Pick up the book nearest to you ...

Doctors and nurses who treat rape or assault victims often are required to collect physical evidence relating to the assault.

-- Barry A.J. Fisher, Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, Sixth Edition

strength of character, character, fortitude, resolve,

-Random House Webster's College Thesaurus
(the word is backbone)

He flicked the gun around in an increasingly negligent manner.

-The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler

"I hoped to determine if my mother 0f pearl shells lay on the far side of the eastern reef."

Beyond the Reef-- William Travis
published 1959

Then Ranuccio Tommasoni picked up the razor and came over to him.
The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje

"Well, try not to throw up in here," Josh murmured.
The Magician - Michael Scott

"Cake is the only thing that matters."
Hyperbole and a Half - Allie Brosh

(Full disclosure...there was only one line on that particular page, so this isn't technically the 5th).

I sat and stared at it for a very long time, listening to the rain against the roof and windows, to thunder far away.

Caitlyn R. Kiernan, The Drowning Girl

"Especially at the most unexpected times."

Lisa Scottoline, Moment of Truth

Slowly describe the other character, which does not want to be seen but leaves a handful of traces.

Brian Kitely, The 3 A.M. Epiphany: Uncommon Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction

"Item: Marullo was telling me the truth about business, business being the process of getting money."

John Steinbeck, The Winter Of Our Discontent

"It seems to me these guys consider themselves Romans first, Italians second and Europeans third."

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

[continuing the passage, because the context is amusing]
He corrected me. "No—they are Romans first, Romans second and Romans third. And every one of them is an Emperor."

Does a book-like "special edition" magazine count?

You know I love you the way you are (although I really must cut your hair), but you might be happier if you were less loud."

Jo Simmons
Superloud Sam, The Noisiest Boy in the World

He looked exactly like he'd swallowed a plate.

Beautiful, by Christina Lauren

"Sarah has said that she felt left out around Shane and me on the hike, and now the prison has institutionalized that arrangement." From 2015 Best American Non-Required Reading, from the story "780 Days of Solitude" by Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal, and Sarah Shroud, about three hikers who (might or might not have) illegally crossed the border into Iran and were jailed.

"Next, the port cost of the SWI-2950 interface fastethernet 0/17 is changed using the spanning-tree cost 2 command"
-CCNA Self-Study CCNA ICND Exam Certification Guide (from 2004...I am such a pack rat! LOL)

Cobalt Jade said:

Does a book-like "special edition" magazine count?

Click to expand...

The OP seems long gone, so I'll vote "Sure, why not?"



"Second: recognizing whatever comes up simply as reflections and displays of innate awareness."
-Natural Radiance, Awakening to Your Great Perfection by Lama Surya Das

"Unlike many university archives, the Grant Archives are unique in their open policy of access, making available to to the public a plethora of jazz materials for on-site as well as online viewing and listening." Secret Washington DC guidebook.

(I have a stack of books on my desk beside my computer, so I could be here a while)

"You must know--and let your readers know--which characters are most important to the story, so they'll know which are worth following and caring about, and which will quickly disappear."

Character and Viewpoint, Orson Scott Card

Legend by David Gemmell.

Fantastic book.

The conductor said, "Twelve nine. Body under train."

2016 Pushcart Prize anthology, "Telref" by Edward McPherson.

"The opening is narrow, but I squeeze under it, into the main compartment of the bus."

Mosquitoland, David Arnold

It tricked me into becoming a star all on my who-gives-a-shit own.

Shockaholic by Carrie Fisher

"At presentation -- anion gap can later become normal with NaCl infusion"

Sonic Pathology Handbook, edited by Dr Campbell Lyle

Sorry. It's not even a real sentence.