Hit Me With Your Best One-Liner

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has a mental checklist of qualifiers that books have to meet for me to buy them in a store. Usually, the cover draws me to pick up the book, and the synopsis on the back will often do the job and find me holding on to the copy. Most often, however, I find myself turning those first few pages to find if I like the writer's style enough to buy the novel. That's right, you guessed it: I read the first sentence of the book and make my decision from there.

In my opinion, a good opening line to a book should be a "hook, line, and sinker" kind of deal. First, grab the reader's attention. Then let them follow that interest along with the sentence until you hit them with what will keep their grip on that book all the way through the checkout line. For me, the first sentence of a book can make or break my decision to buy the novel. Below, you'll find my Top 10 Opening Lines to books that I have read.

10. "Lost in a Book" by Jennifer Donnelly

"Once upon forever, in an ancient, crumbling palace, two sisters, Love and Death, played their eternal game."

This quote is from the prologue of Donnelly's "Lost in a Book". Some of you may remember that I have posted about this novel in a review titled "Nevermore". This is a book that I consider part of the "reimagined" genre, as it is a retelling of the classic "Beauty and the Beast" story. This quote makes the list because I think that the contrast between Love and Death is a prominent theme in other works of literature, and this quote does a great job of describing that conflict.

9. "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

"There was no possibility of taking a walk that day."

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë is, as I have mentioned before, my Favorite Classic novel. So, of course, the first sentence in Brontë's work had to make the cut. This line sets the scene for the life that Jane lives in her early years. Jane is desperate to get out of the dreary house she calls "home", and Brontë pours that forlornness into the first line of "Jane Eyre".

8. "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini

"Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world."

This is another line from a prologue. Paolini's "Eragon" was the first series that made me appreciate how dragons could be something more than just an evil enemy to be fought. Paolini's dragons are given emotions and voices. This was my first experience with creatures with human characteristics, so, needless to say, I found myself researching more books about dragons and talking animals after I finished the series.

7. "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" is another on my Favorite Classics list. I actually quoted part of this first line in that post, because it is such a memorable, albeit lengthy, sentence. This quote has been cited by thousands of people and has even been used in academic papers. To put it simply: the first line from Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" is one of the most famous book quotes. I like this line because of its use of binary opposites. From "wisdom" to "foolishness", Dickens' use of opposites in this quote are prevalent in today's society.

6. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

Of course, who could forget Austen? It seems that my Favorite Classics list strikes for its third and final time in this post. Jane Austen, who is sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Chick Lit", is one of the most popular female authors of her time. This quote from what is perhaps her most well-known work: "Pride and Prejudice". This line immediately draws the reader in, causing them to wonder what man in the story is in want of a wife–and whom he might pick to fill that role.

5. "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

"This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it."

Another line from a prologue! This sentence uses rhetoric, which is essentially language which is meant to persuade a reader of something without sincerity. In this sentence, the narrator is trying to convince us that this is their favorite book, but then they go on to say they have never read it. This seemingly contradictory statement draws the reader in through a confused amusement: how could they like a book they've never read? Goldman uses this initial puzzlement to lead the reader into his satiricalesque novel.

4. "Chosen" by Ted Dekker

"Our story begins in a world totally like our own, yet completely different."

This line is the first in all six of Dekker's "The Lost Books" series. The mini chapter titled "beginnings" precedes the first chapters of every novel, and this is the sentence that opens every one of those introductions. What's interesting about the universe that Dekker created in "Chosen" is that it spans multiple series, but those books can be read in any order. This non-liner approach to writing was unique to me when I first read "Chosen" and I still haven't found anything else quite like Dekker's perspective.

3. "Stalking Jack the Ripper" by Kerri Maniscalco

"I placed my thumb and forefinger on the icy flesh, spreading it taut above the breastbone as Uncle had showed me."

So, this beginning sentence obviously paints quite the mental picture. This is what instantly drew me in to Maniscalco's writing. She is my favorite author, the her "Stalking Jack the Ripper" series is my favorite series. I think that her ability to make the reader feel enveloped in her fantasy worlds is what this first sentence represents. I feel like I can turn around and see Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her Uncle and they dissect their newest subject...as creepy as it may be. Maniscalco's first line in "Stalking Jack the Ripper" sets the tone for the rest of the novel by leading the reader into the scene she has created.

2. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."

Of course, I had to include what I think is one of the most well-known first lines from a fantasy novel. "Harry Potter" is a best-selling children's series by British author J.K. Rowling. This sentence is ironicly sarcastic, because we later learn that Mr. and Mrs. Dursley are not quite normal, just that they want their neighbors to think that they are perfectly normal. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley are worried about what would happen if anyone found out that their nephew, Harry, is not quite what he appears to be. This sentence is a basis for the rest our encounters with the Dursleys and it also hints at how their version of "normal" is quite different from ours.

1. "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

"Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood."

And coming in first is what has to be my favorite series from my childhood (and yes, I still read Rick Riordan as an almost twenty-year-old and no, I don't need you to judge me). Riordan is truly a master storyteller in the mythology field, and this first sentence brings back so many memories for me. Riordan's "Percy Jackson" inspired my love of Greek mythology, which I still carry with me to this day. His series was also a major factor in my decision to be a writer, so I don't know where I'd be without Riordan's books. Maybe Percy didn't want to be a half-blood, but I know that I definitely wanted to be part of Riordan's world of Greek gods, demigods, and monsters.

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So there you have it! My Top 10 List of Opening Lines to books. This post was inspired by Amazon's "You Just Started A Book" idea which I stumbled across earlier this month. In "You Just Started A Book", Amazon shows you just the first line to a novel and asks you whether or not you'd pick it up and keep reading. I hope that this post made you want to read some of my favorite books based on their first sentences! Let me know what your favorite first sentence to a novel is in the comments below!