Our Favorite Novel First Lines

Summary

Bad On Paper Podcast: "Our Favorite Novel First Lines"

Hosts: Becca Freeman & Olivia Muenter
Air Date: August 5, 2026

---

Overview

In this lively episode, Becca and Olivia celebrate the art of the novel first line. Stemming from a previous discussion that left them both "tingly" with interest, they dissect what makes a first line memorable, share personal favorites from their own books and others, and play guessing games with iconic openers. Listeners will leave with a deeper appreciation for those magical first words and—spoiler alert—a sense of relief that a first line doesn't always have to be perfect for a novel to succeed.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why First Lines Matter—Or Sometimes Don’t

[15:02–16:52]

• Becca shares her prep process, which involved pulling every book off her shelves to reread first lines. To her surprise, many favorites had "duds" for first sentences:

  "I realized how many of my favorite books have what are arguably very boring first lines...I think the reality is the first line doesn't really matter at all." —Becca [15:09]

• Olivia reflects on romanticizing the first sentence and the sense of “magic” when a first line immediately grabs her attention.
• Both agree that while a "banger" opener is exhilarating, it's rare to judge a book solely by its first sentence.

---

2. Writing Their Own First Lines

[17:00–20:52]

• Olivia's "Such a Bad Influence":

  "Evelyn Davis has argued with every person she's never met."
  She loves the simplicity and how it immediately sets up the book’s theme of a child social media influencer.

• Olivia's "Little One":

  "Push, yells the virtual trainer's voice as it spills out of my headphones and into the center of my skull."
  Originally, it opened with, "Hunger is a thing you can hold," but her agent wanted an action-driven start.

• Becca's "The Christmas Orphans Club":

  "Twas the night before Christmas and all through Manhattan, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Scratch that. Manhattan at 6 o’clock on Christmas Eve is a complete and utter shit show."
  Olivia recalls physically “chuckling” at reading it, saying:
  "Immediately you have a sense of tone and voice right away." —Olivia [19:26]

• Becca's new book (teaser):

  “'Was it good for you?' Drew asked as we stared at Glow in the Dark stars on the ceiling, which were very much not glowing because it was three in the afternoon..."
  This one shifted during revisions; the original first line was, "Drew panted before pulling out and collapsing against the pillow," but her editor advised it was too jarring.
  "A 17 year old boy coming is not as cute as you think it is." —Editor, as recounted by Becca [21:59]

---

3. Epigraphs, Browsing Bookstores, and Quirks

[22:24–24:10]

• Olivia loves a mood-setting epigraph; Becca skips them “99% of the time,” especially if they're more than a line, wanting to discover a book’s meaning from the author rather than a quoted third party.
• Becca expresses nostalgia for casual bookstore browsing; both wish for more “low stakes” book hunting.

---

4. What Makes an Effective First Line?

[24:10–25:42]

• Olivia generally dislikes dialogue as a first line ("and then I promptly did that in my own book”) but admits some favorites do break the rule.
• Becca loves a line that sums up the book’s thesis or drops her into an immediate, interesting scene rather than backstory or mundane description.

---

5. How Writing Changes Reading

[26:08–27:19]

• Both authors now notice line-level details, pacing, and editing choices far more than before they were writers.
• Olivia pays special attention to what makes dialogue sharp versus flat; Becca finds it hard to “turn off” her inner copyeditor.

---

6. Favorite First Lines from Other Books

[27:39–36:30] Becca’s Picks:

• Witch by Meg Shafer: "All stories are love stories. If you love stories." [28:11]

  "This first line is a fucking banger. People are tattooing it on their bodies with good reason." —Becca [28:11]

• Every Summer After by Carley Fortune: "The fourth cocktail had seemed like a good idea. So did the bangs come to think about it."
• Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin: A long, elegant unpacking of a character’s names and ambitions.
• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry: "On vacation, you could be anyone you want."
• Lake Effect by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney: "Beth Pfeiffer didn’t mean to start anything when she walked into Honey Finnegan’s house with seven copies of the Joy of…"

Olivia’s Picks:

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: “When I think of my wife, I think of her head.”
• Night Watching by Tracy Sierra: "There was someone in the house."
• The God of the Woods by Liz Moore: "The bed is empty.”
• Sea Wife by Amity Gaige: “Where does a mistake begin?”

  "I think about that line all the time...It gives me chills immediately without understanding why." —Olivia [36:01]

---

7. Guess-The-First-Line Game

[39:31–48:38]

• Becca and Olivia read each other first lines and try to guess the book. Notable moments:

  • Olivia: “A sister is not a friend.”
    —Correctly guessed by Olivia as Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors.
  • Becca: "The missing boy is 10-year-old Alfie Risby. And to be perfectly honest with you, he's a little shit."
    —Correctly guessed by Olivia as All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harmon.

• Olivia: “You like to think every woman has one and he just happens to be yours.”
  —After a hint, Becca identifies it as The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon.

• Even as avid readers, they find that first lines are often just not memorable on their own.

  "It's also been really gratifying that I think as a writer, you spend so much time belaboring first sentences. And it's gratifying to know that there are so many books I love with first sentences that I feel whatever on." —Becca [54:10]

---

8. Random "Blind Taste Test" First-Line Reactions

[49:04–53:55]

• Tilt by Emma Petit: "So here we are, 37 weeks pregnant at IKEA."
  —Both think it’s fun and inviting, though not typical for the book’s tone.
• Barbara Kingsolver’s upcoming novel: “Here’s my question. How does a person step in front of a train and leave everything there? Inhale. No, exhale.”
  —Mixed reactions. Becca feels it’s “wordy,” but likes the couplet of Inhale/Exhale.
• Main Characters by Bobby Palmer: "He's looking at her, but she's not looking at him."
  —Both love the intrigue and setup.
• Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novak: "Fear flung me out of New York City."
  —Both intrigued.
• Nu Skin by Sarah Wang: "The unveiling was to occur on a Monday morning."
  After context, they're more intrigued, but initially felt it was stilted.

---

9. Are Last Lines More Important?

[54:10–55:36]

• Becca:

  "A good first sentence only makes sense in retrospect...A last line is sometimes more powerful because you've read the whole book and it's like, how are you gonna put the period on this sentence versus the first line? If you’re being very clever...it doesn’t mean anything to me yet."

• Olivia asks if Becca spends more time thinking about last lines:

  "Absolutely." —Becca [54:55]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I think there's something so special about being seen by another person in that way, by a stranger, a complete stranger." —Olivia, on her Chicago walk and the mysterious man with affirmations [04:19]
• "I think you can have a favorite book, an excellent book, a perfect book, without having a perfect first line." —Olivia [16:06]
• "I'm watching the movie and then I'm thinking about how it was made at the same time." —Becca, on how writing changed her reading [26:42]
• "Where does a mistake begin?" —Amity Gaige’s Sea Wife, frequently cited by Olivia [36:01]
• "This first line is a fucking banger. Like, people are tattooing it on their bodies with good reason." —Becca, on Witch by Meg Shafer [28:11]
• "A 17 year old boy coming is not as cute as you think it is." —Becca, recounting editorial feedback [21:59]
• "A good first sentence only makes sense in retrospect." —Becca [54:10]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:18–12:46: Personal highs & lows, Chicago live event, travel stories, and stink bug granola incident.
• 15:02–16:52: The myth and reality of first lines in favorite books.
• 17:00–20:52: Sharing first lines from their own novels and process behind them.
• 27:39–36:30: Reading and discussing favorite first lines from other novels.
• 39:31–48:38: Guess-the-first-line game: stumping and surprising each other with openers.
• 49:04–53:55: Blind taste test to first lines from TBR and upcoming books.
• 54:10–55:36: Discussion of last lines vs. first lines—a writer’s angst and introspection.

---

Tone & Takeaway

Candid, bookish, and supportive, the conversation reflects how both hosts approach literature as writers, readers, and friends—with curiosity, humor, and humility. Listeners are reminded that while a perfect opener is electrifying, it’s the story (and perhaps the last line) that truly sticks. The episode encourages both fellow writers and readers to find delight in the whole, not just the hook.

---

For more, join the Bad On Paper Book Club for Witch by Meg Shafer (“that banger of a first line!”), and check out live events and giveaways at badonpaperpodcast.com/summerofsoul.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to Baton Paper Podcast. I'm Becca Freeman.

[B]

And I'm Olivia, Mentor.

[A]

And today is an episode that came out of our last three Things where we were talking about the first lines of books, and we both realized that we had so much to say. And so we're doing a whole episode about book first lines, which is all credit to Olivia. Such a good idea.

[B]

This is selfish. This is my ideal episode. Maybe. I was looking through all my books, looking at first lines. It was the most fun I've ever had prepping for an episode. Maybe. I learned so much, too, about writing and my own taste. So I can't wait to talk about it with you.

[A]

Yeah, I learned a lot about maybe some misconceptions I had.

[B]

Oh, well, I can't wait to hear. Well, before we get into it, this episode is sponsored by Sol de Janeiro, the Brazilian inspired self care brand that we are partnering with for our Summer of Soul. This partnership is full of good stuff, from live events to bonus book club episodes and more. And in today's episode, we're going to share more information about upcoming live events in Miami and New York City, plus details on a giveaway that you can participate in no matter where you live.

[A]

Okay, Olivia, before we get into the first lines, tell me your high.

[B]

My high. I mean, as we record this, it's been less than a week since we've been back from our Chicago Live event, our Summer of Soul book club event in Chicago at Three Avenues Bookstore. And I have been to Chicago three times now, all for book events, and I have always had the best time. I love the city. I love the people. I. I love the lake. I feel at home there. The food is so good. My brother lives there now. So I got into the city the day before our event. I had dinner with him and another one of my cousins who lives there. It was so much fun. And then the whole next morning, I had to myself, and I was like, I'm gonna pack my walking shoes, my little workout outfit, and I'm gonna go to the lake and just walk for hours. Which is exactly what I did. I got a coffee first, bright and early the day of our event. I had all afternoon free, all morning. So I got there and I was going to start walking, but then I was like, I'm just going to sit here with my coffee and I'm just going to stare at the water. And I happened to have my fanny pack with me and my mini travel journal, but I decided to journal a little bit. So I did that for maybe an hour, an hour and a half. I truly felt in my elements, like, there's no time I feel more like myself than when I'm just alone in a city that I like or that is different than where I live. And I was having the best time just writing there. And then out of nowhere, over my left shoulder, this mid-20s, early-30s man appears with this mustache. And he just looks at me and he's like, I don't know what you're writing, but I just wanted to tell you I think you're exactly where you should be in life. I'm excited for your future. And then he ran off. And I was like, what just happened?

[A]

That is wild. I have so many questions about this man. I want to know if he does this to everyone, if he had, like, a feeling, if he feels he's a little bit psychic in all cases, or this was a one off. Like, I don't know, maybe your next book should be about him.

[B]

I have so many questions, and I wanted to talk to him because I truly like when he appeared. I had just written, like, the first sentence of book four. I had been writing to myself, and at the top of the page, I was like, all right, let's just write a sentence. Let's find the sentence and let's dive into this. I wrote one, and then he was just there. And I wanted to tell him, like, oh, it's so funny you say that because I'm, you know, I'm a writer. I'm always feeling insecure. And I just wrote this of this next book and. But he was gone. He was just jogging away, and I was like, what just occurred? It was magical and weird and beautiful.

[A]

That's so wild. I feel like the only recourse that we have is to believe that book four is endorsed by the universe.

[B]

We're gonna go with that. You know, I feel like it's possible he does this to a lot of people, but I do think there's something so special about being seen by another person in that way, by a stranger, a complete stranger. Because I really just did feel. I felt that way. Like, I felt like I was in the right place at the right time, and I felt good in my skin. And it felt like someone saw that in some way, and that was really cool. But, yeah, here's hoping book four is endorsed by magical Mustache man, the universe. And our event was wonderful. It was just a really nice 48 hours in Chicago. I've never had anything but great times there. So love. That's my high.

[A]

Chicago was Flirting. The weather was perfect. Everyone was out in a good mood. Like it was a chamber of commerce day to visit Chicago.

[B]

It was. I was like, should I live here? Should I change everything? Well, what's your high?

[A]

So I echo how great the Chicago event was. It's been a while since I've done an event that I wasn't kind of just the moderator or the conversation partner for it. It's been even longer since I've done a bound on paper event. We haven't done a live event if we exclude our book events, which are kind of different. We haven't done a podcast event since you've been the co host. We haven't done one since 2019 and it was so fun and I felt really in my element and oh, I was just so happy to be there.

[B]

Yeah, you seemed really in your element. We had never done a show together like that before, so it was cool to see you and to be there and to see everyone.

[A]

It was so great. It was so great to see people's faces reacting as we, we talked, which we don't get with the podcast and to just remember there's other people on the other side of this, which of course I know, but can sometimes feel more abstract when we're recording one day and then somebody's going to listen to this in a week and a half and, you know, do it in their car in a different state. You know, it like, it feels so abstract, but, you know, it doesn't feel abstract. This past weekend was the lobster roll off, which is always one of my favorite weekends of the year. And sadly, I did not continue my reign as champion. It was not a three peat. I came in second this year, but I was really proud of my showing. I tested my role last week and I made some tweaks for the better. But my friend Elizabeth, a dark horse, she cooks once a year for this competition and that's it. She has no interest in cooking. She made a riff on this sandwich that they had at our college dining hall that's like a chipotle chicken cheesesteak. But she did it with lobster. It was so freaking good. I was so skeptical. We've had a poor run of any roll with melted cheese on it not being well received. But this was so good. What a triumph of a signature dish for her. If this is the only thing she can cook, I would be happy to eat this anytime I came to her house. It was well deserved. I voted for her for first place. You can't vote for yourself, but I would have Ranked hers above mine. But what a fun weekend. I love this tradition. I love getting to see my friends who we don't all live in the same city and. Yeah. And then on Sunday we had a great little main venture day and we went to McCloon's, which is my favorite lobster shack, where I met a listener. Power of the boppers. And then we went to Glidden Point, which is this oyster farm, and we shucked oysters, which is also one of my favorite main things.

[B]

So many good main things. It sounds great.

[A]

I'm coming off a real high of a week. I actually, I hope it continues.

[B]

Well, what's your low then?

[A]

My low is just that I'm feeling frazzled and out of routine. So I left for Chicago on Wednesday and then I basically am traveling for the next 10 days. And so I went from Chicago to Boston to Maine. I'm going back to Boston after we record this that I'm going down to Florida on Wednesday. So all fun travel, but I'm just not in any routine. Not eating anything healthy, not sleeping in my bed or. Well. And I tried to give myself grace with book writing because I know I always try to write on these trips and I get disappointed when I just. It never happens. But instead then I've just transferred that pressure onto the newsletter stuff. I have to do other work related things. I have. And I'm like, I'm stressing myself out and this could have been completely avoided.

[B]

Yeah. Well, in the grand scheme of things, it's a week to 10 days, you know.

[A]

Yes. I'm constantly drawn to the allure of the workplay trip where I'm like, oh, I'll just, I'll get a little work done while I'm there. I feel like you're actually good at that. Or maybe it's just by force that you happen to travel on deadlines and you're like, I don't have a choice.

[B]

I think it depends how intense the deadlines are.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Because if they're not, I try to avoid it if I can because it is really difficult to strike that balance, I think.

[A]

Yeah. And there's such an allure to it for me of like, I can be away, but I can still get some things done. Like, I can have my cake and eat it too. The reality is, is that that's harder than I think it is when I'm sitting at my desk at home.

[B]

Yeah, it is. It's. I mean, there's oysters, there's lobster rolls, there's more lobster rolls. I mean, it's the end of summer.

[A]

It's the end of summer. It's not all bad. I did sit outside this morning. I was like, I had a real piss poor attitude. It's Monday morning, and I sat outside at the picnic table in my friend's yard with the dog with a ruby and wrote my newsletter. And I was like, hey, you might have overfilled your plate a little, but, like, this is a pretty good place to be chipping away at your list.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, it's definitely a privilege to be able to work anywhere.

[A]

Yes. I mean, no man ran by and told me that I was in the right place. It would have been weird if on private property a man ran by and told me that.

[B]

But still, I'll send them to you. I'll send it to you. In my mind, he's still running. He's running the cross country, just stopping at random people, telling them that, wow,

[A]

that kind of sounds like a Theo of golden esque book for millennials. Maybe.

[B]

Yeah, I think so. That's what I want.

[A]

Okay, tell me about your low. Because it's a combination of words that is an absolute horror show.

[B]

It is. And it was so, Milo, it's Monday morning, woke up. I am definitely reaching fatigue in terms of not speaking of not being in routine, not having a kitchen. It's speaking of not being able to eat healthy things. And I really try my best to eat breakfast at home. Cause it's the easiest one. It's just like granola, berries, yogurt. And this morning I woke up and I was like, I'm not in the mood. I want to go to a restaurant nearby that has like my favorite frittata and my favorite ice latte. And I want to pick it up, but it's quite expensive. So I was like, no, Olivia, you got to save money. Just, it's fine. Eat the granola. So I put the granola and the yogurt and the berries together, and I was really proud of myself for doing so. And I looked down at the bowl, my paper bowl of burger breakfast, and there was this thing on a berry. And I thought, that's so weird. That piece of granola looks like a stink bug. And it was.

[A]

No.

[B]

And I was like this close to eating it.

[A]

Okay, so you didn't eat it. You would eat it.

[B]

I would be lying face down on my carpet right now if I had eaten it. It was so horrifying. And I threw the whole thing out and I took myself out for breakfast and I got my frittata.

[A]

I got my I deserve your frittata.

[B]

But yeah, stink bugs and I already, as we know, have a very tumultuous relationship. They're honestly not usually around this time of year. I feel that it was in the berries, which is weird. I'm like, how have you gotten inside of my fridge? Soon to be not my fridge, by the way. The new fridge was delivered this morning, so maybe it's a sort of sign.

[A]

I feel like the universe is giving you a green light on writing book four and a red light on eating at home. And I think the signs are clear.

[B]

Stink bug granola. That is my low. But we carry on and I did not eat it so that's great way

[A]

to look at the silver lining. I very low.

[B]

I tried.

[A]

Let's get things back up high. Let's take an ad break and then get into this first lines episode that I'm so excited about.

[B]

This episode is sponsored by Quints. We are officially in August, which is hard to believe, but true. I actually think August is a pretty underrated month because it forces us all to make the most of the end of summer. But also the crispy promise of fall is right around the corner. And I think it's also a really good time to reset your closet and clear out what doesn't work, what you wore during the summer that you really didn't like, and make room for what does work and what does feel good. And Quint is the perfect companion for this task because with high quality pieces at affordable prices, Quince proves that you don't need a crowded closet to look incredible. You just need the right pieces.

[A]

Quince specializes in effortless, high quality essentials like ultra soft organic cotton and premium Mongolian cashmere sweaters. They're beautifully tailored, built to last and transition seamlessly from morning meetings to dinner. I've been very into Quince's bike shorts this summer. I'm actually wearing a pair of them right now. But as I think about the fall, I have to mention their Mongolian cashmere T shirts. I have three of them. I get so much wear out of them. I can dress them up with a skirt. I wore one to our Chicago Live book club event. Or just wear it with jeans and feel polished and put together. And I've had a couple of these for years now and the cashmere has held up so well.

[B]

And Quince has so much beyond just clothing. I've loved their perfume and I have a pair of sunglasses from them and I know that Becca is a huge fan of one of the blankets that they sell. So Upgrade your everyday Download the Quint app for app exclusive offers or go to quint.com BOP get free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK too. That's q-u I n c e.com BOP. Here we are. I'm excited to be here. We're going to start with some general first line talk, if that's okay with you, Becca.

[A]

It's more than okay with me. It's great with me.

[B]

Good. Well, how strongly do you feel about the first line of a book? Does it matter to you at all?

[A]

Okay, so right off the bat, this is where I had my mind a little bit blown preparing for this episode. So before I came to Maine, I tore apart my office. I basically took down every book from my shelves and looked at the first line of it. And I think I would have told you that I felt like a first line was so important. And then I read this and I realized how. How many of my favorite books have what are arguably very boring first lines, like duds of first lines. And so I think that what matters is the first paragraph or the first couple of pages or the first chapter matters hugely in terms of whether I'm going to continue. But I think the reality is the first line doesn't really matter at all. I was shocked. I thought I knew where I was going to find these lines. And I was shocked by how many great books I was like, huh? On the first line.

[B]

Yeah, I think you can have a favorite book, an excellent book, a perfect book, without having a perfect first line. I find that I have romanticized the first line myself.

[A]

In your own writing or in the writing of others?

[B]

I think not at first in my own writing, but increasingly so with each book. I think I think about it probably a little bit more than I should, I guess I should say in writing, but in reading, I just think there's something really tingly and special about when you read a first sentence and it does something to you immediately. And that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to love the whole book, but if you do, I think it makes it that much more special. And I just think it's. I don't know, it's a portal into the story. So it's kind of. I don't want to use the word magical too much in this episode already, but it is sort of magical to me.

[A]

Yeah, I hear you. Well, what are the first lines in such a bad influence in a little one. And also, were those always the first lines?

[B]

So the first line of such a bad influence is, Evelyn Davis has argued with every person she's never met.

[A]

That's a great first line.

[B]

Thank you. I like that because it's simple. It plays on a really common phrase in a sort of new way, commenting on how this child social media influencer has grown up online and spent her life sort of silently arguing with all of these people who she's never met on the Internet. I don't think I'd change it. I think it works. I'm good with that one.

[A]

Was that always the first line or did it evolve as you were writing?

[B]

I think it was always the first line, if I can remember. Wow. And then for little one, it's a little bit different. The first line of little one is push. Yells the virtual trainer's voice as it spills out of my headphones and into the center of my skull. So originally, I think for a long time the first sentence was hunger is a thing you can hold, which is now the last sentence in that chapter. Oh. But my agent really wanted it to start in action, so I was like, we'll take that literally. And I don't know, for some reason, I don't think I'd ever start a book with dialogue again, personally, as I said, like, you can still read a perfect book and it start with dialogue, but I just. I guess I just prefer prose in general, and that's probably why. But yeah, Tell me about your first sentences.

[A]

Okay, so the first sentence of the Christmas Orphans Club. Or I guess rather the first three sentences, because the first sentence doesn't make much sense out of context.

[B]

That's fair.

[A]

Maybe it's not a very good first line, but I think the first couplet, if we're going to call it that, is I'm very proud of.

[B]

I think it's like the first complete thought.

[A]

Yeah. So it's. Twas the night before Christmas and all through Manhattan, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Scratch that. Manhattan at 6 o' clock on Christmas Eve is a complete and utter shit show.

[B]

I remember reading that for the first time and I. When I read an arc of your book and being like, oh, this is gonna be good. Like, I. I remember physically, like, chuckling at that and feeling like that. Feeling of, like who? I'm excited for this book. Of course it was because I knew you, but also because it was just so good. I can just remember where I was.

[A]

I couldn't have told you that first line without looking it up, but I'm very proud of that. And I think it conveys that this is a Christmas story, but this is not your typical Hallmark Christmas story without actually saying that. And it's funny.

[B]

It's funny. Immediately you have a sense of tone and voice right away.

[A]

So originally there is a prologue in the published version that didn't exist until maybe the fourth draft, because the book originally started with what is the first chapter and the characters are in college. And my agent rightly pointed out that people might mistake it for ya because the character, I think, is 19. If you were just going on that. And she suggested adding a prologue starting in the present timeline when they are adults. So that came through. And once I started writing that, I do remember that part of it feeling very easy.

[B]

Okay. I mean, I think you landed on the perfect thing.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Well, what about your new book? If you're comfortable with sharing?

[A]

I am. I think this is a little teaser

[B]

for the listeners and if it appeals to you, even if it doesn't go pre order the book.

[A]

Oh, thank you. So the first line of my new book is actually a prologue that is set in the past timeline instead. So it starts when they're teenagers and the first line is dialogue and it says, was it good for you? Drew asked as we stared at Glow in the Dark stars on the ceiling, which were very much not glowing because it was three in the afternoon and the gauzy daisy embroidered curtains did little to filter the bright May sun.

[B]

I like that. Immediately puts you there.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Was this always the first sentence?

[A]

No, this was not the first sentence until pretty late it originally was. And I had to go to an earlier draft and look at it. Wow. Drew panted before pulling out and collapsing against the pillow. And the whole setup is that the two characters who are childhood first loves, they're 17 and 18 in this, have just had sex, which we don't see on the page. And they're kind of like daydreaming about what their futures will be like after having sex. And this was the first line for forever, I think. I thought it was like very jarring and kind of avant garde. And at one point my editor, who is so nice and is like so empathetic and kind, put what might be like one of the harsher notes she's ever given me. And she was like, I don't think this is as cute as you think this is. I was like, heard, yes, chef. I just thought it would be really intriguing, I guess, and. But she's totally right. The note was well taken. But she was just like a 17 year old boy Coming is not as. Is not as cute as you think it is. Like it sounds like you might think it is in your head.

[B]

Yeah, well, I mean, fair. Well, are you happy with where it landed?

[A]

I am happy. I'm really happy with the whole prologue. I think it's a really sharp contrast to then going into the present timeline and seeing where these characters ended up. So it's like, where did they think they were going to end up? And then where are they?

[B]

Well, I can't wait. I just got the book in the mail.

[A]

Oh, so exciting.

[B]

So I did read the first sentence already, but I'm excited to read more.

[A]

What about when there's an epigraph before the main text? Do you like that or no?

[B]

Oh, I love an epigraph. I love them.

[A]

Can I. Is this a safe space for me to admit things?

[B]

Sure.

[A]

I would say if there's an epigraph, 99% of the time I don't read it. Especially if it's longer than one line.

[B]

Oh, really?

[A]

Yeah. I don't want somebody else to tell me what your book is about. Like, don't use somebody else's words. I want to hear what you have to say.

[B]

I get that. I think for me, a person who loves a mood board, it just feels like a vibe check before we get into the pages. And sometimes, but not always, I will read an epigraph and know immediately I will like the novel.

[A]

Yeah, but I think you should earn that. I think an author should earn that without using. Usually an epigraph is from. Well, I mean, I guess not always. I was going to say sometimes it could be very obscure, but it usually is a very well known or beloved text that they are quoting.

[B]

I never look at it as like this is going to tell me something concrete about the book. It's almost more like I understand the taste of the author a little bit better or it sets the tone. I don't know, but I understand that. I understand different strokes.

[A]

But if somebody puts an epigraph in their book, I'm not going to read it.

[B]

Do you ever look at first lines when you're browsing in the bookstore?

[A]

Honestly, I can't tell you the last time I went into a bookstore and just browsed. I feel like I'm always going in with a list of things I'm looking for. And that made me kind of sad to realize I feel like I need to do some low stakes book browsing.

[B]

Oh, you do? It's my favorite thing just to pick something out based on a cover just at Total random. But it's hard when there's so many things you have to read. I get that.

[A]

What are some things that immediately make you appreciate a first line? Like, I think you alluded to this, and you said in a different episode specifically that you don't like when a first line is dialogue.

[B]

Yes, and then I promptly did that in my own book, but I generally don't like it. Having said that, going through all of these books in my library, like, so many of my favorite books do have dialogue in the first line. But generally I think what I like is very concise. It makes me feel something immediately, it conjures something, and it, like, sets the tone in some very subtle way, I think. What about you?

[A]

I like when a book can kind of sum up the entire thesis of the book into one sentence. And I have a couple examples later that I think successfully do this. Or I like when you drop me right into an interesting scene, even if I don't quote quite know what is happening, versus the alternative being, like a lot of backstory or a lot of description of the weather or a house or where I am. Like, I don't care yet. So, for example, I really liked not necessarily the opening line, but the opening sequence of Whistler by Ann Patchett. And the first line of it is, old guy, my husband says in a low voice, his lips touching my ear near the exit sign. You know, I don't know who the old guy is or who this couple is, but I immediately was like, ooh, what's he doing? I'm so nosy. Tell me everything.

[B]

Yeah, I like that too. That's very effective. So I think part of the reason I'm so fascinated by first lines now is because I write now. And I'm sure you might feel similarly. I was wondering if there's anything else about books as a reader you notice differently now on a small line level like that that you wouldn't have noticed or thought about before you were writing books.

[A]

I certainly copy edit books into my own voice. Sometimes I will be like, oh, I should have omitted that word. And especially when I first start a book, until I'm into the author's voice, I will copy edit it into my own, which is a useless exercise. I also feel like it has fundamentally made me read different, which has also made me appreciate more any experience where I' feel truly lost in a book. Because I do kind of. I'm watching the movie and then I'm thinking about how it was made at the same time.

[B]

Yeah. Yes, that's similar. To how I feel about reading dialogue now, which I never thought about before at all. Like, but now I really do think quite intensely about why a certain exchange works or feels fresh or sharp or interesting versus flat, because I think that can be the difference of, like, one word choice or one description of how a character moves their head or, like, inflects their voice. And never crossed my mind before as a reader, maybe I appreciated different things. Like, I enjoyed one more of the other, but I never thought about how or why.

[A]

Yeah, you think about why you enjoy something. Okay, let's get into some actual favorite lines. We each brought five standout first lines, and I'm curious, before you tell me them, did you find that they correlate with your favorite books, or were you, like me, surprised that some of your favorite books did not have favorite first lines?

[B]

Yes, I was surprised. I think the ones I chose are all books that are my favorite books, but they're much more similar across the board than I thought they would be, too. Like, I wrote them all down and I was like, oh, I'm noticing a pattern here. And I've also talked about some of these on the podcast before, so. So I thought we should start with yours, which are maybe fresher for the audience, if that's okay, and we'll get to mine later. But especially this first one, because it's relevant, because it's from our book club pick.

[A]

This first line is a fucking banger. Like, people are tattooing it on their bodies with good reason. Okay, buckle up. This is the first line of the book Witch by Meg Shafer, which is our August book club pick that I hope you are all going to read with us. Or if not, I'm getting ready to change your mind. All stories are love stories. If you love stories. Chills.

[B]

Perfect. Yeah, I feel like you could sell a book on that sentence. Perfect. Perfect.

[A]

And it goes so well with the tone of the book and the theme of the book. Like, that's one of the ones that. It's like the thief of the book summed up into 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. 5, 9 words. Did I count that right?

[B]

Yes. And it's not too sweet. It's just like, oh, yes, that makes perfect sense. And it sounds good.

[A]

It sounds so good. And it's such a. That whole book is such an homage to book lovers. And so that quote just scratches any book lover's itch so perfectly. I don't. I don't want to speak for everyone, but, like, wow, that's the type of

[B]

first sentence I would read, and I have this reaction where I kind of put down the book for a second. I'm like, they did it. I shake my head. I'm like, they really did it with that one. It's like admiration, joy, a little bit of jealousy, but, like, also excitement for what's to come. It's such a good feeling.

[A]

It's like that scene in Elf where he sees the world's best cup of coffee and he, like, pokes his head and he's like, congrats, guys, you did it.

[B]

Exactly. Yeah, exactly.

[A]

That's how I feel. I'm Buddy the Elf to Meg Shaffer, somebody I don't know. Okay. The second one I have is from Every Summer after by Carly Fortune. And it is. The fourth cocktail had seemed like a good idea. So did the bangs come to think about it, I guess it's two sentences. I love the voice of this in just two sentences. And I'm very curious about what this woman got herself into after four cocktails and some new, fresh bangs.

[B]

Yeah. I don't know if I would have been able to place this, like, to pair it with this book, but it's. Yeah, it's a very good two sentences.

[A]

Okay, are you ready for my third one?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I'm not super confident how to pronounce some of these names, so go with me. Before Mazer invented himself as Maeser, he was Samson Mazer. And before he was Samson Mazer, he was Samson Messore. A change of two letters that transformed him from a nice, ostensibly Jewish boy to a professional builder of worlds. And for most of his youth, he was Sam S a M on the hall of fame of his grandfather's Donkey Kong machine. But mainly Sam.

[B]

This was actually one of the ones that I was gonna. This is really easy now that I think about it, but I was gonna have you.

[A]

Guess it does say the character's name in it. But I can't remember if I said, this is from Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle7. But I think this so neatly encapsulates this character and his desire, his ambition and thirst for glory and greatness. And maybe how that stands in his way or can be annoying to people. And that all is one sentence. It's like one gorgeous sentence. And I was really impressed by this one.

[B]

So you're open to a long sentence?

[A]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, I'm open to a long sentence. I'm open on sentence length.

[B]

Okay, I like that. Next we have a shorter sentence.

[A]

We have a shorter sentence. People we meet on vacation by Emily. Henry. I feel like this is another good one that kind of sums up the book in one sentence. On vacation, you could be anyone you want.

[B]

That's a good one.

[A]

I love that.

[B]

Yeah, I wonder. I wish we could compare all her first sentences.

[A]

Oh, she kind of has this thing that she does in all of her books where she starts really broad and then zooms in within the course of a paragraph or a couple of paragraphs. I think if I'm remembering correctly, this one starts with, on vacation, you can be anyone you want. And it's like, maybe your hair perfectly curls even though you always wear it straight or you wear some crazy clothing or something. And then it kind of zooms in and in to the specific characters. I really like the way that she does first chapters in a lot of her books.

[B]

I would be interested to see if there's an evolution or if it's the same for every single one.

[A]

But I'm curious because I was gonna say, I feel confident that this kind of matches the first three books, but then I'm not sure past that, to be honest with you. Okay, so then for my final standout sentence. But we have more sentences. Don't worry. We have a lot from Lake Effect by Cynthia Dupree Sweeney. And it says, beth Pfeiffer didn't mean to start anything when she walked into Honey Finnegan's house with seven copies of the Joy of. You just know there's going to be a story here.

[B]

Great names. I feel like a first and last name can do a lot in a first sentence, too, just to add some pizzazz.

[A]

I agree. Okay, now I want to flip to you because it seems like there's a recipe. What is the Olivia mentor? Not writing, but, like, pleasing Olivia mentor as a reader recipe.

[B]

So it seems. I really like a short sentence, a short first sentence. I don't know what the average is here, but I think the shortest one is four words and the longest one is maybe 10.

[A]

It's like a mystery summed up in a single sentence.

[B]

Yes, yes. So some of these you've heard before. But we'll start with one that I haven't talked about here, which is the first line of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. And it's. When I think of my wife, I think of her head, which makes me immediately uncomfortable for some reason. But I also think of Ben Affleck, which might be part of it, because I think that line is maybe in the movie, too.

[A]

What does it refer to that he thinks of her head?

[B]

Well, I didn't read I don't have the copy with me because that feels

[A]

like a very jarring word choice. It's not I think of her brain or I think of her mind. It's I think of her head and it's like, what's wrong with her head? Did it get bashed in?

[B]

Like, if I remember correctly in the movie, it's like I think of my wife's beautiful head and I imagine all the weird things going on inside of it. I think it's something like that.

[A]

Okay, so it is referring to her brain or her mind. It's very jarring word choice.

[B]

I think so. In, like, a violent type of way. I didn't read the whole first chapter, but maybe I should have. I'll go back for it. It's the one book I don't have here with me. The next one, very short. It's from Night Watching by Tracy Sierra. And it's just there was someone in the house, which gives me chills, obviously, is a problem, probably. And I'm just in it. Just right there, I'm in it and I'm scared, which is exactly how you're supposed to feel in that book.

[A]

But it's a very simple, basic sentence. A lot of these are.

[B]

Yeah, I think. I don't know. There's something you like. Restraint, right in that ballpark.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

But the shortest one, the next one, which I've talked about, is from the God of the woods by Liz Moore. And it's just the bed is empty, and it's all about a girl who has disappeared from summer camp. And you're immediately in the mind of this. I believe it's the camp counselor who is, like, freaking out that the child is not in the bed. And so you're just in the heart of the mystery immediately. And then finally, the line that made me start thinking about first lines is from Seawife by Amity Gage. And the line is, where does a mistake begin?

[A]

That is a fantastic first line.

[B]

Yes. I think about that line all the time. I think about that question in and of itself separate from the book all the time. It's so good. And also, I have to tell you that I googled this to triple check it. And the Google AI that will not go away gave me an incorrect first line for this book. So just another reminder that AI is not your friend. Yes. Where does a mistake begin? I just think it's. It gives me chills immediately without understanding why.

[A]

That is kind of, to me, akin to Heart the Lover by Lily King, where I think the first line is you knew I was gonna write a book about you someday where you're immediately like, in that one, who said that? Like, why? And in this one it's like, where did the mistake begin? It's like one mistake.

[B]

Yes, yes. I think it's like the type of line or the type of question or thought that it's almost like it serves as a writing prompt. Like your mind is going immediately. That's what I love, that instead of going narrow, it goes wide and then it gets more narrow. But I understand the beauty of the opposite too. I thought about including that first line from Heart the Lover in our game that we're about to play, which I'm really excited for, by the way. But I didn't because I thought it was too easy.

[A]

Okay, let's take another ad break and I want to get to. You have two games for us.

[B]

I think if we have time, we're running long. I clearly am passionate about this, but we can. We'll see what we get to.

[A]

This episode is sponsored by Sol de Janeiro, the Brazilian inspired self care brand we're partnering with for our Summer of Soul. Because what goes better together in your beach bag than one of their signature perfume mists or their signature boom boom cream In a really great read, we'll be bringing our community together all summer long to celebrate with three bonus beach read book clubs right here on the podcast. Our next one is on August 20th and we'll be reading one and only by Maureen Goo, which is a love triangle romance with a hint of Korean mysticism.

[B]

Plus, we are so excited to tell you that we will be coming to Books and Books in Coral Gables in Miami for a live book club event for our August book club pick one and only by Maureen Goo on Monday, August 24th and we'll be at Book Club Bar in New York City on Wednesday, September 30 for a live book club event for our September pick, which is the Parisian Heist by Joe Piazza. You can find ticket links and more information on our [e-mail] summerofsoul and if

[A]

you missed out on tickets or don't live in one of the cities we're visiting, we want to spoil one lucky listener with a box of our favorite Sou Janeiro products and some bat on paper swag you can enter via the form linked on our website and we'll put it in the show notes too. Anytime between now and Tuesday, August 11th at noon eastern time. The giveaway is open to us listeners 18 plus only. All the information for event Tickets and the giveaway plus bonus book club episode dates can be [e-mail] summerofsoule. We're so excited to bring our community together this summer for more of what we love, discussing great books and obsessing over our favorite beauty products. Happy Summer of Soul.

[B]

So next we have a little game, which is essentially going to be we read each other first lines of books that we have read, and we try to guess what book it is. Becca put hers in the outline, but I did not put mine to make it trickier.

[A]

I didn't put what it's from. I just put.

[B]

So you maybe have a little bit of a harder time, but maybe not. I don't know.

[A]

Okay, tell me. Give me the first one.

[B]

Okay, the first one. This is maybe the easiest one. The first one is, I've hated my mother for most of my life, but it is her face I see as I drown.

[A]

I don't think I've read this book.

[B]

You have. It's a book club book. Oh, no. You liked it?

[A]

Who drowned in a book club book?

[B]

Weirdly, one of yours also references drowning, and I was like, what book is that?

[A]

I got nothing. What is it?

[B]

It's Wild Darkshore.

[A]

Oh, man. I should have gotten that. If that was the easiest one, I'm screwed.

[B]

Well, we'll see. What's easy to me may be hard to you or vice versa.

[A]

The thing about it is that I don't remember anything about her relationship with her mother in that book. Like, if it had to do with the remoteness of Antarctica, I could have told you, but I was like, what's a complicated mother's story where someone drowns?

[B]

Yeah. I mean, it is more of a background detail, so it's surprising that it leads with that. But I guess her drowning is kind of like the impetus of the whole story.

[A]

But sure.

[B]

Okay, so that's the first one.

[A]

Should we alternate? Should I give you one now?

[B]

Sure. Yeah.

[A]

A sister is not a friend.

[B]

Is this Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors?

[A]

It is. I think this is a great first line. I think that was going to be one of my picks if you gave me more than five. So I just moved it down here. I think that's a great sum up a book in one sentence.

[B]

It is very good. And really her writing is that good throughout her books, in my opinion. Okay, so I'm gonna give you a hint with this next one.

[A]

No, I don't want a hint yet. Let me ask for a hint if I need it.

[B]

Okay. Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents.

[A]

Is this from an obscure erotica episode?

[B]

It's definitely not. There's no erotic content in this book, I can guarantee you.

[A]

Okay, so it's good that I asked that before I started guessing.

[B]

It's not a book club book, but it's one I'm confident we both have read at some point.

[A]

Okay, I'll take the hint. I really wanted to do it all by myself.

[B]

It's a classic. I don't know Little Women.

[A]

Okay, so actually, I haven't read Little Women.

[B]

Oh, okay. See then. And to be fair, I kind of cheated because it references both Joe and Amy in the first sentence. So I was like, I can't do that. So that was a setup, I guess. I'm sorry.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

It's okay.

[A]

My next one is their lives. Cleave apart on a Tuesday night.

[B]

I'm not totally confident of this, but is this talking at night?

[A]

It is.

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

You're two for two and I'm zero for two.

[B]

I think mine are maybe harder. I don't know. I wasn't totally confident of that. But the word cleave is very specific. And I remember thinking about it like, okay, cleave apart, we're starting there.

[A]

Now, this is a line that I think is fine. It would never make a top first lines list for me. That must be that. I remember feeling very compelled by this book right away. It must be that the first chapter, which I remember the first chapter being a prologue when they're in a hospital. And it's very succinct and spare, but it must be that the first paragraph, the first chapter, something is doing something more than this line. It's like the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

[B]

Yeah. I can't actually remember what is happening on the Tuesday because I remember big events of the book, but I don't remember where it starts. But yeah, it's interesting. It's simple. But it wouldn't be make it my list either, but obviously one of my favorite books ever.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Okay, so this next one for you, I'm going to tell you this is a book I have not read. But you definitely have.

[A]

Okay, great.

[B]

And it is. Some people are natural storytellers.

[A]

Ugh, I'm gonna be so embarrassed. I have no idea.

[B]

It's Funny Story by Emily Henry.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

It was a little bit of a harder one, though. Cause it's not like.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, that's lower on my list of that might be my lowest ranked.

[B]

Interesting.

[A]

Emily Henry.

[B]

Personally, that doesn't grab me. But it does kind of fit with what you're talking about.

[A]

It turns off the title nicely and it does go with her theme of, like, starting big and then zooming in.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. I actually haven't read it, but I have owned it for quite some time.

[A]

Okay, my next one now I feel like I did Too easy.

[B]

The next one is too easy. I can.

[A]

Okay, well. Okay, so the next one I did was. The missing boy is 10 year old Alfie Risby. And to be perfectly honest with you, he's a little shit.

[B]

I do really like that first sentence. It's all the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harmon. Sarah Harmon.

[A]

There you go.

[B]

Yes. Strong first sentence for sure.

[A]

It's so voicey. So much voice packed into that, like, little sentence.

[B]

Okay, this next one is hard.

[A]

Oh, no.

[B]

Am I gonna get a single point? I'm gonna give you some hints. One of my favorite first sentences, upon reflecting on it, I was gonna include it in my list, but I was like, I'm gonna actually include it here because this was a book club pick. Okay. You like to think every woman has one and he just happens to be yours.

[A]

Okay, this sounds like it's about an ex. Oh, no. Olivia's laughing. It's not about an ex.

[B]

What if I keep reading and then you can call it when you.

[A]

Okay, okay, okay. Okay. Before you go, is it good material by Dolly Alderton?

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay, great.

[B]

I think. I think you will know. I think you'll know. Okay. You like to think every woman has one and he just happens to be yours. It's easier this way. If no one's free There is no room in your world for the ones still outside no love for the wind in their hair no patience for the sun on their skin he comes at night Unlocks the door Drags his boots through the.

[A]

Oh, it's the Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michelin.

[B]

Yes. There you go. Yes. Yes. Wow.

[A]

That sounded. Not about what I thought it was.

[B]

It was a tricky one, though. It was a tricky one. I will give you that. But I love that because you're like. It feels almost riddle esque, you know, you're like, what is happening here? So it was intentionally tricky. Okay, hit me.

[A]

Okay. My next one is Drowning. Doesn't look how I thought it would.

[B]

Is this a book club pick?

[A]

No, but it's a book that we both read. You read it this year.

[B]

I know I did. That's why it's killing me. I'm looking at my list of books I've read This year. Drowning doesn't look like how I. I'm gonna find it.

[A]

I'm gonna find it. God damn it. I'm kind of rooting against you at this point.

[B]

I have zero points. Oh, I can feel the energy. I can feel. We both read it this year.

[A]

That's a good question. I think so. Yeah. I think so.

[B]

Not a book club pick.

[A]

No.

[B]

And we both read it this year. Vantage point.

[A]

Yes. By Sarah Sagart.

[B]

Yes. Ah. Okay. Okay. It was one of the first. I was, like, going through the list, I was like, I know. I'm gonna get this. Okay. I kind of cheated, but I like that one.

[A]

I shouldn't have given you any hints.

[B]

You're right. I would have failed. I would not have gotten it. Okay, last one. Okay, we'll see. I have actually some things to discuss. I need to stop talking. I'm looking at the time. Okay.

[A]

Don't have any faith in me. I don't have any faith in myself at this point.

[B]

Okay. Here. It's one of the most unique ones. You are about to begin reading a new book, and to be honest, you are a little tense. Okay.

[A]

I know what this one is because I looked it up because I was wondering what the first line was. It's margot's got money troubles by Rufi Thorpe.

[B]

See? And very interesting format for a first sentence that weirdly works for me.

[A]

Yeah, but do you remember how the whole book had, like, there's the thing about playing with tense and like, that she meets him in her creative writing course. And, like, some of the chapters are written in first person and some are written. But she's talking about herself.

[B]

Yes, that's true. That's true. The book is also, I realized while looking at it, it's dedicated to you, which is kind of fun. So it says to you and then you read on. So I really enjoyed that, looking back on it.

[A]

Okay, my last one is, you disappeared on a school night. This feels like a very Olivia mentor coded first line, given the ones that we just reviewed.

[B]

Is this notes on your sudden disappearance?

[A]

It is. Yes. I thought this one would be a giveaway based on the second person.

[B]

How do you feel about there being a word in the title and the first line that are the same? Do you have any thoughts on that?

[A]

I guess maybe. I don't in this case, I don't feel like it's maybe as cute as the writer thinks it is. Although I guess a sister is not a friend. Blue Sister. Sister is in the title. And I don't mind that.

[B]

That's Very true. Yeah, it's a bigger word. I don't. So it feels a little repetitive to me. But also, knowing what I know about the main character's voice, it works.

[A]

That was very fun, despite how bad I was at that. I mean, thank you. I don't mean to be a poor sport, but I know.

[B]

I'm sorry. I made them really hard, I think. So to continue this conversation, I gathered five first sentences from books that mostly both of us have not read. One of them I have, but one of them is from an upcoming book. So I literally chose. I had a TBR pile and one random one I chose from them, and I brought them to you. And I want to hear your first gut reactions to these first sentences.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Okay. So first one. This is the one I have read. It's. We'll just read the sentence. So here we are, 37 weeks pregnant at IKEA.

[A]

Oh, this is Tilt by Emma Petit.

[B]

Yes. See you. There you go.

[A]

I know some first lines. I haven't read that book. I think the we is very weird to me as a reader, but I would keep going. But I think the sentence of, like, I'm 37 weeks pregnant in IKEA is really like. You're like, this is going to be a good story.

[B]

Yeah. Part of me is like, I would have liked to see another version of this.

[A]

It's a little. Knowing what I know about the book, it's a little too fun of a line for the tone of the story.

[B]

That's very true. Yes. This is a spoiler. An earthquake happens. It's not really that big of a spoiler. That's the premise of the book. But it is in line with the tone of the narrator's voice, so it kind of makes sense. But.

[A]

So we were like, oh, this is gonna be fun. Even though it's an earthquake. Book is supposed to be my takeaway, right?

[B]

Yes. And this is one of my favorite books that I've read recently. So even if the first sentence isn't like, my heart and soul, still love

[A]

it, I think that succeeds then for me.

[B]

Yeah. So this next one is from a very exciting upcoming book, and the line is, here's my question. How does a person step in front of a train and leave everything there? Inhale. No, exhale. That's two sentences. But they are by the one and only Barbara Kingsolver for her new book, Partita.

[A]

I am unsure how I feel about that. I think my first inclination is that I wish it was a little shorter. It felt like a wordy sentence. And I'm not quite sure what we're talking about. Are we talking about committing suicide? Are we talking about the trolley problem? I almost wish it was more general. Akin to the Amity gauge line. Where does a mistake begin?

[B]

Interesting.

[A]

Or maybe like you step in front of a train. Inhale. No, exhale. I don't know. I don't know what it's trying to do, but I would not say that that sentence grabs me. But again, I learned during this exercise that, like, I'm never reading just one sentence of a book. I'm reading, at a minimum, the first chapter. At a minimum. Minimum of a book. I really don't vibe with. I'm reading the full first page.

[B]

Do you will DNF after a single page?

[A]

No, but, like, if I were in a bookstore, I would like.

[B]

Okay, right. I was unsure about this, but I think it. This is two sentences. Technically, I think the second sentence makes it. I think. Inhale. No, exhale. When you're thinking of that in terms of the first sentence is so powerful, I have no idea what it's in reference to, but I really like it as a whole, as a little couplet, as we said.

[A]

I agree. I like the. Inhale. No, exhale.

[B]

Okay, so this next one also.

[A]

Who am I to be giving Barbara King Solver advice?

[B]

Also, we'd probably read the rest of the paragraph and be like, oh, my gosh, of course.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's. That's why first sentences are tricky but interesting in the same way. Okay, so this I thought was a kind of interesting one. This one is. He's looking at her, but she's not looking at him.

[A]

Oh, I like that. I like that a lot. That's fun.

[B]

Okay, this is from Main Characters by Bobby Palmer, which is really high on my TBR right now.

[A]

Me too.

[B]

I know you were considering reading it and knowing what I know about this book, which is that it's about a romance, but it's told from everyone's perspectives but theirs. This makes even more sense, I think.

[A]

Yeah, I think I really like that as a setup.

[B]

Okay, I like it too. Okay, next one. Fear Flung me out of New York City.

[A]

I'm intrigued. I'd keep reading.

[B]

Yeah, I really liked this too. This is from Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novak, which. The blurb on the front says Murder Bimbo is Gone Girl for the Luigi Mangioni era, which is a hell of a blurb pitch if I've ever heard one. I have heard good things about this. And I will say that looking at this first sentence, it's been on my list. It really made me want to read it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. Final one. And it is. The unveiling was to occur on a Monday morning.

[A]

Does nothing for me.

[B]

It's kind of similar to the Tuesday night one, the Claire Daverly one.

[A]

It feels very stilted of like the unveiling was to.

[B]

It's a choice for sure.

[A]

I think it's supposed to imply that something goes wrong and make me curious what happened to make the unveiling not happen.

[B]

Yeah, I liked it, but I know a little bit. I haven't read this, but I did go to a reading with the author. It's from Nu Skin by Sarah Wang, which has a lot to do with plastic surgery procedures.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

And in that sense.

[A]

Oh, so it's not about a funeral?

[B]

No, I don't think so.

[A]

The unveiling, I thought was like, about a grave.

[B]

I think if I. This is all context clues. I think it's like the unveiling of a new face after a surgery.

[A]

I see. In that case, with a little context, I like it more.

[B]

Yes, me too. But looking at a bunch of first sentences, it's funny how many people put like, days of the week or really concrete stamps in time. I think it works. But anyway, that's my weird little game for you.

[A]

This has been humbling that I don't know first sentences of books, but it's also been really gratifying that I think as a writer, you spend so much time belaboring first sentences. And it's gratifying to know that there are so many books I love with first sentences that I feel whatever on. Because I think sometimes too, a good first sentence only makes sense in retrospect. But realistically, you're only reading a book once, so in that way, I feel like a last line is sometimes more powerful because you've read the whole book and it's like, how are you gonna put the period on this sentence versus the first line? If you're being very clever. But I don't know enough about the characters or the world. Like, it doesn't mean anything to me yet.

[B]

Do you spend more time thinking about last lines as a writer?

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Oh, interesting. Okay. Huh. Now I have to go read your last lines. Do you know them off the top of your head?

[A]

I know the last line of Back where we Started, but I know it. The last line of the last chapter. I don't know the last line of the epilogue.

[B]

Okay, but is it something that stuck from the beginning? It's something that was important to you.

[A]

Oh, it changed a million times because

[B]

it was so important and because the ending changed. Well, this makes me want to go get the books now. Maybe we'll do a last lines episode. No, maybe this is only interesting to me.

[A]

Spoilery.

[B]

Oh yeah, that's true. That's true. We would spoil all of them. That's.

[A]

Hey, do you want to know the ending to a lot of books?

[B]

That's a very good point. So sorry, I'm like, I just want to talk about sentences more. Okay, well, well, let's take one more ad break and then we will get into some ED matter. This episode is sponsored by Wayfair. I am proud to be coming to you today as someone with a brand new powder room, or what will eventually be a powder room once we get a toilet and some other things. But designing a space like that from complete scratch can be really difficult. And that's why I start with one thing that I like. A color. Or in this case, a tile. For this room, the first item I chose was a classic marble tile from Wayfair. I wanted it to be something that could have existed when the house was built, but also modern and importantly, very easy to clean. And that the tile I found on Wayfair was also really affordable was just a huge bonus.

[A]

Wayfair makes it fast and simple to find quality materials that stand up to real life. With Wayfair's easy to browse features, it's easy to find furniture and decor that's built to last. Plus you can shop with Wayfair Verified, which is your shortcut to durable pieces. Hand vetted by product specialists using a 10 point quality inspection, testing things like quality of materials, functionality and features, and even how long it takes to build. There's nothing worse than taking a chance on an item in your home and hoping the quality translates to real life. Wayfair Verified helps you avoid that anxiety completely.

[B]

And Wayfair also offers rewards where members can get 5% back every day, helping you get even more value from your Wayfair purchases. Join Wayfair Rewards today and get 5% back on every purchase and start saving on your next home Upgrade. Head to Wayfair.com to shop all things home. That's W A Y-F A I R.com Wayfair Every style, every home. What is your obsession?

[A]

I gotta say, my obsession is on the weaker side this week. It's kind of one of those I love lamp situations where it's like, do you really love lamp or are you just saying that because it's in front of you, I could not think of one. But on the road trip up from Boston to Maine, we stopped at a rest stop and I ended up getting Sour Patch peaches. And I really like them. They're, like, more sour than a peach ring and more peachy. The bag is gone.

[B]

Are you a Sour Patch watermelons person or.

[A]

I'm not. I don't love a fake watermelon flavor. And they're not very sour. These aren't particularly sour either.

[B]

Okay, well, good to know. Sounds good.

[A]

Yeah. I endorse. What about you?

[B]

Mine is pretty simple. I'm really into this song called untangling by Angie McMahon. It came on my Discover Weekly or something, and the beginning of it just kind of sounds like the soundtrack to, like, you're a woman after a bad breakup, driving down a scenic highway, restarting her life. And so I like that energy and I like this song. I think it's great.

[A]

Okay, what about reading Spoiler? I don't think I've read a single word of a book since our last recording.

[B]

Okay, well, I read two, so I can talk about it all on you if you want.

[A]

I would love to.

[B]

All right, so I read Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart, which is the first novel from the author of John and John, which everyone knows I loved. This is one of the bleakest books I have ever, ever read. It is. Talk about bad thing after bad thing happening. Wow.

[A]

Yeah. So how did this compare to you? Was the bleakness. This is so bleak, but it's so true, and I love it. Or was this like, wow, man, a little sunshine wouldn't kill you?

[B]

I mean, there are moments of, like, really deep, I don't know, human tenderness, I guess. But it was really quite hard to read in parts. Having said that, I really blew through it and I absolutely loved it. So I don't know what that means. I kept thinking about it in relation to the Burning side because there is a similar sense of, like, bad thing after bad thing. And honestly, Shuggie Bain is about 200 times more depressing in terms of, like, bad things happening 200 times darker. I mean, there is no comparison, but it just. The writing style just worked for me. It is so immersive. It just feels like I am in the 1980s with them in this house, like, 100%. I don't know what it is about how he writes, but it's. It's transportive and beautiful. But, yeah, read the trigger warnings times a thousand. And then I finished the Keeper by Tana French, which is the third in this series of books, there's the Searcher and the Hunter. I've read one of them. It's about a small Irish village and a girl who dies. It's kind of like, imagine there's a crime that takes place in this tiny, tiny Irish village, and then there's a 60 Minutes episode on it. But it includes, like, all the B roll, like, every interview, every tiny detail you don't care about. It's like 500 pages long and too long, in my opinion.

[A]

Are you a ton of French lover overall, though? Because I feel like she's known for a more literary mystery.

[B]

So I think she wrote in the woods or that's.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Yeah. And that was one of the books that got me into reading. This book was just. I liked it. It's a solid like for me, but it was really long. Like, it was very long. By the end, I was like, let's wrap this up, please.

[A]

I have a few friends who are huge Tana French fans, and they really wanted me to read in the Woods. And in the first chapter, the first two chapters, there's basically this scene where a kid goes into the woods and finds these blood shoes. And it was, like, automatically too gory for me. And I will never read another Tana French book. Like, I felt really wronged by, like, I did not realize how I thought it was gonna be like, a cozy mystery, like a Louise Penny. And all of a sudden, there's, like, blood shoes. And I was like, absolutely not.

[B]

Yeah, see, I would prefer more blood shoes in this. We're getting more like three people sitting around a table while it's raining outside, talking for 400 pages, which I think is great for some people, but I could have used, like, half of that. But, I mean, it's beautifully written. I love the descriptions of Ireland, but. But, yeah, a little too long for me, maybe.

[A]

Well, those don't sound like glowing endorsements.

[B]

So we also have Shuggie Venus, to be clear. I love that. I just proceed with caution. It's not forever. Proceed with caution.

[A]

With caution. Okay, so we also have our August book club pick, which is the book Witch by Meg Shafer with that banger of a verse line that we just talked about. This is about a book witch named Rainy March who can step into stories and is trying to help characters that have gone on off track or protect them from the book burners who are trying to destroy stories from the inside. And it's like a cozy, magical fantasy that is very layered, I will say. I just want to keep warning people that, like, when I was reading it, it felt a little too sweet for me. And I read the first like 70 pages and I was like, I get it. I don't know if I could read 300 pages of this. And then it pivoted and then it pivoted again. And I just was so constantly surprised by this book. I was talking about this book with somebody at our Chicago event and they were so happ that we were doing it for book club because it's such an ode to book lovers and to book culture. So I'm so excited for this episode and for you to read it, Olivia, and for me to reread it. So I hope you'll join us.

[B]

I'm excited about it. If you want to talk to us about first lines or anything else, you can join us in the Facebook group, our BFF group, or on our Instagram Batonpaper podcast. I am on the Internet Olivia mentors.

[A]

I'm on Instagram ecamfreeman. My newsletter is beccafreeman.substack.com and some exciting news is that we're doing signed pre orders of my second book, back where we started, which comes out in October through the Ripped Bodice. I have it saved to a highlight on my Instagram or you can go to the Ripped Bodice's website and I would love to sign a copy for you.

[B]

And once again, a huge thank you to our Summer of Soul partner, Sol de Janeiro for sponsoring this episode. And a quick reminder to go to batonpaperpodcast.com summerofsoul for all the info you need for upcoming bonus book club episodes and those live events we mentioned and go to soldegenero.com discount bop10 for the automatic 10% discount on your first purchase.