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June 8, 2006
ten books on my shelf
i picked out ten books (and stopped) on my shelf that i have yet to read (but so want to!). in no order, they are:
- sacred sexuality : the erotic spirit in the world's great religions by georg feuerstein
history of sexuality in religion? what an irresistable mix! i've had this book for two years and barely read a paragraph. first line reads : our contemporary society has been called a sexual wilderness. - on the road by jack kerouac
this book first caught my attention when i heard that the author typed it on a long scroll of paper (so as to not break his attention?) without paragraph breaks. kerouac also is an important figure of the beatnik generation, though i have no idea what that is, i thought the book might give me some clue. i've also had this for about two years. first line reads : i first met dean not long after my wife and i split up. - portnoy's complaint by philip roth
i've read two of his books and quite enjoyed his indulgent monologues. what made me purchase this book was the opening paragraph. i read it, left the bookstore, and it stuck in my head. months later, after having forgotten where i read the lines from, i stumbled upon it again, and this time - i bought the book. also two years old, the first line reads : she was so deeply imbedded in my consciousness that for the first year of school i seem to have believed that each of my teachers was my mother in disguise. - jazz by toni morrison
picked this up at a five dollar sales corner. some passages transported me to packed clubs smoking with jazz tunes. this book is four years old! first line reads : sth, i know that woman. - the chocolate war by robert cormier
this is a banned book. and i'm a sucker for banned books. plus - the title kinda rocks. the storyline is dark - a bunch of school boys out to sell chocolate boxes as a fund raising effort resulting in murder. wacky eh? first line reads : they murdered him. - fahrenheit 451 by ray bradbury
a book set in the future (well, written in 1953, set in 21st century) where firemen dont extinguish fires, but starts them. and what do they burn? books!!!! first line reads : it was a pleasure to burn. - a dictionary of maqiao by han shaogong
i love the way this book is structured - it begins with a word, followed by the chinese letter for it. then an explanation of how the word is derived in chinese, and a comparison with english and other languages. small historical and cultural ditties are thrown in as well. i love it! first line reads : the word for river (jiang in mandarin) is pronounced by maqiao people (in southern china) and refers not just to vast bodies of water, but to all waterways, including small ditches and streams - notebooks 1970-2003 by murray bail
this is actually a combination of six small notebooks that the author carries around his being to jot his thoughts or quotes that catches his attention. it's a lovely compilation of observations, lines, glimpses of moments etc. one line reads (first line is a loooong paragraph, so i'll pick the next line) : vulnerability while stumbling with suitcases, so i assumed a stony expression. - the art of travel by alain de botton
discovered him in penguin's mini birthday books. he is philosophical, and adept in wording the intangible. first line reads : it was hard to say when exactly winter arrived, the decline was gradual, like that of a person into old age, inconspicuous from day to day until the season became an established, relentless reality. - the tale of the rose : the love story behind the little prince by consuelo de saint-exupery
stumbled onto this book in borders and i was mad with glee - a book written by antoine de saint-exupery's wife about him! the rose! how can i not buy it for i love the little prince to itsy bitsy teeny weeny lovey dovey pieces! plus, how the book came about - a manuscript sealed away in a trunk, discovered 20 years after her death! first line reads : every morning on the bridge, ricardo vines, the pianist with hands like a dove's wings, would say in my ear, "consuelo, you are not a woman."
my "obsession" with first lines is this - i'm curious of the tone that sets off the book. i read it slowly, allowing the author to draw me in and tempt my eyes to read the next few lines. if it works, i buy it. if it doesn't, i set the book back on the shelf and pick up another.
the lure of first lines - that's another post all together :) oshun reads the first line and the last, and wonders how the author connect the beginning to the end.
these ten books are off my shelf and on my bedside table. a reminder to self that it's high time i read them!
posted by nyx at June 8, 2006 9:11 PM
Comments
aiks..how come got no Harry Potter?
Posted by: dragoncity at June 8, 2006 9:47 PM
ah, from the list, i only have no.2...
interesting thots on first lines.
Posted by: simon at June 9, 2006 11:08 AM
How can I arouse my interest in reading books??
Posted by: Robert at June 11, 2006 9:11 AM
robarto, read something that interests you, brwse a bookstore and see what book calls to you. read a page or two before purchasing.
for you, hmm. try the alchemist by paulo coelho.
the godfather by mario puzo made my brother very hungry for books, not sure whether it'll work for you? :)
Posted by: nyx at June 11, 2006 12:07 PM
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