Despite the fact that my participating in First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday, hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, was supposed to reduce the number of sample chapters I have on my Kindle, it seems the opposite has happened. In the past week, I’ve loaded up on new releases! Here’s one that caught my eye – Ten Things I’ve Learnt About Love by Sarah Butler. I am intrigued because the book is written as a series of lists. I love lists.
Here’s the first paragraph –
“Ten things I will say to my father
1) I met a man in Singapore who smelt like you – cigarette smoke and suede.
2) I remember that holiday in Greece – endless ruins, and you having to explain the difference between Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns again and again.
3) I wish you’d talked about Mama. I wish you’d kept something of hers.
4) I still have the book you bought me for my tenth birthday, when I wanted to be an astronaut – A Tour Through the Solar System.
5) I know you always hoped one of us would be a doctor, like you.
6) I have a recurring dream. I am standing outside your house. There’s a party; I can hear people talking and laughing inside. I ring the doorbell, and it takes you for ever to answer.
7) It was me who stole the photograph from your study.
8) I used to spy on you – watch you gardening or sitting in your armchair, or at your desk with your back to the door. I always wanted you to turn around and see me.
9) I’m sorry I haven’t been about much.
10) Please, don’t -“
Buy or bin it?
Bin it. That’s because I don’t like reading lists 🙂
Ha ha! I’m a compulsive list maker. I have read the first few chapters now – it is lists interspersed with ordinary text. I think I’ll probably read it.
I love the cover and as long as the book wasn’t lists on every page, I’d keep reading. Thanks so much for joining in.
Is the whole book about lists? The topic is intriguing, however…perhaps I would give it a go.
Here’s MY TUESDAY MEMES POST
I think each chapter starts with a list and then there is a bit of text. Had a quick glance – the lists set the tone for each chapter. I’ll be reading it 🙂
I like the list and I love the cover. I’d give it a try. Putting it on my list! Here’s Mine
I liked the cover as well – not that I judge a book by its cover 😉
I’m a list maker… I’d buy it!
I wonder what number 10 would have said!! I don’t really like lists but can deal with them if they start a book! Thanks for sharing! Here’s my Tuesday Post
Juli @ Universe in Words
I hope I find out what number 10 said! It’s a tempting way to open a book though.
This is unique enough that I’d keep reading.
I would worry that the book would be disjointed and it would be hard to follow a story thread done in lists. What do you think?
I think there is text between the lists. I’ll give it a go because I like to see different creative writing techniques eg. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.