Top Ten Tuesday: First Lines

So, today’s Top Ten Tuesday is actually supposed to be all about anything back to school related, but since school is the LAST thing I want to spend my spare time thinking about, I decided to forgo that topic for one a little bit more interesting. A while back, I got the idea for doing a topic about lines from my favorite books, and was inspired by Carrie from Reading is My Superpower, who does a First Line Friday post every week. While my post today is just a little bit different, I definitely give her credit for helping me come up with this idea. I’ve decided to share the first line from the first page of the first chapter—or prologue—of ten of my favorite books off my very own bookshelf! Okay, okay, so maybe I’ve listed twelve books instead of ten, but I just couldn’t help it! You’ll see why below!

Anchor in the Storm

Anchor in the Storm is the second book in Sarah Sundin’s Waves of Freedom series, coming after Through Waters Deep. It is such a fantastic story about a girl named Lillian who has the fantastic opportunity to follow her dream of being a pharmacist. Though World War II rages around her, there ends up being another war even closer to home—one that puts even her heart in jeopardy.

Circle of Spies

Circle of Spies is the third book in Roseanna M. White’s Culper Ring series, coming after Ring of Secrets and Whispers from the Shadows. It is the final installment in one of my all-time favorite series, and I absolutely love the intricacies of this Civil War era story. Doesn’t the first line just immediately draw you in?

Justified

Justified is the second book in Varina Denman’s Mended Hearts series, coming after Jaded. It is one of my favorite novels of all-time, and I have to say, I definitely think this first line is the perfect way to start of the story, which focuses on Fawn Blaylock and her untimely pregnancy, which just might turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to her.

A Lady at Willowgrove Hall

A Lady at Willowgrove Hall is the third book in Sarah E. Ladd’s Whispers on the Moors series, coming after The Heiress of Winterwood and The Headmistress of Rosemere. This is one of my favorites of Sarah’s novels, and is about a woman named Cecily Faire who struggles to hide her secret past while working as a lady’s companion at Willowgrove Hall.

Love Arrives in Pieces

Love Arrives in Pieces is the second of Betsy St. Amant’s novels about the Varland sisters, coming after All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes. I absolutely LOVED both books, but especially this story about Stella Varland and the truth behind her seemingly fairy-tale life that wasn’t all that great after all.

Love on the Line

Love on the Line is one of my favorites of Deeanne Gist’s novels, so far anyway. I absolutely love the storyline, especially how they tie in the situation with the train at the very beginning of the book. It starts the whole thing off with a bang, and sets the tone for a fabulous love story.

The Magnolia Duchess

The Magnolia Duchess is the third book in Beth White’s Gulf Coast Chronicles series, coming after The Pelican Bride and The Creole Princess. This final installment is by far my favorite of the three, but I don’t want to reveal anything about the storyline, because I don’t want to spoil it. All I’m going to say is that the first line definitely sets you up for the rest of the adventure.

No Other Will Do

No Other Will Do is another author’s most recent stand-alone novel, though this one is by Karen Witemeyer. It is also another one of my absolute favorites, and that is mainly because of the very character you find mentioned above. I fell in love with him from that first line, and the more I read his story, the more I realized I was so glad this line existed, and that he did, in fact, make that climb back into consciousness. Because this book just wouldn’t have been the same without him.

Not by Sight

Not by Sight is the most recent of Kate Breslin’s stand-alone novels, and is definitely a book I really enjoyed. The first line is so completely important to the storyline, though I didn’t realize it until after I had already finished the story and flipped back to the beginning. It didn’t sink in for me until I read the first part again, but not everyone will be as oblivious as I was, so I won’t say one more word about it. Just remember this line if you set out to read the rest of the story.

The Ringmaster’s Wife

The Ringmaster’s Wife is the first book in Kristy Cambron’s Jazz Age Entertainers series, and is a wonderful, wonderful story. I feel like that first line perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the book, and I really don’t think there’s anything else I could say about it that would do it justice. But if this first line doesn’t make you want to read the book, I don’t know what will.

The Things We Knew

The Things We Knew is Catherine West’s most recent stand-alone novel, and is definitely a fantastic story. This first line may not seem all that strange to most people, but based on the specifics of the story, it definitely gives insight to what goes on throughout the pages of this novel.

You’re the One That I Want

You’re the One That I Want is the sixth book in Susan May Warren’s Christiansen Family series, coming after Take a Chance on Me, It Had to Be You, When I Fall in Love, Always on My Mind, and The Wonder of You. I am a huge fan of this whole series, and I just love how this first line immediately paints a picture of Elise “Scotty” McFlynn that is completely accurate, and extremely hard to forget.

Those are my top ten twelve first lines from books on my very own bookshelf! What about you? What are some of your favorite first lines, whether from books or from movies?

Happy Tuesday and happy reading!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

To see where I’m linking up, check out my Where I Party page.

All credit for all of the first lines mentioned here goes to each author and their respective publishers.