Top 5 opening lines from books randomly grabbed from my to-be-read pile

"Establishing goals is all right if you don't let them deprive you of interesting detours."
- Doug Larson

Getting to the bottom of my TBR (to-be-read) pile is, and isn't, my lifelong goal. Have I actually achieved something if I manage to magically read everything in it? Or am I more successful if I keep adding to it? After all, adding to the list and shaving a few off the top is all an interesting detour, right? How I decide which of the many to start on next is sometimes half the fun :) It can also be incredibly confusing to anyone watching because there is no rhyme or reason to my end choice of book. I will heap them all together and assess the titles (are they too obvious? Not obvious enough? Funny? Ridiculous? So stupid it's begging to be read/chucked out the door - sometimes both?), the covers (does it match the title? Should it match the title? Is the artwork dodgy? Is it too posed? Is it unintentionally hilarious - in which case it'll move to the head of the list?), the synopsis (is it too long? Too short? Much like a bad movie where all the best bits are in the trailer - and therefore leave you feeling horrifically shortchanged?), the closing line of the book (is it too 'twee'? Not 'twee' enough? Does it seem even vaguely realistic - in which case I will probably throw it back because hey, who needs realism, right?) and the opening line. Oh yes, the opening line. Depending on my mood, the opening line can make or break a book, as far as I'm concerned, which doesn't seem wholly fair, does it? Especially considering my mood is as changeable as the weather. Fair warning, dear authors, if your title doesn't do it, and neither does your cover then the only chance you have left to grab my attention is the opening line. For this post I do nothing more strenuous than randomly grab 20+ titles from one of my TBR piles and play favourites with opening sentences. The things I do for your (and my own) amusement, people!

Top 5 romance audiobooks that made me blush

"Who, being loved, is poor?"
- Oscar Wilde

Who, being loved, is poor? Indeed! And who, listening to romance audiobooks, has blushed? Or gotten the giggles? Or started laughing and almost choked to death? Why, that would be me :) I heart romance books. I truly, truly do, but as much as I enjoy them I do find myself skipping the 'romantic scenes' if they are appallingly long. I mean, seriously, 20 pages?! Sometimes I find that 20 pages of seduction serves only to put me to sleep. I also find that when reading certain authors (think Laurell K. Hamilton) the ménage scenes leave me feeling conflicted because all I can think about is, 'Where are everyone's limbs?' and how if they're not in motion or use, is some poor sod feeling neglected and left out and cold? Yes, it's a sad and beautifully weird place inside my head. But romance novels in audio? Yikes. They're a different kettle of fish altogether.