Friday, July 31, 2026

Book Beginnings, First Line Friday, & Friday 56: Splintered Life (Shattered World Book 2) by W.R. Gingell

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. I'm also linking up with Carrie at Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday. Friday 56 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. It was started by Freda at Freda's Voice, but Anne over at My Head is Full of Books has taken over for the time being.

This week I'm featuring Splintered Life (Shattered World Book 2) by W.R. Gingell. I'm enjoying this series so much! This second installment is just as good as the first! 

SYNOPSIS
The world isn’t the same as it was yesterday. In fact, Viv is no longer sure that she is the same as she was yesterday. She can do something she never knew was possible—and Luca tried to kill her, just like Jasper said he would if she let him get too close.

At the teahouse, it’s business as usual, however: tentacles in the top floor, an invasion of not-quite-real-but-nevertheless-terrifying spiders...and a new murderer to catch, of course. Someone is trying to make sure a Greek-Australian couple never makes it to the altar, and it's not just perfume they're sneaking into the bride's room.

But Luca isn’t talking to Viv; not since she stopped him from escaping. That shouldn’t be surprising—and the last thing Viv should be doing is trying to talk to him more than she has to—but there’s another murderer on the loose, and they’re going to need Luca’s help to catch him.

Life was already hard, but now Viv has to somehow stop the wilder side of that life from spilling over into her normal life. Her human life. But if the two halves begin to split apart, which should she try to hold onto?

Book Beginnings / First Line Friday
There was a tideline in the lunch room. Viv saw it, hazily. She might, she thought, have been able to see it better if the room wasn't sideways. She followed the tideline with her eyes, aware of the scent of salt and seaweed, and was mildly curious that she didn't seem to find either the scent or the tideline odd.

Friday 56
Maybe she should have expected to see that the bins had already been put away when she arrived home, but somehow, Viv hadn't. A searing moment of utter exasperation burnt through her chest, leaving her cold and dizzy and angry in its wake.

What have you been reading lately?

12 comments:

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    1. It might be a spoiler if I mention it. He's a bit unhinged, to say the least. Hope you have a great week, Anne! :D

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  2. There's no more glowing a recommendation for a series than saying the second one lives up to the first! (Especially because it's not always the case.) I'm still working my way through Dungeon Crawler Carl over here.

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    1. I hope you're enjoying it! I'm excited to read the Dungeon Crawler Carl books sometime. Have a great week! :D

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  3. An invasion of terrifying spiders? Nope. 🤣🤣🤣
    I love all kinds of books but I don't want weird spiders or bugs.

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    1. It was scary when they showed up. There were a ton of them. Yikes! Hope you have a wonderful week, Mary! :D

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  4. If that doesn't set the scene right at the start I don't know what does! What an opening!

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    1. Right? I was completely pulled in! Hope you have a great week, Ethan! :D

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  5. I liked the opening. I'm reading a thriller as well as a cozy mystery here(Murder in the Vineyard by Liz Fielding).

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    1. That sounds good! I hope you're enjoying it! Have a great week! :D

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  6. Replies
    1. Isn't it? I was instantly intrigued by what was going on. Hope you have a wonderful week, Lark! :D

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