First Lines Friday (and a Grab Bag-o-Books Giveaway)

Let’s try something new today! I love to go into bookstores (there are still some bookstores open, right?), open a book, and read the first few lines. I think you can tell a lot about a book from those opening lines—the author really tries to get a hook for the story and a voice for the prose in them.

So here are some opening lines—sometimes a sentence, sometimes three—from books being released this month. At the end, share the first few lines from what you’re reading! I’ll pick one commenter to win a grab-bag o' books from my stash—you can choose whether you prefer YA or adult or a mix. All will be urban fantasy, scifi, fantasy or paranormal romance. Let’s play!

The Vampire Diaries—The Return: Vol. 3, Midnight, by L.J. Smith

Dear Diary, I’m so frightened I can hardly hold this pen. I’m printing rather than writing in cursive, because that way I have more control. What am I terrified of, you ask? And when I say ‘of Damon’ you don’t believe the answer, not if you’d seen the few of us a few days ago.

Steel, by Carrie Vaughn

Jill shook her legs out one at a time. Rolled her shoulders. Loosened up. Rearranged her hold on her weapon once again, curling gloved fingers around the grip. It nestled into her hand like it had been molded there, the epee blade becoming an extension of her arm.

Demonglass, by Rachel Hawkins

At a normal high school, having class outside on a gorgeous May day is usually pretty awesome. It means sitting in the sunshine, maybe reading some poetry, letting the breeze blow through your hair…At Hecate Hall, aka Juvie for Monsters, it meant I was getting thrown in the pond.

Darkest Mercy, by Melissa Marr

Niall walked through the ruins of the tattoo shop. Shards of painted glass crunched under his boots. The floor was strewn with vials of ink, unopened needles, electric apparatus he couldn’t identify, and other things he’d rather not identify. The Dark King had known rage before, known grief; he’d felt helpless, felt unprepared; but he’d never before had all of those emotions converge on him at once.

Chime, by Franny Billingsley

I’ve confessed to everything and I’d like to be hanged. Now, if you please. I don’t mean to be difficult, but I can’t bear to tell my story. I can’t relive those memories—the touch of the Dead Hand, the smell of eel, the gulp and swallow of the swamp.

This Side of the Grave, by Jeaniene  Frost

The vampire pulled on the chains restraining him to the cave wall. His eyes were bright green, their glow illuminating the darkness surrounding us. “Do you really think these will hold me?” he asked, an English accent caressing the challenge.

Moon Over Soho, by Ben Aaronovitch

It’s a sad fact of modern life that if you drive long enough, soon or later you must leave London behind. If you drive northeast up the A12 you eventually come to Colchester, Britain’s first Roman capital and the first city to be burned down by that redheaded chavette from Norfolk known as Boudicca.

Demon Song, by Cat Adams

You can’t turn off intuition after you’ve spent years developing the sense, honing it to a razor’s edge. I could feel something gathering among the seemingly innocent racks of clothing. The voices of my two best friends in the world faded into a background buzz, and I found myself shifting the way I was holding the shirts I’d planned to take to the dressing room so that I could use my hands if needed.

Dead Streets, by Tim Waggoner

That night, working security at Sinsation, I learned something new. Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you can’t hurt.

What’s your current read’s first line? Leave a comment to enter for the book grab-bag: +1 for comment, +1 for blog follow, +1 for Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and +1 for Tweet or RT. Go!