Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. This week’s prompt is Opening Lines (Best, favorite, funny, unique, shocking, gripping, lines that grabbed you immediately, etc.)
Hello Readers! I don’t know about you, but May has flown by for me. I feel like spring just started here for us, but here we are on the precipice of summer. (Although, it won’t stop raining here, so it doesn’t feel much like summer yet.) I’ve decided to share opening lines from ten books on my TBR shelf. These are NOT books from my TBR cart, which are books I’m planning on reading for my challenge this year. (I might have a problem with TBR shelves.) These are books that are waiting on my shelf to be read—they may have even been waiting for years.
(In no particular order.)
(Link to Goodreads synopsis through book title.)
1
The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
“It was all because of the Berlin Wall.”
2
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
“The problem with good things that happen is that very often they disguise themselves as awful things.”
3
Golden by Jessi Kirby
“There’s no such thing as a secret in this town.”
4
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
“While Pearl Tull was dying, a funny thought occurred to her.”
5
Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“‘Have you decided if you’re going to change your name?’ Ben asks me.”
6
Bilgewater by Jane Gardam
“My mother died when I was born which makes me sound princess-like and rather quaint.”
7
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
“Of all my many murders, committed for love and for better reasons, the first was the most important.”
8
I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
“I’m thinking of ending things.”
9
The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
“On the day of the miracle, Isabel was kneeling at the cliff’s edge, tending the small, newly made driftwood cross.”
10
Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
“The day I decided to change my life, I was wearing sweatpants and an old oxford of Peter’s with a coffee stain down the front.”
Have you read any of these books? Are they sitting on your bookshelf, too? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
Haha, I haven’t posted my list yet, but #10 is going to be on it. I really enjoyed that book. I also heartily endorse Golden, whose opening I had entirely forgotten.
Forever, Interrupted is still on my TBR — I read the first chapter and decided it was too sad for me at the moment, but I actually remember that opening line. And #4, 6 and 7 actually DO make me want to investigate them further.
Oh yay, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed Everyone is Beautiful and Golden! Forever, Interrupted does sound sad. I’ll hold off on that one, too. 😉 Excited to check out your list!
I want to read that Anne Tyler book. I love the first line. My TTT Opening Lines
I’ve heard great things about that one! It sounds very fallish to me, so hopefully I can get to it later this year. 🙂
Oh… Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center sounds good!
Yes! I’m hoping I can read that one soon. 🙂
I haven’t read any of these. Although I do want to know what happened because of the Berlin Wall!
Right?? I’m so curious, too. 😉
Great quotes! Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid is going on my list 🙂
Anika | chaptersofmay.com
I’m afraid I’m going to need tissues for that one. Reid knows how to tug those heart strings. <3
I enjoyed Light Between Oceans! And all the Jenny Colgan books I have read.
That’s great to hear! The Light Between Oceans has been on my tbr for an embarrassingly long time. It’s one of the most recommended books I get. I REALLY need to check it off soon. 🙂
Hey Dedra, there are some good sounding opening lines there. The only one I have read is Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye, which I absolutely loved so I hope you will, too! Happy reading!
For this for my TTT post, I kept it classics and shared my favourite opening lines: https://thebookwormchronicles.wordpress.com/2020/05/26/top-ten-tuesday-26th-may-2020/
Oh yay, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed Jane Steele. It’s been on my tbr for too long. I need to get to it soon. 🙂
I love that your post has books I have never thought to read but would definitely check out because of their opening sentence!
Definitely much different to my list, if you’re interested in taking a peek : https://www.printedwordsand.com/2020/05/top-ten-tuesday-opening-lines.html
I’m always looking for ways to encourage myself to pull a book off my tbr shelf, and this has helped to move some of these books up higher on my list. 😉
So many great opening lines! That cover and title for I’m Thinking of Ending Things was already intriguing but I love that the opening lines are the same too. Definitely adding a few of these to my TBR 😀 Great post!
Yes! It kind of felt like cheating, but I couldn’t NOT include it. Ha! Happy you found some to add. <3
Jane Steele sounds like a lot of fun! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/26/top-ten-tuesday-265/
I’ve heard great things about it! Thanks!
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant sounds really good. I enjoy books written by narrators who are dying in general. Hope that doesn’t sound weird, but I find that narrators who know their time is limited tend to be beautifully honest.
My TTT .
Yes! Not weird at all. I love that the characters can lay it all on the line. All those secrets to reveal. 🙂
You have some great ones there. I think there’s a real art to crafting an opening line.
I agree! I think many newer books don’t try hard enough with their opening lines. 🙂
Great choices!
Thanks!
I haven’t read any of these, but I like the quotes. And I’m adding The Bookshop on the Corner to my own TBR list 😀
My TTT: https://www.traversingchapters.com/top-ten-tuesday-opening-lines/
Oh yay! I’m glad you found something to add. <3
Fun list! I especially like the opening line for The Bookshop on the Corner. (I also have ranked TBR lists, so you’re not the only one with that problem…)
Ha! I’m anxious to check out yours. 🙂
I love the way you did this with books on your TBR! All of these are great opening lines, but Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant and Jane Steele are particularly intriguing to me – I just want to know more!
My TTT
Right?? I need to pick those up soon. I’ve only heard great things about both of them. 🙂
Ohhh, Great list!! I forgot about The Husband’s Secret. Such a great line and such a great book!! 🙂
I’m happy to hear you liked it! I haven’t heard many bloggers mention it. 🙂
I love what you did with this post! I really liked book #1. Hopefully you get to read it soon.
Oh yay! Sounds like one I might need to read soon. 🙂
Nice picks! I’ve read the first two books. I enjoyed both. Colgan’s books are like comfort reads for me. I’ve also really liked most of Moriarty’s books. Her newer ones aren’t as good, but her older ones have all been wins for me. Good luck with your TBR pile(s)!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I have a couple of Colgan’s books but haven’t read them yet. They do sound like the perfect comfort reads. I’ve read Big Little Lies by Moriarty, and I have noticed her newer books have mixed reviews. Happy to hear you liked both of these! Happy reading to you, too. <3
Great list. I have not read any of these, but have a couple on my TBR.
I hope you enjoy them, too!
I haven’t read any of these, but great list! 🙂 The opening line of I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid is intriguing. It seems like it’s an intense thriller.
Here’s my TTT!
You know, I think it has somewhat mixed reviews, but I’ve seen it on so many recommended thriller lists. Hopefully I can pick it up sometimes soon and see if it’s worth the hype. 🙂
While you were preparing this post, did it make you want to start reading any of these book? Whenever I pull books from my TBR shelf I always then want to start reading them immediately, lol. 😀
Yes!! It’s very hard not to. I especially wanted to keep reading I’m Thinking of Ending Things, but I don’t know if I’m up for a thriller at the moment. 😉
I really like the third and fourth quotes. Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
I’ve only heard good things about both of those. 🙂
Ooh, I really like that Jane Steele opening! Are you really a bookworm if you don’t have multiple TBR stacks?
Very true! We should wear it like a badge of honor. 😉
Jane Steele’s first line is quite intriguing!
Yes! Definitely makes me want to read more. 🙂