First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday: 28 August 2026

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First lines:

“I’ve arrived in London without incident.
There are few triumphs in my recent life, but I count this as one. My existence of the last three years, has been nothing but incident.”

Do you recognize the book these first lines come from?

*drumroll please!*

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 1 by Beth Brower

The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Have you read The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion or is it on your TBR too?

Blog signature that reads: Let's Chat! xoxo, Dini

9 thoughts on “First Lines Friday: 28 August 2026”

  1. These books are on my radar. They are getting a lot of buzz. My library only has the audio which I feel with be read by someone English. I am terrible with accents when I listen to audiobooks, but I hope to give it a try.

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    • Yes, they’ve been all over my timeline as well. I wasn’t expecting to see it in the bookstore here when I went the other day (cos like, we hardly ever get stuff quickly haha) but I scooped it up. Immediately regret not buying the second book at the same time now that I’ve read it, but I think I’ll go get it tomorrow 🤭 Is there a way to request the physical copy for your library? I hope if you try the audiobook that it’s not too bad for you!

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