What are your favourite first sentences from books? Is there a book that you liked specially because of its first sentence? Or a book, perhaps that you didn’t like but still remember simply because of the first line?

I don’t know that I have a favourite first sentence, but I have a couple good stories.

The first anecdote is about Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series. When my boyfriend first wanted me the read the books, he gave me the second one and I started with that, stopping every few pages to ask him questions. He said he didn’t think I should start with the first one because it was a bit boring and he hated one of the first sentences: “It was an odd-looking vine.”

The second anecdote is about a book I recently finished called Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. She’s a great writer and this is a terrific book for a psychological viewpoint into a mother-daughter relationship gone wrong. The first line of the book is: “When it came down to it, killing my mother wasn’t that hard.”

The HSBC Celebration of Light is an annual event in Vancouver for two weeks every summer. Three (3) countries compete with fireworks displays and corresponding music, then they join for a fourth night and do a finale fireworks display. The winner is then announced; last year, Canada won.

Competing this year:

• Wednesday July 23: Canada
• Saturday July 26: USA (first time competing)
• Wednesday July 30: China
• Saturday August 2: Finale

Canada’s Theme was “Attack” and paid tribute to all the old Japanese monster/horror films with soundtracks from Godzilla and the like.

Panic has swept the city after recent events in the bay. Several ships have been sunk and buildings along the coast have been destroyed. Scientists have ruled out previous theories of underwater volcanic activity. New reports of a strange creature rising from the water moments prior to the attacks are emerging, but have yet to be confirmed…”

Spawned in the ocean’s depths, it stalks the earth…

Let us take you on a voyage of fear and discovery as the world declares war on the ocean’s secret. Face a terror nothing could prepare us for. Mourn lost souls and rally spirits when it seems all hope is lost. The future of humanity hangs by a thread. Will mankind’s ingenuity triumph? Witness what may be the end.

Let fire in the sky capture your imagination as we tell you the story of humanity’s greatest hour

These are my favourite kind! The giant palm tree ones.

Finale: I love the glow on the water and the silhouette of the boat!