First lines are easy, last lines are harder

[kerravonsen]

Modification of altariel1's effort.

1. Choose a dozen of your favourite books. (I couldn't limit it to 10)
2. Take the last sentence of the last chapter and make a list in your journal.
3. Don't reveal the author or the title of the book.
4. Now everyone try and guess.

I'm deleting the first half of the sentence with #2, #7 and #12, because it's a dead giveaway.
ETA: edited to add first-sentence-of-first-chapter of the unguessed ones.

1. "Well, I'm back," he said.
"The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien guessed by altariel1

2. ...and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them.
"Pride and Predjudice" by Jane Austen guessed by altariel1

3. Outside, the rain beat against the thatch, and away over the river came the distant rumble of the thunder.
First line: The bird had died.

4. Then he made the formal salute with his halberd, and they went away together into the unknown world.
First line: The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children's games from the beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up.
"The Napoleon of Notting Hill" by G. K. Chesterton guessed by jhall1

5. "Daav," she said, and walked into his arms.
First line: "Sinit, must you read at table?"
"Scout's Progress" by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller guessed by drednort

6. "Shall we go ask about that hydroponics tour?"
"Komarr" by Lois McMaster Bujold guessed by... altariel1

7. ... "you should know by now, I can talk my way out of anything."
First line: It's a port city.

8. "Come along, darling, I'll show you..."
First line:The farewell was beautiful.
"Trouble With Lichen" by John Wyndham guessed by drednort.

9. He smiled, and then he began to laugh; and together they started back through the abandoned halls -- returning to Carbuncle, going home.
First line: The door swung shut silently behind them, cutting off the light, music, and wild celebration of the ballroom.

10. The Federation, after all, knows very little more about the mysterious ways of destiny than do the Younglings; and there are times when I wonder whether the power that sent us to Toris was that of chance, or natural law, or of something beyond either that we shall never fully comprehend.
"The Far Side of Evil" by Silvia Louise Engdahl guessed by altariel1

11. And somehow, Sara felt as if she understood her, though she said so little, and only stood still and looked and looked after her as she went out of the shop with the Indian gentleman, and they got into the carriage and drove away.
"The Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett guessed by altariel1

12. ...now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.
"The Last Battle" by C. S. Lewis guessed by.., altariel1!

Comments

[altariel.livejournal.com]

#1 The Lord of the Rings
#2 Pride and Prejudice
#6 Komarr
#10 The Far Side of Evil
#11 A Little Princess
#12 The Last Battle

Sure I know #8...

[kerravonsen]

See, I told you we had too many favourite books in common! You got them all right.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

:-D I'm trying to find a DLS...

[kerravonsen]

DLS?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Dorothy L. Sayers.

[kerravonsen]

Ah. DLS is affectionately recalled, but not yet the first thing I think of when I think of favourite books. Or even the twelfth thing I think of...

[kerravonsen]

As for #8... I can't remember if you like this author or not.

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

I didn't recognize any but the last, I'm afraid, though the first was familiar.

[kerravonsen]

Try again, I've added first lines.

[temeres.livejournal.com]

I managed the first and last, but the eternally evil altariel1 beat me to both of them by posting while I was at work.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

*bows deeply*

[kerravonsen]

I've added the first lines now.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

I would have got the first and probably the second. One or two of those not yet guessed sound vaguely familiar, but I can't be sure whether I've read the story in question or not.

[kerravonsen]

Well, there's now more clues in the form of the first sentence of the book for the unguessed ones.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

I think that #4 is "The Napoleon of Notting Hill" by GK Chesterton.

[kerravonsen]

Yes!

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

Bah! atariel1 beat me to all the ones I recognized.

[kerravonsen]

You can try again, I've added the first lines.

[temeres.livejournal.com]

#5 - The names sound a bit McAffreyesque, but after struggling through half of one Pern epic I threw it away.

[kerravonsen]

No, it's not Anne McCaffrey, though I suppose those who like Anne McCaffrey's work would also like this...

[drednort.livejournal.com]

#5 Scout's Progress by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

#8 The Trouble with Lichen by John Wyndham

[kerravonsen]

Yes and Yes!