Book love
The first sentence of a newspaper story is called the lead. Journalists have been known to obsess about crafting a clever offering until they drown in a pot of coffee or Diet Coke, depending.
In books, I use the first sentence as a gauge. If it’s good enough, I’m all in.
JR sent me William Boyd’s “The New Confessions” to read, with his highest praise.
First sentence:
“My first act on entering this world was to kill my mother.”
So there you go.