Teaser Tuesdays: The Bookman's Tale

This week my teaser lines come from The Bookman's Tale, by Charlie Lovett. I started this one back around the beginning of the year, and then put it aside to finish up a few other books. I really intended to get back to it much sooner, but somehow it just kept getting pushed further and further back in the lineup. You know how that works, right? I'm really enjoying it, though, and hope to finish it up this week.

I'm reading this on the Kindle, so I'm not sure about page numbers, but this snippet is at Location 622, early in the book. Here we have the main character, future book dealer Peter Byerly on a first date with the young woman who will eventually become his wife:

"You know," said Peter, "I've discovered two things in the Ridgefield Library that fascinate me -- rare books and you."

"I'm glad I fascinate you, Peter Byerly," she said. "I don't even mind being second on your list."

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: Love Story, with Murders

Just started this one -- Love Story, with Murders, by Harry Bingham. It's a Library Thing Early Reviewer book from a few months back, so I need to read it quickly and get a review posted. These are the opening lines:

Cardiff Prison. September 2010.
"Welcome."
Penry opens his hands in what's meant to be a spreading gesture, only they never get more than about eight inches apart. It's as though the ghosts of his handcuffs are still there.

Initial Thoughts:  Well, it's not exactly a riveting start. But I've been looking for books with a Welsh connection, and this one is set in Cardiff. It's a little grittier than the whodunnits I generally read -- begins with a severed leg found in someone's freezer. One of those books you don't want to be reading near mealtimes. But so far, I'm enjoying 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.

Booking Through Thursday: Plot or Characters?

This week BTT asks:

Which is more important when you read — the actual story or the characters? I’ve read books with great plots, but two-dimensional characters, and I’ve read multi-layered characters stuck in clunky stories, and I’m sure you have, too. So which would you rather focus on, if you couldn’t have both? 

To be honest, if a book doesn't have BOTH interesting characters and a good, solid plot, I'm not likely to stick with it for long. I want the whole package.

BUT, just to play along (and I'm sure I'm probably in the minority here), if a book lacks a good plot, I'll lose interest in it pretty quickly -- no matter how fascinating the characters might be. So I guess I'm a story person.