ooh, a book meme!

[mamajoan]

(From pearl_o)

Book meme:
1. Choose five of your all time favorite books.
2. Take the first sentence of the first chapter and make a list in your journal.
3. Don't reveal the author or the title of the book.
4. Now everyone try and guess.

OK, here goes:

1. I see in Lunaya Pravda that Luna City Council has passed on first reading a bill to examine, license, inspect -- and tax -- public food vendors operating inside municipal pressure. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. Guessed by a number of people, but kenboy was first. This one was probably too easy given my particular set of friends. ;)

2. Roscommon came and laid waste to my garden an hour after dawn, about the time I usually get out of bed and he usually passes out on the shoulder of some freeway. Zodiac by Neal Stephenson. Guessed by tuflilbuttercup.

3. There were five of us -- Carruthers and the new recruit and myself, and Mr. Spivens and the verger. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. Guessed by sorokin.

4. This is a story about magic and where it goes and perhaps more importantly where it comes from and why, although it doesn't pretend to answer all or any of these questions. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett. Guessed by glamsith. This isn't actually my favorite Discworld novel, but it's up there, and the other ones I liked better had first sentences that were either too easy or too hard to guess.

5. There once was a boy named ____ who didn't know what to do with himself -- not just sometimes, but always. (I didn't put the name b/c I thought that might make it too easy.) The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster. Guessed by fox1013. If I had put the name (Milo) in there, would y'all have found it easier to guess?

Let the guessing begin!

Comments

[kenboy.livejournal.com]

I'm going to guess that #1 is Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, which I haven't read in years, mainly because of the first person and the Luna setting. And a hunch.

The others, I don't have guesses on, but 2 and 4 seem familiar.

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

5 is Phantom Tollbooth, right?

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Correct-a-mundo!

[daharyn.livejournal.com]

Is number 3 Connie Willis?

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Yep. :)

#2 is _Zodiac_ by Neal Stephenson

[tuflilbuttercup.livejournal.com]

Although I don't have my copy on my shelf right now to double check. I wonder where it is. Golden Boy had it last. But he usually returns my books. I wonder if I loaned it to someone else...

I think that's my favorite Stephenson. But the Boston connection really gives it an unfair leg up. And the fact it appears to have had an editor keeping it from being 900 pages.

Re: #2 is _Zodiac_ by Neal Stephenson

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

You are correct, random person whom I don't think I know but who clearly is very cool! It is definitely the best Stephenson in my personal opinion, and I'm not just saying that because of the Boston connection. I think I have two copies, but I'm pretty sure neither of them is yours. ;)

Re: #2 is _Zodiac_ by Neal Stephenson

[tuflilbuttercup.livejournal.com]

It's likely you do know who I am. Golden Boy is the pseudonym of one of my housemates. That naming system would call me Wasabi. Giving you the name of my other housemate would make this all too easy, but let's say that she has contributed to this post's comments.

Re: #2 is _Zodiac_ by Neal Stephenson

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Oh, Mindy! Why didn't you say so? :)

Re: #2 is _Zodiac_ by Neal Stephenson

[tuflilbuttercup.livejournal.com]

Mork likes me to keep a low profile. What with the alien thing.

[blueraccoon.livejournal.com]

#1 is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Heinlein.

I *think* #5 is The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster.

And I swear I know #4 but I don't know what it is.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

I am certain beyond all doubt that #1 is Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, because both of us recognised it and then we checked our copy. ;-)

#4 seems tantalisingly familiar, but I don't know why.

[ex-sorokin.livejournal.com]

#4 is Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, she said firmly without going to look. I will argue that #3 is To Say Nothing of the Dog. I will further argue that Joan should read different books than I do so this sort of thing would be more challenging.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

You are wrong about #4, as I haven't read Jonathan Strange yet, although I know that makes me a terrible person. And I would argue that it's not possible for you and me to read different books, because we would have to be different people. From who we are, not from each other. I'm pretty sure we are different people from each other.

[mofic.livejournal.com]

I knew #1 right away. I'm convinced I've never read the others, but maybe I'll be proven wrong.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

If you haven't read #5, I'd be pretty surprised! And as for the others, I would highly recommend you check them out. I think you'd enjoy them all, especially #3.

[mofic.livejournal.com]

I haven't read The Phantom Tollbooth. How I managed not to with three kids is one of the great mysteries of life. And I've never heard of #3! Well, a few books to check out.

[glamsith.livejournal.com]

#4 is Equal Rites.

I had to get up and check. I hunched #1 corrctly, and I' also going to hunch that #5 is the Catcher in the Rye, although I havent' read it. Like I said, it's a hunch.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Your hunch on #5 was incorrect, but you're the first person to get #4 right, so you get props for that. :)

[ex-sorokin.livejournal.com]

That'll teach me not to check my answers. And the Zodiac-guesser is my housemate who came to your cookie party and thought we were insane, so you do know him, he just doesn't always know about introductions. Dork.