Teaser Tuesdays: The Greek Coffin Mystery

This week my teaser lines come from The Greek Coffin Mystery, an Ellery Queen novel.  I haven't actually started reading this yet — just picked it up today. And I haven't read any Ellery Queen since I was a teenager; I'm hoping I'll enjoy them now as much as I did then, but you never know. Don't remember this one, so I'm thinking it's one I missed, even though it's fairly early in the series (number 4, I believe).  I'm reading it on the Kindle, so I'm not sure about page numbers, but this bit is from Loc. 694:

The men lowered themselves cautiously into the black pit, and for a few moments the confused sounds of their hoarse voices and scraping feet could be heard. Then something large and shiny and black crawled into view....

Well, that sounds a little more like H.P. Lovecraft than Ellery Queen, doesn't it? Can't wait to find out what's going on.

Cover of the 1960 Pocket Cardinal edition

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by mizB at Should Be Reading. If you'd like to read more teasers, or take part yourself, just head on over to her blog.

And please feel free to leave me a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in your comment here.

Book Beginnings: The Wind in the Willows

One of the books I'm thinking of reading for this year's Once Upon a Time reading challenge/event is The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Can't believe I've never read this one. These are the first lines of the book:

The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black fur, and an aching back and weary arms. Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing. It was small wonder, then, that he suddenly flung down his brush on the floor, said 'Bother!' and 'O blow!' and also "Hang spring-cleaning!' and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat.

Initial Thoughts: Well, in addition to wondering how I let this one get by me, my first thought was "Please don't mention spring cleaning!" Looking forward to starting this one - I'm pretty sure I'm gonna love it.

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

Book Beginnings: Andrew's Brain by E.L. Doctorow

One of the books I read earlier this year was E.L. Doctorow's latest novel, Andrew's Brain.  Haven't posted my review yet, but I'm working on it. Here's the opening paragraph:

I can tell you about my friend Andrew, the cognitive scientist. But it's not pretty. One evening he appeared with an infant in his arms at the door of his ex-wife, Martha.  Because Briony, his lovely young wife after Martha, had died.
Of what?
We'll get to that.  I can't do this alone, Andrew said, as Martha stared at him from the open doorway.

Initial Thoughts:  Well, right from the beginning I was drawn in.  The idea of anyone taking his child to his ex-wife for help was a little weird, but definitely intriguing. I was hoping the rest of the book would live up to that tantalizing opening － and I was not disappointed.

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

Book Beginnings: While Beauty Slept

I've already posted a quote from Elizabeth Blackwell's While Beauty Slept in a Teaser Tuesday entry.  But I enjoyed it so much, I thought I'd use it for Book Beginnings, too.  This is the first paragraph of the book's opening Prologue:

She has already become a legend. The beautiful, headstrong girl I knew is gone forever, her life transformed into myth. The princess who pricked her finger on a spinning wheel and fell asleep for a hundred years, only to be awakened by true love's kiss.

Initial Thoughts:  Well, when I decided to give the book a try, my first thought was that I don't generally like realistic re-fashionings of fairy tales - so truthfully, I was expecting to be bored and disappointed. Wow, how wrong I was! I'll try to get a review up soon, but for now I'll just say this is a lovely read!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.