course, this all backtracked after the war, but let's focus on the moment.) The prologue comes from the perspective of a hired assassin mingling with reporters watching Lady Death, the famed Soviet Sniper, arriving at the White House to meet The First Lady. So we all get to see this pretty girl and hear men constantly saying, "a woman could never do all that!" While I appreciate establishing that mindset, I'm not sure it needed its own prologue to do so.

And then, we get what reads like a diary entry from The First Lady before she meets the sniper. While I appreciate the importance of establishing President FDR's physical ailments for modern readers, I'm not sure why the third prologue needed to travel back in time to before the second prologue. At this point, we just want to meet this infamous Lady Death!

And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

For the first chapter of Gallant by V.E. Schwab is a marvelous introduction to protagonist Olivia and her blessing/curse of seeing ghouls. We see Olivia dealing with the relatable bully conflict in a school setting, and the foreshadowing of this school teaching girls to be "ghosts in other people's homes" is an excellent allusion to whatever the shadow realm. Olivia's plight and life intrigue us as readers, and the scene with the ghoul in the garden shed is an excellent first exposure to the supernatural element at work in the story. So as a writer, I wonder why on earth we needed the dramatic peek at the antagonist at all. It feels like an unnecessary show of life-and-death stakes rather than letting the story reach that point organically.

And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

The first chapter of Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi is a fine example of how one can have the intense opener, change scenes a little, and STILL keep momentum. The protagonist gets hit by a double-whammy of a notice when he just gets out or rehab, but rather than move forward on that time, we backtrack to what caused the protagonist to be in rehab. While I was bothered by this at first, Malfi successfully avoids telling us how rehab went. Rather, we experience the protagonist's spiral downward into a place of intense fear and pain. Could this just be the lack of alcohol, or is there something more sinister afoot? Plus, now that we know the protagonist is about to hear tragic information about his family, we are further intrigued to see how a man in such a state will handle such news. Considering the unique voice and personality of this character, I cannot predict what he will do...and that makes me a happy reader.

And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

The opening line of A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong floored me:

"My grandmother is dying, and I am getting coffee."

Immediately I and any other reader who's coped with family death could relate to this protagonist. We don't know if she's fleeing the emotions, flippant about the ordeal, or somewhere in between, but many of us have had that mundane mixed with the monumental in ways we may or may not prefer. The opening pages proceed to break down that our protagonist, Mallory is a homicide detective and that she is in Edinburgh to be with her grandmother in her final days. The rest of the family is still in the United States, so relations are strained with phone calls and obligations. I was 100% in with this protagonist, having been in that position myself. Armstrong utilizes the first-person limited POV well, establishing this character's inner conflict between her no-nonsense approach to life and the emotional weight of her grandmother's impending death.

This is not why I first picked up this novel, however. The dust jacket promises time travel, so I was also looking for hints of that time travel and was rewarded in the first five pages. Mallory specifically mentions she is not a student of history, but that she and her grandmother would occasionally visit the more "macabre" sites of Edinburgh. My only real qualm with this book is that in five pages Mallory is about to get into trouble, but for some reason is not prepared as she would be on any given day in the United States; for instance, she's jogging at night in Edinburgh, but she does not have her knife that she carries with her while jogging in the States. Why? She doesn't know how to call for help in Scotland. She's been visiting Scotland all her life and doesn't know the emergency number? Such forgetfulness seems completely out of character; yes, we've only known this character for a few pages, but from what we've seen earlier, this just doesn't add up. Frankly, I think the forgetfulness is a cheat to ensure the time travel occurs, but I'll have to keep reading to find out.

And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

The opening pages of Trust by Hernan Diaz  intrigue me, but only to a point. The pages of solid exposition provide portraits of three characters: A wealthy businessman, Solomon, his wife Willie, and their son Benjamin. No one talks to anyone. No one actually does anything. The opening pages are purely descriptions of the lives of these three people.

On the one hand, I do not have patience for so much telling and no showing at all. On the other hand, plenty of other novels have a slow burn with exposition before the story truly starts. Diaz makes every single word count--I definitely feel like I could identify these people if I was ever in the same room with them. I was, admittedly, hoping to hear more about Solomon and Willie; when Diaz notes how they are never in the same residence at the same time, I can't help but wonder a) how did the baby Benjamin come about then and b) why they married in the first place. By the scene's end, though, both parents are dead and Benjamin is a wealthy orphan. Apparently, their backstories are only relevant in whatever way they help shape Benjamin, so all else is moot. From a writer's standpoint, I can appreciate that, but as a reader, you've spent the first impression of this story immersing me in the lives of two people only to kill them before the story's even begun.

There's also the matter of how the son Benjamin's life is described. He is utterly cut off from the world, and this detachment affects every facet of his life. As the scene closes, we are seeing the now-college graduate who is devoid of any "appetites to repress," as Diaz puts it--no vices, no interests, no nothing. A blank slate if we ever knew one. And as anyone knows, blank slates are rarely blank for long. All it takes is for the right person to see find it and fill it with their own ideas and interests. That, I feel, is what will come our way here.

And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

The opening pages of The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian are...well hang on. The single page of prologue is not dense. In fact, the prologue feels a little like a cheat. "We went on a safari and almost everyone died! Who died and who didn't? You can't know yet!" So of course we have to read on to find out what they're talking about. Only of course the first chapter isn't starting off with such a tense moment; in fact, we start the chapter with watching giraffes.

That is not to say the scene is without tension, however. I will give Bohjalian all the props for having very layered prose, hinting multiple sources of tension on a honeymoon where tension between newlyweds should be the last thing anyone wants to see. Nothing is stated, but sure as hell is implied, and this kind of set up cues the reader that personal conflicts will boil over in the coming chapters. Because the hints are wrapped up in exposition about characters and interactions from a previous evening, the first chapter feels very dense and motionless, which doesn't seem fair. I've no suggestions for how else to do this, for as a writer, I deeply respect the layered prose of meaning between the lines. I just wish a bit more action could have broken up the density of that first chapter so a cheat of a prologue wouldn't have to be used at all.

And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

The first chapter of Red Warning by Matthew Quirk was a most unique experience. The book starts with one of the biggest tropes one can have with a thriller. ("How do you know we can trust him?" "I don't." Dunh dunh DUNH!) This set me giggling which, perhaps, isn't how one typically reads a thriller. Yet as I went on, I felt like I was reading something from a Cannon 1980s schlocky action film, and that quickly warmed my heart to this story. The dialogue and action all sound perfect for a B film, so if you are a fan of the older, low-budget films, this may be just the book for you!

As a writer, though, I struggled with one major aspect of this chapter. In the first few pages of the story, we're told the main protagonist spy is looking for another spy who also kills bankers and intelligence sources. The protagonist isn't *supposed* to do anything, so he's done playing by the rules (dunh dunh DUNH!) and has gone rogue to find the baddie. 

This is all said in the first three pages.

Considering the motivation for the protagonist to go rogue is the murder spree, I find it odd we as readers don't get to see the protagonist affected by the murder spree or see him make the decision to go rogue. It's as if the story is starting slightly *after* the real beginning, and because we still need that context, the information is thrown at us in exposition. This just makes those murders feel less important than I'm sure they are.

And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

The first chapter of Horse by Geraldine Brooks leaves me with...mixed feelings. On a technical level--scene execution, prose, and such--Brooks is stellar. The very word choices the protagonist makes in those opening pages say a lot about the protagonist's nature; in fact, some of the word choices made me feel like I lack the intellect to fully appreciate the language utilized here. Still, the memories the protagonist recalls of family bereavement while interacting with a racist neighbor also experiencing grief speaks volumes as to the power of upbringing and culture in our lives. I just wish it was clearer as to where this story is intending to go. I don't want it broadcast and/or spoonfed to me, but I do need *something.* Brooks' last line of the chapter does promise there will be a *something* when Theo discovers "the horse" in the neighbor's discarded items on the street. But when I see Chapter 2 is not going to continue with this momentum but will instead change over to a new protagonist with a new point of view, I worry that we'll be stopping and starting several times before the plot can truly find its groove. I am likely assuming too much here, but as a picky reader, I am just not a fan of hopping among the characters, especially when we've barely gotten to know even one of them.

And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

I have to be honest--the opening pages of Verity by Collleen Hoover did not move me to keep reading. Hoover's prose style cuts like a knife, and her word choices say a lot with a little. But there's something about the intense message about Manhattan's lack of humanity mixed with a protagonist who *desires* to lose her humanity and be "as hard as the concrete" beneath her feet that makes it very difficult for me to relate to this protagonist as a reader, especially when considering the bloody death the protagonist witnesses in the first five pages. The protagonist is determined to *not* connect and *not* empathize. This approach certainly gives the writer opportunity to build layers that can be peeled away as the story progresses, but a reader has to be invested to see that happen first.

And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

I wasn't expecting yet another story's opener to be a boss and disgruntled protagonist, but here we are. The first chapter of The Cartographers  by Peng Shepherd is a slow burn, one that uses a lot of exposition to establish the protagonist's knowledge of maps. The opening lines about a famous, ancient map are indeed informative, if nothing else than to prepare us for THE map (as noted on the dust jacket) that sets the story in motion later on. While the interaction between boss and protagonist Nell feels a little cliche', it does allow Nell to think on what "disgraced" her from her more prestigious job, and that intrigue hooks us as readers to desire more about this curious cartographer and whether or not she will ever return to a place of honor in her family or profession.

And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!

With The Shattered Skies by John Birmingham, we have a unique situation. This is a new release in Science Fiction, but it's also the second book of a trilogy, which means a lot of establishment of character, conflict, and setting have already been accomplished. So, we've got to seriously temper our expectations when it comes to worldbuilding and character development, for much of that could be present in the first book, The Cruel Stars.

That said, the conflicts and worldbuilding alluded to by the first chapter's primary character sound epic in their scope, and the character's voice certainly fits a military mind. I just wish this character could have interacted with someone instead of reflecting on it all while waiting to land on a planet! You know me--I'm a sucker for a beginning with some action. :)

And what will you, fellow creatives, make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

Yes, this is an MG novel, but a paranormal mystery for a kid can be a fun read for an adult, too! My daughter Blondie has been on my case to share this book on the podcast, so this week I'm buckling and here we are. :) Honestly, though, I'm glad I did. The book Riley's Ghost by John David Anderson begins with a graphic description of a dead body...a dead frog body. It's a wonderful way to set the tone for this school setting: the "barbarian" seventh grades, the disconnected teachers, and Riley, who just doesn't feel like she belongs and would rather forge an adult's signature to escape accountability rather than get help. Blondie promises very creepy moments are in store for anyone who loves a ghostly read, and if you've listened to my December 2021 collabs with Blondie, you know she wouldn't gush about a story if it wasn't worth reading! 

And what will you, fellow creatives, make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

The first sentence of Revelator by Daryl Gregory alludes to a kid meeting "the family god," so I just don't know how the stakes can go down from there. This story's got a feeling of the Southern Gothic in its voice and style, a dark, murky magic hidden in its green Kentucky valleys. The first pages not only provide an authentic voice for the little girl Stella, but a sense of true dread as we follow the adventurous child down a path into a church embedded in the mountain. What could possibly go wrong in such a place? I'm going to guess a lot. 

And what will you, fellow creatives, make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

The first pages of Joan is Okay by Weike Wang are unlike anything we've read on previous episodes of this podcast. We're not diving into genre fiction here--no fantasy, no science fiction, no horror, etc. This is life, and it's the life of an Asian American woman who is forced to take on the journey of grief by returning to China for her father's funeral. The prose is sharp and cuts to the bone in its lack of emotion, which makes readers wonder just what the relationship between the narrator and her family had been. As one who also lost her father suddenly, the journey of grief is not an easy one to walk alone, so I am naturally drawn to Wang's storytelling here. What will you, fellow creatives, make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

The first pages of Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes are brilliant. In the first three sentences alone, we have an injured protagonist hallucinating a dead person. By the end of two pages, we find out our protagonist is being interrogated because the rest of the character's crew was murdered...in space! Mystery fills the cosmos here, for we do not know how much we can trust this crew, this company, or the very soul telling us this story. What will you, fellow creatives, make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

The first pages of The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon bring readers to the 1960s and the height of the Cold War. We are to witness a prisoner exchange...only we are quickly transported back in time to before that exchange with the briefest allusions of what has brought one of the prisoners to that moment of exchange. Despite Kanon's writing choices not following my preference for sensory detail and action in the first paragraph, I cannot help but be intrigued with both our narrator and enigmatic protagonist, Martin. What will you, fellow creatives, make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

The first pages of The Tenant by Katrine Engberg are...well the first THREE pages are marvelously done. I was lulled into impatience following an elderly character, but by the end of the third page we made the "grisly discovery" promised in the blurb and I found myself happily corrected on pacing.

Then the next two pages happened.

So this story's start is something of a mixed bag. Feel free to connect with me on my site jeanleesworld.com to voice your agreement or disagreement on the matter. I love when we writers talk craft together!

The first pages of The Silent Sisters by Robert Dugoni transport us immediately into a dangerous, bloody territory. Who is really on the meathook--the enemy, or the ally? We do not know. While I do have a minor niggle about the pacing, this prologue definitely promises a taut thriller for all the espionage-lovers out there. What will you, fellow creatives, make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

The first pages of When I'm Gone, Look for Me in the East by Quan Barry contain beautiful prose with a mysterious narrator who has a journey he must complete. This journey's goal we do not know, but we do know this monk protagonist is driven to move forward despite the memories of his brother rooted in the past. What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

The first chapter of The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart starts with some beautifully dangerous prose, and when time-jumping is part of the protagonist's universe, we know we'll have to constantly question what's real and not, what's present and what's not. What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

The first chapter of Fatal Lies by Frank Tallis has some beautiful elements as well as some befuddling distractions I can't ignore. What will you make of these first five pages? Let's find out!

A new year means new reads! Let's spend the winter wrapped up in New Releases available through the local library. Will I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys warm up our imaginations? Let's take a sip and find out!

A new year means new reads! Let's spend the winter wrapped up in New Releases available through the local library. Will The Push by Ashley Audrain warm up our imaginations? Let's take a sip and find out!

A new year means new reads! Let's spend the winter wrapped up in New Releases available through the local library. Will Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim warm up our imaginations? Let's take a sip and find out!

A new year means new reads! Let's spend the winter wrapped up in New Releases available through the local library. Will As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall warm up our imaginations? Let's take a sip and find out!

A new year means new reads! Let's spend the winter wrapped up in New Releases available through the local library. Will Bough Cutter: A Northern Lakes Mystery by Jeff Nania warm up our imaginations? Let's take a sip and find out!

A new year means new reads! Let's spend the winter wrapped up in New Releases available through the local library. Will The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak warm up our imaginations? Let's take a sip and find out!

A new year means new reads! Let's spend the winter wrapped up in New Releases available through the local library. Will Nanny Dearest by Flora Collins warm up our imaginations? Let's take a sip and find out!

A new year means new reads! Let's spend the winter wrapped up in New Releases available through the local library. Will The Hidden by Melanie Golding warm up our imaginations? Let's take a sip and find out!

Blondie's twelfth choice is Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell. Blondie explains: It is about a young Wizard boy and a young Warrior girl, how they meet, and how they save their world from Witches. (Not the ones from the fairy tales, I can tell ya that)

Blondie's eleventh choice is Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter. Blondie explains: It is about a house cat finding out about a whole secret world of cat warriors (hence the title) and has the choice to be accepted or to return to his kittypet life.

Blondie's tenth choice is Unplugged by Gordon Korman. Blondie explains: It is about a spoiled brat who is sent to the Oasis of Mind and Body Wellness and he is forced to hand over his electronics. He hates it at first but he eventually grows used to it and makes friends after finding a baby alligator turned pet, called Needles. He finds out the adults at the resort are acting kind of weird... But can he convince his friends that he's no longer a spoiled brat?

Blondie's ninth choice is Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker. Blondie explains: It is about seven young foxes listening to a storyteller tell spooky stories that are horrifying to foxes if they focus on the dark parts, but there are bright sides to every scary story.

Blondie's eighth choice is Woof by Spencer Quinn. Blondie explains: It is about a dog and his trying to solve the theft of a stuffed fish that may potentially lead to a secret treasure.

Blondie's seventh choice is Foxcraft: The Taken by Inbali Iserles. Blondie explains: It is about a young fox that learns a magical secret about her kind and needs to use her gift to rescue her brother and perhaps the entire world.

Blondie's sixth choice is Catalyst by Sarah Beth Durst. Blondie explains: It is about a girl who loves animals and her smart friend that finds out about a magical secret about animals.

Blondie's fifth choice is Writing with Rosie by Patricia Reilley Giff. Blondie explains: It is about Patricia trying to teach young writers some tips but her big labrador retriever Rosie keeps interrupting with her antics.

Blondie's fourth choice is Endling: The Last by Katherine Applegate. Blondie explains: It is about a young dairne and her friends (I won't spoil any names) and their quest to find more endangered dairnes and to save their world from an oncoming war.

Blondie's third choice is Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Capture by Kathryn Lasky. Blondie explains: It's about four young owls who were kidnapped and they have to escape their prison and find a noble group of owls that vanquish the evil. 

Blondie's second choice is Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy, by Tui T. Sutherland. Blondie explains: It is about five dragonets that were destined to save their world from a huge war.

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! Let's take a magical turn with our indie brews today. I recently interviewed C.S. Boyack on my site jeanleesworld, so I'm really excited to try one of his stories today. Let's sip the first chapter of Voyage of the Lanternfish together, shall we? Cheers!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! Let's continue sipping warm brews of indie wartime fiction. Michael Steeden is a wonder who's written lots of poetry and flash fiction on his blog, and I even interviewed him for Poetry Month a while back on jeanleesworld.com. Today, let's enjoy the first chapter of his wartime story The Snow White Tigress. Cheers!

Happy November, my fellow creatives! I wanted to spend these final chilly weeks of fall showing gratitude to my fellow indie authors who have supported me through the years. Anne Clare is a beautiful soul who enjoys writing wartime fiction. You can see my interview with her at her first book's release at jeanleesworld.com. For now, let us take a sip from her second book, Where Shall I Flee?. Enjoy!

We find ourselves in the middle of October, my fellow creatives, and lost amongst a variety of freaky reads! Let's steal away the witch's brew that is Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan. I'm so thankful I had a chance to interview Celine a few years ago, so if you enjoy this tale, please stop by jeanleesworld.com to read our chat. Let's sip and savor this spooky brew!

October's chill is settling upon us all, my fellow creatives. Time for yet another spooky read! Let's take a sip from the witch's brew that is Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. This story was recommended by Connie over at Seasons of Words, and the premise of a witch's curse lasting through the decades into the modern era--who can pass that up? Will this potion bedazzle you? Let's find out!

October has come, my fellow creatives, and with it a month of freaky reads! Let's start with Grady Hendrix's The Final Girl Support Group. This story was recommended by Tammy over at Books, Bones, and Buffy, and the premise of what happens to survivors of the slasher style of tale was just too good to pass up. Will you enjoy the taste of this spooky brew? Let's find out!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! Let's take a sip from that very relatable experience of bratty children and cranky grandparent--only, this brew's got the surprising flavor of dragons in the mix. Enjoy Picky Readers by the amazing writer and book reviewer S.J. Higbee. Proceeds from this story support Mental Health Charities, so I do hope you check it out. Cheers!

Let's save the world and solve a mystery today! Take a sip with me from Oil and Water by P.J. Lazos to see how this first chapter's strategy can pay off for both readers and writers alike. If you'd like to learn more about Pam and ways to save the world where you are, do check out her beautiful blog Green Life Blue Water. Cheers!

Twenty episodes? Oh, my goodness! Thank you once again for stopping by, my fellow creatives. Today we continue sipping from beautiful indie fiction, this time a fantastical adventure for any age. Let's savor Following the Green Rabbit by Chris Hall. For more on this author and other amazing creative souls, please visit jeanleesworld.com. See you there!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I'm so excited to share a beloved indie author's first book with you: The Unraveling of Lady Fury by Shehanne Moore. Shey has gone on to write several more amazing historical romances, but I wanted to start at the very beginning here with the first chapter of her first book to show what makes Shey such a lovely read for writers and readers alike. For a delightful interview I had with Shey some time back, please click here. Cheers!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! Today we continue sipping fiction with fantasy undertones, but this time with the quirky flavors of gnomes--coffee-loving Penny Gnomes, that is. I hope you enjoy this sip of In the Land of the Penny Gnomes by Wesley T. Allen. Cheers! 

Let us dive into the world of indie authors with this week's selection, Beyond the Elven Gate. I do hope you enjoy taking this sip with me, and stay tuned for my interview with the author Jason Savin in September on jeanleesworld! 

Hello, one and all! Today we continue with reading recommendations from fellow creatives, this time being The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. The book was recommended to me by indie author S.J. Higbee, who recently reviewed The Witness for the Dead, the sequel to The Goblin Emperor. Please check out her amazing books when you have the chance. Cheers!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I continue perusing reading recommendations you amazing souls have sent me. Today's selection is A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. This story was recommended to me by fellow indie writer Paul Andruss--I do hope you'll check out his work here! What shall we taste in the prose of this story? Let's find out!

Welcome, my fellow creatives, to a month of recommended reads! I'm excited to try some unique flavors you have sent my way. We'll begin with The Glass Room by Simon Mawer. If you'd like to recommend a read to me--or perhaps recommend your own writing!--please reach out to me at jeanleesworld.com. See you there!

It can't be the end of Private Eye July already! As I taste stories to accompany me on the road next month, I finally take up my husband's challenge and sip the first chapter of The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie. Can this story, almost 100 years old, engage the picky readers and working writers of today? Let's find out!

If you're an Agatha Christie fan, I've got oodles of Christie posts on jeanleesworld.com. Stop by and check them out!

Greetings, my fellow creatives! Let's shift away from the fantastical this week and focus purely on a mystery, and a Wisconsin-based one, at that. Take a sip from Death Stalks Door County with me and see if this Midwestern cozy is the right flavor for you.

Interview with author Patricia Skalka coming soon on jeanleesworld.com!

Also, for another unique look at Wisconsin's setting, check out my post about Neil Gaiman and House on the Rock. See you there!

Let's continue Private Eye July with another mystery steeped in fantasy: The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold. My awesome friend and fellow indie author S.J. Higbee provided a complete review of the book, so please stop by her site for more if you'd like! If you'd like to explore some other ins and outs of writing, meet other brilliant authors, and listen to music to inspire your storytelling, stop by jeanleesworld.com any time. Cheers! -JL

Welcome to Private Eye July, my friends! I'm excited to share a mix of fantastical mystery and the recommendations you've started sending me for these first chapter reviews--many thanks! Let's start things off with a supernatural mystery that must be solved by none other than those Meddling Kids. For more meanderings through mystery and fantasy alike, be sure to visit jeanleesworld.com. Cheers! -JL

Let's wrap up Pride Month with an urban fantasy featuring twin boys. What flavors will we taste in Infinity Son by Adam Silvera? Take a sip with me and find out! For author interviews, novel analyses, music inspiration, and more, please visit jeanleesworld.com. See you there! 

We return to fantasy with a firey novel of war and wings: Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto. For more on lessons learned in storytelling, inspiring music, and more, please visit jeanleesworld.com. Cheers! -JL

It is an honor to take a sip from this powerful story with you! Juneteenth holds a special place in my heart not just for what the day stands for in this country, but for the care I saw my father put into helping others understand why Juneteenth matters. I hope you all find a way to spread hope and heart this day and every day.

Cheers

-JL

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! We continue exploring fantasy lit this Pride Month with the YA novel Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland. 

If you have any recommendations for first chapters to read and review, please let me know at jeanleesworld.com. Cheers! -JL

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! June is here, and with it comes Pride Month and a delightful assortment of summer reads. Let's start with an urban heist with a current of magic: Spellhacker by M.K. England. Will the story match its enticing tagline? We'll find out!

If you have any recommendations for first chapters to read and review, please let me know at jeanleesworld.com. Cheers! -JL

I hope you enjoyed this first month of fantasy fiction podcasts! If you have any recommendations for upcoming episodes, feel free to reach out at jeanleesworld.com. My site not only has information about my own books, but interviews with other authors, analyses of fiction, and music to inspire your own writing. See you there! Cheers -JL

If you'd like to read my blogpost about The Hobbit's worldbuilding, you can read click here to visit my site, jeanleesworld.com. Cheers! -JL

Click here to check out fellow indie author S.J. Higbee's review of The Midnight Bargain.

You're also welcome to visit my website for more analyses of fiction, music to inspire your writing, and lots of author interviews.

Are there any books you feel are worth sipping from on this podcast? Let me know at jeanleesworld@gmail.com.

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

-JL

Today on Story Cuppings, we take a sip from Jordan Ifueko's Raybearer. For more on the celebration of Fantasy fiction known as Wyrd and Wonder, please visit the blog There's Always Room for One More. For more lessons learned from fiction, author interviews, my own fiction, and other creative whatnots, please visit jeanleesworld.com. Read on, share on, and write on, my friends! -JL