First Sentences

Inspired by a Latvian blogger, Inga, who in turn was inspired by a Huffington Post blog post, I am joining in the "first sentences challenge." The idea is simple -- select and share the first sentence from five books. Inga suggested that the lines should be from books you have read recently. I mostly chose books that I have read in the last few years, however to increase the diversity, also selected one from a Latvian language book enjoyed long ago. To keep with my literary theme for this year, which involves picking more books by woman authors, four of the chosen selections are by women.

"I still don't know why Sallie and I bothered to go to that party in the forest slope above Aspen." Rebecca Solnit, Men Explain Things to Me

"Saules un vēja izbalināts zirga galvas kauss stāv Madaras Gobas grāmatu skapī - gandrīz vai goda vietā." Ingrīda Vīksniņa, Saules sala

"The day after Lula's lawyer called to tell her she was legal, three Albanian guys showed up in a brand-new black Lexus SUV." Francine Prose, My New American Life

"It was too late to pretend he hadn't seen her." Adelle Waldman, The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.

"No one is left from the Glenn Valley, Pennsylvania, Bridge Club who can tell us precisely when or why the group broke up, even though its forty-odd members were still playing regularly as recently as 1990, just as they had done for more than a half a century." Robert B. Putnam, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community

You are welcome to join in by sharing a first sentence in the comments, or several on your blog! Paldies, Inga, par jauko ideju!