weeding it down

Okay, so the original plan was I was only going to have two books in my read-a-thon pile. Yes, two. You did read that correctly. I know, doesn't sound like me at all, does it? But I was trying to face reality. I'm as slow a reader as exists in this world. And I figured, well, why not just put the two books that I'm absolutely dying to read in the pile and be done with it. And this plan worked for me for a while. But then I started letting thoughts sneak their way into my brain..."But wouldn't you like to read shorter books so you have feeling of accomplishment?"..."But making a huge pile of books to choose from is one of the most fun parts of read-a-thon preparation!"..."But what if for some unforeseen reason you're not in the mood for those two books come read-a-thon day?" See, what I mean?

And then Annie started asking me to post the first sentences of my books so people could help me weed them down. (We did this last read-a-thon, and she wanted me to do it along with her this time, too.) But uh, well, weeding down if there's only two books in the pile to start with just isn't going work, is it? So I caved. I made a nice big pile of books to choose from. And yes, thank you Annie, for making me want to do what I really wanted to do anyway. ;)

Okay, so what first sentences grab you? Which ones should I leave in the pile? (If you happen to know what some of the books are, which I'm sure many of you do, try to ignore that fact and just go by the "interesting-ness" of the sentences, okay? Yeah, I know, easier said than done, huh?)

1. This is my story about what happened to me last year when Mum got ill and Dad and I had to go and stay at Aunt Nan's and I had my weird dream.

2. This is a story that took place long ago...in a faraway place...in the land of Koriyo.

3. They came at night...because they knew we were among them.

4. Cheer up, Amber.

5. Still no sign of the townspeople.

6. It was so weird.

7. I'm off to school, Ma.

8. Yes, it's "once upon a time" time again.

9. Once there was a king who dreamed of war.

10. I once believed that life was a gift.

11. The brain is soft.

12. Like many fathers, mine could occasionally be prevailed upon for a spot of "airplane."

13. "Let's get this party started, already!" Sabrina complained under her breath as she rubbed the charley horse in her leg.

14. Midsummer: The long days begin in bright, rising mist and never end.

15. The stench in his daughter's darkened room nearly brought Len to his knees.

16. Crime was out there.

17. Everything you think you know about the world isn't true.

18. "Dive, dive, dive!" shouted Suzy as she clutched the old Chevy's cracked red-and-white steering wheel, jerking it back and forth in her hands, yanking hard on the turn signal lever to bring the ship down.

19. If standing alone on the back doorstep, Tom allowed himself to weep tears, they were tears of anger.

20. "Once there was a beautiful garden."

21. "Skulls," said Lady Lamorna.

22. Once there was a Castle, high on a hill,
and a King who longed for a nap
and a Queen who yearned for solitude
and a Prince who loved poetry
and a Princess who loved herself
and a Spare Prince who loved his sword
and a Hermit who was wise.

23. After a year of hunting, I finally caught up with Sarah.

24. There are days that start off just fine.

25. This is how things look:
Shady Pines Apartments, four shabby buildings tucked off the road near the highway.

26. Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a rabbit who was made almost entirely of china.

27. Imo set out one day to catch some fish, but there was no sea.

28. When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.

29. Long ago, when earth and sky were still covered in darkness, a great bird with wings like curtains of night came to rest on the cold earth.

30. Pay attention.