Hello! Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl), where we talk about books! Today we’re going to talk about book’s opening lines. The beginning of a book is so important. Most of us here are avid readers and talk about books all the time, but the average person browsing a bookstore might only give a book a few seconds of time before moving on. Today we’re going to talk about some great opening lines. I don’t have a ton memorized so it’s going to take some digging.
“My mother thinks I’m dead.”
The first line of Legend is actually the only opening line I have memorized, so we can just pack it up and go home here. Obviously he’s not dead, but why does his mother think he is? My boy pointed out to me the beginning of The Young Elites, which is also amazing: “I’m going to die tomorrow morning.” When we had the chance to meet Marie Lu in March, my boy asked her how she came up with such great first lines. She said she thinks about them a lot. Well, they capture my attention, at least.
“On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, a girl fell from the sky.”
Laini Taylor has such a beautiful way of writing, and the first line of Strange the Dreamer (from the prologue) sets the story up nicely. Who is this girl? Why did she fall from the sky? By the time you actually get to this scene in the book, you’ve forgotten about this first line. Until it happens.
“I wasn’t ready to turn to stone.”
This, the first line from Fawkes, is another opening line that certainly grabbed me. Why would he possibly turn to stone? This is a line that makes me want to read on.
“When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.”
The opening line to The Hunger Games is probably one of the more famous lines on my list tonight. Everybody knows that you’re not supposed to start a book with the character waking up. This one works though, because instead of starting with a yawn, it gets you to ask questions. Why is it cold? Who’s supposed to be there? I just finished reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes today (which I liked) but it didn’t have an opening line like this one.
“A lace-trimmed wedding invitation sits my nightstand and I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Mama is not coming back.”
This first line from A Treason of Thorns grabs me. Why isn’t Mama coming back? Who is she marrying? Why is she leaving her child behind? There’s all these questions and… what’s going to happen? I have to read on.
“Nina had broken the cardinal rule, and now she had to kill someone.”
I still haven’t read Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha, but this first line is amazing, IMO. What is the rule? Why does she have to kill someone? This first line is one of the reasons I wanted to get the ARC.
“Mom. We’ve been over this. Don’t read the comments.”
This is the first line for Don’t Read the Comments. Most of us have been on the internet for quite a while, and know how bad people’s comments can be sometimes. After this line, I want to know what they say.
“To be fair, when the alarm goes off, there’s barely even any smoke rising from the oven.”
Wow… this person is even a worse cook than I am! Well, that’s what I might think at the beginning of Tweet Cute, with the smoke coming out of the oven and all. Actually, the character is a much better cook than I am, but with the way this book starts, you might think she lacks baking skills. But I want to read more now.
“I’ve a thief to thank for finding the one person I need to see before I die.”
Oh my. Who’s this thief and why is the main character dying? The first line of The Last Year of the War makes me want to read more. If you read this one, make sure you bring the tissues!
“The stranger came out of the sea like a water ghost, barefoot and wearing the scars of his journey.”
The Priory of the Orange Tree is a very long book, but the first line is awesome. This book took quite a while to read, but I remember reading this line and being wowed. It’s so poetic. Who is this stranger? Where did he come from? It makes me want to read more.
So there are ten first lines that stood out to me. Did anybody else find this assignment to be a little difficult? So what opening lines stood out to you? Next week is the first week of June, and we’re going to talk about books that give off summer vibes. I love summer! See you then.
Ah the Hunger Games. Good one. I like all of these though. It’s funny I had to dig a little for this but it was fun looking up book beginnings. 🙂
It’s fun reading them this week too! They have the power to hook you in if they’re good.
I ended up pulling lots of books off the shelves to find my quotes this week.
This was a challenge. You did a great job though!
The first line of Fawkes is a great one! I’ll be honest, I couldn’t remember what the first line of The Hunger Games was, it’s been a while since I read the book. The opening to Priory is definitely very poetic and intriguing.
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It’s been a while for me too. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, but writing books and classes often pull out The Hunger Games as a great way to start a book (while also saying that you generally don’t want to start with the character waking up, LOL).
Great list! I love the first line of The Hunger Games – when we consider what happens in the final book, it’s such good foreshadowing.
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…#WyrdAndWonder Top Ten Tuesday | First lines from my favourite fantasy novels (and one novelette)
You’re right! Wow, I didn’t even think of that. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has some great foreshadowing to The Hunger Games too.
Wow, the first line of Legend is an attention-grabber!
My TTT .
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It definitely had me hooked!
Marie Lu’s first lines are great! I haven’t read any of her books yet, but I have some on my shelf. I’ve heard such great things about them. I need to make Legend a priority. 🙂
Dedra @ A Book Wanderer recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Opening Lines From Books on my TBR Shelf (that make me want to read them even more)
I hope you like them if you do!
Strange the Dreamer has such a beautiful and sad opening.
It definitely drags you in!
The Strange the Dreamer one is so so good!!
It’s such a clever beginning, it sets you up for the end of the book so well.
I’ve always loved that line from The Hunger Games. It really sets the stage.
Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Great Opening Lines
I never realized until Jess pointed it out that it foreshadows the end. Such a clever start!
These are great! I LOVE when a first line of a book draws you in and you just know it;s gonna be a great one. And I agree with you, Deal With the Devil’s makes me want to read it no question! I have always been a fan of THG, and I think that Strange the Dreamer’s is pretty perfect too!
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight recently posted…The 100 Episode 7×01: From the Ashes
Sometimes a book has you with its first line.
I can’t wait to read Deal with the Devil. 🙂
I hope you like it! I hope to get to it soon myself.
These are all kind of fabulous, but the lines for Fawkes and Don’t Read The Comments definitely stick out for me. Especially the latter, it goes right to the core of the book!
It’s right there in the title, right?
That Fawkes quote is delightful. Is anyone really ready to turn to stone?!
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I certainly am not!
I have read Legend but this was a good reminder for how good of an opening line that is! I think my other favourite from this post is Fawkes which is a book I never thought I’d read but that first line… Strange the Dreamer is one high on my tbr and I want to start Priory of the Orange Tree next month.
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