I’m seeing this meme everywhere and from what I can tell it originated here at Art On a Limb.

Basically, you list the first line to 11 of your favorite books – why 11? Just cause, I think. I’m not sure if I have 11 favorite books, but I’ll try – they probably won’t be all time favorites or anything because I’m sure I’m forgetting major contenders, but these are 11 of the books that I like and admire a great deal whose first lines were viewable on Amazon.com or a quick web search – cause I’m lazy – see if you can guess which books the quotes are from – I’ll probably list the answers later, if I remember.

1,000 points to whoever can guess all 11 books. Points are redeemable in the form of bragging rights, of course.

1. “Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.” I almost didn’t use this book, because – come on, seriously, how big of a hint do you need, but it is my favorite book so I can’t delete it in good conscience.
2. “You think you know how this story is going to end, but you don’t.” Do you?
3. “My mother drove me to the airport with the windows rolled down.” Not very telling of the awesome that is to come in this one…
4. “In a valley shaded with rhododendrons, close to the snow line, where a stream milky with meltwater splashed and where doves and linnets flew among the immense pines, lay a cave, half-hidden by the crag above the stiff heavy leaves that clustered below.” A mouthful!!
5. “Please tell me that’s not going to be part of my birthday dinner this evening.”
6. “There are some men who enter a woman’s life and screw it up forever.” Ain’t that the truth…
7. “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.” Another terribly easy one, in my opinion anyway.
8. “The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.” Seriously?
9. “On the morning of October 4, 1899, Elizabeth Adora Holland — the eldest daughter of the late Mr. Edward Holland and his widow, Louisa Gansevoort Holland — passed into the kingdom of heaven.” Should be obvious if you’ve read the book – a total mystery, otherwise.
10. “Marley was dead: to begin with.” Anyone who doesn’t know this one is just seriously fired from life. Sorry.
11. “My father had a face that could stop a clock.” Anyone who knows this one, can be my new BFF.

And I’m realizing now if you read this blog at all, these are all probably terribly easy… Oh well – there may be a lot of 1,000 bragging rights point owners in the near future – congrats in advance. 🙂