New Adult Book Club discussion

Hi, I'm not sure where to ask this question but I am hoping this is the right spot. I have been wondering a lot about what makes or breaks a book. Besides how the cover looks, a lot of people credit the opening line to encouraging or discouraging them to continue to read.

I am taking a poll to see what authors and reviewers consider their favorite first lines. I am curious to find out if there is a similarity between them.

If you could please- write your favorite first line of a book down, along with the title of the book. But most importantly, WHY. Why did this line catch your attention, why do you love it.

If you have time, maybe there is an opening line you have read that was just horrible and you want to comment on that. Feel free to add both. But please add why you loved/hated this specific first line.

I really appreciate this, Thanks!!
Jessie

i wrote a novel.
-Mud vein by Tarry Fisher
that line caught my attention because a detail about the occupation or hobby of a protagonist is usually discussed in the introductory part or casually mentioned somewhere. Being an aspiring writer, the fact that they started with this line and that somehow the fact that her book was a very big part of her life, of the story- really riveted me. i highly recommend this book.

"Marley was dead, to begin with." - Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.

I know it sounds morbid, but it's fun to quote as a silence breaker - like when your standing around the kitchen with your family and no one is talking and you want to drop something dramatic to get their attention. It works best at Christmas time. Say it with an English accent. But other than that, love how it gets to the point. I don't have a lot of patience for a book that meanders too much in areas that don't matter to the plot and/or aren't fun to meander in.

As for lines I've hated: I hate anything that starts off with a cliché in the first paragraph/line, even if it's being used sarcastically. I can't think of one off the top of my head, though, probably because I didn't end up reading the book. ;/

Good luck with your poll! :D

“What’s the difference between Sarajevo and Auschwitz?
At least the gas wasn’t cut off in Auschwitz”.

From The Damned Balkans - a refugee road trip:

"Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habitat, a nostalgia, a dream." The first section goes on with this kind of stream of consciousness snapshot of what makes Cannery Row—Cannery Row.

And it's a very effective way to capture the spirit of the place without necessarily doing a simple physical description. Steinbeck was good at this, among other things.

By the way, I think it's important to have a bit more patience with a book, and to welcome various types of opening, because otherwise every book will be like every other book——a formula.

"I discovered boys in kindergarten. They still hadn't discovered me in high school."

Does this opening encourage you to read more about the Asperger's protagonist in "Only Tim Sent Flowers?"

"The scrolls of Titus Flavius Josephus (General, Historian, Priest, Traitor, Assassin, Conjurer, Jew — and Messiah) were unearthed on June 23, 1865. I wasn’t there, and neither were you."

From: #TrueMessiahs: A Historical Thriller

#TrueMessiahs

That’s a really interesting question! A strong opening line can instantly set the tone and pull the reader into the story. One of my favorites is from “1984” by George Orwell: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” I love it because it feels familiar at first, but that small twist immediately creates unease and curiosity, making you want to understand more about the world. Also, if you’re looking for a fun way to take a break after all this book talk, you can check out https://vortexgame-argentina.com/ where you’ll find plenty of engaging entertainment. As for weaker openings, lines like “It was a normal day” often don’t stand out because they lack intrigue or originality, and a great first line should always spark some kind of emotion or question in the reader’s mind.