~ I will post the first sentences of ten books. (I skip any beginning quotations or prefaces. If I think more than one sentence is necessary, I’ll post two.)
~ You guess the titles and authors and leave your guesses in the comments.
~ You don’t have to guess on all ten; guess on the ones you know.
~ I’ll update the post by putting the lines in bold and adding titles and authors when someone gets one correct.
~ Have fun!
All of today’s choices come from Entertainment Weekly’s lists of the 100 best books from 1983 to 2008.
1. Standing among the tan, excited post-Christmas crowd at the Southwest Florida Regional Airport, Rabbit Angstrom has a funny sudden feeling that what he has come to meet, what’s floating in unseen about to land, is not his son Nelson and daughter-in-law Pru and their two children but something more ominous and intimately his: his own death, shaped vaguely like an airplane. – Rabbit at Rest, John Updike – guessed by Sandy
2. When Augustus came out on the porch the blue pigs were eating a rattlesnake – not a very big one. – Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry – stumped you on this one!
3. At the first gesture of morning, flies began stirring. – Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier – stumped you on this one, too!
4. The book was thick and black and covered with dust. – Possession, A.S. Byatt – guessed by Susi
5. 124 was spiteful. – Beloved, Toni Morrison – guessed by Jackie
6. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha, a junior at Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey. – The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien – guessed by Sandy
7. My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. – The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold – guessed by JoAnn
8. The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it “the Riddle House,” even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there. – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling – guessed by Kristi
9. Tonight, I find myself here in a guest house in the city of Salisbury. – Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro – guessed by Raidergirl
10. We slept in what had once been the gymnasium. – The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood – guessed by Zia
10) The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
Twitter: lakesidemusing
says:
7 – The Lovely Bones?
5 is Beloved. The number of mentions of 124 in that book amazes me!
Twitter: youvegottaread
says:
The first one is one of the John Updike Rabbit series, but I don’t know which one. #6 is The Things They Carried? And #7 is Lovely Bones, but JoAnn got that one!
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Zia, JoAnn, Jackie, and Sandy – you’re all correct! I’ve updated those titles.
Hi Carrie,
Didn’t see anywhere to post this so am doing it here. I have finished another book for the Essays Challenge. Dog Years by Mark Doty. You can see my review at my place, Just Books. Have a great day!
Sherrie
http://sherriesbooks.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-dog-years-by-mark-doty.html
Hello,
#8 is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
It still surprises me how many I recognize!
The only one I knew was The Lovely Bones, but someone beat me to it!
Well, I knew Lovely Bones and Harry Potter, but I’ve been beaten to the comment section.
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Yes, Kristi – it is Goblet of Fire.
Avis and Stacy – I’m going to add hints to the remaining titles soon, so maybe some more will ring a bell!
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Okay, everyone – I added some clues. Keep guessing!
No. 4 is Byatt’s Possession, methinks.
#9 Remains of the Day by Kazou Ishiguro. Great Book!!
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Susi and Raidergirl – yes, you’re both correct!
The two that stumped you all were #2, Lonesome Dove, and #3, Cold Mountain. Thanks for playing, everyone!