I play this game when I’m reading a book – I try to guess what the first paragraph the author wrote is. As a writer myself, I presume what becomes the opening line isn’t how the first draft began, but I always wonder where the original kernel is buried. These are some of my favorite (published) first sentences of books.
It seems like a quarantine would be the perfect time to read, and read lots. It’s counterintuitive but I think I’m reading less, and certainly not more now. Working from home, household responsibilities, stress, worry, and insomnia make it hard to concentrate on a book for me. Still, I’m doing my best to look forward to new releases and upcoming titles.
The best books make characters seem so real that we might expect to meet them around the corner or begin to imagine they really did live, once upon a time. These are the characters that I think would have highly entertaining social media feeds, should they ever make the leap to reality.
Over time, book reviewers (and dedicated readers) get better and better at guessing whether or not they will like a book. Descriptions, genres, author history, even cover art all play a factor in deciding if one should devote several hours to a book.
Some books just beg to be read by the fire or with a snow-filled window nearby. Here are a few of my favorite winter reads.