The Next Best Book Club discussion

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

"Once when I was six I saw a magnificent picture in a book about the jungle, called True Stories."

The Little Prince

"Christianna stood at her bedroom window, looking down at the hillside in the pouring rain."

H.R.H. by Danielle Steele

"Ba-room, ba-room, ba-room, baripity, baripity, baripity, baripity -- Good."

Bridge to Terabithia- Katherine Paterson

"This is how it feels when you realize your child is missing: The pit of your stomach freezes fast, while your legs go to jelly."

The Tenth Circle -Jodi Picoult

"I object this marriage-the woman is not free to wed!"

"'What's it going to be then, eh?'"

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

On the morning we dragged the pond for Patience White, I bent so far down trying to see beneath the surface that my own face peered up at me, twisting and frowning.

As Meat Loves Salt by Maria Mccann

"The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit."

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld!

"I was never particularly keen on my job before the day I got shot and nearly lost it, along with my life."

Odds Against by Dick Francis



"In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr. Justice Wargrave, lately retired from the bench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in the Times."

Spiders Web!

"They called him Moishe the Beadle, as if his entire life he had never had a surname."

Night by Elie Wiesel.

"The fourteenth of August was the day fixed upon for the sailing of the brig Pilgrim , on her voyage from Boston, round Cape Horn, to the western coast of North America."

The Curious Incident is not the answer to mine. But no worries.

I can't remember who wrote the Two Years book, nor even if it is called that for certain but now I can't think of any first lines either (embarrasment will do that for you) so I'm passing the baton back to you.

Oooh, nicely done. Richard Henry Dana. Two Years Before the Mast . Back to . . . someone!!

Hmm... Discussion seems to have stalled. I can't tell whose turn it is, so I'm going to throw this one out there:

"Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes."

Animal Farm - George Orwell

When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

I think this looks like a fun thread - don't know why it's not getting more action.

"My father and mother should have stayed in New York where they met and married and where I was born."

Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt

I agree, Kim - when I came across this group yesterday I had a great time reading all the posts. Try this one:

"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel."

Neuromancer

Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York."

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Mr J. L. B, Proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, found it difficult to believe that Mma Ranotswe, the accomplished founder of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, had agreed to marry him.

I think we need a clue for this one

A clue....the series that the book is in is in the opening line....and it is the second book of the series I believe.

Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith? (I had to look it up when you said it was book 2 in the series)

"Sybil Davison has a genius I.Q. and has been laid by at least six different guys."

Forever - Judy Blume

"I wish Giovanni would kiss me."

Eat, Pray, Love.

"Mathias cut a comical figure as he hobbled his way along the cloisters, with his large sandals flip-flopping and his tail peeping from beneath the baggy folds of an oversized novice's habit."

Is that Redwall???? There are so many of them, but I am going to guess its the first of the series?

Lori, I think you're up. (I admit that I Googled that one, but thought it would be cheating to post it that way...) Give us a line!

Sorry.... Its taken me forever to catch up with all the threads since the weekend!

"You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of and enterprise which you have regarded with such evil foreboding."

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley.

I knew I recognized that one, but had to sleep on it before I could figure it out. Actually I just bought that book a few days ago (for $2.23, I am happy to add).

This next opener has a name deleted, as that name appears in the title. Also note that it is a translation into English, but I think this version is fairly canonical.

"'And so they've killed out Ferdinand,' said the charwoman to Mr. [deleted:], who had left military service years before, after having been finally certified by an army medical board as an imbecile, and now lived by selling dogs - ugly, mongrel monstrosities whose pedigrees he forged."

Okay-I googled this one so I won't post it yet. It sounded familiar but I've never read it. When I was searching for the book I found that line referenced in several other books so maybe that's why it seemed familiar.

It might be a bit obscure.... Hopefully it will get some bites!

I have been reading all the posts and got so many times the feeling to add books to my TBR list just because of the opening line!

Okay, it seems like this has stalled. Even though I cheated I'm going to answer this one and post a new one.

The Good Soldier Svjek:and his Fortunes in the World War by Jaroslav Hasek.

"Two days before my sixteenth birthday, I woke up so early that my maid was still asleep on the floor at the foot of my bed."

I just read this one, it's from Peony in Love by Lisa See!

Here's my favorite first line ever:

"I have been afraid of putting air in a tire ever since I saw a tractor tire blow up and throw Newt Hardbine's father over the top of the Standard Oil sign."

Hahaha, that is so funny Michelle.

Love that one-The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

"We slept in what had once been the gymnasium."

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

"Amerigo Bonasera sat in New York Criminal Court Number 3 and waited for justice; vengeance on the men who had so cruelly hurt his daughter, who had tried to dishonor her."

Finally I know one!!!
The godfather by Mario Puzo

"There was a time back in 1970 when they would love filling in a questionaire."

oh, I didn't come back to this one but ...okay, a clue maybe: the story is situated in Italy and Ireland.

I don't know this one Jeane, and now that you're giving clues, I really want to find out! Another clue???

-:) It has also an Irish writer....and the chapters are seperated by characters....
Did really make it this difficult?????

Shall I jsut tell what book it is?

Nope, I would not have gotten that one. Here's an easy one:

"There is no lake at Camp Green Lake."

No Fiona, you get a woef woef:-)

Holes by Louis Sacher

"A surging, seething, murmuring crowd of beings that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate."

The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Orczy

From the dawn of my history I was so disfigured by the charcteristics of a certain kind of homosexual person that, when I grew up, I ralized that I could not ignore my predicament.

The Naked Civil Servant by Quintin Crisp

"Things started to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion and Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines on the etagere."

The Girls by Lori Lansens

"I have never looked into my sister's eyes."

Kathy, you are suppose to guess the Kathryn's line and then add your own line.