Thursday, April 23, 2020

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: For Whom the Sun Sings by W.A. Fulkerson

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring For Whom the Sun Sings by W.A. Fulkerson. I can't say enough good things about it. It's a definite book of the year contender. 

About the Book
The world is blind...then one boy is born with sight.

Nestled in a mountain haven, the remaining people of the world live in a village that is ordinary but strict. A severe peace must be kept severely, as they say. It's all that keeps them from descending into the chaos that claimed the world a hundred years ago.

Led by the Prophet Valdas and his Regents, the villagers work, play, marry, and have families. They gather in ceremony once a year to celebrate their Day of Remembrance. Life is planned, precise, and predictable until the special abilities of eleven-year-old Andrius threaten to undermine it all.



Book Beginnings
Andrius started the day like he started every other day: he opened his eyes.

Friday 56
The late sun sang a dirge as it lowered behind the mountains. Walking through the heavy double doors and out into the breezy air, Andrius felt a memory of peace. He stopped suddenly, overcome by the feeling that everything was going to be alright.

Hosted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer

Do the star ratings a book receives on Goodreads or retail sites affect whether you buy the book or not? 

Sometimes. If a book has a lower rating, I'll go through the reviews and see what the reason for that is. If it's something I know will bug me, I'll skip it. But I'll ignore the low ratings sometimes and pick up a book anyway if it's by an author I've enjoyed before or if it sounds really interesting. 

What have you been reading lately?

26 comments:

  1. I like those excerpts, and how they bring out the character's feelings.

    I also like to check out the lower reviews for the reasons...and might choose the book anyway.

    Enjoy your weekend, and here's mine: ”THE NEW HUSBAND”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved that too. This is one of those books where I felt like I really got to know the main character. :)

      Delete
  2. That's how I start the day too... LOL. Beautiful 56 though. I love that sentiment. Happy weekend, stay safe!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the cover of this book! Also, the premise sounds intriguing.
    I agree with you about the ratings. When it's an author I like, I will pick up the book either way. However, if I don't know the author, or have never heard of the book, I'll read what other readers thought about it.

    Konna @ The Reading Armchair

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes bad ratings make me even more curious to pick the book up, lol. :)

      Delete
  4. Interesting premise and the 56 is nicely evocative.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought so too. It paints the scene pretty well. :)

      Delete
  5. Lovely thought, We are start each day by opening our eyes. Enjoy your books. Stay Safe and Stay Inside
    My Friday quotes are from LONESOME DOVE

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love those sentences you quoted. Such good writing. Makes me want to check this one out even more. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was blown away by the writing style. I loved it. :)

      Delete
  7. I'm adding this to my tbr. Thanks for sharing!

    Lauren @ Always Me

    ReplyDelete
  8. Replies
    1. It's one of the most unique books I've read recently. :)

      Delete
  9. oh wow, book of the year contender? Definitely worth cehcking out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's such a beautiful and thought-provoking read. :)

      Delete
  10. Hi,
    I haven't read this author, but the book sounds
    great. I'll be checking this one out.
    Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you have a great day, too! Stay safe! :)

      Delete
  11. A book of the year contender! That's high praise. I am definitely interested in reading it now.

    I'm similar to you in that I don't rely on ratings by themselves to rely on whether I want to read--or buy--a book. If I'm interested in a book, I will still want to read it for myself. Whether I buy it will depend on my money situation and whether it sounds like one I want to add to my keeper collection.

    I hope you have a good weekend. Stay safe and well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When I first heard about this book, I was a little unsure about it. But as soon as I read the first page, I was hooked and couldn't be pulled away from it. I love it when a book can surprise me like that. :)

      Delete
  12. It sounds like a very imaginative story! That blog hop question is an interesting one. I often buy books for a purpose, like book club or because it won a prize so I want to read it. In that case, the stars do not affect my decision. But if I'm just browsing, then I do pay attention to the stars.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's so imaginative! I've never read anything quite like it before. :)

      Delete
  13. Thanks for answering my BBH question, Ashley. ;-)
    Star ratings do play a part in my decision whether to buy a book or not if I'm on the fence about it or it's a gift for someone else but it's more about the reviews, thoughts and comments for me that carry more weight. 💜😊
    I hope you enjoy the rest of your week, stay safe and healthy.
    Here's my BBH Post
    Flora x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The star ratings are really helpful when I'm on the fence about a book. Thanks for stopping by, Flora! Stay safe and well! :)

      Delete