Thursday Thirteen #67: Thirteen Beginnings

Being in mid-packing for the upcoming move, about the only books left standing are those piled on my nightstand. I could do a simple and boring thirteen books from that pile, but I won't. Instead, here are thirteen beginnings from a random selection of the ever-growing TBR mountain.

1. It happened that green and crazy summer when Frankie was twelve years old. This was the summer when for a long time she had not been a member. She belonged to no club and was a member of nothing in the world. (The Member of the Wedding, Carson McCullers)

2. "Pendleton! Oh, great, that’s just great. It had to be you!"
"Nice seeing you again, too, Tyler. Damn it, will you get your foot off my—" (Enemy Mine, Kay Hooper)

3. The first day of kindergarten at the exclusive Briarwood School was the worst day of Regan Hamilton Madison’s life. It was such a disaster she made up her mind never to go back. (Murder List, Julie Garwood)

4. Sawyer Kincaid hated the rain. (Protective Instincts, Julie Miller)

5. I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley near the frozen creek. That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. (The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini)

6. "All of the good men are either married or gay," Rita declared. "And now Richard’s married." She closed the file drawer with a bang. (Aunt Dimity and the Duke, Nancy Atherton)

7. He’d broken a rule, and now he would pay a price. It was as simple as that. Max had taken the life of a human. His reasons didn’t matter. (Beast of Darkness, Lisa Renee Jones)

8. Lindsey Brooks stood in the kitchen of her Lakeshore Drive high-rise condo wearing a pink, frilly apron emblazoned with the words kiss the cook--and nothing else. Well, except for a pair of bright red, pointy-toed stilettos. (Letters to a Secret Lover, Toni Blake)

9. Jonah Baker heard the clatter of a Kalashnikov, then another weapon returning fire. The sound was familiar in the craggy brown hills of a country where warlords ran rampant over the land, fighting each other for prestige and territory. (Soldier Caged, Rebecca York)

10. * * * HERE IS A SMALL FACT * * *
You are going to die.
I am in all truthfulness attempting to be cheerful about this whole topic, though most people find themselves hindered in believing me, no matter my protestations. Please, trust me. I most definitely can be cheerful. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that’s only the A’s. Just don’t ask me to be nice. Nice has nothing to do with me. (The Book Thief, Markus Zusak)

11. "Now’s your shot with me, Zach. I say we get naked." (Flashpoint, Jill Shalvis)

12. It was Kitty’s turn to sleep with her head at the foot of the bed. She didn’t mind; she preferred it, actually. She liked the mild disorientation that came from that position, and she liked the relative sense of privacy—her sisters’ feet in her face, yes, but not their eyes, not their ears, nor the close, damp sounds of their breathing. (Dream When You’re Feeling Blue, Elizabeth Berg)

13. …Bulky chimneys stretched heavenwards, emitted a trickle of smoke. Nearby, a lark rose jubilantly into the clear blue sky, and the breeze ruffled the birds feathers.
One of the chimneys twitched. The breeze died away. The birds fell silent. Even the hum of insects stopped.
A shudder ran through the chimney. A sliver of cobalt blue appeared at its top. (Bewitched, Sandra Schwab)


Links to other Thursday Thirteens:

Diana Castilleja * Adelle Laudan * Savannah Chase
Stephanie Sullivan * Alice Audrey * Jana
Shelley Munro * Tempest Knight * Phoebe Jordan
Jennifer McKenzie * Paige Tyler * Pamela
Kaige * Nina Pierce * Sandra Schwab * Nichole Ellis

(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!