Opening lines. They can pull you into book and urge ya to go further, or turn ya off so’s ya move on.
Mom and me, we’ve been around long enough to know some good opening lines when we see ‘em. So we made a list. Checked it twice. And came up with our 100% unscientific, totally subjective list of 35 Most Memorable Opening Lines Ever. From books we’ve actually read.
Her Royal Grumpiness is all grumpified today. For two reasons: 1) Glasses; 2) The Book Place.
Short version: New prescription eye glasses ain’t working. Only way Her Momness can read a computer screen is by tilting her head up and looking through the bottom of the lenses. So not happenin’. What was that optometrist thinking? So annoying.
“Looks like you made a friend,” his Marine Corps buddy quipped of the short-legged, floppy-eared stray dog who wandered into the USMC compound in Afghanistan.
But what author Craig Grossi heard was, “Looks like a Fred.” The name stuck. What unfolds next is one of the most touching, heartwarming and remarkable true animal stories we’ve ever read.
Even Kimber Her Royal Magnificence was impressed: “Fred is my new best bud! He’s like, Totally PAWsome!”
“Kimmi, you say that about everyone,” chirpeth Her Momness.
“So?”
Kimber’s buddy Rosencrantz.
The response to a prior post on why you don’t need to blog every day was really positive and kind of surprising. So we decided to do an encore-ish thing. Sort of. Like this:
Ever wish someone had told you how to get from Point A to Point B as a blogger? What to do and what to avoid? What works and what’s a waste of time?
Mom and I? We wish someone had told us some things when we first started blogging (shortly after the discovery of fire). After many, many fits and starts and enough mistakes and mis-steps to choke a camel, Her Momness finally started paying attention to me.
Well. You know Mom.
So today we’re sharing some essential blogging truths we learned away. Hope you find these three truths helpful:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ever gingerly opened a book, unsure where it may head, or how?
Stable Weight was one of those books. When Mom and I sat down to read it, she let me in on a secret. I’ll explain at the end of this review. So stay tuned. And don’t tell Mom. Let’s just keep this our little secret, okay? Meanwhile, on to the review:
“The best day of my life was the day I found out I was not alone in the world” begins this slim, no-nonsense tome by Deborah Ellis, followed by, “This is how it happened.”
Easily read in a day or two, No Ordinary Day is narrated by the protagonist, Valli, a young orphan girl who escapes the coal pits of Jharia, India to roam the highways and byways of Kolkata, India. The story unfolds through Valli’s eyes, ears, and feet. Yes, feet. Feet that have been burnt, cut, and injured without an “Ouch!”
Hold on to your bacon, friends! Cuz Her Royal Momness has come up with a Royal Doozie this time! Yes sirree, Lassie!
You know how the more you read, the more you begin to get favorite authors? Realize that no matter what they publish, the way they write and structure their work is going to pull you in every time? Like that nice, juicy burger left unattended on the backyard barbecue, so when no one was lookin’…
What?
Oh, right. Favorite authors of all time.
This is harder than you may think. And think. And think. And think again. But some hoomans asked about our fave authors the other day. So we’re up to the task. Or the Royal Doozie, as the case may be.
Wait. Do I smell bacon?
Well. Great gobs of galloping goose grease! And bacon! Lots and lots of bacon!
Mom and I got this book in the mail the other day. Added it to our TBR pile. You know. The one that’s about 256 feet tall. Her Momness says, “No worries, Kimmi. Let’s just take a quick peek at the book blurb. Maybe a gander at a sentence or two. Or a paragraph or… 67. A few pages… chapters… bases…”
Silly Mom.
Next thing ya know, it’s 1:47 a.m. We’re rounding third base. Sliding into home. And turning the last page. Silly Mom again. Cuz ya know what? We couldn’t put this thing down! (The book. Not the bacon. Well, okay. The bacon, too. But ya know what we mean, right?) Here’s why:
Kimber the Magnificent: Summer’s winding down and Her Momness and I thought now would be a good time to revisit some Summer Hits and Misses.
So we’re gonna include some Seriously Pawsome Reads and some Kitty Litter Box candidates. Fifteen in all. In no particular order.
Ready? Set? Let’s go!
Being all Beautiful and Brilliant and Everything.
Turning a corner here today into somethin’ a little diff: writing contests.
Raise your paw if this has ever happened to you. (It’s okay. Nobody’s lookin’.):
You’re cruising the internet, local bookstore or writer’s group and come across an announcement for a writing contest. It may be fiction or non. Short story, humor, poetry. Whatever. You’re intrigued. You check out the guidelines. Polish your best material to a solar sheen. Submit. And cross your fingers.
Pages & Paws 