I don’t think the first line of a book has to be the absolute best. Truthfully, how many people are reading ONLY the first line and then giving up on a book? I do think a great first line can hook a reader who might’ve been on the fence though. And regardless, I just thought it’d be a fun idea to look at the opening lines of some different books… and have a fight to the death! Just kidding about the “fight to the death” part, but you can tell me your favorite in the comments 😛
I mostly chose these books randomly from my Goodreads ‘read’ shelf in order to keep it interesting, so this isn’t meant to be a top ten list or anything. But these are all books I enjoyed with perhaps the exception of one that is simply out of my genre comfort zone. Anyway, here are ten opening lines for you all to check out!
The Root by Na’amen Gobert Tilahun
[ My Review ]
The door had barely opened into the lemon-yellow infirmary before Nurse Dan was hurrying over to help him onto a cot, resignation clear on his round, pink face, the skunk of weed thick as always.
Doom Sayer by Clara Coulson
[ My Review ]
The enemy’s base is full of chickens.
Rushed by Brian Harmon
Eric Fortrell lived a perfectly unremarkable life until he happened to have a very extraordinary dream.
This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel
[ My Review ]
We found the monster on a rocky ledge high above the lake.
Beckoning Blood by Daniel de Lorne
[ My Review ]
The pig refused to die.
Chase the Dark by Annette Marie
[ My Review ]
Attempted murder was not how Piper liked to start her afternoon.
Wasteland King by Lilith Saintcrow
[ My Review ]
The assassin and the red-haired girl burst onto the shuttered, dark fairway, and Crenn almost thought they had a shot at escaping unseen—until the shadows at the far end, under the Ferris wheel’s spidery bulk, birthed a cold gleam and clawed silvershod hoofbeats rang on packed dirt.
A Faerie’s Revenge by Rachel Morgan
[ My Review ]
The ship rolls from side to side as it rises and falls on the swell of heaving waves.
The Consumption of Magic by TJ Klune
[ My Review ]
Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Verania, there was a kickass boy born in the slums of the City of Lockes.
Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones
[ My Review ]
My grandfather used to tell me he was a werewolf.
If we’re gonna choose favorites… I’m gonna have to go with the chickens 😛 But I will say that the opening line of Mongrels somehow really portrays the feel of the book, and I like that. Let me know your favorite of these in the comments or if any have got you interested in the books!
More Opening Lines Posts
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines (2)
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines (3)
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines (4)
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines (5)
This is a fun post! I think opening lines can sometimes make or break a book. I just love the first line for Mongrels. It’s a book I’ve been dying to read anyway😁
Thanks! A great opening can definitely make me more into a book right from the start. I definitely recommend Mongrels!
Either the chickens or the poor pig LOL. A short, surprising opening sentence is what works best for me. Fun post! I agree about needing a lot more than a first line to get hooked on a book. I always read the first chapters on Amazon before I commit.
Lol yeah things didn’t go so well for that pig. The short ones are definitely attention-grabbing! I often read the previews on Amazon before deciding to commit to a whole book too.
The short sentences work best for me. The long ones give me the feeling that the book is going to be hard work. Or is that me being lazy?
My fav quote is probably ‘Attempted murder was not how Piper liked to start her afternoon’ but the chickens and the pigs have a good hook too.
No, you’re right. The Wasteland King quote, the whole series is like that. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the writing, but it is more work to get accustomed to it and everything and takes more focus.
The attempted murder one is fun lol.
Doom Sayer, Beckoning Blood, and Mongrels definitely have me wanting to know more. Nice attention grabbers for me
Those three are short and punchy!
I love a good opening line, and a really good one can totally set the tone! I think I like Doom Sayer the best, because honestly… how not? Chickens. Beckoning Blood though makes me wonder, and Wasteland King conjures some kinda supernatural showdown at a carnival, so I’m down for that.
Mongrels is definitely a good one- not your usual grandparents story lol.
Seriously, those chickens lol. Mongrels is not your usual werewolf story, so it’s fitting 😉
I love an opening line that immediately grabs my attention and makes me want to keep reading. The ones for Chase the Dark and Beckoning Blood definitely fall into that category for me.
Those are two are definitely attention-grabbing ones!
There are some good lines here. I love the chickens one 😂 It makes me curious to pick up the book.
The pig one isn’t bad either. I wonder what the context is to that one.
The chicken one is great, haha. A lot of people like the pig one too, and I’ve been wondering if they realize what the context is lol.
“The enemies base is full of chickens.” Definitely that one. 😉
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬
enemy’s* base
My words aren’t working today!
Lol I have a lot of days like that.
Agreed!
I love opening lines!
I don’t rely on them either way though because a good one doesn’t guarantee a great story and a bad one doesn’t necessarily reflect the writing.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
Agreed 🙂
The chickens one is the one that stood out for me, it really makes me wonder why that base was full of chickens. I usually don’t really put more attention on the first line of a book, but it’s actually quite interesting to see them out of context like this. I can’t think of any great openings from the top of my head, but now I am tempted to check out some first lines.
It’s really not important to the story lol, but it’s such a catchy first line. I don’t tend to pay a lot of attention either, that’s why I thought this would be fun, and it is!
Mongrels and This Dark Endeavor hooked me with their lines!! I agree opening lines aren’t the be all to end all but they sure can start you right. ❤️
Exactly! The Mongrels one is so perfect.
You made me laugh with your comment about people picking up a book and putting it back down if they don’t absolutely love the first line. Now, that’s some picky reading right there. LOL!
I agree with you about the chicken line. So funny! I also really like Annette Marie’s first line.
Could you imagine? Haha.
Those are both fun ones!
Your favorites are the exact ones I like! XD
Awesome!