Book Beginnings and Friday 56 for May 17th

It's Friday!  And that also means it is time for Book Beginnings and Friday 56.

This week, I finished one book and I've started another, so I'm going to feature them both.

Up first is Spy Camp, a middle grade book by Stuart Gibbs.  I'll post my full review Sunday night for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, but for now let's just say I loved it.  And here's why.  The first sentence reads:

On the very last day of spy school, my plans for a normal, uneventful summer were completely derailed by the delivery of two letters.

Moving ahead of page 56, we find:

But at the academy, where a pop quiz in self-preservation meant a surprise ninja attack, there was an unusually high amount of stress.

Now really, how can you not love that book?

Now I'm working on The Homicide Hustle, the third in a cozy mystery series centered around ballroom dance studio.  Here's how it starts:

If Nigel told me one more time to manufacture a wardrobe malfunction for the show's first night of live competition, I was going to slap him.

And on page 56, we get:

She was about my height - five foot six - and her sleeveless sheath revealed toned arms, but I figured I could take her.

So far I'm enjoying this book as well, but I'm not too far beyond this point in the story.