Randomness
Because of this list about first lines and the emphasis put in class about opening lines making or breaking a book, I got curious (again), but thought to make a game out of it. So, I'm just going to list a bunch of first lines from books (for everyone's sake, I'm limiting myself to children's aka middlegrade/YA books) and everyone can make a guess of what's what. Granted, some of these are 'classic children's books', so bear with me with the 'but that's not a kid's book!' thing. Also, I seem to be at a loss of a bunch of first books in series (this is what happens when you lend books to your mom).
1. When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never good news.
2. Night hung black and heavy about the old barn.
3. The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another school.
4. It was a dark and stormy night.
5. Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world.
6. Unearthly humps of land curved into the darkening sky like the backs of browsing pigs, like the rumps of elephants.
7. George never spent any time wondering why he wanted to belong.
8. High up on the long hill they called the Saddle Back, behind the ranch and the country road, the boy sat his horse, facing east, his eyes dazzled by the rising sun.
9. The stretch of road that leads out of the city, past Hazy Harbor and into the town of Tedia, is perhaps the most unpleasant in the world.
10. The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone.
11. Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.
12. Once there was a dark, stormy night in spring, when, deep down in their holes, the wombats knew not to come out, when the possums stayed quiet in their hollow limbs, when the great black flying phallangers that live in the mountain forests never stirred.
13. It was little more than three miles from the Wall into the Old Kingdom, but that was enough.
14. A wild, ringing neigh shrilled up from the hold of the Spanish galleon.
15. Twilight was gathering, and Orpheus still wasn't here.
16. Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive.
17. "Too many!" James shouted, and slammed the door behind him.
18. If someone had asked Jared Grace what jobs his brother and sister would have when they grew up, he would have had no trouble replying.
19. From his perch behind the clock, Hugo could see everything.
20. It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.
Good luck!
1. When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never good news.
2. Night hung black and heavy about the old barn.
3. The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another school.
4. It was a dark and stormy night.
5. Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world.
6. Unearthly humps of land curved into the darkening sky like the backs of browsing pigs, like the rumps of elephants.
7. George never spent any time wondering why he wanted to belong.
8. High up on the long hill they called the Saddle Back, behind the ranch and the country road, the boy sat his horse, facing east, his eyes dazzled by the rising sun.
9. The stretch of road that leads out of the city, past Hazy Harbor and into the town of Tedia, is perhaps the most unpleasant in the world.
10. The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone.
11. Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.
12. Once there was a dark, stormy night in spring, when, deep down in their holes, the wombats knew not to come out, when the possums stayed quiet in their hollow limbs, when the great black flying phallangers that live in the mountain forests never stirred.
13. It was little more than three miles from the Wall into the Old Kingdom, but that was enough.
14. A wild, ringing neigh shrilled up from the hold of the Spanish galleon.
15. Twilight was gathering, and Orpheus still wasn't here.
16. Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive.
17. "Too many!" James shouted, and slammed the door behind him.
18. If someone had asked Jared Grace what jobs his brother and sister would have when they grew up, he would have had no trouble replying.
19. From his perch behind the clock, Hugo could see everything.
20. It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.
Good luck!