Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence of the book you’re reading. The Friday 56 – As many of you know Freda over at Freda’s Voice hosted The Friday56 for many years. Since Freda is no longer blogging The Friday 56 is now hosted by, Anne over at My Head Is Full of Books. So grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader, and share a non-spoiler sentence or two. First Line Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Reading is My Superpower that asks you to share the first sentence of the book you’re reading. Book Blogger Hop asks a question of general interest or discussion hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer
My book for today is: Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller
Publication Date: June 18, 2024
Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s actually read. To replace the “pornographic” books she’s challenged at the local public library, Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home: a cute wooden hutch with glass doors and neat rows of the worthy literature that she’s sure the town’s readers need.
But Beverly’s daughter Lindsay sneaks in by night and secretly fills Lula Dean’s little free library with banned books wrapped in “wholesome” dust jackets. The Girl’s Guide to the Revolution is wrapped in the cover of The Southern Belle’s Guide to Etiquette. A jacket that belongs to Our Confederate Heroes ends up on Beloved. One by one, neighbors who borrow books from Lula Dean’s library find their lives changed in unexpected ways. Finally, one of Lula Dean’s enemies discovers the library and decides to turn the tables on her, just as Lula and Beverly are running against each other to replace the town’s disgraced mayor.
That’s when all the townspeople who’ve been borrowing from Lula’s library begin to reveal themselves. It’s a diverse and surprising bunch—including the local postman, the prom queen, housewives, a farmer, and the former DA—all of whom have been changed by what they’ve read. When Lindsay is forced to own up to what she’s done, the showdown that’s been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town…and change it forever.
First Sentence:
Ronnie Childers was tripping his balls off in Jackson Square when an angel of the Lord appeared before him. She was a glorious vision, dressed in black gym leggings and a Bikini Kill T-shirt, her golden hair twisted into a messy knot on the top of her head. She looked a lot like a girl he used to get stoned with back in high school.
Page 56
For over one hundred years, this was the way things were done. Exploiting the Black people in town— preventing them from ever getting ahead— well, that was as much a tradition as cornbread and greens. Samuel’s father had tried to change that. All he’d asked for was the same basic rights that workers in other places were given. For his impertinence, their house had been burned to the ground after the rally. A mob was searching for Samuel and his father the night he begged Bernice to leave. There was no point in calling the police for help. Some of the men hunting them worked for the local sheriff. The entire Yates family was forced to flee Troy, hidden in the back of a delivery truck.
Today’s Question Is: – What was your gateway book—the book that made you want to read more—into reading or into a specific genre? (submitted by Meezan @ Caboodle of Cozie)
A: Girl Watching You by J.A. Schneider, I have loved this genre ever since I read this book.
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Friday 56 is hosted by My Head Is Full of Books (for now)
Book Beginnings hosted by Rose City Reader
First Sentence Friday hosted by Reading Is My Superpower
Book Blogger Hop (BBH) is hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer
Please leave a comment so that I can visit your post, visit the hosts above, and see what other participants have to say, or better yet, join the fun!
