What is the first line of the book you are reading right now?

The first line of my current book is: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Sounds familiar? It's Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen! :) I don't usually read classics unless it's assigned for novel study at school, but I've heard this one is pretty good, so I decided to read it. I have to say, Pride and Prejudice really is one of the best classic literature out there.

Next thing on the list: Kiss a stranger.

"Something that is of great importance to me?" J. thought for a few moments before responding, "Magic?" The Valkyries, by Paulo Coelho.

That is a good opening line for a story. I am reading a book right now by Ruth Rendell. It's a mystery but the murder didn't occur until Part 2, more than 80 pages into the book. The opening "Part" was terribly boring and don't know why she chose to start this way except that it gave some background to some of the characters, but it was a little bit of overkill. The opening line is "The perfectly preserved body of the woman they wall the Marquise of Tai lay, sheathed in glass, some feet below them on the lower level." Inspector Wexford is on a trip to China for the first part of this story (Speaker of Mandarin) and though there is a lot of interesting stuff about China, I fail to see what any of it has to do with the story. I know people who would have put that book down after the first page.

Gee, I don't know about that. I would have to go back and look at the book and I dont have it available to me right now. It actually starts with a forward and the book itself they are talking about the weather. They are in the midst of a storm and I think they are talking about how the storm makes them feel.

"Out in the grasslands to the west of the kingdom of Deverry, the concepts of day and month had no meaning." Dawnspell, book 3 ot the Deverry Series by Katharine Kerr