Saturday, April 21, 2012

Readathon Mini-Challenge: Name That Book!




Hello, all! Welcome to my mini-challenge for Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon. How is everyone faring? Eyes crossed from twelve straight hours of reading? Slightly numb and/or sore unmentionable extremities? Well, you have come to the right place. Do some stretches, blink a few times, and participate in this challenge! It will be fun, I promise. Afterward, you can get back to your hardcore reading.

Oh, and did I mention there's a prize involved?

So, I like quotes. And by that, I mean I am obsessed with them beyond the reaches of what is generally considered normalcy. Which is why I picked this as my challenge.

Here's the deal. I've compiled a list of 25 quotes. Look at this list. Wrack your brain. Leave a comment with as many guesses as possible! No Googling, looking at other comments for the answers, or any of that nonsense. That's just lame. This challenge will stay open for four hours. After closing, one comment will be chosen randomly, with no consideration of the accuracy of the answers, and the winner will be contacted via e-mail. If there is no response within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen randomly, contacted, and so on.

The prize is a $5 Gift Certificate to Amazon or Barnes & Noble! It is therefore open to anywhere they ship.

This list is comprised entirely of opening lines. With one exception, all the quotes are here for one of two reasons. 1) The quote itself is made of awesome, or 2) The book it introduces is made of awesome. I haven't read one of the books, thus the exception. If you can guess which one, bonus points to you! These will not, of course, help you in the giveaway, but who doesn't like to say they have a nice stack of bonus points stacked up in their personal history? But I digress, as usual. Some of the quotes are pretty obvious (like really, really obvious), and others are more obscure. All sorts of genres are included here, from YA to romance to classics.

Okay, that is officially all I have to say regarding the challenge. Your turn! May the odds be ever in your favor. (Is that getting old yet? Sorry. Had to do it at least once. And really, this was the perfect opportunity.)

1) The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning.

2) Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

3) Paulette Lestafier wasn't as crazy as they said. Sure, she knew what day it was, since that was all she had left to do now.

4) It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

5) The play -- for which Briony had designed the posters, programs and tickets, constructed the sales booth out of a folding screen tipped on its side, and lined the collection box in red crepe paper -- was written by her in a two-day tempest of composition, causing her to miss a breakfast and a lunch.

6) I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974.

7) It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper none others are to see.

8) All children, except one, grow up.

9) Jason was going to Brain Camp. It had another name, a real name, but that's what everyone called it.

10) We slept in what had once been the gymnasium.

11) 1801 -- I have just returned from a visit to my landlord -- the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with.

12) Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

13) I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.

14) In every life there is a turning point. A moment so tremendous, so sharp and clear that one feels as if one’s been hit in the chest, all the breath knocked out, and one knows, absolute knows without the merest hint of a shadow of a doubt that one’s life will never be the same.

15) Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita.

16) First the colors.
Then the humans.
That’s usually how I see things.
Or at least, how I try.

17) There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.

18) I remember the day the Aleut ship came to our island. At first it seemed like a small shell afloat on the sea.

19) Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York. Especially in the summer of 1912.

20) Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

21) There is one mirror in my house.

22) In the spring of 1792, Dominick Edward Guy de Ath Ballister, third Marquess of Dain, Earl of Blackmoor, Viscount Launcells, Baron Ballister and Launcells, lost his wife and four children to typhus.

23) This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.

24) Sophie Dempsey didn't like Temptation even before the Garveys smashed into her '86 Civic, broke her sister's sunglasses, and confirmed all her worse suspicions about people from small towns who drove beige Cadillacs.

25) Which one of Johnny Burwell's eyebrows do you think is cuter?

60 comments:

  1. 1. I feel I should know this!
    2. Anna Karenina =) (and my guess for the one you haven't read, though you should!)
    4. Pride and Prejudice
    11. Oh, I know I should know this! Going to guess Wuthering Heights, but I think the timing is wrong
    12. HP and the sorcerer's stone
    17. Voyage of the dawn treader, and one of the best 1st lines ever!
    19. A tree grows in Brooklyn
    20. Rebecca...makes me want to reread!
    24. Ha, sounds good, whatever it is!

    I, too, love quotes! Thanks for the break!

    Ronnica@ignoranthistorian.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great job on all the ones you named! They're all correct, Wuthering Heights included. :)

      #24 is Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. It's a good one! Phineas T. Tucker is one of my favorite heroes ever, and the sole reason other than the cartoon that I love the name Phineas.

      Delete
  2. Fun challenge; thanks for hosting!
    6. Middlesex
    8. Peter Pan
    12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    15. Lolita
    16. The Book Thief
    17. Voyage of the Dawn Treader
    18. Island of the Blue Dolphins
    24. The Princess Bride

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No problem! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :D These are all correct!

      Delete
  3. 1. Tuck Everlasting
    2.
    3.
    4. Pride and Prejudice
    5.
    6. Middlesex
    7.
    8. Peter Pan?
    9.
    10.
    11.
    12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    13.
    14.
    15. Lolita (I love this book)
    16. The Book Thief (my son just informed me of this one since he's reading it now.)
    17.
    18. Island of the Blue Dolphins (<3)
    19.
    20.
    21.
    22.
    23.
    24.
    25.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes to all. :D

      Hooray for Lolita love! Nabokov's prose is just so amazingly stunning. The opening line is rather obvious, but I can't compose a list with my favorite opening quotes and not include that one. It's easily in my top 3 openings ever.

      I love that your son is reading The Book Thief! Such a great book.

      Island of the Blue Dolphins was my favorite book during my childhood. I must have read it twenty times.

      Delete
  4. Oh my.. those are tough.

    I know 6(?) off the top of my head.

    4. Pride and Prejudice
    5. Atonement
    8. Peter Pan
    15. Lolita
    19. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
    20. Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, sorry! I tried to do a wide variety so there would be some for everyone. All your guesses are correct! :)

      Delete
  5. 2. Anna Karenina
    4. Pride and Prejudice
    5. Atonement
    6. Middlesex?
    9. Agh! I read this recently but have no idea what it is...had to Google it, so I won't answer now. :)
    11. Wuthering Heights
    12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    13. I Capture the Castle
    15. Lolita
    19. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
    20. Rebecca

    Lots of my faves on here! Now I'm curious about the others - I may have to try them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All correct! Great job!

      #9 is my favorite YA book ever. I'm actually rereading it for the readathon today. It will make my 14th time, LOL.

      Delete
  6. This was tough!

    4. Pride and Prejudice
    8. Peter Pan
    10. The Handmaid's Tale (something I read in school came in handy! lol :D)
    11. Wuthering Heights
    12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    18. Island of the Blue Dolphins
    24. Welcome to Temptation

    And I'm curious about the rest, so I'm going to go Google them now, haha. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tough it may have been, but you got all of them right!

      If you have a question about any specifically, just let me know, and I'll tell you what it comes from. :)

      Delete
  7. 1) ?
    2) Anna Karenina
    3) ?
    4) Something by Jane Austen, maybe Pride and Prejudice
    5) ?
    6) Middlesex
    7) ?
    8) Peter Pan
    9) Brain Camp?
    10) ?
    11) ?
    12) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    13) ?
    14) ?
    15) Lolita
    16) ?
    17) ?
    18) ?
    19) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
    20) Rebecca
    21) ?
    22) ?
    23) ?
    24) ?
    25) ?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Forgot to leave my email: emerging DOT paradigm AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  9. 4. Pride and Prejudice
    6. Middlesex
    8. Peter Pan (I think)
    10. Never Let Me Go ?
    12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    15. Lolita
    16. The Book Thief
    17. The Voyage of the Dawn-Treader (Chronicles of Narnia)
    20. Rebecca

    Boy, some of these are really hard! How I love book quotes though. Great mini-challenge. =O)

    truebookaddictATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All correct except for #10. Great job!

      Hooray for mutual love of quotes! :)

      Delete
  10. 4: Pride and Prejudice
    8: Peter Pan?
    9: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

    ReplyDelete
  11. O.M.G. This is fantastic! I think I know a couple but not guessing, looking forward to the answers!

    ReplyDelete
  12. 6. Middlesex
    12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    8. Peter Pan

    This is an awesome quiz!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I know that 5. is Atonement. I honestly didn't recognize any of the others.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great challenge!

    2) Anna Karenina
    4) Pride and Prejudice
    5) Atonement
    6) Middlesex
    7) The Handmaid's Tale
    8) Peter Pan
    12) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    13) I Capture the Castle
    15) Lolita
    17) The Voyage of the Dawn TReader
    20) Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! I think that's the most correct guesses so far. All right! Great job. :D

      Delete
  15. Sorry, here's my email...

    avidreader25@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. 5. Atonement
    6. Perks of Being a Wallflower
    12. Harry Potter… uh I'm guessing sorceror's stone
    15. Lolita

    ReplyDelete
  17. Okay. I'm trying really hard not to look at anyone else's answers.
    2. I know I know this. I only wish I could remember it!
    4. Pride and Prejudice
    7. The Poisonwood Bible?
    8. Peter Pan
    12. Harry Potter :)
    17. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I believe

    Great mini challenge idea!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, yes, it can definitely be challenging once there are this many.

      I know I know this. I only wish I could remember it!

      Ahh, hate it when that happens!

      Great job, though! #4, 8, #12, and #17 all correct!

      Delete
  18. Excellent challenge! This is all I could guess at:

    4) Pride and Prejudice
    8) Peter Pan
    12) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    15) Lolita
    20) Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
  19. Whew, this was tough! Here are the ones I know (or think I do...):

    2 anna karenina (leo tolstoy)
    4 pride and prejudice (jane austen)
    5 atonement (ian mcewan)
    8 peter pan (j. m. barrie)
    9 the truth about forever (sarah dessen)
    11 wuthering heights (emily bronte)
    13 i capture the castle (dodie smith)
    15 lolita (vladimir nabokov)
    20 rebecca (daphne du maurier)
    23 the princess bride (william goldman)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Excellent! You are correct in stating that you know all of them. :D

      Delete
  20. Ok - the ones that I really did know -
    4 - Pride and Prejudice
    5 - Atonement
    8 - Peter Pan
    10 - The Handmaid's Tale
    11 - Wuthering Heights
    12 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    15 - Lolita
    20 - Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
  21. 4) Pride and Prejudice
    8) Peter Pan
    11) Wuthering Heights
    12) Harry Potter
    15) Lolita
    16) The Book Thief
    This was so good! Lol, I definitely need to read more. Amazing challenge :)
    My e-mail address: gzoyg001@fiu.edu

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

      All your guesses are correct!

      Delete
  22. 8) Peter Pan
    12) Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone
    15) Lolita
    20) Rebecca

    http://bookwormwithacamera.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  23. I only know a few of them. The others I have either never read the books or just don't remember. =(

    4 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
    8 - Peter Pan (Barrie)
    12 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowlings
    16 - The Book Thief (I recently read an excerpt that contained this. Its in my tbr pile)
    20 - Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (This is one of my favorite books)

    4ahappierme@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I definitely understand that. I'm sure there are a myriad of opening quotes from books I've read that I would not recognize.

      Great job on the ones you guessed, though! They are all correct. :)

      I've been wanting to re-read Rebecca lately. I read it several years ago, and it was even better than I expected! I read it in a day, which does not often happen with classics of any substantial size.

      Delete
  24. 1) Don't know

    2) Anna Karenina

    3) No idea

    4) Pride and Prejudice

    5) Atonement (Ooh, how I hate that book and loathe the dreadful Briony with all the fibres of my being)

    6) Middlesex

    7) The Handmaid's Tale

    8) Peter Pan

    9) Holes?

    10) Don't know

    11) Wuthering Heights

    12) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone

    13) I Capture the Castle

    14) When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn. My least favourite Bridgerton book.

    15) Lolita

    16) The Book Thief

    17) Something by Roald Dahl?

    18) Don't know

    19) Don't know

    20) Rebecca

    21)

    22) Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase!

    23) The Princess Bride! My ACTUAL favourite book in all the world.

    24) Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. Great book!

    25) Don't know

    Great challenge, with a lot of nice selections. So much fun, and I amazed myself with how many I rememered.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Impressive. :D

      Let's see...You got all correct except for #9 and #17. Great job!

      When He Was Wicked is definitely an extremely different tone than all the others in the series. Although I do have to disagree with you on this point, because it's actually my favorite in the series. But to each her own. :)

      I'm glad you got Lord of Scoundrels. I was afraid no one would!

      The Princess Bride is my best friend's all-time favorite book, too. Excellent taste!

      I'm glad you had fun!

      Delete
  25. 2. Anna Kareenena
    4.Pride and prejudice
    8. Peter Pan
    12> harry potter
    15. Lolita
    16. Book thief

    That is all I know, Now off to google rest... :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. 6. Middlesex!
    It's the only one I know but I wanted to participate anyways! I really like this blog. consider it added to my blog roll (or is it role? oh homonyms).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Correct! And thank you. :)

      Hmm, interesting question. According to my Googling skills (I wasn't sure, either), it's "blogroll" or "blog roll."

      Delete
  27. 1.Tuck Everlasting
    2. ?
    3.?
    4. Pride and Prejudice
    5. Atonement
    6. Middlesex
    7. ?
    8. Peter Pan!
    9. ?
    10. Handmaids Tale
    11. Wuthering Heights
    12. Harry Potter! 1st book
    13. ?
    14. ?
    15. ?
    16. Book Thief (I think)
    17.Narnia - Dawn Treader
    18. ?
    19. Tree Gores in Brooklyn
    20. ?
    21. ?
    22. ?
    23. ?
    24. ?
    25. ?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Great challenge! I don't know many but here are my guesses!

    4. Pride & Prejudice
    7. 1984
    8. Peter Pan
    12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone
    15. Lolita
    20. Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

      All correct except for #7. Great job!

      Delete
  29. Great one! Here's my guess

    1. Tuck Everlasting; Natalie Babbitt
    2. Anna Karenina; Leo Tolstoy
    3. Hunting and Gathering; Anna Gavalda
    4. Pride and Prejudice; Jane Austen
    5. Atonement; Ian McEwan
    6. Middlesex; Jeffrey Eugenides
    7. Anthem; Ayn Rand
    8. Peter Pan; JM Barrie
    9. The Truth About Forever; Sarah Dessen
    10. The Handmaid's Tale; Margaret Atwood
    11. Wuthering Heights; Emily Bronte
    12. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone; JK Rowling
    13. I Capture the Castle; Dodie Smith
    14. When He Was Wicked; Julia Quinn
    15. Lolita; Vladimir Nabokov
    16. The Book Thief; Markus Zusak
    17. The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader"; C.S. Lewis
    18. Island of the Blue Dolphins; Scott O' Dell
    19. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; Betty Smith
    20. Rebecca; Daphne du Maurier
    21. Divergent; Veronica Roth
    22.
    23. The Princess Bride; William Goldman
    24. Welcome to Temptation; Jennifer Crusie
    25. The Juliet Club; Suzanne Harper

    Phew that was hard!

    ReplyDelete
  30. 4. Pride & Prejudice

    12. Harry Potter

    ReplyDelete
  31. Sharon, thank you for hosting such a fun challenge. I knew 12 off of the top of my head and others tickled at my memory. I hope you post the answers eventually.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No problem! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) I had not even thought of posting the answers, but that's a great idea! I will do so when I announce the winner.

      Delete

Psst! I now reside over at The Book Barbies. I'd still love to hear your thoughts, though!