SA Book & Challenge Lovers discussion
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Your current read: first line

"Professor Malik Solanka, retired historian of ideas, irascible dollmaker, and since his recent fifty-fifth birthday celibate and solitary by his own (much criticized choice), in his silvered years found himself living in a golden age."
I also like the line "The city boiled with money."
I love Rushdie's writing, I don't know why I've waited so long to read another of his books.
I finished the book this morning so it might be cheating a bit.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
"Kip crawled toward the battlefield in the darkness, the mist pressing down, blotting out sound, scattering starlight. Though the adults shunned it, he’d played on the open field a hundred times—during the day. Tonight, his purpose was grimmer."
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
"Kip crawled toward the battlefield in the darkness, the mist pressing down, blotting out sound, scattering starlight. Though the adults shunned it, he’d played on the open field a hundred times—during the day. Tonight, his purpose was grimmer."
Thanks for the introduction Crusader! My boyfriend will be interested in this book and he was just asking me what he should read next :)
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
"They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that's not how it happened for me."

"They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that's not how it happened for me."
Crusader wrote: "I finished the book this morning so it might be cheating a bit.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
"Kip crawled toward the battlefield in the darkness, the mist pressi..."
Well, he might want to give The Night Angel trilogy a try before The Black Prism. At least if he gets hooked he wouldn't have to wait for the rest of the books in the series to be written!
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
"Kip crawled toward the battlefield in the darkness, the mist pressi..."
Well, he might want to give The Night Angel trilogy a try before The Black Prism. At least if he gets hooked he wouldn't have to wait for the rest of the books in the series to be written!

"First of all there is Blue. Later there is White, and then there is Black, and before the beginning there is Brown. Brown broke him in, Brown taught his the ropes, and when Brown grew old, Blue took over. That is how it begins. The place is New York, the time is the present, and neither one will ever change. Blue goes to his office every day and sits at his desk, waiting for something to happen. For a long time nothing does, and then a man named White walks through the door, and that is how it begins."
Everyone in this book so far has a colour for a name. Not sure why yet, but I suspect it might be a reference to Cluedo.
MR. JONES, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes.
Animal Farm
Animal Farm
Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow
To sleep is to die.
So he clung to the driftwood as the raging seas hurled him high, then plunged him deep into the storm-dark valleys between the waves.
To sleep is to die.
So he clung to the driftwood as the raging seas hurled him high, then plunged him deep into the storm-dark valleys between the waves.

I watched Watts, Detroit, and Atlanta burn on the evening news, I saw oceans of
mangroves and palm fronds smolder in napalm as Cronkite spoke of unilateral
disarmament and a war that had lost its reason.
A Drink before the War By Dennis Lehane


Coconut by Kopano Matlwa
Wow that line sounds interesting Tracy! A chocolate girl hehe
What afrikaans books are you reading?
What afrikaans books are you reading?


Coconut by Kopano Matlwa"
What did you think of Coconut Tracy?
I kind of liked it, but I thought could have used some serious editing in terms of story construction. At times I didn't know which character's story I was listening to.

What did you think of Coconut Tracy?
I kind of liked it, but I thou..."
It frustrated me so much! The jumping around between times. It felt like she handed in the draft to be published. But once overcoming that hurdle,I loved the eventual stories though. it gave insight to lives I cannot relate to. And it doesn't have any solutions; but I think it works for this book.
Ag, I dunno. I was frowning a lot; won't give it 5 stars though

What afrikaans books are you reading?"
Rooiluiperd by Francois Bloemhof and Op die toneel by Dana Snyman

She won a prize for the book, and I think the conditions for entry were that you had to be an unpublished writer and the book shouldn't need editing... Something like that. A pity, it could have been a much better book. She's written another one now, but I forget the title.

"Eva walked betwee the few parked cars at the London Gateway service station off the M1 motorway."
Just finished it but here goes:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
"i am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have."
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
"i am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have."

The book starts out with New Year's Resolutions, so I'll just pick some I thought were funny:
I WILL NOT:
Behave sluttishly around the house, but instead imagine others are watching.
Get upset over men, but instead be poised and cool ice-queen.
Obsess about Daniel Cleaver as pathetic to have crush on boss in manner of Miss Moneypenny or similar.
I WILL
Purge flat of all extraneous matter.
Go to gym three times a week not merely to buy sandwich.
I also love the term, "emotional fuckwit". Must find an opportunity to use it.

"Imagine four years.
Four years, two suicides, one death, one rape, two pregnancies (one abortion), three overdoses, countless drunken antics, pantsings, spilled food, theft, fights, broken limbs, turf wars—every day, a turf war—six months until graduation and noone gets a medalwhen they get out. But everything you do here counts.
High school."
Im glad Im not still at school!! :-)

"You now have one choice."
A dreadfully boring first line, I much prefer the first line of the novel within the novel, The End of Mr Y:
"By the end I would be nobody, but in the beginning I was known as Mr Y."

"Miss Alexia Tarabotti was not enjoying her evening."
A bit boring, but a few sentences on:
"For Miss Alexia had been born without a soul, which, as any decent vampire of good blooding knew, made her a lady to avoid most assiduously."

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
That was kind of him... Can't say he didn't warn anyone.


(I had to use the pretty UK edition!)"
Are you enjoying it? I've been meaning to read that book for months now but just never seem get to it.

They are excellent books and although they are 800 pages long they keep you guessing all the way through. There are 8 books altogether upto now another one on the way soon and Anna has said that they get better and better. I am reading them for my epic challenge. Why not give them a try?

Emma: I might just do that. :)

Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams


Flyleaf by Finuala Dowling
This book is boring, but I guess it was obvious from the first lines the it would be.
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Liu Cixin (other topics)Terry Pratchett (other topics)
Terry Pratchett (other topics)
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Or if you think the first line is boring, give your favourite quote so far.