I think a fun main channel video would be ranking 10 books 3 different ways to see how they compare. Like rank the covers first, rank the first lines next, and then rank the books once you’re done with them

the nerve of this man to read out that gorgeous opening line from Atalanta, knowing full well that we can’t read it until May 😭😭 Babel fully lives up to its opening line imho. Hope you enjoy all of these!

"Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm." The best opening line ever.

Yay I’m so happy you did this again!! I love this concept, it would be interesting if you did the first paragraph, too. And if you’re feeling crazy…the LAST LINE?!

after you have read all the books featured in this or one of the previous episodes, you should do a sequel ranking the books overall and compare the list to the first impression ranks

My favorite opening line is from Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book "There was a hand in the darkness, it held a knife"

0:45 Three Rooms - Jo Hamya 1:33 Maps of our Spectacular Bodies - Maddie Mortimer 2:26 Atlanta - Jennifer Saint 3:31 Mouth to Mouth - Antoine Wilson 5:35 A Certain Hunger - Chelsea G. Summers 6:40 Babel - R.F. Kuang 8:17 The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida - Shehan Karunatilaka 9:22 I Love You but I’ve Chosen Darkness - Claire Vaye Watkins 10:48 Olga Dies Dreaming - Xochitl Gonzalez 12:07 Young Mungo - Douglas Stuart

Thinking about it, knowing the plot of Babel, it’s actually pretty fitting that it gets silver. I continue to love this concept and would watch another addition.

Yay, I loved Olga Die Dreaming. The opening chapter about napkins is iconic.

My favorite book opening is from Leo Tolstoy “Resurrection”. “Though hundreds of thousands had done their very best to disfigure the small piece of land on which they were crowded together, by paying the ground with stones, scrap- ing away every vestige of vegetation, cutting down the trees, turning away birds and beasts, and filling the air with the smoke of naphtha and coal, still spring was spring, even in the town.” ❤💔 Of course, it sounds much better in Russian language. But it has so much meaning even now. Even though people are constantly destroying the planet, seasons are still changing, no matter what.

I love these types of videos, cause I’m the type of person who will flick open books in the store and buy them just based on the first paragraph! The last really good opening line I read was “I arrived in Berlin at the beginning of February, before the shame and guilt brewing somewhere low in my stomach turned symptomatic” from ‘Berlin’ by Bea Setton. It’s just the perfect intro for what the book turns out to be (great book btw, kinda Sally Rooney-esque)

When I was younger, I had this habit of reading the last line of every book before I started reading it. It sounds weird and sure I came across some spoilers every now and then but I think it’s also something that would make a great video. I dunno maybe I’m just weird but someone else said it too, I think, and it might be cool.

I forgot that was how Young Mungo opened. Knowing what happened, it’s really, really good. On so many levels. And saying that his mother convinces herself that everything is going to be ok.. heartbreaking. Perhaps you could revisit these once you have read the books?

A certain hunger was in my top 3 last year, and my average rating was barely above a 2.3 on goodreads. You're in for a beautifully crafted piece of literature.

Speed dating but make it books. Love it 😂❤

My order just based on these opening lines! (I haven’t read any of these books… yet! Lol) A certain hunger Olga dies dreaming Atlanta I love you but I’ve chosen darkness Bable Mouth to mouth Maps of our spectacular bodies Seven moons of maali almeda Three rooms Young mungo

i always love how Jack's videos are so down to earth and low-maintenance like no fancy professional lighting & set up and getting all commercial. It's just him and his books in his room. He feels like a mate you would actually know from school or an older cousin who has a passionate hobby

You should make a second part once you've read them all where you decide if you want to reorder them or not based on the whole book.

We have very different tastes ahahah! I find that what I look for in first lines are often short and sharp statements that leave a lot of gaps such as Great Gatsby's "In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since" or even Moby-Dick's "Call me Ismael". The less said in the first line the better for me. The Seven Moons of Maali Babel (although didn't enjoy the book as a whole …) Atlanta Young Mungo A Certain Hunger Three Rooms Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies Mouth to Mouth Olga Dies Dreaming I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness (long lines are automatically a turn off for me)

Love the concept, please make this an ongoing series! Much love from Austria! ❤️

This is the order my pint of ice cream and I have decided on: (1.) Babel (Iconic Behaviour) (2.) The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida (I want to know more! What is the question? Why everyone asking it? Why does the answer seemingly not matter?) (3.) Olga Dies Dreaming (I am so irritated, in the best way. What is even happening here?) (4.) A Certain Hunger (showing my bias here bc I work at a bar, but I can comfirm that description is 100% accurate) (5.) Atlanta ("unwanted scrap of humanity" go off girl) (6.) Mouth To Mouth (the ultimate true neutral. It's giving me "Gregor Samsa woke up to find that he was a cockroach" - has critics salivating but just makes me want to scream IT'S NOT THAT DEEP BRO) (7.) I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness (completely forgot how it started by the time it ended. too many characters, I am Confusion) (8.) Three Rooms (mostly boring, but the moving in and out is kinda interesting) (9.) Young Mungo (objectively pretty decent, but I'm sorry, I just do not care) (10.) Maps Of Our Spectacular Bodies (Made my brain hurt, I am too stupid to understand what that even means) Altogether pretty similar listings, with the exception of Young Mungo (Also I have not read any of these books so this is purely based on the opening lines)

Young Mungo was so devestatingly brilliant. Never have I been so scared reading the last couple of pages of a book.

So glad you did this type of video again, it get's me so excited to start reading some of the books!

One of my favourite books of all time also has one of the best opening lines I think: "the terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years - if it ever did end - began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain." It, Stephen King

I love these videos. It would be great to have a follow-up once you've read them all to see where they ranked after finishing them.

Love these videos! 😊 So far, Atlanta sounds great 🧡

I just loved this concept!!!!

Absolutely love Douglas Stuart books, I've recently read Shuggie Bain and it was a 5 star read for me. It's currently being borrowed by several family members. I'm sure they'll enjoy it.

7:26 highly recommend Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez that has this concept!! (Crónica de una muerte anunciada) a reporter figure tries to piece together the murder of this man and it's super well done And also The Shrouded Woman by María Luisa Bombal (La amortajada) it works in this concept a main character that is already dead and in a fantastical way is still present in her funeral and reflects upon on her life

Excited to see what you make of Olga Dies Dreaming. I've been reading it for a book club this month and I'm hooked.

Thank you for this....I'm inspired to do something similar with my TBR. I have 48 books that I have not read yet and I think this would be great as a deciding factor for what to read next. LOVE your vids ❤

I have been waiting forever for Jack's review on Babel! I can't start the book without Jack's approval

Lovely Video! So interesting how different vibes the first lines can have. Also love your sweater!😊

I hope you continue this series!

Part Four please, looove this

I'd love to see a follow-up video after you've read all of these books to see how well your rating of their opening lines correlated with your opinion/ranking of the books themselves!

I would love to see you read them and then rank them again and see how the books compare to their opening lines

Love your vids, always entertaining

Great video idea. It would be great to do a follow up video after reading them all and see if your impressions were accurate and if you liked them in the same ranking order.

playing along! 1. Olga dies dreaming 2. Babel 3. A certain hunger 4. Mouth to mouth 5. Young Mungo 6. The seven moons of Maali Almeeda 7. Maps of our spectacular bodies 8. I love you but I’ve chosen darkness 9. Atlanta 10. Three rooms

I read Young Mungo over summer and it took a while for. meto get into. However, once you get a proper understanding of the characters and the context for the first line it is incredibly interesting. You said it perfectly, it is a character study with a lot of social commentary surrounding Catholic and Protestant rivalry in Scotland. Stuart also includes the accents of the characters within the story, so things will be written as they are said. This made it hard for me to follow but definitely added a layer of depth to the book.

I LOVE THIS SERIES

this is such a great video concept and might just be a new staple in my process of deciding what to read next!!! my rankings: the seven moons of maali almeida, a certain hunger, mouth to mouth, olga dies dreaming, young mungo, babel, atlanta, maps of our spectacular bodies, i love you but i've chosen darkness, three rooms

Atlanta, Olga Dies Dreaming, Seven Moons of Maali Almeida and Babel really caught my attention by the end.

Would love to see you do this with classics

My favourite first page of all time is the one from The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Absolutely brilliant. You should do first page or first paragraph next - I know sometimes the very first line may not be that impressive, but the first paragraph definitely is.

Good luck on crafting your first line! I always wanted to begin something: "Her violet heeled Maud Frizons clicked briskly across the travertine."

That was a very well placed sponsor message 😁👍 from the intro i was treading it as i know it can sometimes break the flow of the video or change the energy of it and be very annoying, but you managed to just put that in the perfect spot. The opening line we were discussing before it was interesting and made me think a bit and as you were calmly thinking about it aswell, it left an opening in the video and an open mindset to then flow naturally into the sponsor message. I wanna say congrats on that even tho im like reading way too into this 😄 also the way you spoke during the message was nice, you were calm and didn't ramble too much, it wasn't awkward to watch nor did i feel the need to skip ahead. You're cool Jack ❤️

I would love to see you compare your opening line rankings to your actual rankings of the books once you’ve read them!

I recently finished reading The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. The book is chef's kiss.

It'd be really great of there was a follow up video where we see which books you really enjoyed and how they related to the rankings!!

LOVE THIS SERIES! ❤

Every time I hear you say the title of "I love you , but I've chosen darkness" it hits me. It's one of my favourite lines of all time

1. Atalanta 2. Babel 3. The Seven Moons 4. Young Mungo 5. Mouth to Mouth 6. A Certain Hunger 7. Maps of our Spectacular Bodies 8. Olga Dies Dreaming 9. I Love you but Ive Chosen Darkness 10. Three Rooms I played along and this is my ranking. Just sharing for the sake of it, but yer. Love your videos by the way. :)

for me to have a read a book before jack is nothing short of a miracle since he normally gives me the reccomdations

My favourite opening line recently was Pachinko "history has not been kind to us, but no matter" I love the short and punchy ones. Lots in this video were far too long for me personally

Jack recorded it at the same desk in his room he used to record during 2020 and I just can't ..... With the nostalgia this is giving me

OMGGGG THANK YOUU BECAUSE YOU DID THIS AGAIN 🫶🏼🥹 PLEASEEE DONT STOP MAKING THIS 🇵🇭

I have two kinds of openings that usually grip me so much that they whirlpool me into the story. The first is a short sentence of less than ten or fifteen words - rhythmic, punchy, and usually presents a shocking, uncomfortable, or intriguing fact about the characters or the story. One of the best examples, I think, is from George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, which goes, "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." The second is a paragraph opening (can be one sentence or a collection of two or three) - descriptive, specific, and rich in the way that it presents the setting to the reader. The best example I have for this is the opening of The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. It goes, "May in Ayemenem is a hot, brooding month. The days are long and humid. The river shrinks and black crows gorge on bright mangoes in still, dustgreen trees. Red bananas ripen. Jackfruits burst. Dissolute bluebottles hum vacuously in the fruity air. Then they stun themselves against clear windowpanes and die, fatly baffled in the sun."

Here for a fun Vlog on judging books 👏🏽

can't wait for your review of Babel. it's such an interesting book

I’d love you to do like a “famous opening lines” thing as well!!

Whenever Jack posts, I have a tiny celebration in my head!

You could do a video rating all 10 of these books in order and seeing how it compares to how you ranked the opening lines!

my rating: Certain Hunger The Seven Moons of Maali Almeira Young Mungo I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness Atlanta Babel Maps of our Spectacular Bodies Three Rooms Olga Dies Dreaming Mouth to Mouth thanks for the video jack!! love this format 💗

One of my favourite books of all time has a killer first line: "My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die." which is the first line of the prologue of Jellicoe Road my Melina Marchetta. The first line of the first chapter (which is from the pov of the main character, which the prologue is not) is also killer: "I'm dreaming of the boy in the tree and at the exact moment I'm about to hear the answer that I've been waiting for, the flashlights yank me out of what could have been one of those perfect moments of clarity people talk about for the rest of their lives." Not only are both of these lines amazing because they pull you right in and are intriguing, they are also tied heavily to the themes of the book. Like, the dream of the boy in the tree isn't just there so the character can wake up abruptly, the dream is actually heavily relevant to the rest of the plot and the main character. And the father dying is somehow both an origin and a premonition in one. They're just awesome.

Never read the book but A Certain Hunger had a captivating opening line by far no. 1 on this list imo.

my favorite opening line is from Mortal Engines: "It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea."

Here is my ranking 1) Babel - any book that starts with a character's death is gripping 2) The 7 moons of malia almeida - I need to know more 3) mouth to mouth - kInd of basic but I am intrigued 4) Atlanta - like it seems like I'd like the way the story would move from there 5) 3 rooms - just sounds nice 6) Olga dies dreaming - weird and so random 7) a certain hunger - good I guess 8) young mungo - so long and for what 9) maps of spectacular bodies - i understood nothing 10) I love you but I've chosen darkness - again so long and for what. Boring.

Man I love your video concepts! Now I want to do this. I love you but I Chose the Darkness was my least favorite, it was too much. I agree with your #1 entry too.

Hey Jack, what about some followup video where you rank the books after you read them, and compare that to the first line judgements....? Cool to know how that works out 😅😊

MY RANKING FROM BEST TO WORST: a certain hunger (i've read the book and enjoyed it, so i'm probably biased, but it is quite an interesting first line) babel (this is actually quite a good set up, i've read and loved the book so i know that haha) the seven moons of maali almeda (i like the tone of this one) olga dies dreaming (it does seem interesting, but not hugely memorable for me) young mungo (definitely a character study, but not something I want to dive into straight away) maps of our spectacular bodies (quite good, not incredible) atalanta (sets out the themes, but not overly intriguing) three rooms (good-ish) i love you but i've chosen darkness (it feels like quite a generic opening line, if that makes sense) mouth to mouth (feels like it's trying too hard to intrigue me, so it consequently does not)

Are you posting a 2022 recap? I know I keep asking but I need recs and I love yours 😂

This is a great idea

i dnf’d three rooms it’s extremely hard to get into. your cover is so much nicer than the one i have too 😭

IDC JACK YOU HAVE TO READ BABEL !! that book has my whole damn heart

here's my rating :D 1. babel 2. a certain hunger 3. atlanta 4. olga dies dreaming 5. the seven moons of maali almeida 6. young mungo 7. maps of our spectacular bodies 8. mouth to mouth 9. three rooms 10. i love you but ive chosen darkness

My Rating: - Babel - Mouth to mouth - Certain Hunger - 7 Moons - Atalanta - I love you but - Maps - Mungo - 3 Rooms - Olga Dies These videos are definitely fun! 💗

If you read this Hi, almost my every tbr is from you. I really love your review it is almost as same as mine after reading that book

I JUST got that jack in the books is a word play for jack in the box

Ohh my order is this : 1. Olga dies dreaming 2. Young mungo 3. The seven moons of Maali Almeeda 4. Babel 5. Mouth to mouth 7.A certain hunger 8. Three Rooms 9. Maps of our spectacular bodies 10. I love you but ive chosen darkness

Ooh I love bar themes so a certain hunger appeals to me now

It would be so cool with a follow up after you read all books. Like, if you’d still rate them the same way and in the same order

Please never stop this series 😭

Here's my ranking! It was really fun to compare my opinions to yours: Atlanta (breathtaking, immediately put it on my tbr) A Certain Hunger (descriptive and sociological? sign me up) The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida (beautifully simply introspective and philosophical, I absolutely love it) Babel (love when a writing style gives off an academia vibe) Young Mungo (sounds awesome! very intriguing and seems like it'll have some themes I'll like) Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies (super intriguing - I want to read on to explore the unique writing style further) Three Rooms (a nice, inoffensive opener) Olga Dies Dreaming (it was really well written but it feels like it has an unlikable protagonist which is not my vibe personally rn) I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness (feels like it'd either be really good or very bad and I'm worried that it'd be very bad) Mouth to Mouth (just feels like a typical hook to lure you in and therefore a bit tiresome) Sooo similar thoughts on all the books except for Olga Dies Dreaming! Apart from that, I think our top half and bottom half of the ranking consists of the same groups of books, which is cool. otherwise it just comes down to our differing tastes! For right now, at least, I'm only really interested in reading Atlanta, A Certain Hunger, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, Babel and maaaaaybe Young Mungo. Thanks for suggesting to also rank the books! I'll do it next time too!!

I was playing this as background sound, and when I turn too see the end "podium" got so surprised and exited to see a Mexican name ❤So Glad our latin culture is growing into literature. BTW, just so you don't struggle with the pronunciation later , Xochitl González is pronounced "So Chill - Gun Sah Less" 😄

What is there to see from an aeroplane you ask? When I was 18 I was flying home from Madrid and I watched lightning out of the window. How was this different from seeing it on the gound? I watched it from above the clouds, seeing it as flashing balls below me, the light seeming to dance across the blanket below me as each area flashed in turn. My mum, sat next to me, didn't turn her head to see. Sticking her nose further into her book, she tuned out the noise of the plane around her until the bubbling of families overhearing me and flattening their faces to the windows became too loud to ignore. She turned and watched the last two flashes flicker through the sky like fireworks. "Oh wow, it really is lightning!" "You missed the best part" I said (genuinely just started a normal comment and then my writing brain ran away with me oops)

Love these videos ❤❤❤❤

Babel OBSESSED One of my favorite books you will love it 😊

When you opened the book backwards it made me think you should definitely do for the LAST LINE

My order would be A Certain Hunger, The Seven Moons of Maali, Mouth To Mouth, Maps Of Our Spectacular Bodies, Olga Dies Dreaming, Babel, Atlanta, Young Mungo, I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness , Three Rooms

Ok I was carefully watching the video.... And then I loose my focus and I am staring right at jack's eye drops I am guessing 😌

Jack really should do a KZfaq audio book, could start with a short book and read a chapter a day or so

A similar first sentence to Brighton rock is Chronicles of a death foretold by Marquez. Playing along as well: A certain hunger The seven moons of Maali Almeida Atalanta Maps of our spectacular bodies Olga dies dreaming Babel I love you but I've chosen darkness Young Mungo Mouth to mouth Three rooms

A book with my first name in the title... Added to my TBR

Jack, you did not just drop a “sometime soon” about your novel….! Exciting 🤩

That Young Mungo opening line hits different once you know what happens

LOVE THESE 1st LINE VIDEOS! I was so curious after the first video about my own books, it’s a fun thing to do!🤍

This makes me want to endlessly edit the first line of my draft debut novel just in case someone tries to rank my book for it hahaha

The UK cover of “a certain hunger” is literally sinful