At first, just floating around is great fun, but then after a while it becomes annoying, and you want to stay in one place. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first his screaming was just that, but then he began to babble, yelling about the seas boiling and ash raining from the sky and an endless blanket of smoke smothering the earth. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

I start to worry that maybe no one will answer, but then the agent nods and asks, “Do you know the way?” Amari and the Night Brothers 2021-01-19T00:00:00Z

One of the duchess’s kids killed him, but then his twin brother, a commander in the Uruguayan air force who nobody knew existed, showed up and fell in love with the duchess. The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

I would have pointed out that she hadn't exactly answered my question, but then I noticed how grim her mouth was, the way all those tight lines radiated out from the edges of her lips. The Thing About Jellyfish 2015-09-22T00:00:00Z

I could open the textbooks, I could read the assignments, but then I would be drawn back to my own writing or reading. Bad Boy 2001-05-08T00:00:00Z

For a moment Isobel thinks her question will go unanswered, but then she replies. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

She pulled it out three times to get it right, but then she worried that it was worse to keep pulling it out than for it to grow slightly crooked. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

I started to explain about home school, but then he remembered me. Burning Blue 2012-10-25T00:00:00Z

“I saw them go up this way,” Florida said, “but then they split. Did you see which way they went?” Ruby Holler 2002-02-01T00:00:00Z

She’d said she just wanted to check in with me, but then she’d immediately pushed the candy dish my way, so I knew there was a heavy topic on the agenda. Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

I listened to it ring again and again but then realized that it could not be for me. Black Like Me 1961-01-01T00:00:00Z

Harry wondered for a moment whom he was speaking to, but then realized “Mad-Eye” could hardly be Moody’s real first name. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 2000-07-08T00:00:00Z

At first I can’t hear anything over the air filters, but then I hear a voice. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

I wonder if he’s already lost interest and has dispensed with me—but then I realize he’s waiting for me to make a move, although I don’t know what move I should make. Challenger Deep 2015-04-15T00:00:00Z

So I’d feed them that first day, but then teach them so they could do if for themselves. Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

He smiles at me, but then his smile slips. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

“Nah. I was talking to this one girl, but then she mentioned an ex-boyfriend, and I had to cut it off.” Odd One Out 2018-08-09T00:00:00Z

I was silent for a long time, but then finally managed to find my voice. Counting by 7s 2013-08-29T00:00:00Z

And it worked, but then she adjusted to my adjustment and still caught my big toe. Patina 2017-08-29T00:00:00Z

I would have stayed mad at him longer, but then he told me about something bad that had happened to him on Halloween and I couldn’t stay mad at him anymore. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

Another hour, and most of the valley was in shadow, and Will was wondering whether they would find any shelter before night fell; but then Lyra gave a cry of relief and joy. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

“The one I loaned to Liz. I know I said I did, but...it’s a nice brush. I washed it in the sink, but then I thought, if I hadn’t gotten lice yet...” The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Or a balloon, yes, but then you would need the right wind.” The Golden Compass 1995-07-01T00:00:00Z

It’s hard to imagine Lucy at this place, but then I think of the bright blue eye shadow I saw her wearing in that picture, and it doesn’t seem so impossible. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

For one crazy second I think he’s playing our driving game, pretending to sleep, but then I understand that he will never play anything ever again . Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

Luxa did a pretty good job with the meat, but then, she was used to handling blades. Gregor the Overlander 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z

I make a break for the door—but then I skid to a stop. What If It's Us 2018-10-09T00:00:00Z

Mark turned to leave but then noticed that the Toad hadn’t moved. The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin) 2012-08-14T00:00:00Z

And you know how when you’ve just pulled it together but then somebody gives you the slightest touch, not even a hug, but shows you the littlest kindness? Better Nate Than Ever 2013-02-05T00:00:00Z

“Okay,” I said, “but then we go home.” Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

So often, nothing could deliver me from fear, but then sometimes, just listening to Daisy did the trick. Turtles All the Way Down 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

When we get to the bridge, she loses the time and gets stuck but then I hear I ask a question like this, and Tanasia has taken the mic. Sparrow 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

He looked at Desdemona, puzzled, but then his expression softened and he put his arm around her. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

I headed toward the kitchen, but then something made me turn around; your guess is as good as mine. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

Just a child, blond and innocent, but then weren’t they all? The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Nobody had told them that it was cruel to hurt them, but then, nobody had told the donkeys either. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

I want to tell Len how unfair this is, but then he’ll know I remember what it is to be compassionate and kind. The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z

She kept telling herself it was a dragon but then telling herself there was no way it was a dragon, and back and forth. Anya and the Dragon 2019-09-24T00:00:00Z

I could not remember seeing an egg in my smuggling searches, but then I hadn’t been looking for eggs. Milkweed 2003-09-09T00:00:00Z

Stuart opens my door and sits beside me in the back, but then leans over the seat talking to William about deer season the rest of the ride. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

And I’m about to say this to him in order to brush it away—but then I look up, meet his eyes, and this time, I feel my own walls lowering. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

He flinches at first, but then opens his mouth and lets me pour a thin stream in. Legend 2011-11-29T00:00:00Z

At first Victor went to buy a ticket as well, but then he decided to walk. The Thief Lord 2002-09-01T00:00:00Z

I stared through the glass, fixed on that patch of green, thinking it must’ve been the breeze, but then each of its fingers flexed as if sensation were slowly returning to them. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

I thought, What? but then I knew what. Stargirl 2000-08-08T00:00:00Z

Yeah, but then, with you it’s going to be Friday to Sunday nonstop sex talk. Winger 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

He smiled with satisfaction, but then followed his thoughts a little further and his face darkened. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

For a moment I think he’s joking, but then realize he’s dead serious. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

Baba’s mouth opened, as though he meant to say something, but then he stopped. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

Thomas wondered what that word meant—he knew he’d heard it before—but then he was abruptly knocked aside. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

He had not seen them bringing the girl in, but then he hadn't spent the whole day watching that accursed village. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

Her eyes dance, but then she gets all serious. Born Behind Bars 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

I don’t like to smoke pot, but then I do smoke it and I get depressed. It’s Kind of a Funny Story 2006-04-02T00:00:00Z

She was afraid she might collapse, but then she looked up and realized they’d reached the top of the hill. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

“Oh, God, Pan, we’re safe!” she sobbed, but then a thought rushed into her mind: it was the Costas’ boat she’d hijacked that day. The Golden Compass 1995-07-01T00:00:00Z

Babou shook his head, but then Mom thrust a wad of bills under the glass partition before Babou could stop her. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

Teresa crinkled her forehead in confusion for a second, but then a light seemed to blink on behind her eyes. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

It takes a second to register, but then I realize he’s in the process of turning my bedroom ceiling into a galaxy. Boy21 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Billy’s son Robert had a lot of trouble in high school, but then he joined the famous Green Berets. Slaughterhouse-Five 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

I thought I was imagining it when I heard the cackling, but then I looked at Amaka—and sure enough, she was laughing. Purple Hibiscus 2003-10-01T00:00:00Z

Everyone says hi, but then barely anyone says anything to me for the rest of lunch. The Thing About Jellyfish 2015-09-22T00:00:00Z

For a moment, Ekon didn’t understand her frightened expression as she stared back at them, but then he saw her bulging pocket, the tremor in her hands. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

I wanted to say something to Fern, but then she cupped her hand around her mouth and squealed an Ooh! like she’d seen something bad, like a naked lady running down the street. One Crazy Summer 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was a little stiff, but then, she was a queen. Gregor the Overlander 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z

At that moment, I wanted to tell him how sorry I was that he didn’t have a Ma and Pa, but then my own Pa called him from the barn. Worth 1998-06-01T00:00:00Z

He didn’t say so, but then he didn’t have to. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

He was gone just long enough for Koffi to begin feeling panicked, but then she heard his returning footsteps. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

“That notion of burning us isn’t a very new idea, Basta, but then you never were fond of new ideas. Well, are we in business or aren’t we?” Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

I didn’t understand why he was trusting me, but then he told me his own stories and I remembered: Shawn had been his older brother, too. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z

She looked upset, but then again, Eliza got frantic if her pencils weren’t lined up. Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story 2016-06-28T00:00:00Z

Until that moment, I thought it had been an accident, but then I realized I had heard those tires squealing once before. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

“I meant to,” Mom says, “but then you asked for my help with the basement, and I got caught up in that and forgot to bring it up.” A Soft Place to Land 2021-09-14T00:00:00Z

Theresa puts her skates on, but then just sits. Al Capone Does My Shirts 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

The pain was starting to go away, like a humongous wave that crashes with a lot of noise and spray but then slowly fizzles away into nothing. The Lemonade War 2007-04-23T00:00:00Z

Mom and Dad would give me a lift, but then they’d know. Linked 2021-07-20T00:00:00Z

Vic didn’t understand at first why Dawn was talking to him, or why she seemed so nervous, but then he slowly realized what was happening, and that he wanted it to happen, too. Every Day 2012-08-28T00:00:00Z

I open my mouth to protest, but then that brown book pops into my head. Fast Pitch 2021-08-31T00:00:00Z

Duke University at first agreed to host the event, but then backed out. The Best of Enemies 1996-04-01T00:00:00Z

The Owner s first instinct was to chase after him, but then his eyes fell to the powder blue suitcase on the bed. A Tangle of Knots 2013-02-05T00:00:00Z

I’m confused for a second but then I realize it makes sense to have a secret entrance like this. Amari and the Night Brothers 2021-01-19T00:00:00Z

The attention was welcome at first but then quickly became oppressive as I perked up. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z

My parents are always yellin’ at me to improve my grades ’cause I’ll never get into college, but then my parents yell at me all the time. Tears of a Tiger 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Rumors swirled, but then they heard that The Taker was getting help. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z

I looked up at her, and for a moment I didn’t know why she’d said my name, but then I snapped out of my half-sleep. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

He grins, but then his scabbed lip cracks, and he winces and looks away. Merci Suárez Changes Gears 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z

Oh, I’m—you start confidently, but then you stop. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z

At first Will thought he was warning Balthamos, but then with a little shock of embarrassment he realized that the bear was agreeing with the angel. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

It took Nina a moment, but then she picked out the Kerch flag and the cheery Haanraadt Bay pennant flying beneath it. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

I was about to yell at him again, but then I realized he thought me going swimming meant I wasn’t coming back. We Were Here 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z

He had a choice of three corridors, but then he heard the rattle of feet and knew that his choice had just become two. Stormbreaker 2000-09-04T00:00:00Z

Which one? she said; she sounded grudging, suspicious, but then, she almost always sounds like that when she speaks to me. The Handmaid's Tale 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

I remember squatting down, not wanting to look but then looking. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

A shadowed figure reaches for a paper on the porch but then stops and straightens without retrieving it. The Adoration of Jenna Fox 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z

I don’t know where a simple bow and arrow could possibly find a place in all this high-tech equipment, but then we come upon a wall of deadly archery weapons. Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z

He started to descend the stairs but then he turned and leaned and kissed the child on the forehead. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z

At first, I was annoyed at her lecture, but then suddenly—it began to make sense. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z

For a moment, Joseph couldn’t figure out where he was, but then Frankie was there, shaking him. The Marvels 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

Most of us didn’t agree with Ruth, but then that just made her all the more determined to prove she was right. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Usually Mrs. Tomolillo had taken the lids off and dished out everybody's food like a little mother, but then they sent her home, and nobody seemed to want to take her place. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z

For a moment I was surprised to see one opened only six weeks ago, but then I remembered. Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel 2011-09-15T00:00:00Z

Her grip is tight and I think she won’t let go but then she pushes back my shoulders and she smiles. The Adoration of Jenna Fox 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z

When he was gone I felt bad, but then I turned to the car, saw my family, and didn’t think about him again for weeks. A Walk in the Woods 1997-11-01T00:00:00Z

They lay there listening, at first with doubt but then with tenor to the description the twins breathed at them between bouts of extreme silence. Lord of the Flies 1954-09-17T00:00:00Z

If I changed my mind and asked for a bigger and fancier kite, Baba would buy it for me—but then he'd buy it for Hassan too. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

He had gone to the junior college in town, Odessa College, but then left after a year to work full-time at Odessa Builder Supply. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Sometimes it means I go a little slower than they’d like, but then they can fire me. Ask the Passengers 2012-10-23T00:00:00Z

She started to leave, but then turned at the doorway and said: 'Oh, Mr Stevens. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

I give the fuel tank a shake and the motor picks up for a time, but then it sort of fades away, oop-oop-oop, and makes a little clunk, and that’s it, no more outboard motor. The Young Man and the Sea 2004-02-01T00:00:00Z

She patted him on the arm; Harry felt a swooping sensation in his stomach, but then she walked off to help herself to more butterbeer. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

I started to say I wouldn’t go, but then I saw his face. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z

I wanted her to braid my hair and tie it with the ribbon, but then Dadi would ask me where I got it. The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

I kept trying to fall asleep, but then my eyes would dart open, just to check. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

He did another laugh, but then when I glanced up, I saw he was watching me with a serious expression. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Another blast ripped through the runway behind them, but then they were in the air. The Son of Neptune 2011-10-04T00:00:00Z

I almost start sucking my sleeve like I do at recess but then I remember. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Bright green — exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 1997-06-26T00:00:00Z

I tried to remember when he was missing his socks, too, but then the thought of the pervert in the white Chrysler popped into my head. Please Ignore Vera Dietz 2012-10-12T00:00:00Z

She didn’t come out all morning, but then after lunch she was there, as if she had been there all along. The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

For a moment she was swept by panic and about to scream, but then she remembered that old Pedro Garcia had once told her that thieves never wear clothes so dogs will not attack them. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

The clock chimed eleven and Celaena stretched, but then stopped as pain seized her stomach. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

This realization began to simmer inside him, slowly at first, but then faster and fiercer, until he was hot and brimming with it. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z

It’s taking all I have not to slam my foot against the gas pedal, but then I’m used to slowing down so that everyone else can catch up. All The Bright Places 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

At first I tried to pull it open, but then I remembered changing the rules of the game. Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Old Chao said this pointedly; but then as if remembering himself, continued in a more amiable tone. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z

Dad opens his mouth to give me his reasons but then closes it, sits back, and says, “No good reason, Jade. I’m sorry,” he says. Piecing Me Together 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

He never said he was, but then again, he never said he wasn’t. Jacob Have I Loved 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

She sets her alarm, but then turns the face of the phone away. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z

She is smiling, so pretty, but then I see she is not a normal person. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

Something that I was going to mention in my last letter, but then chickened out. P.S. I Miss You 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

She was clearly disappointed by our breakup, but then bounced back superbly. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

“Oh, they’re the worst,” I start to say, but then my bedroom door creaks open. What If It's Us 2018-10-09T00:00:00Z

It rolled over in bed when he got home before sunrise: a green-eyed monster lying next to his young, inscrutable wife, but then Zizmo would blink and the monster would disappear. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

They come slowly at first, but then they multiply. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

So I talked but then I fell asleep on the couch anyway—rite in the middle. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z

Amarante suddenly hollered, but then he started to cough so dramatically he couldn’t continue his flamboyant oration. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

Our Lady was covered with hands, every shade of brown and black, going in their own directions, but then the strangest thing started happening. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

I underline sultan’s, but then I erase my underlining, in case it is too obvious a clue. Before We Were Free 2002-08-13T00:00:00Z

At first it ceased altogether, but then the snore started back with three piglet snorts. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

Kaltain’s lips pursed for a moment, but then bloomed into a full smile. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

For a while the two who stayed could see the cricket waving, but then the train rushed away into the darkness of the tunnel and was lost. The Cricket in Times Square 1960-01-01T00:00:00Z

This is not a sound I would want to hear all day if I were dying, but then that’s just me. Krik? Krak! 2015-12-15T00:00:00Z

Of course there isn’t, I thought, his lungs have burst—but then a tiny sound leaked out, and I leaned closer, my ear almost to his freezing lips. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

The part of taking it was over but then the next day, or whenever Mr. Greene marked the papers, was the rest of it. Slam! 1996-11-01T00:00:00Z

He shook his head in disgust, but then his eyes were serious again. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

I thought they were coming to welcome me back, but then I saw they were chasing someone—Zoe Nightshade, racing toward me like a cheetah, dodging campers with no trouble. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

My mom’s eyes lit up, too, but then she saw something in my dad’s expression and answered me in her usual measured way. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

Crab shot Genie a look but then turned it into a funny face, like Genie was a six-year-old. As Brave As You 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z

“Sometimes I miss you being a little kid, but then I remember Chuck E. Cheese.” Turtles All the Way Down 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

It had not occurred to me that there would be frost in the ground in May, but then, I had not been on a mountain before. My Side of the Mountain 1959-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Yup, but then we got here, and instead of the ocean they had pools. I don’t like chlorine.” The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

At first Old Man Turner, who ran the place, was a little put out, but then he saw where live people having funerals would greatly increase his business and he said okay. 145th Street: Short Stories 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

She pressed her fingers to June’s back, but then made herself pull away. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

"We can't trust her—" he began, but then he seemed to think better of explaining it that way. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents 1991-01-04T00:00:00Z

Hana’s smile gets wide, but then she looks at me like I caught her rifling through Momma’s purse, and she frowns at me. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

“Do you . . . would you . . .” I wanted to ask if Poseidon would come with me to see her, but then I realized that was ridiculous. The Lightning Thief 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

For me, I say, no; but then I am old, and life, with his sunshine, his fair places, his song of birds, his music and his love, lie far behind. Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z

“Uh, that may be a bit much,” I say, but then I begin to wonder. Fish in a Tree 2015-02-05T00:00:00Z

One in front of me is spacing out in my direction, but then he lifts his head and starts down the hallway again, away from me. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

“All right,” he says in Quichua, but then neither of us can think of anything to say, so finally he says, “Good night, Daughter,” and lies down in his bed. The Queen of Water 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

He looked like he was about to address us, but then he turned and pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen and called but for Viola to come into the dining room. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z

She folds her arms with a bit of a “humpf ’ but then begins to laugh, too. Fish in a Tree 2015-02-05T00:00:00Z

I was about to call out to Otis that we were there, but then I heard music. Because of Winn-Dixie 2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

I thought of making a run for it, but then I caught a glimpse of the soldier’s eyes, and their bulging, pupil-less whites convinced me not to. Hollow City 2014-01-14T00:00:00Z

Women and men-at-arms made hubbub, running up, as he flew over, but then he wheeled hard right before the horses— a sight that made the whole crowd cheer, with hearts lifting in joy. The Odyssey 1961-01-01T00:00:00Z

I probably would have done the same thing, but then one of the boys pointed at me. Ugly 2013-08-20T00:00:00Z

This was merely embarrassing but then—being prodded a bit too energetically by the attorney—he suddenly and quite without warning lost his head. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

I froze, thinking I was for it, but then noticed she was carrying on as before, except now she was mouthing her address at me. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Maybe he’d write an essay about how he used to bully a kid but then learned a lesson about why isms and bullying are bad. Here to Stay 2018-09-08T00:00:00Z

No one could persuasively explain how it had managed to cross two thousand miles of hostile ocean but then failed to find its way around the corner of a 200-mile-wide island. A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z

I never knew green could be so beautiful—but then I’ve never had a farm of my own before. Hattie Big Sky 2006-09-26T00:00:00Z

The Colonel shook his head, but then he smiled. Looking for Alaska 2005-03-03T00:00:00Z

Once again, my disability had restricted my choices, but then driven me to new ones that seemed so much better than anything else could have been. Ugly 2013-08-20T00:00:00Z

For a moment he was more impressed than ever with the Second, with the things she could do, the things she was learning, but then his jealousy and frustration returned. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z

Her crash bracelets caught for a moment, holding her up above the waves, but then the wind caught the hoverboard, much lighter without her on it, and spun it away like a leaf. Uglies 2005-02-08T00:00:00Z

Only food at first, but then money too. The Thief Lord 2002-09-01T00:00:00Z

At first, I'm frozen, but then I catch sight of us on a large television screen and am floored by how breathtaking we look. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

“I do mind your asking,” Mr. Curtain said coldly, but then he collected himself and said in a friendlier tone, “We both know you’ve had similar experiences, do we not, Reynard? For being different?” The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

I was dying, of course, but then we all are. How I Live Now 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

The shivering makes me cough, everything makes me cough, and I spit out handfuls of green goo from my lungs, but then I hold my breath and plunge in my head again. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then one never can tell. The Sense of Style 2014-09-04T00:00:00Z

At first, Joseph thought the panelled office was empty, but then he saw someone standing by the gothic windows, on the other side of a massive desk. The Marvels 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

For years we thought of her as “snooty,” but then one night, around when we were eight, Ruth came up with another theory. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first my voice trembles like the leaves over my head, but then the song strengthens it. Born Behind Bars 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

I stoop to catch him, but then I let him plow me down. The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle 2018-01-23T00:00:00Z

“How did you know where . . . ?” I began, but then I just shook my head. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

I hesitated, but then I decided to just go for it. Wish 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z

"My husband. Unfortunately he had to leave. He would have loved to've met you, but then he's always dashing off. Business, you know." Invisible Man 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z

She braced herself, but then Mama didn’t say more, and neither did Papa. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

“It is a difficult road you’ve taken, one riddled with hardships and painful ordeals, but then again, you are difficult children.” Summer of the Mariposas 2012-10-20T00:00:00Z

The notes burst from her fingers, staggering at first, but then more confidently as the emotion in the music took over. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

“But he thinks he might have need for me in the future. He said as much when he had the guards take me away. First he ordered me executed, but then he changed his mind.” When the Sea Turned to Silver 2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

For a moment she froze in fear, but then she pushed herself up and moved quietly to the bedroom door. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

She pulls her hair back tight, like she is trying to pull it out or something, but then she lets it fall around her shoulders in a thick black curtain. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

This, I figured, could sustain me for three or four more days if need be, but then what would I do? Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

An eternity seemed to pass in silence, but then Joseph heard footsteps. The Marvels 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

I could make a simulacrum of the draccus, but then what? The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

There was a moment of charged silence, but then Gigi went on. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

I began to fear—horrible fears; but then came to me the sense of safety in that ring wherein I stood. Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z

My Noise is so ugly and my face so twisted she hesitates a little but then she takes another step forward. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

“You’re not staying for dinner, Ky. Drink the coffee, take the cigarettes if you want, but then leave, please. Actually, I’m not asking you to leave, I’m telling you to leave, do you understand?” The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a moment it seemed uncertain whether to carry on after the short boy, but then it opened its great mouth and swallowed the lizard. The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa 2004-12-07T00:00:00Z

At first I worried that they might belong to somebody, but then I remembered that the farm is ours, so these flowers must belong to us too. Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer 2015-05-12T00:00:00Z

“You went out to dinner every night. You go to the bar for drinks. You’re going to the spa! You work, but then when you have any free time, you don’t spend it with us!” Keep It Together, Keiko Carter 2020-05-05T00:00:00Z

I hold his stare for a few seconds but then glance away. Will Grayson, Will Grayson 2010-04-06T00:00:00Z

The officer smiles, motioning for his men to stand down, but then the guns jump back up again because people are pouring down the ladder from the attic. The Light in Hidden Places 2020-03-03T00:00:00Z

This stuff costs almost ten dollars, but then, it is professional. Blended 2018-10-30T00:00:00Z

Kitty, Anne is crazy, but then these are crazy times and even crazier circumstances. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

At first, I’d been glad that he’d changed his mind, but then again, it was also a constant reminder of Momma’s unread letters. Hope Springs 2021-08-10T00:00:00Z

Jinny wasn’t sure what to do at first, but then she had an idea. Orphan Island 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z

I spent a focused half hour on homework, but then I was through with that, too. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

Farnor, God of War, stopped at the front row near Dorian, but then moved to the right, across the aisle, to give the miniature silver sword to Duke Perrington. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

“Well, I was mad and really hurt, and I needed to think through it all, but then I realized I missed you and...” Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

His whole act is so obviously fake that Natasha’s sure everyone will see through him, but then they don’t. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

You couldn’t refuse a hungry widow who’d lost her husband in the war some cloth or molasses on credit, but then how could we pay for new merchandise ourselves? My Brother Sam is Dead 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

Everyone in Group One got a letter from America, but then Mrs. Jarai ran out, leaving the last four groups with nothing. I Will Always Write Back 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z

I was pretty sure I hadn’t dropped anything, but then again, who knew. A Very Large Expanse of Sea 2018-10-16T00:00:00Z

Mr. Miller apologized for taking so long to respond, but then gave his phone number and said I could call him with my questions about Marcus’s case. From the Desk of Zoe Washington 2020-01-14T00:00:00Z

They were sitting in a small room, chosen by the doctor, who had led them into it, down a narrow corridor, fumbling a little at first, but then finding his way. The Haunting of Hill House 1959-10-01T00:00:00Z

At first, Dad would make sure I was out of bed by noon, but then he stopped arguing with me and let me do what I wanted. Please Ignore Vera Dietz 2012-10-12T00:00:00Z

I tried the key, and it went in halfway, but then it stopped. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 2005-04-01T00:00:00Z

I didn’t know any Robinsons, but then I didn’t know all the people on the island. Root Magic 2021-01-05T00:00:00Z

I hesitated, torn, but then the first bell sent me hurrying out the door — with a last glance confirming that he hadn’t moved a centimeter. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

It hadn’t been easy to frame, and the answer wasn’t easy to interpret, but then they never were, though she was becoming more sure-footed among the levels of meaning than she used to be. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

I kept nodding, faking a smile, and then he hugged me, his strong arms pulling me into his muscular chest, and I sogged up his polo shirt a little but then recovered enough to speak. The Fault in Our Stars 2012-01-10T00:00:00Z

He almost laughed but then just shook his head. Small Steps 2006-01-10T00:00:00Z

Misery loves company, I think, but then again, so does hope. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

Beto watched them walk in, and he was going to ask Cari what she thought they meant, but then Naomi came out with the grocery sacks. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

At first I protested, but then Katie said that the secretary was super old and probably senile, that she didn’t know what she was talking about and we should explore the campus more. P.S. I Miss You 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

I began to shake and shiver, and I thought I would run someplace to get help, but then I realized there wasn’t any help. My Brother Sam is Dead 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

I think I see a flash of annoyance cross her face, but then she smiles at me. We Are Okay 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

His body is strong and I almost stay there for a second too long, but then I remember where I am. Pride 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z

“Like you, he let himself get too close, but then he also got himself dead. In my book these are two big strikes against him.” Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a minute she thought she was going to be sick, but then she realized that this illness came from her spirit, not her body. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

I put her down on her feet, give her a kiss on the forehead, but then she reaches out to me again. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

June started coloring in a few more glass shards, but then she stopped, staring at the glass girl again. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

Only her brother, Warren, seemed to understand the hidden layer she saw in things, but then they had always had an understanding, since before he had been born. Little Fires Everywhere 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

The fourteen fugues he did finish all start with the same relatively straightforward tune but then explore different options and techniques. The Story of Music 2012-12-25T00:00:00Z

I like her speaking voice; it’s younger than I thought it would be, but then the song is pulsing, her pain right under every word like always, and something else, something stronger. Sparrow 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

He emerged running, but then he stumbled; he got up and ran again, this time more slowly, circling vaguely to the right. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 1970-06-01T00:00:00Z

Matt Gordon starts to defend himself, but then, thinking better of it, he pulls out his wallet. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z

She is about to protest, but then her watery blue eyes get even more watery. Before We Were Free 2002-08-13T00:00:00Z

My hand moved to the ribbon but then froze. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z

So I think of that—but then I think of these little shorties when welfare gets cut off. Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

Johnny Lightbourne, a boy close to my age, suggested we beat him up, but then we read in the Amsterdam News about a black man in the South who had been lynched by hanging. Bad Boy 2001-05-08T00:00:00Z

I was embarrassed that she thought that, but then, if it wasn’t the money, I had no reason at all. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z

I clench my teeth thru it but then the medicine starts to work and a flush of cool flows into my bloodstream. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

At first I thought they were playing to an empty room, but then I noticed the top of a shaggy blond head, lolling against the back of the lone couch that faced the set. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

“I don’t know. He had a fever all day. Thought it was the flu, but then he started coughing uncontrollably, and he just—he just collapsed in the living room.” Betty Before X 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

I reach down and turn it up a little, but then I wish I hadn’t. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

I made believe I didn’t hear it, but then he said it again a little louder. The Pigman 1968-10-12T00:00:00Z

At ten seconds per guard, she began figuring, but then stopped, because numbers had always been her enemy. The Princess Bride 1973-11-01T00:00:00Z

I resist for a minute, but then let myself lean back and close my eyes, relishing the feel of his strong body behind mine. You Bring the Distant Near 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

I could see words forming on her lips, but then she stopped herself. City of the Plague God 2021-01-12T00:00:00Z

For a minute, I couldn’t decide if she was crying or dying, but then figured this must be part of her divining preparations. Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z

She laughs, but then it’s swallowed by a sigh. Leah on the Offbeat 2018-04-24T00:00:00Z

He gives me a curious look but then nods as he turns into the parking lot. The Running Dream 2011-01-11T00:00:00Z

Relieved, Harry got up, picked up his bag and turned to go, but then a loud, harsh voice spoke behind him. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban 1999-07-08T00:00:00Z

It feels lighter than before, but then I remember what’s missing. Dragons in a Bag 2018-10-23T00:00:00Z

I froze momentarily before I reached the corner, but then I realized they wouldn’t do that. Summer of the Mariposas 2012-10-20T00:00:00Z

He was still singing—“Not much money, Oh! but honey”—fixing his cufflinks, parting his hair; but then he looked up and saw his sister—“Ain’t we got”—and pianissimo now—“fun”—fell silent. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

He snorts...but then continues past the entrance to Drake’s room on the left. Fast Pitch 2021-08-31T00:00:00Z

I’m used to white people now, but then they all looked the same. Lost Boy, Lost Girl 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

I thought at first that our display had paralyzed the Gypsies with awe—but then, when the ringing in my ears had faded, I realized they were listening for something. Hollow City 2014-01-14T00:00:00Z

I got up and started to go, but then I suddenly remembered it was Sunday. The Catcher in the Rye 1951-07-16T00:00:00Z

She takes them from me, squirming a little like she’s itching to leave, but then she says, “I’m sorry,” so she musta seen it in my Noise. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

She pointed down the beach at Ess but then noticed the little girl had abandoned her letters, and was now seated and burying her feet in the sand. Orphan Island 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z

He had been a prisoner at Hunt but then some other agency wanted him. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

Sandy stops eating completely this time, but then I realize it’s because all the cereal’s gone. King and the Dragonflies 2020-02-04T00:00:00Z

At first Megan buried her head under a pillow, but then she poked her head out like a turtle and started to listen for real. The Lemonade War 2007-04-23T00:00:00Z

I do miss him, but then I don't. We Are Okay 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

“It’s going to rain,” Mrs. Potts said, but then she relented because she knew it would keep me amused for a while. Three Little Words: A Memoir 2007-12-27T00:00:00Z

In a flash she caught the girl’s ankle before she, too, disappeared—but then the weight of her two catches began to drag Kate forward into the hole. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

At first Balthamos didn’t speak, but then he said, “Yes. Yes, of course I must. Sleep now, Will, and I shall stand guard, I shan’t fail you.” The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

She’d make a whole pot but then deliver one single pea on a plate to everyone in the family and watch us to make sure we ate it. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

"Yeah, but then she probably would've told me she was proud of me." Patina 2017-08-29T00:00:00Z

The board slowed for a second, trying to climb, but then shivered and continued to descend. Uglies 2005-02-08T00:00:00Z

We sat around the table, drinking and laughing and smiling, but then we got kind of quiet. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

For a second I think he gets it, but then I see it’s a snare. Merci Suárez Changes Gears 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z

Yesterday Mother felt well enough to cook split-pea soup for the first time, but then she was downstairs talking and forgot all about it. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

At first it seemed to be asleep, but then it blinked and looked up at Dad. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

France had freed slaves but then consumed itself in violence. Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science 2010-11-15T00:00:00Z

At first I thought she was making fun of me, but then I realized she was serious. Flush 2005-09-13T00:00:00Z

His words trailed off, but then he squared his muscled shoulders. A Wish in the Dark 2020-03-24T00:00:00Z

She’s not as decked out as my mom, but then, she’s the guy’s mom, and it’s always the girl’s mom who is more invested, has more to lose. Love, Hate & Other Filters 2018-01-16T00:00:00Z

I even considered faking it, but then I looked at the sheriff’s deputy and grimly considered what it would taste like if he attempted to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on me. 100 Sideways Miles 2014-09-02T00:00:00Z

There were polite nods between the adults at first, but then, even those vanished. Wishtree 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

A teacher voice calls out and he turns and starts walking toward it but then he turns around again. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

I’m on holiday in France at the moment and I didn’t know how I was going to send this to you — what if they’d opened it at customs? — but then Hedwig turned up! Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban 1999-07-08T00:00:00Z

Mama Brunelle looked like she was going to say something nice, but then another bonobo infant sucked in a mouthful of water from a bucket and spat it at her. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

I cover my good ear to block out the strains of the anthem, but then I hear the trumpets and sit straight up in anticipation. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

Whimpering, I tried to shake them away, but then a thick cord coiled around my throat. The City Beautiful 2021-10-05T00:00:00Z

Grandpop chuckled, but then he tilted his head back as if letting the memory of his friend wash over him. As Brave As You 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z

She talks and talks as if there’s nothing wrong, and I say little; but then I’ve never said a lot anyway. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z

The hair raised on his neck, but then he walked to where she stood and let her touch him. Island of the Blue Dolphins 1960-01-01T00:00:00Z

One I hadn’t heard about, but then it was meant to be a surprise. Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z

My first thought is that it’s a bear—but then I realize it’s much worse. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

How she panicked that morning, how she started to tell her parents, but then stopped. Things Not Seen 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

He angrily jerked his away, but then a few steps later he reached out and took her hand for a moment in his again. Lupita Mañana 1981-03-21T00:00:00Z

She didn't really have that knitter look the old lady who I spoke to outside had, but then again, neither does my mother. When I Was the Greatest 2014-01-07T00:00:00Z

Dustfinger tried to call off the dogs, and at first they obeyed him, or at least they let go of Mo, but then Basta succeeded in freeing himself. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

“Hmm, jury’s still out,” Claire said, but then she put her hand up the back of Maya’s shirt, pressing her palm against Maya’s skin, anchoring her down to earth. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z

It strikes me as weird that she’s not pushing me on this, but then I realize she must think my “fine mood” is because of Kareem. Love, Hate & Other Filters 2018-01-16T00:00:00Z

At first I thought she must be screaming over Chi-Boy’s wound, but then I followed her stare. The Marrow Thieves 2017-05-10T00:00:00Z

So, I started using blankets, but then the blankets hurt, so I started using pillows, but then the pillows hurt, so I went back to normal. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 1999-02-01T00:00:00Z

A steamship appears, and up on deck a lifeboat is curiously rocking; but then the boat docks, stern first, and we’re up on dry land again, where the film unspools, back at the beginning . Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

I hang back a little, but then there’s no more stalling: “Conover, two fifty-four,” I say. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

Charles was more anxious to strike in deep than Adam was, but then Charles had had the time to think of it, and to Adam it was a new field of thinking and feeling. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z

I thought, but then again, when would it be a better time? Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel 2011-09-15T00:00:00Z

I pause for a moment but then leave to catch up with Soojin and Emily at our lockers before I head to the bus line. Amina's Song 2021-03-09T00:00:00Z

“I don’t know,” I said, but then, even as I said it, I think part of me did know, sort of, like it washed over me and I knew. The Miseducation of Cameron Post 2012-02-07T00:00:00Z

I want to enjoy this moment, exult in it, but then there’s Sausun. Saints and Misfits 2017-06-13T00:00:00Z

She hip-checked Dad out of the way with a smirk, but then she stood on her toes to kiss him on the temple. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

I led the way to where the woods began, but then, faced with three distinct paths through the trees, had to stop to consult the sheet of directions I’d brought with me. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

She hesitated and started rubbing her arms to get warm, but then she decided she wasn’t going to tell me there, on the front steps of the school, either. Red Kayak 2004-09-23T00:00:00Z

I brace myself for more scorn, but then one corner of his mouth lifts. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

How stupid he’d been not to see it, but then how could he, when he’d spent his life among old men? Strange the Dreamer 2017-03-28T00:00:00Z

At first when some of the guys went around to see him they said he didn’t talk much, but then after a while he wouldn’t even come out of his room. 145th Street: Short Stories 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

Turns out, backing in isn’t necessary, because, surprisingly, the on-ramp isn’t congested with abandoned cars—but then, I guess that’s not surprising at all. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

Alex didn’t notice the fourth camera inside the elevator, but then, it was concealed on the other side of the one-way mirror that covered the back wall. Stormbreaker 2000-09-04T00:00:00Z

I was peeved enough at Roy Lee to not answer, but then I figured it would aggravate him more to tell the truth. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

The guy wouldn’t show up for work Tuesday or Wednesday, but then by Thursday he’d be back because he needed the job. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

Sansa went so far as to cross the bedchamber and throw open the shutters . . . but then her courage left her, and she ran back to her bed, sobbing. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z

I considered flying to Benatar to try to get Art3mis to talk to me, but then I came to my senses. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

For a moment I had a picture of them driving all the way there and back, but then I knew she meant they picked him up at the airport. It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z

“We were...following someone—” I began, but then Jay jumped in. Root Magic 2021-01-05T00:00:00Z

“I don’t know what you’re—” he starts to say, but then he stops to listen. The One and Only Ivan 2012-01-17T00:00:00Z

Her mouth puckered in displeasure, but then her eyes flicked to the tray. Ophie's Ghosts 2021-05-18T00:00:00Z

For some reason he thinks our parents are a lot scarier than they really are...but then again, this isn’t the routine spoiled dinner, stink bomb, or broken window. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

I started typing a response, but then another text came in. Turtles All the Way Down 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

He started rocking back and forth, gently at first, but then more and more violently so that when he came forward his head knocked against the bare stone of the wall. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

At first, Rat said, Mary Anne seemed to accept it, but then after a day or two she fell into a restless gloom, sitting off by herself at the compound’s perimeter. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

I even considered not washing my lips like they do on TV, but then I thought it would get too gross. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 1999-02-01T00:00:00Z

He’d have to cross to the median of the highway, but then it would be a short sprint. The Son of Neptune 2011-10-04T00:00:00Z

I was losing miserably, 13-4, but then something clicked inside of me. Proud 2018-07-24T00:00:00Z

Strangely, it was not until 1939 that Alfred Loomis first visited Lawrence’s home turf in Berkeley—but then he became nearly a permanent member of the Rad Lab. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

Even six was considered excessive, but then, everybody said, of course Dodo was a Catholic. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z

I thought he just needed to use the pot, which he did, but then he moved around the bed. Cold Sassy Tree 1984-11-02T00:00:00Z

He tried making little pen marks here and there on things he gave her, as tracers, but then couldn’t bring himself to check for them in the stores. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z

She kept talking for a moment, but then her voice trailed off. The 57 Bus 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

“Yes, I’m traveling solo,” I say, “but I’m older than I look,” and I almost launch into my monologue about Mom in the bathroom but then remember this guy isn’t a Greyhound employee. Better Nate Than Ever 2013-02-05T00:00:00Z

I had sort of forgot about it being Karim and Erik’s birthday, but then I figured that made sense, because of how they were triplets. Absolutely Almost 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

“The picture show, you know. Where this mulatto girl hates her mother cause she is black and ugly but then cries at the funeral. It was real sad. Everybody cries in it. Claudette Colbert too.” The Bluest Eye 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

“That seems late for—” I say, but then something distracts me. Catching Fire 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z

Things started out all right, but then there were three stupid days of stupid rain in a row. Okay for Now 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

“We ought to hurl you from the roof for leaving the way you did,” Harry said, but then he came forward and pulled me into a bear hug. The City Beautiful 2021-10-05T00:00:00Z

I sit frozen for a second and Manchee starts to growl but then I realize. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

For a moment he thought she’d drowned the girl, but then he saw a flash of pale clothing on the rocks at the base of the island. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z

He tried to say something, but then cradled his rifle and went off by himself. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Elinor looked at him as if she didn't believe a word of it, but then quickly closed the trunk, braced her arms against the car, and began to push. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

Well, suppose the Lord wanted Miss Love to marry Mr. McAllister, hoping she could save him from his sinning ways, and suppose she had married him, but then he just kept right on chasing women? Cold Sassy Tree 1984-11-02T00:00:00Z

Willis spun around at the sound of Turner's voice, but then he turned back to the painting. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy 2004-05-24T00:00:00Z

Dear Ms. Lancaster, I fear your faith has been misplaced—but then, faith usually is. The Fault in Our Stars 2012-01-10T00:00:00Z

Anthony turned the fund-raising task over to a group of local women who raised $42,000, but then they stopped collecting money, as if they had reached their goal. Votes for Women! 2018-02-13T00:00:00Z

One day you’d think misfortune would get tired, but then time is your misfortune Father said. The Sound and the Fury 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z

I shook my head at first, but then she held her out to me. P.S. I Miss You 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

At first my head is a blur ’cause I can’t catch my breath, but then it gets clear. We Were Here 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z

I tried to explain, but Daddy made me put Betty Jean on the phone, but then she started crying, so I had to get back on the phone and tell him what had happened. The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a moment he read to himself but then his lips began to move and in a moment he read aloud—slowly, pausing at the end of each line. Cannery Row 1945-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first I assumed he was keeping himself awake because he was afraid of nightmares, but then I started thinking that maybe he’d been asleep when they’d come to take his fingers. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

We rowed until the skin wore away from the ridges of our palms and we were certain we absolutely couldn’t row another stroke, but then did, and then another, and another. Hollow City 2014-01-14T00:00:00Z

“I could cover you with weeping sores,” the waif said, “but then innkeeps and taverners would chase you from their doors.” A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z

I laughed because I thought she was making a joke, but then I realized she wasn’t. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

From the beginning of my travels I had noticed the sale lots where they were sold and traded, but then I began to be aware of the parks where they sit down in uneasy permanence. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z

The chanting dies off for a second, but then there's a loud crash. Born Behind Bars 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

He came running, his sandals flapping on the concrete floor, but then he said it was all right and not to worry. Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

Luke didn’t answer at first, but then he shook his head. We'll Fly Away 2018-05-08T00:00:00Z

I told her that, but then I felt weird that I did. P.S. I Miss You 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

“No—” the Professor began, but then he paused. The Egypt Game 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

So first I went to the first floor girls’ room, but then a janitor came in to disinfect, and I had to leave. Maybe He Just Likes You 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z

It was against the rules, but then again, nobody was watching. The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z

Wormtail hesitated for a moment, looking as though he might argue, but then turned and headed through a second hidden door. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

Isabella throws a few rabbity looks my way, but then it’s like she gives up. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

I was starting to think this was going to go down as one of the most awesome days in the history of my life, but then I got to homeroom. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

For a few minutes—goodness, how confusing this was—I thought of digging a grave but then I realized that would be madness. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

“It’s like he’s saying, ‘Wait until you hear this wild and crazy story...’ but then there’s nothing else.” Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

As a student, frustrated by the limitations of conventional mathematics, he invented an entirely new form, the calculus, but then told no one about it for twenty-seven years. A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z

I start to respond, but then I realize one of the student tour guides—Fatima—is saying something important right now. Leah on the Offbeat 2018-04-24T00:00:00Z

Claire and Maya look like they’re up to a serious conversation, but then Maya’s face breaks into a grin, and she looks so much like Melissa in that moment that Joaquin feels his chest swell. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z

For a time I did work hard to learn French, but then Adah ran away with that prize so I dropped the effort. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a few seconds, I’m confused about what I’m doing there, but then I look at my wrists and remember what I did last night. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

When the phone rings I feel afraid for a moment but then know it’s Marv, without a doubt. I Am the Messenger 2002-01-10T00:00:00Z

For a minute it felt like fate, but then I realized it wasn’t that deep. The Boy in the Black Suit 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

“The leaves are gone / you should be, too / I’d be gone if I were you / but then again, here I am / walking alone / in the frigid dawn.” Turtles All the Way Down 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

I was happy as hell too, ’cause the whole pedestrian thing was getting mad played out, but then Mong sort of hesitated. We Were Here 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z

That’s like gently tossing a ball upward, having it slow down initially, but then rocket upward ever more quickly. The Sense of Style 2014-09-04T00:00:00Z

I couldn’t see her at first, but then I noticed her feet, and I thought at first that it was done, but he said she was all right. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

“This is not a game. The Sons of the Six and the Shetani are each bad enough on their own, but then there’s the Greater Jungle itself. You’ve never even been in it before.” Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

I see the gentlemen hesitate, but then they lay down their arms. Blood on the River 2006-05-04T00:00:00Z

“We got a beauteous subject, Kev; Crosby laughed at first, but then he signed off on it.” Liar, Liar 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

England had begun talking about ending slavery, but then it saw the chaos in France and sent an army to try to defeat the Haitians. Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science 2010-11-15T00:00:00Z

I almost didn’t do the show, but then Sam told me she really wanted me to play Rocky, and I guess that’s all I really needed to hear. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 1999-02-01T00:00:00Z

The night started dully, but then sixteen members and two pledges from Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Stanford chapter, came in hilarious from a pledge hazing in San Juan. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z

Rudy would concur, "Me too," but then, he wouldn't move from his place at the foot of my bed next to my desk where I sat writing. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents 1991-01-04T00:00:00Z

He pauses, and I’m just about to try and walk away, but then he keeps going. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

I tried to stay busy at Howard’s, but then being at the Odoms’ like to broke my heart. Wish 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z

Their stories comforted me at first, but then they made me miss my dog even more. Each Little Bird That Sings 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

"That you wouldn't have to explain to your mom . . . Like, I was going to buy you a really nice pen, but then . . ." He was watching her open it, which made her nervous. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z

“I suppose we could rent the spaces, but then we’d have to worry about finding businesses and what kind of businesses should be allowed to rent here.” Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z

He shook his head again, but then sat up extra straight. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

My mouth is an inch from hers, and I wait for her to slap me or push me away, but then she closes her eyes, and that’s when I know—I’m in. All The Bright Places 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

I nodded, but then my mouth went dry and I knew the words were stuck. The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

A man of his age might seem too old to be playing Zorro, but then consider the source. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

I was about to ask him if he got to watch any basketball in prison, but then I heard shouting in the background. From the Desk of Zoe Washington 2020-01-14T00:00:00Z

I hoped he was right, but then there was an urgent knock on the suite’s interior door. The Sea of Monsters 2006-04-01T00:00:00Z

Bristle began to follow, but then she sat back down and merely watched intently as they left. Pax 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z

Frustration and bitter disappointment welled up inside him: He lowered the golden sphere, but then Hermione cried out. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2007-07-21T00:00:00Z

I shake it and give Boy21 a questioning squint, but then Coach says, “Nice to see you again, Boy21. I look forward to our next meeting.” Boy21 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

She seemed like she was done, but then she added, “I loved your mom since I met her.” The Miseducation of Cameron Post 2012-02-07T00:00:00Z

Nailer waited, thinking he would see her torn apart, but then she curled her legs under her and she was suddenly aboard, clambering up the side of the train car. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z

Someone at one point tried to paint half of the stairway bright green but then gave up. The Benefits of Being an Octopus 2018-09-04T00:00:00Z

She didn’t love him, but then, she wasn’t supposed to. Orphan Island 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z

She had a moment of regret that she couldn’t see herself, but then it didn’t matter. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

I want to say I’m sorry about the Bartlett Dirt—no one really believes the lies they print; it’ll all die down eventually—but then he writes: Meet me at the Quarry. All The Bright Places 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

Her lips parted as if she was about to say something but then thought better of it. It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z

I stammered a bit, but then told her the truth for some reason. P.S. I Miss You 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

People in the lane say that’s a peculiar way for a dog to behave but then what would you expect from a dog of the McCourts. Angela's Ashes: A Memoir 1996-09-05T00:00:00Z

Lena smiles, but then she rubs her bottom. Merci Suárez Changes Gears 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z

It was like a food adventure, but then over the course of weeks, eating them every day, day after day, I couldn’t take it anymore. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

“He would have wanted us to party,” they said sullenly, which certainly was not the case; but then again, the Student Services office lived in mortal fear of Frank and Jud. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

I mean, I could have, but then I might not have been able to go to the funeral, which was the whole point of me wearing a suit. The Boy in the Black Suit 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

They all got me one, too, but then I got another one from Joey Witter! P.S. I Miss You 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

He had said something like this at the Council, but then he had accepted the correction of Elrond. The Fellowship of the Ring 1954-07-29T00:00:00Z

Ice didn’t do anything great in the second half, but then he didn’t have to, the game was really over in the first half. Slam! 1996-11-01T00:00:00Z

Percy was tempted to dump June and run back to help, but then the entire tunnel shook with the rumble of falling stone. The Son of Neptune 2011-10-04T00:00:00Z

He was shy in high school, but then he started playing drums and freshman year of college joined a punk band, and boom, girlfriends. If I Stay 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

He got off the ground okay, but then fell over sideways so his backpack dragged through the grass. The Lightning Thief 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

In between screams he would shout a cuss word or something strange, but then he'd go right back to the screaming. When I Was the Greatest 2014-01-07T00:00:00Z

It was a shock at first, but then I started shaking my left stump wildly until my artificial leg fell off entirely. Ugly 2013-08-20T00:00:00Z

He hesitates, but then moves back for me to come in. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

I thought maybe we'd arrived too late and had missed the main attraction, but then someone opened the door of the cattle trailer and a vachette raced down the ramp and pounded onto the field. Me Talk Pretty One Day 2000-05-02T00:00:00Z

We went up to it, but then I wasn’t so sure. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

She put her hands over her ears as Baachan yelled, but then she had to hear and took them off again. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

For a brief moment I was tempted, but then I remembered the smell of smoke. Full of Beans 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

For one second he wanted to run back to the safety of the walled garden, but then the Praise Singer closed the opening. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z

They’d cleared their debts by ’29, that helped, but then the Depression came along. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

Roger gaped, horrified, but then collected his wits and ran to the nearest group of hesitating children. The Golden Compass 1995-07-01T00:00:00Z

Even with the morphling, the internal pain’s severe the first few days, but then it slacks off considerably. Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z

At first I thought the smoke had materialized out of thin air as a sort of judgment, but then I remembered it was Doreen's smoke and pushed the button that opened the window vent. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z

The question caught them by surprise, for there was a moment’s hesitation; but then a full-throated roar filled the hall, and hands were clapped in the air, fists shaken, voices raised in excited clamor. The Golden Compass 1995-07-01T00:00:00Z

There’s a moment where the headlamps illuminate the ice and water below, like a swimming pool, but then the hood crashes through and, with a shower of sparks, everything goes dark. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

It rolls towards the bathroom and he follows, but then he loses it. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z

His expression flickers cold for an instant at the mention of his brother, but then he’s back to normal, giving me a little laugh. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

It doesn’t really make sense to me, but then again, nothing that’s happening today makes much sense. If I Stay 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

There’s hesitation, frustration in his voice, but then he smiles. I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

Candice thought it was because he was trying to block the sun, but then she saw the tears rolling down his cheeks. The Parker Inheritance 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

He started to move but then stopped, holding up a finger. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

She looked so lost, and I thought she wouldn’t say anything at all, but then she said, “Okay.” The Science of Breakable Things 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

“There are times you just want to sink through the floor,” she said, “but then you realize there’s no air out there.” Feed 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

She looked like she was going to say something, but then Mr. Gardner started talking about the project we’ll be working on this month. P.S. I Miss You 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

Caesar tells a few jokes to warm up the audience but then gets down to business. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

It hurt at first, but then we looked at each other and started laughing. P.S. I Miss You 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

Her legs looked like they were tangled in vines, but then I realized they were sprouting snakes, hundreds of vipers darting around, constantly looking for something to bite. The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z

From the Balcony I descended a few hundred feet down a broad, gentle snow gully without incident, but then things began to get sketchy. Into Thin Air 1996-08-01T00:00:00Z

Well, I was embarrassed for a minute, but then I said, ‘No. I’m Methodist.’ Song of Solomon 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z

Marco starts to say he can tell she received quite a good price for the ring, but then there is a knock on the door of the flat. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

She fish out a few tickets, but then Miss Hilly take the envelope away from her. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

She doesn’t notice me at first, but then she looks up and sees me and slows down. Hurricane Child 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

Part of me felt heart good that he defended me, but then the shame of my leg had sent him walking. Worth 1998-06-01T00:00:00Z

The monster in his chest purred...but then he saw Ron ripping open the tapestry curtain and drawing his wand on Harry, shouting things like “betrayal of trust”...“supposed to be my friend”... Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

Lore had opened her mouth to respond, but then one of the hunters appeared on the other side of the table and said, “Lore, come and dance with me, will you?” Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

This saddened him a little—he’d hoped she’d be happy to see him—but then he felt really stupid for even having the thought. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

He allowed himself a half smile, but then his face turned dark again. Breadcrumbs 2011-09-27T00:00:00Z

“Don’t be stupid,” Maya had said, but then the thought kept her awake all night. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z

The kids played outside for a while, but then came inside to watch DVDs while Kathy caught up with Patty and Mary Ann. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

It’s hard to tell at first, but then her eyes soften and she smiles. Hello, Universe 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z

I lost sight of them a couple of times, but then I’d glimpse a black blur leaping between trees and I’d regain my bearings. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

She jumps anyway, all hysterical, but then smiles once she realizes it’s just me. Piecing Me Together 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

I’m trying to pretend I’m chill, but then Anastasia gave me a look that might have said she agreed with her. Blended 2018-10-30T00:00:00Z

She shakes her head no, but then confesses, “OK, yes, like a baby.” Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

At first I wondered what it was, but then, without question, I was sure. I Am the Messenger 2002-01-10T00:00:00Z

I was trying to think of a quick change of subject, to let him off the hook, but then he shifted in his chair and squinted across the room. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

At the end a the aisle we start to go in different directions, but then we both turn to look at each other. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

I stuck the snacks in the trunk and contorted my way into the backseat next to Laleh, but then Mom turned around and ran back inside too. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

Shawn stepped forward to inspect the egg, and my head rang with Mom would be so disappointed in me—but then he gave a thumbs-down. The Science of Breakable Things 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

Lindsey added, “Well but then again, a guy named Millard Fillmore became president. No loving mother would ever make a Fillmore a Millard, either.” An Abundance of Katherines 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z

At first she came alone and spoke with him through a pane of glass, but then he asked her to bring the children. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

For a moment she wondered whether to tell him about her date with Dustfinger that night, but then she decided against it. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

“Yeah, you managed to lift it up but then after a minute or two of walking around it fell over again.” Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? 1968-01-02T00:00:00Z

I’m about to snark about it to Simon, but then I spot the pavilion—and my heart catches in my throat. Leah on the Offbeat 2018-04-24T00:00:00Z

It doesn’t make sense that he’d offer something like that—but then again, I guess not much makes sense about Sandy Sanders. King and the Dragonflies 2020-02-04T00:00:00Z

"I spent hours trapping and skinning and cooking that squirrel, and you not only eat most of it, but then you throw it all up!" Born Behind Bars 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

“Used to be we had a horse named Hobbit that grazed here, but then he died.” An Abundance of Katherines 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z

He cleared his throat as if to speak but then said nothing. The Namesake 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z

“Yeah,” I croak, but then I swallow hard and say, “Yeah, we got this!” A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

Asher makes a sound as if to argue, but then he stops, as if he’d remembered my successful moves from our last game. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

Normally, he would have shrugged off Nali’s comments, but then he had seen the footprint and the horned toad that wore a turquoise necklace. Healer of the Water Monster 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z

I laughed, but then saw from his face that he was serious. If I Stay 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Anya nearly answered in the affirmative—that was like asking if Ivan knew what the moon was—but then she stopped. Anya and the Dragon 2019-09-24T00:00:00Z

“Oh, yeah, it’s all chill after seventh,” she jokes, but then she gets serious. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

He had jolted awake, sweaty and anxious to get going, but then had to wait for Short-long to meet him in a safe place with the boat. A Wish in the Dark 2020-03-24T00:00:00Z

A dog barked, and we both froze, but then it was quiet again, and soon we were at Lacey’s car. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

I often hear my parents talk about visiting Pakistan as a family again, but then they add that it isn’t the right time to be away from work, or that we shouldn’t miss school. Amina's Voice 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z

The screen flickers at first, but then there he is. Fish in a Tree 2015-02-05T00:00:00Z

“Just the back of his chair. But — there wouldn’t have been anything to see, would there? I mean, he hasn’t got a body, has he? But. . . but then how could he have held the wand?” Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 2000-07-08T00:00:00Z

Con feared for one awful moment that he might have to break it, but then, at last, Tali’s mouth opened just enough, and Con slid the stone between his cold lips. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

The clothes were a bit sniffy, but then, from my meager experience with Chase, it seemed that eight-year-old boys could be a bit sniffy themselves. Hattie Big Sky 2006-09-26T00:00:00Z

“I guess so,” I answer, but then I just sit there, frozen in place. The Running Dream 2011-01-11T00:00:00Z

For a minute I thought the walls had begun to discharge the moisture that must saturate them, but then I saw the noise came from a small fountain in one corner of the room. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z

My muddled head did not register the great hullabaloo at first, but then my ears awoke. Chains 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

The quarry had the best of it at first, but then another hunter flew free of the cloud. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

The general scowled, his mustache bristling, but then he seemed to snap to attention. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

Sana lowers the knife, but then the leader of the thieves calls to her and, seeing her hesitation, stalks toward us. An Ember in the Ashes 2015-04-28T00:00:00Z

Amil’s eyes opened and closed, but then he smiled a little. The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

He looked down before he looked up but then he came toward us. Gone Crazy in Alabama 2015-04-21T00:00:00Z

“You’re wrong about her,” he began, but then shook his head. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

My first instinct is to hide in the bathroom, but then I’d definitely fail. A Mango-Shaped Space 2003-04-16T00:00:00Z

Mother said she agreed, too, but then she proceeded to wait on the sick child hand and foot. Cheaper by the Dozen 1948-01-01T00:00:00Z

Coach said, but then he turned back and saw me scraping my shoe on the grass. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

I didn’t get a card from Sammy—but then, none of the girls got valentines from boys, that I know of. Before We Were Free 2002-08-13T00:00:00Z

“Yeah. When I come home from school, I know I have all this work to do, but then my head starts the Cycling.” It’s Kind of a Funny Story 2006-04-02T00:00:00Z

“We think sometime maybe we get frame for these and keep on table, but then maybe I cry more if I see all time.” A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

“I know,” I said, my voice cracking, but then it just came out of me. Auggie & Me 2015-07-20T00:00:00Z

We both turn around to head back to the truck, but then we hear gunshots. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

At first Rat just sank inside himself, not saying a word, but then later on, after five or six days, it flipped the other way. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first, of course, she laughingly refused, but then a giant hand descended from the sky and shoved her to her knees. Jacob Have I Loved 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Mark looked up to see that Alec was a little astonished at his outburst, but then he shook his head and came over to join Mark on the cot. The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin) 2012-08-14T00:00:00Z

At first I couldn’t pick Out my mother, but then I saw her small back. Kira-Kira 2004-02-01T00:00:00Z

Hanako wanted to kill him sometimes, but then she’d look at him, as now, with his big, beautiful wine stain that nobody outside of the family thought was beautiful, just playing calmly by himself. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

You were never unkind in your dealings, but then you were not generous. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

Sometimes things don’t work the first time but then eventually they do. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

This last image wasn’t as bright as the rest, and that bothered me a bit, but then the splendor of the entire Story Box swept me away. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z

I should just go back and forget about this, but then I spot a little glimmer of grayish-whitish something resting on a rock. Al Capone Does My Shirts 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

I started to yell at her, but then I realized, too late, that we were falling. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z

I don’t know what got into me, but then I said to her, “And maybe you can come to the next Tourette’s support meeting with us.” Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z

He lived out of cans, but then perhaps his former wife did also. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z

I wasn’t so sure what that one meant, but then she gave me one of her rare hugs. Hope Springs 2021-08-10T00:00:00Z

Malcolm couldn’t tell which of the nuns it was, but then it was joined by another face, and the window swung open, into the dark and the cries of agonized laughter. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

I stare at its tail curling around his earlobe for a moment, but then Christina starts running and I have to follow her. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

“Good! I only have a few more scenes to write, but then I have to go back and fix a lot of stuff.” A Soft Place to Land 2021-09-14T00:00:00Z

Everything appeared very stately and imposing to me; but then I was so little accustomed to grandeur. Jane Eyre 1847-10-16T00:00:00Z

It took every inch of my self-control to keep from laughing, but then Nan looked at me all wide-eyed, and we busted into a fit of giggles. Hope Springs 2021-08-10T00:00:00Z

“No, not much—but then later, when the troops were hunting Indians and shooting children and burning teepees, it wasn’t much different from your mouse hunt.” The Red Pony 1937-01-01T00:00:00Z

I figured he must be on the other bus, but then I overheard Miles tell Amos that Julian ditched the grade trip because he thought the whole nature-retreat thing was, quote unquote, dorky. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

She looked really hurt for a moment, but then she got angry. Kira-Kira 2004-02-01T00:00:00Z

Blepharismin causes no trouble unless the animal swims into sunlight, but then the pigment kills it outright. The Lives of a Cell 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first I couldn’t tell if the fire was inside or outside, but then I saw that one of the curtains, only a few feet from the bed, was ablaze. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

Mom started to reach a hand across the table, but then stopped herself. Turtles All the Way Down 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

“It was, but then you said I had to change it, remember?” Al Capone Does My Shirts 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a moment I think it’s still moving, but then I realize that’s because someone is rifling through its pockets. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

I almost turned and went back outside, but then Mother appeared behind me and said, “Let me finally meet this famous Liz.” The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

I started to dive but then something went past me like a shot. Slam! 1996-11-01T00:00:00Z

His mouth opens like he’s about to say something, but then his chin drops to his chest and his body relaxes. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

It took me a few seconds to figure out the focus, but then I could see a man sitting at his desk, writing something. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 2005-04-01T00:00:00Z

I dash the thought from my head, lest the Augur pick it out—but then, I've already thought it, so it must be too late. An Ember in the Ashes 2015-04-28T00:00:00Z

His face is totally serious at first, but then he cracks and starts laughing. A Soft Place to Land 2021-09-14T00:00:00Z

“Well, it was too bad we alarmed him, but then, it wasn’t like we thought we were doing this in front of J. Edgar Hoover, either,” said Francis. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

A well-aimed rap of a hammer got the engine working again, but then, at about 10:30, an old section of hose burst and the flow of water stopped again. The Great Fire 1995-04-01T00:00:00Z

Kevin, I’d thought, was headed to medical school, but then he swerved, deciding to put off schooling and instead pursue a sideline interest in becoming a sports mascot. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z

I wondered how I might have reacted had somebody been killed, but then I dismissed the thought as overly dramatic. Me Talk Pretty One Day 2000-05-02T00:00:00Z

There is the telephone, but then you might record the conversation. The Fault in Our Stars 2012-01-10T00:00:00Z

He shakes his head, but then he just sits down on the new mattress that’s squeezed against the wall. The Benefits of Being an Octopus 2018-09-04T00:00:00Z

Angie runs past me, but then she slows down so I can catch up with her. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

He felt he would have given all the time remaining to him for just one last look at them; but then, would he ever have the strength to stop looking? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2007-07-21T00:00:00Z

I thought it was pride, I thought it was the need to impress your father, but then I realized your weakness was the same as your father’s: friendship. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 2016-07-31T00:00:00Z

Richard had carried a heavy book a long way and I was feeling kind of bad for him, but then we finally found something. Life Is So Good 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

“They fight, eat each other, bring diseases to each other &c, but then comes the more deadly struggle.” Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

The baton started to come down, but then he swooped it to the side. Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z

I said I didn't know nothing about it, but then I got busted on a humble and went down. Monster 1999-01-01T00:00:00Z

Most people would have termed her a splendid woman of her age: and so she was, no doubt, physically speaking; but then there was an expression of almost insupportable haughtiness in her bearing and countenance. Jane Eyre 1847-10-16T00:00:00Z

The women smile, but then cover their mouths, embarrassed. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

Florence was calmly accepting the sacrilegious game we were playing, but then it didn’t matter to him, he didn’t believe. Bless Me, Ultima 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

We all sort of inched forward slowly when she did this, but then settled back to our places and watched. Where Things Come Back 2011-05-03T00:00:00Z

Sometimes they feel as though they could almost kill each other, but then they go on vacation and come back sounding like newlyweds. Blink 2005-01-11T00:00:00Z

They might start off positively enough, but then comes all that time spent so close to the pain and the worry. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Wa—” he began, but then he erupted into a coughing jag that sent the food he couldn’t swallow into Alec’s face. The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin) 2012-08-14T00:00:00Z

Sometimes that desire would subside, and Taisin thought she might succeed in preventing her vision from happening, but then her feelings returned at the most unexpected moments. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

I could almost celebrate, but then a voice breaks through my happy thoughts. The Sky at Our Feet 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

“I agree with the lot of ya. He should be punished, but then we need to figure out a way to use him. I’m reservin’ my recommendation until I hear everyone out. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

I step on the first stone that rises above the trickling creek, but then something catches my eye. The Adoration of Jenna Fox 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z

We were quiet for a moment, but then he spoke again. Tradition 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z

He might have chanced it all the same, but then Penny had landed a blow on his shield and the moment was gone, never to return. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z

Sifen continued to grin, but then, as if remembering his manners, he bowed to Amah. When the Sea Turned to Silver 2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

She started to argue, but then said, “I don’t doubt it.” October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

“Yeah, but then you wouldn’t enjoy them,” my mom said. The Fault in Our Stars 2012-01-10T00:00:00Z

June started to nod, but then she froze, her eyes widening. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

We can't figure out our noses at first, but then we do, and then I realize my eyes are still open. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda 2015-03-25T00:00:00Z

Venia and Octavia, a plump woman whose entire body has been dyed a pale shade of pea green, rub me down with a lotion that first stings but then soothes my raw skin. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

The photographs on the license and the permit ID do not look much like Salim, but then, they did not look much like the ifrit. American Gods 2011-06-21T00:00:00Z

“Yeah, well, it’s amazing how twenty-five dollars can help a recruitment officer overlook a thing or two. Maybe you should try it, Ned old boy, but then, company vouchers might not do the trick.” Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z

There was no place to sit except on the beds, but then, on a regular workday there was no leisure time except the less than three hours between supper and curfew. Lyddie 1991-02-01T00:00:00Z

I thought about trying to squeeze inside with them but then saw a brand fly land, tuck its wings to its back, and wriggle through a tiny crack at the bottom. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z

I turned toward the front door, but then he began scratching scratching scratching his butter knife against his toast, the sound making me cringe inside. The Boy in the Black Suit 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

He thought he’d lost it for a second, but then he scraped rust and a moment later he was perched again. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z

“I have a little saved. I used to skim from what Henry gave me for groceries, but then there was Christmas. There’s maybe eight dollars left.” Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

Julia just stands there for a second like she isn’t sure what to do, but then she says, “Okay, then, late!” and runs back to her other friends. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

I am not sure he believes me, but then again, I am not sure how much to believe of what he says either. The Adoration of Jenna Fox 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z

Maddy frowned, but then she grabbed the chair by the armrests and yanked it forward. Patina 2017-08-29T00:00:00Z

She hesitates, as if to say something more, but then she turns away and walks down the street. The Handmaid's Tale 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

I jolt up and I have a momentary seizure that it was all a dream, all of it—the whole Sixth North bit—but then I wonder, where would the dream start? It’s Kind of a Funny Story 2006-04-02T00:00:00Z

I wanted to tell him it doesn't have to make sense, but then he said he still loved me and wanted to see if he could help me with whatever else I wanted to do. Sunny 2018-04-10T00:00:00Z

My father and my uncle were very close growing up, but then they had a major falling-out. Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel 2011-09-15T00:00:00Z

I ignore it at first but then begin to wonder what she has to tell me that’s so important on a Saturday night. Saints and Misfits 2017-06-13T00:00:00Z

He did a little laugh as he said this, but then he seemed to fall deep into thought. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Sometimes I feel like seeing if I can track down anybody from the old days, but then I think, what would I talk to them about now? The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first I was scared the bouncer might say, “Sorry, kids, I need ID,” but then I realized that would be fine. Ask the Passengers 2012-10-23T00:00:00Z

“Well, I want to. I should change first, but then go back to the village.” Anya and the Dragon 2019-09-24T00:00:00Z

I found it was “the act of abolishing;” but then I did not know what was to be abolished. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 1845-05-01T00:00:00Z

I decided I would do just that, but then I remembered the more pressing matter of inmates still outside their cells who were claim-ing to be porters. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first I wondered why they would give away their food and livelihood, but then I realized: There weren’t enough people left to eat it. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

I wondered if Ben had written this about me, but then I realized that Ben didn’t even know me when he wrote his journal. Walk Two Moons 1994-06-30T00:00:00Z

“Thank you,” he says, but then something across the room catches his attention and in a flash he’s up and walking toward my dresser. I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

In the distance he heard a dip in the sound of the singing, some startled voices breaking the flow, but then the song rose again, defying the darkness. The City of Ember 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

At first I think we could get them ice cream, but then I think that maybe they need more than a treat. Betty Before X 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

I float off the balcony, but then I turn back, full of nosy courage. The Unfinished Angel 2009-09-22T00:00:00Z

I had a sudden desire to eat them, but then I remembered the story of Persephone. The Lightning Thief 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

I could still hear those two fussing after I passed the foundry, but then everything got drowned out as the 1:10 from Athens approached. Cold Sassy Tree 1984-11-02T00:00:00Z

June and Taryn were facing each other and giggling, but then June grabbed Ivy’s arm and pulled her closer and soon the three of them were moving in a little circle. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

The ghosts walked straight into the squalid confusion of the town, as if they knew exactly where they were going, and Lyra and Will were about to follow them; but then they were stopped. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

The ringing in my ears finally stops but then the phone rings. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a fleeting second he thought it might be a thief, but then he discounted that, because robbers in a place like this were as unlikely as wild animals. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

She would leave right now, she was about to leave—but then Paolo saw her and ran at her, top speed, like a little boy, stopping short before he crashed. Genuine Fraud 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z

“That’s right. I wanted to see him, but then I decided that it wasn’t a good idea, so I came home.” The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

An end to making blacks pay their fares at the front of the bus but then get off and reenter through the rear door to find a seat at the back. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice 2009-01-20T00:00:00Z

It felt a little forced, but then she laughed with me. Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel 2011-09-15T00:00:00Z

She was afraid she might collapse, but then she looked up and realized they’d reached the top of the hill. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

We’d go long stretches without talking but then pick up the thread of our friendship with ease. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z

Malachy and Michael look shocked over the way I got the bread and lemonade but then Malachy says it was only what Robin Hood would have done, rob the rich and give to the poor. Angela's Ashes: A Memoir 1996-09-05T00:00:00Z

At first I thought that in all that chaos they simply hadn’t recognized me and that was why they were treating me with so little respect, but then I realized what was going on. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

The people who lived there had been happy before, but then wild animals had come and had begun to frighten them. The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa 2004-12-07T00:00:00Z

He wanted to show them the photos of Kainene and the roped pot, but then he thought better of it. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

“Well, not all surprises are good ones,” I say, but then I think about my new kitten—finally, a nice surprise. Shouting at the Rain 2019-05-07T00:00:00Z

She started to say “I think it might be a . . .” but then slipped on loose gravel, and her last word was lost as she scrambled and caught herself before she could fall. Hollow City 2014-01-14T00:00:00Z

I paused to consider it, but then shook my head. The Red Umbrella 2010-04-25T00:00:00Z

She laughs again, but then her smile gets a little bit sad. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

He hesitates, but then he picks up the knife and slices off a piece of dough and sets it down in the center of the table. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z

I sat in the waiting room coloring, but then the therapist called me inside. Three Little Words: A Memoir 2007-12-27T00:00:00Z

I saw Newt but then he disappeared again. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

She forgot her lunch bag in her cubby, and I thought about bringing it to her, but then I decided not to. Absolutely Almost 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

Ralph looked at me coolly but then spoke very clearly and confidently. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

She was about to add, “Do come in,” but then she realized that Justice Strauss would probably not want to venture into the dim and dirty room. The Bad Beginning 1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

Ben and I let her go, but then she slowed down. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

“Yeah, but then she left, too. Went to live with their mom.” Odd One Out 2018-08-09T00:00:00Z

“Mom,” I say sharply, but then I catch the look on Ben’s face. What If It's Us 2018-10-09T00:00:00Z

Erin began, but then she looked at me and stopped. Here to Stay 2018-09-08T00:00:00Z

“Recruiters might be that clumsy, but then, if they’re out this far, they’re hunting for sure. Got to be stealthy to sneak up on Indians.” The Marrow Thieves 2017-05-10T00:00:00Z

“I raised money last night, but then some guys attacked me and stole it.” The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 2007-09-01T00:00:00Z

Clarisse was watching us like she knew what we were talking about, but then she fixed her eyes on her breakfast plate. The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z

His breathing slowed as if he might fall asleep, but then Clement hit a bump and the bonobo startled. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

Mama was going to say something, but then she stopped, her hand flew to her mouth, and she hurried into her room. Purple Hibiscus 2003-10-01T00:00:00Z

He wouldn’t be in this mess, but then he wouldn’t get to go bobcat hunting with his dad either. The Benefits of Being an Octopus 2018-09-04T00:00:00Z

She held herself together for a few seconds but then imploded. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

“Perhaps you could absorb the material,” he said, but then he hung his old gray head. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

For a moment, Harry thought Voldemort was not going to let go of it, but then it had slid through his fingers and was back in its red velvet cushion. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

I started to protest that this made no sense, but then I realized it made perfect sense. If I Stay 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Bomb?” said Lyra, frightened; but then she said, “Roger—are you there?” The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

For a moment, I think he’s kidding, but then I realize he’s serious. The Fourteenth Goldfish 2014-08-26T00:00:00Z

I tried to shush him, tried to grab him whenever he neared me, but then he’d dart back to the bodies, shriek at them aggressively, kicking at them. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

They say I can use the computer for my homework, but then sit there behind me as I make up things to research. Every Day 2012-08-28T00:00:00Z

I consider kicking in the door, but then what? Dread Nation 2018-04-03T00:00:00Z

“And then I get mad at that other man, for having a stroke or whatever he had, like he shouldn’t have been driving, but then I know that doesn’t make sense either.” Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story 2016-06-28T00:00:00Z

In the glow from the dashboard his face appeared to be covered with odd black freckles—but then I realized that the freckles were actually more mosquitoes, too gorged with blood to fly away. Flush 2005-09-13T00:00:00Z

For a minute, I’m confused, but then I follow Abby’s gaze to the back of the auditorium. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda 2015-03-25T00:00:00Z

That had seemed to satisfy him, but then, to my immense discomfort, and in front of everybody, he brought it up again. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

When I turn around, I can see that the back door has popped open, and for a moment I think that Radar has been thrown from the car, but then he sits up. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

He traveled to Lagos and to Port Harcourt and to Abuja to take assessment tests, which he found easy, and he attended interviews, answering questions fluidly, but then a long empty silence would follow. Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

I nod too, because I’m sure I know what she means, but then she adds, “Because it’s also the starting line.” The Running Dream 2011-01-11T00:00:00Z

When his hand opened, I couldn’t believe my eyes, but then I stepped closer. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

The scale survived the first few impacts, but then we heard a big sproinggg and it flew apart. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

She could be five years older than I—but then, she grew rapidly like a weed. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

I tug it out of the bag and decline it—but then I feel bad, so I text her. What If It's Us 2018-10-09T00:00:00Z

Both theories lack observational evidence: no one has ever seen a giant tortoise with the earth on its back, but then, no one has seen a superstring either. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

We laughed, and I changed the radio station and thought it was over, but then Daisy started reading me an Indianapolis Star story from her phone. Turtles All the Way Down 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

Mexico isn’t as bad as places like Guatemala and Peru, where the white privilege is so much more overt, but then those countries have a much more sizable black population.” Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

I missed a couple of shots to get H-O-R-S, but then she got sloppy and missed a couple of easy ones. The Million Dollar Shot 1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

Fifi piped up, but then backed down when her mother and her sisters eyed her. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents 1991-01-04T00:00:00Z

It stung horribly, but then he felt the rough friction of a towel on his wrist, and something mopping the wound more gently. The Subtle Knife 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Lately, it seems all he wants to do is sleep. He does his chores—I see to that—but then he just wants to crawl under his blanket. Can I ask you something?” The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

I open my mouth but then close it again. The Benefits of Being an Octopus 2018-09-04T00:00:00Z

Actually, I hate school, but then again most of the time I hate everything. The Pigman 1968-10-12T00:00:00Z

“There was no they, just the one we thought was dead. It went nuts and stung Alby, but then ran away.” The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

I started to pull it away, but then I changed my mind. Crenshaw 2015-09-22T00:00:00Z

He tried studying medicine, but then switched to mathematics at Cambridge. The Gene 2016-06-02T00:00:00Z

The boy smiled and turned, but then stopped to look back. The Marvels 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

I hadn’t seen anything, but then I wasn’t looking too hard. 145th Street: Short Stories 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

He thought someone had thrown a rope inside his house for another evil sign, but then it moved! The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

He used to teach at the university, too, but then his family sold some patent or something, for some kind of waterproof material, and he got rich and quit. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z

My mother stepped forward and gave my father a kind of a smile but then went to shake Mrs.’s hand first. Gone Crazy in Alabama 2015-04-21T00:00:00Z

After more than an hour had gone by, he thought he had surely seen the last hole, but then off to the left he saw another cluster of them. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

I was terrified for a moment, but then I heard him say in his quiet, mild tone that he just wanted me to look at a couple of pictures. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Zeitoun started the engine but then ran back inside, retrieved the box of photos, brought it down, and put it in the trunk. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

Aunty Em stiffened, as if Annabeth had done something wrong, but then the old woman relaxed just as quickly, so I figured it must’ve been my imagination. The Lightning Thief 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

I wanted to take a shortcut through the orchard to the road leading down to the town, but then my foot caught in a root. Dragonwings 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

"What are you-?" He could not bring himself to be specific at first; but then fear and loneliness goaded him. Lord of the Flies 1954-09-17T00:00:00Z

At first I was afraid, but then I recognized the voices. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

He was on a roll and was about to say something else; but then, quite suddenly, he stopped, his face souring as if something unpleasant had occurred to him. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

He did as promised, but then did much more. A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z

Isabella laughs but then starts coughing so hard, I’m ready to catch one of her lungs. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

He was facing the yellow brick wall across the street, but then he looked at me out of the corner of his eye. Silent To The Bone 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

Luma started to explain how bail worked, but then she caught herself, finally understanding the boy’s confusion. Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference 2009-04-21T00:00:00Z

I assumed she was gone as usual, but then I started smelling smoke coming from the back. When I Was the Greatest 2014-01-07T00:00:00Z

When Jonathan first looked in, the boy, as if coming from sleep, lifted sudden, startled eyes, opening his mouth as if to speak, but then said nothing. The Fighting Ground 1984-04-01T00:00:00Z

Three hands shoot up, but then they all start talking at once. A Mango-Shaped Space 2003-04-16T00:00:00Z

Con had the disconcerting feeling that the man might pry open his mouth and examine his teeth, but then the rider only asked, “Who are your companions?” Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

The shark followed the kayak, as the man paddled to shore, but then it swam away—no damage to the boat, no injuries. The Line Tender 2019-04-16T00:00:00Z

For a moment, he thought it would catch his father perfectly, but then the entire ship heaved with another wave and the panel missed. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z

We caught eyes for a second, but then I darted mine to my french fries and ketchup. Ghost 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z

“Yeah, but then people would stop to buy firewood and get a lecture about objectifying women.” The Serpent King 2016-03-08T00:00:00Z

My heart had nearly stopped—three men, white car—but then the details registered. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

“People say my granddad was bad, but then those same people hate me for who I am. They’re doing the same thing they say they hate about my granddad. It’s not fair,” he says again. King and the Dragonflies 2020-02-04T00:00:00Z

She opened her mouth to answer the haint, but then Richard sat right on the ghost, shivering as he did so. Ophie's Ghosts 2021-05-18T00:00:00Z

I think I understand her—for a moment, I presume to understand her—but then, from within this sadness, she surprises me with a brief flash of determination. Every Day 2012-08-28T00:00:00Z

You could hear them whistling overhead, but then there wouldn’t be an explosion. Fallen Angels 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a moment she stared as if about to sink back into her stupor, but then she sat forward, face brightening. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

The bottles started bubbling, gently at first, but then they began to shake faster and faster until the whole table jitterbugged. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z

I’ve never seen a rat with an acorn, but then again you don’t usually stumble on rats in nature. Hello, Universe 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z

He's laughing, but then he also seems to be waiting for an answer. Will Grayson, Will Grayson 2010-04-06T00:00:00Z

My mother used to travel with him, but then they had me and they took too long trying to decide if they wanted to take me to the digs. Made You Up 2015-05-19T00:00:00Z

At first I can’t think of what to say, but then I pretend I’m writing in my diary again. Before We Were Free 2002-08-13T00:00:00Z

“It wasn’t exactly in the plan, but then again, nothing ever is.” Full of Beans 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

They start out as tears of relief, but then a lump rises in my throat and I sink back to the ground, my face buried in my hands. How to Disappear Completely 2020-04-28T00:00:00Z

“Do you ever feel—” I begin, but then the door opens and Carla bustles in to rush him out. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

The captain began to leave, but then he turned back to the new residents of his domain. Copper Sun 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

I played out scenes in my head where I declared my intention of living as a boy and my parents, at first protesting but then breaking down, accepted me. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

It hurt more than anything—more pain than a person is supposed to feel—but then the microscopic painkilling nanites in his blood released their numbing opiates. Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

The distant herd of long-necked sauropods doesn’t worry me, but then Ma points at something in the sky, and I look up in time to see a flock of pointy-beaked Pteranodon soaring overhead! Dragons in a Bag 2018-10-23T00:00:00Z

I look around for Josh but then remember that he’s not out at this recess. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

I stare at the tattoo, trying to figure out what it is, but then he lets his shirt fall. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

“Maybe, but then I’d be dragged by some unit into the field. As you know, Koch doesn’t like his affairs broadcast. This is private business,” I said, staring him down. Salt to the Sea 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z

He’d really freaked out when he lost it, I remembered, but then my mom found it. Turtles All the Way Down 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

She got him to send her all of the feedstats for the lamp, but then she didn’t buy it. Feed 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

For the first time, Ruth’s voice had hardened, but then she let out a sigh and looked down again. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

There is a silence in which he must be waiting to be connected, but then his voice warms up. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents 1991-01-04T00:00:00Z

Alec got off another couple of shots, but then it was too much. The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin) 2012-08-14T00:00:00Z

He built his own laboratory, the first at Cambridge, but then engaged in the most bizarre experiments. A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z

I was naturally a little surprised by this, but then quickly saw the situation for what it was; that is to say, it was clearly expected that I be baffled by the question. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

For a moment as they looked at each other, she thought she saw him wrestle with what to say, but then the hardness returned to his eyes and he said curtly, “You must go home.” Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

I shrug, but then I say, “I guess I just sort of care about everyone.” Boy21 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

I just about give up, but then I see a crumpled brown paper bag that’s been smoothed out and folded tight. The Skin I'm In 1998-10-16T00:00:00Z

I think we’ve been taken down and are on our way to the bottom, but then the water clears, and I’m gasping salty air. Challenger Deep 2015-04-15T00:00:00Z

At first I’m surprised, but then I realize it wasn’t a mistake to come over, because it felt like the right thing. Fish in a Tree 2015-02-05T00:00:00Z

At first she’s repeating give her to me, give her to me, but then it’s just an indistinguishable howl of fury and anguish. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Some nights I wouldn’t sleep, but then for the next two I slept great. It’s Kind of a Funny Story 2006-04-02T00:00:00Z

After being with the Commander I would go upstairs in the usual way, but then I would go along the hall and down the Marthas’ stairs at the back and through the kitchen. The Handmaid's Tale 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

Valmiki raised an eyebrow, as if to say You’re stretching the definition of rhyme, but then, you are on an urgent deadline…. Aru Shah and the End of Time 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

He was pushing his way impatiently through the crowd, but then he always did that. The Shakespeare Stealer 1998-05-01T00:00:00Z

It was hard for the first few months, but then I discovered that I can live without these things. Me Talk Pretty One Day 2000-05-02T00:00:00Z

“I didn’t notice, but then again we get so many people coming through I kind of tune out after a while.” Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z

She stood there so long that Dustfinger eventually closed his eyes so as not to have to look at her, but then he heard her weeping and his face turned hot with shame. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

“My own Rosa,” she continues, but then stops. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

We might’ve met our doom right there, but then I heard a strange buzzing noise. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

For some years he lived with a little female called Susie, but then the zoo director sold her to another zoo and Jojo was left alone. My Life with the Chimpanzees 1988-03-01T00:00:00Z

For a minute he looked like he might say more, but then he dropped to one knee and sorted through the pile of books he’d gathered. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

His pickup hadn’t been in the drive, but then he often took off after a workday for a drink with his buddies. In the Time of the Butterflies 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

I nod that I understand, and Sandy’s walking away before I know it—but then he thinks better of it, and turns around to face me again. King and the Dragonflies 2020-02-04T00:00:00Z

I was friends with her in middle school, but then she changed, and by the end of freshman year, she turned quiet, almost mute. Saints and Misfits 2017-06-13T00:00:00Z

He knew that Hagrid would never send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn’t have a normal person’s view of what was dangerous. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban 1999-07-08T00:00:00Z

So I finally said okay, but then the day before I was supposed to go, Bertha came home with a lunch box covered with ponies and rainbows. Wish 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z

Both men laughed, but then the older one swung his fist at her, casually, as a man would swat a dog. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z

I felt good for a second, but then I thought about how none of this would have happened if it weren’t for Mr. Terupt. Because of Mr. Terupt 2010-10-11T00:00:00Z

There were advantages to Zeitoun and Kathy running a business together—so many blessings, too many to name—but then again, the drawbacks were distinct and growing. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

He opened his mouth to say that he could only stay until four, but then he closed it. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

A few used the same old joke: “I could show you where I get my mushrooms, but then I’d have to kill you.” The Omnivore's Dilemma 2006-04-11T00:00:00Z

Her eyes stray to a passing car on the street, the headlights briefly shining on their bodies, but then her gaze returns to his face. The Namesake 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z

Thorn smiled proudly but then looked at her mother in concern. Witchlings 2022-04-05T00:00:00Z

I never heard Baba talk about Ankara, but then I never listened when he talked of where we would go in Turkey. Without Refuge 2018-04-01T00:00:00Z

Declaration started to sit but then stood up again and said, “Missing people you love is hard.” Each Little Bird That Sings 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

I pick the one on the right, but then the left elevator door opens. A Soft Place to Land 2021-09-14T00:00:00Z

I think she’s about to sneak upstairs, which she’s started to do again, but then I hear her on the kitchen telephone asking for Miss Hilly. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

I ran over to help, but then he really wouldn’t let me near him. Life Is So Good 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

I had never done detention before, but then again I’d never spent time in an American high school. Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel 2011-09-15T00:00:00Z

No announcements about my music, but then again it hadn’t arrived yet. It’s Kind of a Funny Story 2006-04-02T00:00:00Z

There was a lot of silence, but then she spoke. One Crazy Summer 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a second, he thought he saw a flash of defiance in Zero's eyes, but then it passed. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

It did not seem that he could possibly be a Jew, but then he wasn’t a Jackboot either. Milkweed 2003-09-09T00:00:00Z

Something poked up in the middle of the debris but then disappeared. I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 2011-04-01T00:00:00Z

They would leave the starting line with just enough of a surge to get some momentum behind the boat but then drop immediately to a low stroke rate of twenty-eight or twenty-nine. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

I hid it in my closet, and forgot about it, but then found it and ate it the following day. Challenger Deep 2015-04-15T00:00:00Z

Magdalys opened her mouth but then realized she had nothing to respond with. Dactyl Hill Squad 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z

He starts to say something, but then the doorbell chimes. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

Blank shock showed in Voldemort’s face for a moment, but then it was gone. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2007-07-21T00:00:00Z

I quickly let Shorty know how serious I was with Islam, but then, talking the old street talk, I quickly put him at his ease, and we had a great reunion. The Autobiography of Malcolm X 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

I ’spected Lizabeth to tell me to get right on out her house, but then she said something that made the world turn backwards and do the sidestroke. Girls Like Us 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

For most of us that is of course an utterly meaningless measure, but then with astronomical measures most distances are so huge as to be utterly meaningless. A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z

I was going to say something else but then the lights went down. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

Bran's bowels went to water as the Greatjon struggled to rise, sucking at the red stumps of fingers . . . but then, astonishingly, the huge man laughed. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z

We lean in for her next words, for The Message from Upstairs, but then Dad interrupts, throwing a whole load of boring on the moment. I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

It is so quiet out here—but then I realize it’s really not. Blended 2018-10-30T00:00:00Z

I remember feeling a wave of panic at being suddenly unarmed, but then I realized that he was more scared than I was. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

Mam tells me at home, You shouldn’t cry but then again tears are salty and they’ll wash the bad stuff from your eyes. Angela's Ashes: A Memoir 1996-09-05T00:00:00Z

At first I thought there was a breeze, because of all the motion in the treetops, but then one of the many leaves separated and fluttered down to us. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z

When I got on my bike, I sat on the wire to keep the skirt from tangling in the greasy chain, but then the front popped up and I could not see over the top. Three Little Words: A Memoir 2007-12-27T00:00:00Z

It wasn’t really a lie, but then I added, “I’m sorry.” Winger 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

Like at first they were shocked, but then when they saw I was laughing about it, they knew it was okay to laugh about it, too. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

The thought makes me hesitate a moment, but then I plunge in. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

I wonder why she’s so angry, but then someone behind me says, “This is asinine! Why can’t I go in to see my daughter? I’m tired of waiting here!” Boy21 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first it had been hard to get the words out, but then she just turned off the hot water, and the cold water shocked the words out of her. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z

We should just leave her alone, but then I felt a growing rage deep in my chest. The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

For a moment, I think he’s ignoring me, but then I realize he’s not answering because he can’t lie and he doesn’t want to tell me the truth. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

Her brother ignored her for a moment but then, as if he had been judging the limits of his sister’s patience, he loped over and dropped the toy at her paws. Pax 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z

At first I continued to give him brief answers, but then I started talking a little more, telling him about how I would like to help displaced people. How Dare the Sun Rise 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

Behind it was another one and another one, but then we would be home. In the Time of the Butterflies 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

She watched from just inside her front door, fearfully at first, but then with growing confidence. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 1970-06-01T00:00:00Z

I still didn’t see any dog, but then the oddest thing happened: the boy barked at me. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z

At first he didn’t notice anything wrong, but then it hit him like a kick from a mule. Hoot 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

“She said no,” Henry admitted, “but then I explained it to her again like you told me, about God’s plan, about the twins and all. She listened to that, but she sure didn’t say yes.” Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

Fora moment the audience is quiet, but then they go wild, standing up, screaming. Like Vanessa 2018-03-13T00:00:00Z

I was gonna keep moving, but then I saw that there were other people down closer to the track, hanging out, watching the practice. Ghost 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z

The Japanese were outnumbered and suffered huge losses, but then a typhoon blew in, pounding and sinking many Mongolian ships. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

The Colonel pushed his arms into the foam of the couch and began to rise, but then fell backward onto the couch, lying on his back. Looking for Alaska 2005-03-03T00:00:00Z

I reach up to touch my pendant necklace for comfort, but then I remember that it's no longer around my neck. Legend 2011-11-29T00:00:00Z

At first I’m confused, but then I remember that I gave her a fake, just-in-case name. Hello, Universe 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z

I was late, but then again, I was always late. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

The method today has many refinements, but then it consisted of working the always shifting edges of the audiences that others had managed to draw. The Autobiography of Malcolm X 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a time the morning seemed to brighten, the sky going to a lighter shade of silver, but then the rains came back hard and steady. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Christina looks away, and at first I think she is bashful, but then I see her face contort like he slapped her instead of complimented her. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

He really was content, he told me, to stay where he was, building his influence over time, awaiting his turn to speak inside the deliberative cacophony of the Senate, but then a storm arrived. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z

Harry and Ron waited with bated breath: Malfoy was surely seconds away from telling them it was him — but then — “I wish I knew who it is,” said Malfoy petulantly. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z

I didn’t remember her ever filming this, but then again, when she was here, I never had paid much attention to what she did when she wasn’t with me. The Line Tender 2019-04-16T00:00:00Z

That gave the whole Trinity team some juice and they made a little light comeback but then Carver put the game away. Slam! 1996-11-01T00:00:00Z

I perked up, thinking that she had come alone, but then I saw her date enter behind her with his two quarters in his hand. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

Tim hesitates for a second, but then he shuffles out of the dining hall, too. Shine! 2019-11-05T00:00:00Z

She also puts some of her pimple cream on my face, though I don’t really need it—but then, neither does she. Before We Were Free 2002-08-13T00:00:00Z

The thought of a ride was such a tremendous relief that Jinjoo took a step toward the wagon, but then something made her stop. Finding Junie Kim 2021-05-04T00:00:00Z

It means effectively not only that you must walk a prescribed distance each day but then spend the night penned up with strangers. A Walk in the Woods 1997-11-01T00:00:00Z

She seemed to raise her hand as if to wave back, but then she lowered it and quickly ran inside. The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

“Ah did think about it one day,” Hicks said dreamily, “but then Ah forgot it and ain’t thought about it since then.” Their Eyes Were Watching God 1937-09-18T00:00:00Z

Marco watches her approach, confused at first but then the confusion is replaced by something else entirely. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

She watched them with wide eyes, frightened they’d awaken, but then they all settled back into sleep. Anya and the Dragon 2019-09-24T00:00:00Z

Jane takes off running ahead of me and I don't know whether I'm supposed to follow her or not, but then she turns around toward me and starts skipping backward. Will Grayson, Will Grayson 2010-04-06T00:00:00Z

For an instant Matt thought she meant the passage, but then he heard the sound of chairs being moved and the whir of a machine. The House of the Scorpion 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

The two bears startled a bit at the crow’s angry charge, but then shrugged and ignored him. The Birchbark House 1999-07-21T00:00:00Z

At first she smells of her freshly ironed uniform, but then I smell the faint scent of cigarettes and oily food lingering behind her starchy presence. American Street 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

Poppet turns to make a face at him but then focuses her gaze upward, looking into the clear night sky. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

“We were, but then Sophie wanted to see The Sound of Music.” It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z

She wiped her face with the back of her hand, but then Akira said, “You wiped dirt all over your face.” A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

The boy thought they were telling him to chain up Sounder, but then he saw that one of the men had snapped a long chain on the handcuffs on his father’s wrists. Sounder 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

“You can’t know that,” I argued, but then I wondered suddenly if he could. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

“Let’s do this,” Thorn said, but then she just stood there. Witchlings 2022-04-05T00:00:00Z

I pout my lower lip for a second, but then I grin as the pieces come together in my mind. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

I don’t hear Caleb crying anymore, but then, he was quiet about it before. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

One of Kelsey’s reports showed a 97 average, but then she got a 78 on a Spanish test. Class Matters 2005-09-02T00:00:00Z

Ben still looked at her with a question in his eyes, but then shook his head. Orphan Island 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z

She let the nervous energy inside her pool into a ball, but then she paused. A Wish in the Dark 2020-03-24T00:00:00Z

She appeared surprised by Trevor’s question, but then she reached for a notepad and pen on her desk and handed it to Trevor. From the Desk of Zoe Washington 2020-01-14T00:00:00Z

In June he’d gotten himself an artist s tool called a perspective frame, but then he had to go into the hospital. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers 2017-04-18T00:00:00Z

At first Zach aimed for the ruts just to hear me, but then he got nervous because I couldn’t seem to stop. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first she thought it was the bear, clanging the oatmeal pot against the furniture, but then the tiny attic came alive with girls. Lyddie 1991-02-01T00:00:00Z

He did not understand her at once; but then he sat straight up, his eyes wide and angry. Go Tell It on the Mountain 1953-05-18T00:00:00Z

“I was always so excited when it began, but then my mind would wander a bit, and I didn’t always listen carefully.” Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

There were those who accepted me as a reader but then would separate me, in their thinking, from anything they accepted as black. Bad Boy 2001-05-08T00:00:00Z

“Let’s just wait another few minutes,” Taylor begins, but then her voice falls away. Leah on the Offbeat 2018-04-24T00:00:00Z

Her shoulders were shaking—I thought from crying—but then I saw she was actually laughing. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

It seemed like we were in there for fifteen minutes but then Dad and Teddy came in search of us, both of them grumpy. If I Stay 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

I wondered if I should take it, but then he would never finish it. The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

I’m about to say no, but then I remember that picture books are super easy to read, and I can add up a whole lotta stars on my board by reading to Charlie. Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero 2020-08-18T00:00:00Z

“It does make sense,” Miss Leefolt say, but then she hush up when I come over to fill up they glasses. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

He looks like he’s about to leave, but then he doubles back to my bedside, bends so his face is level with my ear, and whispers into it. If I Stay 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ralph took the conch from where it lay on the polished seat and held it to his lips; but then he hesitated and did not blow. Lord of the Flies 1954-09-17T00:00:00Z

Elizabeth smiles at this, but then drifts back to frowning. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

They come in pairs eight years apart, but then are absent for a century or more, and there were none in Halley’s lifetime.* A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be a normal person. I’m not even sure what that is. Sometimes I feel happy for, like, a second, but then it goes away.” I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

The searchlight shone directly at them for seconds that felt like minutes, but then it swung away and the engine noise changed as the steersman opened the throttle and moved off along the flood. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

I flinch as she raises her hand again but then decides against hitting me. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

I thought about explaining to her my mother’s ingenious method of ridding the house of roaches— cracker crumbs and marshmallow—but then I thought, This is June, forget it. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

She stepped forward and embraced Ella, seemed to draw strength from her large dark presence, but then pulled away, smiled, and brought her attention back to me and me alone. X: A Novel 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

I had never heard such a word, but then again, I’d never before spoken a code. Chains 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

She walks in front of him and takes a seat, waving to everyone at the table but then looking up to admire Gabriel’s performance. Where Things Come Back 2011-05-03T00:00:00Z

I knew it when I first read it, but then I kind of switched it in my mind so that I made it seem like after school. Slam! 1996-11-01T00:00:00Z

Luke was silent, but then he glanced over at Toby. We'll Fly Away 2018-05-08T00:00:00Z

I thought about not going, of letting her go in by herself, but then I would just have to deal with it later. Bad Boy 2001-05-08T00:00:00Z

Tic-tac-toe had nine squares, but then why not mark an X to start the game? Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

My mom looked like she was about to say something, but then she stopped herself. The Book of Unknown Americans 2014-06-03T00:00:00Z

So, I said I thought the magazine was trying to make him a hero, but then later somebody might dig up something to make him seem like less than a person. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 1999-02-01T00:00:00Z

“She died in 1997. Heart attack. She was nothing but good and I was nothing but bad, but then she died, and I didn't.” An Abundance of Katherines 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z

She put it away, saying, “Iorek? Is he nearby, Will? I thought I heard you call him, but then I thought I was just wishing. Is he really?” The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

I slept until four, but then I had to go next door. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

The cold stream lapped his bare heels momentarily, but then he was into the air above it and falling awkwardly and landing on his bottom. Bridge to Terabithia 1997-10-21T00:00:00Z

I reach into my back pocket automatically, but then I remember my phone is in custody. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda 2015-03-25T00:00:00Z

There were slices of boiled yam, like lunch, but then a plate of fried eggs, too, more like breakfast. Purple Hibiscus 2003-10-01T00:00:00Z

I hung back, but then she grabbed my T-shirt and pulled me forward. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

He tried not to think about Ted Lavender, but then he was thinking how fast it was, no drama, down and dead, and how it was hard to feel anything except surprise. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

I turn to my left, where I’d normally see Soojin sitting and exchange an eye roll with her, but then I remember she isn’t in my history class this year. Amina's Song 2021-03-09T00:00:00Z

The bird squawks and my stomach clenches, but then I feel something hard and metal in the grass. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

He placed a hand on Papa’s broad shoulder, but then he added, “You know, Jonah, sometimes it’s best to wait till times get better.” Stella by Starlight 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

Nok was just as entranced as everyone else, but then he said something that broke her concentration. A Wish in the Dark 2020-03-24T00:00:00Z

Halfway into the mug, I realized I should have asked for sugar, but then it seemed too late. Jacob Have I Loved 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

The crackhead protests a bit, but then he takes the money because he’s a crackhead and it’s cash and crack is all about the now. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

“Can you picture it? Can you? I want someone to understand! So I picked up a board. I was going to kill her so she wouldn’t suffer, but then I couldn’t.” A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

She thought it was the ocean at first, but then she realized it was chanting. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

The Colonel spent the morning with me, but then he decided to go to the cafeteria for meat loaf. Looking for Alaska 2005-03-03T00:00:00Z

Lyra looked down at her, anguished; but then she stepped over her mother’s body and loosened Mrs. Coulter’s feeble clutch from her ankle. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

Hugo thought for a second that he had hit the wrong window, but then he recognized the girl. The Invention of Hugo Cabret 2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

I’m hoping Phyllis is trailing behind him, that she came to apologize or explain herself, but then the door closes and I know that he came alone. Betty Before X 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

Moss sent over his address, but then immediately second-guessed himself. Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z

I’m asleep, or I think I’m asleep, I don’t know, but then suddenly I’m not. X: A Novel 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

We’re quiet again, but then a noise comes from my dad. King and the Dragonflies 2020-02-04T00:00:00Z

Her voice sounded almost sarcastic, but then I saw, with a kind of shock, little tears in her eyes as she looked from one to the other of us. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Radar was trying to protect us and chased away these bullies who wanted to beat me up, but then they threw a bottle at him and hit him on the head.” Eleven 2014-01-06T00:00:00Z

Seven couldn’t think of any spell strong enough to make that happen, but then again, she didn’t know every powerful spell. Witchlings 2022-04-05T00:00:00Z

I shrug but then force myself to nod. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z

For a long moment there was nothing, but then the body wrenched as suddenly and forcefully as if it had been shocked with a thousand volts. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

At first I thought the laughing man wasn’t on the comer, but then I saw him sitting on the wet curb, leaning against the mailbox and just watching me walk toward him. When You Reach Me 2009-07-14T00:00:00Z

The old one, seeing what was happening, glared at the young soldier, but then turned back across the field, distracted, when the cow bleated again. The Fighting Ground 1984-04-01T00:00:00Z

At first, she couldn’t identify it, but then it all came flooding back to her, perfectly clearly, as vivid as a picture in a book. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

It looked like Mrs. Larkin wasn’t going to make it after all, but then the door burst open and Mrs. Larkin came in, wagging her finger. Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z

I didn’t tell him that where I came from was California, but then, he never gave me a chance to speak. A Very Large Expanse of Sea 2018-10-16T00:00:00Z

He thought about asking Mr. Stine if he’d gone down to the basement to check the heaters in the wood shop, but then he snuck a look at his watch. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

Jensen started to reload, but then suddenly he sat down and held his head in his arms and wouldn’t move. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

I can't decide if he's paranoid or schizophrenic or both, but then he pulls a duct-taped wallet out of his back pocket and shows me an Illinois driver's license. Will Grayson, Will Grayson 2010-04-06T00:00:00Z

His earlier thought returned to him; probably she was not actually a member of the Thought Police, but then it was precisely the amateur spy who was the greatest danger of all. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

I had an impulse to rush from the room, just leave him sitting there, but then he buried his face in his hands. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

I nodded, disappointed, but then I got an idea. The Lightning Thief 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

She smiled, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth, but then turned it into a snarl. The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin) 2012-08-14T00:00:00Z

It was a small shadow at first, maybe a squirrel or a chipmunk, but then it grew larger and larger, quicker than any natural shadow could grow, until it loomed over them. Witchlings 2022-04-05T00:00:00Z

We probably knew they couldn’t be serious, but then again, I’m sure we didn’t regard them as fantasy either. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Naheed hadn’t really ever noticed that before, but then again, she had never really spent this much time with Eliza, or been this close. Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story 2016-06-28T00:00:00Z

I heard him cuss under his breath, but then nothing more. Red Kayak 2004-09-23T00:00:00Z

It takes me a second to spot it, but then I see what's made her pause. The Sky at Our Feet 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

She almost always parts it all the way down the middle, making two even sections, but then she’ll do something different with the sections. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

His colleague smiled, but then rose with a sigh, laboriously put on his jacket, and signed to Elinor to follow him. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

When I try again I fall on my hip and elbow, but then I start to get the hang of it. Blood on the River 2006-05-04T00:00:00Z

At first the water stung my scrapes, especially behind my knee, but then it felt good. Each Little Bird That Sings 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

He tried again to free himself from the girl but then something hit the back of his head with such force that he began to Stagger. The Thief Lord 2002-09-01T00:00:00Z

I think maybe he needs it, too, but then he sits up, pulls his knees into his chest, and rests his elbows on them. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

For a few moments the boat eased into deeper water, and she breathed more easily, but then it crunched into another obstacle. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

The board was put back in the door so the police wouldn’t notice the gap, but then a swift kick from outside sent it flying to the floor. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

Izzie draws closer and whispers in my ear, “The stitches hurt a lot when I put my head down on the pillow, but then I fall asleep and I forget they hurt.” Lucky Broken Girl 2017-04-11T00:00:00Z

My mom thought I was just trying to get out of housework, but then I stopped playing field hockey because bending over the stick became impossible. I Will Always Write Back 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z

Perhaps so, but then skeptics must explain why the cultural divide between Indians and Spaniards, who did deeply influence each other, was so much smaller. 1491 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z

I’m sure one of these days she’s going to go to principal and ask for her leave, but then again, what else is new? The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z

Her mom opened her mouth to argue but then closed it and nodded. The Honest Truth 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z

He’d have to take the exam, of course, but then he planned to start secondary school right here in the Sunderbans, on a neighboring island that was just a quick ferry ride away. Tiger Boy 2015-10-01T00:00:00Z

This song was about William the false lover and how he tricked pretty Peggy-o into running away with him but then murdered her. Homecoming 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

I was glad Sookie didn’t mention whales, but then he said, “Sharks.” The Line Tender 2019-04-16T00:00:00Z

He gave it to me, but then, like a true knucklehead, kept on swearing. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

My Noise starts to rise a bit and I take a deep breath but then she says Shhh, and her eyes glint in the moonlight as she looks beyond me. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

“Oh, no! I meant to wipe away the prints, but then I didn’t have time.” The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

She thought she saw a doe, her huge, glossy eyes peeking out from behind an evergreen, but then it was only the vanishing tail of a bounding rabbit, leaving long, trailing pawprints in the snow. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Wes nodded but then stood there silent, as if grasping for an emotion that was just out of reach. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates 2010-04-27T00:00:00Z

I was already quiet, so I didn’t quite get it, but then again, what was there to get about Minerva? The Marrow Thieves 2017-05-10T00:00:00Z

At first he was a silent effigy of sorrow; but then the lamentation rose out of him, loud and sustained as the conch. Lord of the Flies 1954-09-17T00:00:00Z

Temporarily, a teacher rescued the fellow—but then the students rushed him and drove himaway, shouting, “Stooge!” The Autobiography of Malcolm X 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Thanks,” I said, but then I stepped in something. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

At first it makes me smile, but then she says, “You know what it reminds me of? That stuff Jupiter uses in her hair.” Odd One Out 2018-08-09T00:00:00Z

He smiles at me, but then flinches in pain. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

He tried to ignore it—the cookies were calling him—but then the sobbing intensified. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z

I suspect Haymitch initially, but then there's a more insidious fear that the Capitol may by monitoring and confining me. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

A voice, low at first, but then louder. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

I thought about setting that down, but then I remembered that Hermes was also the god of thieves. The Lightning Thief 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

“They do this all the time, Mama. I try to stop them but then they start teasing me,” Karen said. The Great Santini 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

She is so take-charge I want to tell her to just do the whole thing herself, but then I think, This is just how Addie gets. The Misfits 2001-10-01T00:00:00Z

We watch the pretzel girl a little longer, but then Mama looks at her watch, taps the table, and tells us we gotta catch the bus back. Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero 2020-08-18T00:00:00Z

I’m about to raise my voice, but then I sneeze. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

And as he crosses over, I’m thinking, It can’t be him, but then there it is—chin scruff. The Running Dream 2011-01-11T00:00:00Z

Most had never seen the inside of a camp but then again, I had never cooked a meal, so it wasn’t like any of us were winning in the life experience department. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z

Also, Dad was always dropping by to visit Mom, but then they got into such screeching arguments that the neighbors banged on the walls. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

Tic-tac-toe had nine squares, but then why not mark an X to start the game? Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

It was fascinating—so weed-grown and forgotten and secret—but then came the most unbelievably wonderful part of all. The Egypt Game 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ana widened her eyes but then just started tearing the paper wrapper off her straw. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z

“Yeah, okay, fine. I’ll get it out of there, but then what?” As Brave As You 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z

It wouldn’t be quite like burgers on the grill, but then this wasn’t exactly Minneapolis, Minnesota, either, Cole thought, heading back toward camp. Touching Spirit Bear 2001-01-09T00:00:00Z

For a moment, on the altar railing, I thought I had felt His warmth, but then everything moved so fast. Bless Me, Ultima 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

I can understand Bep’s wanting to put an end to her indecision; four weeks ago she decided to write him off, but then she felt even worse. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

I get up and move toward the doorway, but then he speaks again. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

And I had covered almost two miles when I heard shots—at first only one or two, but then a fusillade. My Brother Sam is Dead 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

Alas, Thupa Inka apparently selected one son but then changed his mind on his deathbed and selected another. 1491 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z

For a moment he seemed about to wipe the blade on his trousers but then he plunged the knife into the earth and so cleansed it. The Pearl 1947-01-01T00:00:00Z

And most of the kids at PM completely buy in to the discipline, but then again, most of them get to go home to those things every weekend. Winger 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

I climb the two short steps but then turn and face my grandfather. Dragons in a Bag 2018-10-23T00:00:00Z

For a moment she looked mad, but then she saw my anger, and her own faded. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

He looked as if he wanted to say something more, but then he clasped me to him suddenly and smoothed my hair, repeating my name. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

I open my mouth to ask her what she’s doing, but then I notice that across from me, Will is putting on a shirt. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

At first it didn’t bother me, but then I saw the movie. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

She looks at me out of the corner of her eye, and for a second she has her N-O face going, but then she says, “Maybe we can go to Big 5 this weekend.” A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

The real plan was for the two armies to link up in New York but then actually head south to Virginia. George Washington, Spymaster 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

I didn’t think Noelle was going to show up, so I almost didn’t come—but then I decided I didn’t want any regrets. It’s Kind of a Funny Story 2006-04-02T00:00:00Z

Sometimes she stares at me as though she wants to ask me something, but then looks down at the ashes of the fire pit. The Queen of Water 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

I want to add some of my clothes, but then I see Bryce’s favorite Star Wars shirt that he spilled ketchup down the front of, and I grab that instead. The Benefits of Being an Octopus 2018-09-04T00:00:00Z

A laugh started in my throat, but then she put her mouth on mine. We Are Okay 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

I turned to leave, but then I was halted at the door by Miss Kenton saying: 'Mr Stevens, I have something to tell you.' The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

He seemed pleased to see Dustfinger and even licked his hand, but then he ran after the boy. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

Tally fought weakly for a moment, but then cold, pure air surged into her lungs. Uglies 2005-02-08T00:00:00Z

Musa threw him a groundnut shell; Kanei moved his foot to kick it, but then realized that it would hurt and abruptly swung his foot back, dragging it against a stone. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

He thought about hitting Hymir with his hammer, but then he would never get the cauldron, not without a fight. Norse Mythology 2017-02-07T00:00:00Z

“I thought so, but then I looked at the poster more closely and it’s a different photo of you. Same awful sentiment, but it isn’t your old freshman directory photo.” Here to Stay 2018-09-08T00:00:00Z

“I walked into town, but then I kept going. I didn’t want to stop. But Papa found me.” The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

It went as well as it could: the job itself is utterly beneath me, but then / seem to have become beneath me over the past year or two. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

“She put Ben on that piling—the one right there, but then she got pulled back out by the current.” Red Kayak 2004-09-23T00:00:00Z

I don’t know what that means, but then I think maybe, just maybe, this is what it’s like when you start turning into a water-zombie. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

Ivy smiled when she read that, but then she felt nauseated. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

I grabbed up a block of wood—but then, twenty-five years of self-imprisonment took control. The Egypt Game 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

It seemed like something annoying, but then he was always doing something annoying in his bumbling, good-natured way, so that was no help at all. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to ask something about him, but then she just drew in her lips. It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z

My eyes skimmed it at first but then went back for a second glance. Hollow City 2014-01-14T00:00:00Z

I was about to say something else, but then all of a sudden I heard other voices outside the office: kids’ voices. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

I dated her for three weeks, but then she began to ask too many questions. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

At first I wonder why the bugs would be active this late at night, but then I realize it ain’t cicadas. Dread Nation 2018-04-03T00:00:00Z

The snow began to fall—gently at first, but then heavier and heavier, flakes dropping and fluttering all around. When the Sea Turned to Silver 2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

It is now my favorite book of all time, but then again, I always think that until I read another book. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 1999-02-01T00:00:00Z

She reaches her free hand out like she’s going to stroke my cheek, but then she folds it back in her lap. How to Disappear Completely 2020-04-28T00:00:00Z

I’m not sure exactly what compelled me to do so, but then again, I’m not sure exactly what ever compelled me to do or say any of the things I did and said back then. Where Things Come Back 2011-05-03T00:00:00Z

“I’m trying to see if I’m holding it wrong,” I said, but then I sat up, because all of a sudden I felt silly. Absolutely Almost 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

“Tobias said you fought him, but then stopped. Why did you do that?” Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

I was about to say something, but then I thought better of it. Tradition 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z

Which seemed to surprise Mr. Sloan, but then he nodded and said, “Which must be why he stayed on Penikese for so long. He was digging up the island. But what for?” Beyond the Bright Sea 2017-05-02T00:00:00Z

The other Tidemaker did the same, features liquefying, but then solidifying once more, his face gray, speckled with bits of metal. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

“Just like what I was trying to do, this new language is not com-pletely correct; but then, few things are.” Bodega Dreams 2000-03-14T00:00:00Z

This explained why the sign said “Carrott’s” at the top, you see, but then listed other vegetables and fruits spelled and punctuated perfectly correctly. Eats, Shoots & Leaves 2003-11-06T00:00:00Z

It took some strength at first to get the huge ball to flatten out, but then it was just a matter of rolling it over and over until it was flat enough. From the Desk of Zoe Washington 2020-01-14T00:00:00Z

Cornell crept up behind them and briefly threatened but then fell back. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

I didn’t want to be another issue he needed to contend with, but then again, my existence had been fully folded into his. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z

I open my mouth to ask what the hell that was all about, but then I see that her expression is dark. Five Feet Apart 2018-11-20T00:00:00Z

We made plans to meet downtown, but then I had to cancel because we were driving out to visit Tata and Poppa for the weekend. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

Her face practically falls off she is so disappointed, but then she pulls it right back on. The Misfits 2001-10-01T00:00:00Z

At first, I thought she was only embarrassed, but then she looked up, smiled, shook her head, and covered her face again. Hope Springs 2021-08-10T00:00:00Z

It looks like he’s going to ask her to read his words for him, but then he decides against it. Every Day 2012-08-28T00:00:00Z

He nearly looked up and turned around; but then he knew it was Elisha, and his fear departed. Go Tell It on the Mountain 1953-05-18T00:00:00Z

I tell myself to move on already, but then something catches my eye. I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

I tossed that egg toward the sink and started to get up but then the pain started throbbing in my leg and I sat back down real quick. 145th Street: Short Stories 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

I was trying to come up with something that would make her laugh again, but then Drew rushed into the living room, chasing after Erin. Here to Stay 2018-09-08T00:00:00Z

“Since you cannot remember when to come home at night, your mother and I have decided that you’re not going out with the team anymore. You go to the games but then come home.” Amina's Voice 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z

I almost say something about Finch, but then I’m not sure what to say because I don’t know what we are or if we’re anything. All The Bright Places 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

“Digging in our trash bins. Burning the bread. My mother hitting me. Taking the bread out for the pig but then giving it to you instead.” Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z

I start to ask how he knew, but then I decide I don’t care. Starfish 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

When she asked me why, I started to make up some story about dust getting in my eye or having a sick grandma, but then I told her the truth. P.S. I Miss You 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

Miss Celia goes to the coffee percolator, pours two cups, but then stops. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

I mean it as a joke, but then I wonder—what if it is Nora? A Soft Place to Land 2021-09-14T00:00:00Z

Figure it must be my imagination, but then there’s another little sploink! The Young Man and the Sea 2004-02-01T00:00:00Z

So I tried sealing the leak with pine pitch, and that worked all right, but then the funnel over the fire bed cracked, and I had to put wooden props under that. My Side of the Mountain 1959-01-01T00:00:00Z

Mike looks up at the house like he don’t quite believe me, but then he lets it go. The Young Man and the Sea 2004-02-01T00:00:00Z

At first, my father simply doubled over under the blows, but then he seemed to break in two like an old tree struck by lightning. Night 1955-01-01T00:00:00Z

Mama seemed a little self-conscious, but then shouted fiercely, “Please, fields, feed my children!” A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

She stop a second and look at the door, but then she get in her car and drive away. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

“I apologize for scaring you,” he persisted with a slight smile, but then all evidence of teasing disappeared. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

There’s a tense moment, but then the Roach cracks a grin. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

At first she thought he was praying, but then she realized that he, like his wife, was crying. Ophie's Ghosts 2021-05-18T00:00:00Z

Ralph continued to blow till his ears were singing with the effort, but then the first breeze of dawn took the job off his hands and blinded him with ashes. Lord of the Flies 1954-09-17T00:00:00Z

“Well, at first we only had six for the whole community, but then people started sneaking them in and now everyone has one except my mother and Elisha’s mother.” A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z

She didn’t answer at first, but then her voice popped into his thoughts as clearly as if she were sitting next to him. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

The expression on his face is one of bemused curiosity: these people are unfathomable, but then so are most. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z

They are not specially wonderful pieces, but then where are such to be had about here? All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a while, he did much better in Monroeville, but then his condition began to deteriorate again. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

“When I met her she was being deported, but then she met with you and you did your lawyer magic, and now she’s going to stay.” The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

He debated about the beer, but then decided it was safer in the apartment. The Dead and the Gone 2008-05-04T00:00:00Z

It surprises me that I’ve never heard of the first two, but then you can’t know of everyone who ever wrote a book. I Am the Messenger 2002-01-10T00:00:00Z

I didn’t realize it would be such a big deal to drop his class, but then, I didn’t know anything about being a teacher. A Very Large Expanse of Sea 2018-10-16T00:00:00Z

I thought I was glad when the weekend came ’cause I didn’t have to go to school, but then Bertha told me we were going to church on Sunday. Wish 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z

I finally find the key, but then I drop it again. The Skin I'm In 1998-10-16T00:00:00Z

He grimaced and rubbed the sore joint, but then smiled as the princess began gloating. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

So it was lonely for a while, but then I got used to it.” The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

I hesitated, but then I went on and did what I had to do. Wish 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z

I was going to kiss him, but then I got embarrassed and just shook his hand. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first he’s frozen, uncertain and unyielding, but then he’s not. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

To be sure, the charade, with its “ready wit”—but then the “soft eyes”—in fact it suited neither; it was a jumble without taste or truth. Emma 1815-12-23T00:00:00Z

He had lived in Venice for more than fifteen years and he still didn't know all the city's nooks and crannies—but then again no one did. The Thief Lord 2002-09-01T00:00:00Z

I’m about to point out that, as his mother, she can’t just leave him, but then I remember that he’s already been removed from her custody. Challenger Deep 2015-04-15T00:00:00Z

"I don't like milk," I start to say, but then I taste it, and it's nothing like the whitish water we got in jail. Born Behind Bars 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

Her eyes get big but then look at ease as she says, “Yes, ma’am, I can hold.” Betty Before X 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

An inglorious way to begin an adventure, perhaps, but then we can't control when or how adventure may find us. How to Disappear Completely 2020-04-28T00:00:00Z

For a minute, his eyes catch mine, but then he squeezes them shut. What If It's Us 2018-10-09T00:00:00Z

Poppet hesitates but then she nods as well. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

You didn’t often hear Root apologizing, but then it had been a deeply offensive insult. Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z

I roll my eyes, but then catch myself. Watch Us Rise 2019-02-12T00:00:00Z

I tried to ignore the little voice, but then the voice spoke louder. The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z

Mama reaches for my cheek but then stops herself. Like Vanessa 2018-03-13T00:00:00Z

Sheryl takes a step but then winces and lowers herself to the ground. The House That Lou Built 2018-06-12T00:00:00Z

I kind of wanted the saber-toothed cat's skull necklace, but then I decided I’d better not. It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z

It was a simple enough thought at first, but then worse thoughts followed it. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

Heather asks, astonished, but then Vivi returns to the table, so we don’t have to keep making up stuff. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

I considered cutting off the road across the field to go directly to the farmhouse, but then I decided I’d better stick to following the horse tracks, in case. My Brother Sam is Dead 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

You may not trust it at the beginning, but then you do. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z

Every time a car turns down our street we all hold our breath, but then when it doesn’t slow down and stop, we keep talking. Betty Before X 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

He grabbed the ribbon, ready to pull, but then stopped and looked at me. Hope Springs 2021-08-10T00:00:00Z

For a second I almost feel bad for him, but then I remember Edward, and the itch of fabric over my eyes as my attackers blindfolded me, and my sympathy is lost to hatred. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

At first I thought she was still staring at the boat, but then I saw her gaze was on the vapour trail of a plane in the far distance, climbing slowly into the sky. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

He seemed to be searching for something more to say, but then repeated, “Yes, very nice. An unusual tale.” Watership Down: A Novel 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Soon all the embassies were ringed with barbed wire and machine guns and it was impossible to continue taking them by storm; but then there were other needs to keep her busy. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

I turn off the set, but then the house feels too quiet, and bad pictures are bouncing around in my head. Things Not Seen 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

Because the cedar was dry when attached to the frame but then became wet after being used regularly, the wood wanted to expand slightly in length. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

He started to say the names of the constellations, but then he stopped. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane 2006-03-30T00:00:00Z

It looked like he was going to say something else, but then Mini squeaked. Aru Shah and the End of Time 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

The Apple Jacks box was a problem, and I started to get a bit scared when at first I couldn’t find it, but then I saw it floating, the paper box dissolving like a wafer. Bodega Dreams 2000-03-14T00:00:00Z

They don’t seem eager to learn about me, but then again, few people are. Orphan Train 2013-04-02T00:00:00Z

A cobweb, I thought, but then I looked at a strand of it on my palm and saw it was some kind of metal filament, so fine it was almost invisible. The Lightning Thief 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

I half want to cry, wishing my sisters were with me, but then find myself laughing instead—laughing at the craziness of it all. The Belles 2018-02-06T00:00:00Z

Professor Papadimitriou was one, and he seemed to be in charge, but then he always did. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

I wanted to ask him if he thought the guys in the NBA really got as many chicks as they say in the papers but then Mr. Parrish called me over. Slam! 1996-11-01T00:00:00Z

The guards surrounding them started forward but then pressed back in fear as the tattoo on Pong's left wrist began to glow. A Wish in the Dark 2020-03-24T00:00:00Z

Basta swore and threatened, giving me a nasty cut on my upper arm, but then, suddenly, the front door was thrown open and they both disappeared into the night, still reeling like drunks. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

“Wait,” he says to her, but then his eyes dart back to me. I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

For a moment he tries to push me away, but then he must decide that he doesn’t care if I’m all right, doesn’t care if he’s all right, doesn’t care. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

I couldn’t hear any words, just angry talking, but then all of a sudden, I did hear some words. Absolutely Almost 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

“This ain’t—” I say, but then I see Mrs. Walton raise an eyebrow. Like Vanessa 2018-03-13T00:00:00Z

It was hard to read her face at that moment: she certainly wasn’t disappointed, but then she wasn’t elated either. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

He disagreed, as Jesse recounted it, but then conceded that he really “couldn’t argue with my science.” Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

The other kids stared, and their eyes on me made my skin crawl, but then Mr. Harding called on someone else and the itchy feeling was gone. The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Wynn decided Nan wouldn’t be comfortable without back support, a claim she denied, but then agreed to wait for a booth all the same. Hope Springs 2021-08-10T00:00:00Z

At first, I thought I would bring food to his cage, but then it occurred to me that Chester must be taking everything away that was given to him. Bunnicula 1979-03-01T00:00:00Z

He was sure he saw a boat, and a skull-faced man glaring from the prow, but then he was past it. Bone Gap 2015-03-03T00:00:00Z

I laughed and started to remind him that I’m not old enough, but then realized, my gosh, I was seventeen years old. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

She retreats but then stops, small hands twisting together. An Ember in the Ashes 2015-04-28T00:00:00Z

“At first it does, but then it gets better.” I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

Ulbrickson tried Stub McMillin in the number seven seat in the sophomore boat, but then took him out the next day. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

Both of my friends look at me with wide eyes, and it takes a second but then I can tell they both get it. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

I almost didn’t get an A in math, but then Mr. Carlo told me to stop asking “why?” all the time and just follow the formulas. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 1999-02-01T00:00:00Z

I start to take a step back, but then I let him, deciding for a moment to accept both his jacket and his kindness. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

She meets my eyes briefly, as if apologetic, but then straightens and gives me a determined nod. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

At first I thought he was laughing because his shoulders were shaking, but then he put his palms on his eyes and I realized he was crying. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

“They came, all right. Borrowed more money. Maybe they could have paid it all back, but then there was the money we owed for living here.” Amal Unbound 2018-05-08T00:00:00Z

He had said this more or less to himself, but then we heard, as though in reply, a voice call outside: 'If s George Andrews. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

He winked at Mark as he walked past but then gave him a scowl. The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin) 2012-08-14T00:00:00Z

Briefly I was cheered—my God, how silly I had been—but then I remembered the way Henry’s apartment had looked, the suitcases by the door. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

My usual doubts creep in but then so do Jayden’s words. Amari and the Night Brothers 2021-01-19T00:00:00Z

He couldn't hide his relief, but then he suddenly looked alarmed. The Thief Lord 2002-09-01T00:00:00Z

We were sitting there on the couch together, and he pushed himself up to go but then fell back down onto the couch and sneaked a kiss onto my cheek. The Fault in Our Stars 2012-01-10T00:00:00Z

“It’s true—look!” the witch shrieked, and unfortunately for the Witchlings, the crowd looked at first shocked but then angry. Witchlings 2022-04-05T00:00:00Z

Nana gives me a hard look but then leaves the room. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z

Olanna was not sure how that was funny, but then it was the minister’s joke. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

The seventh time we drove into the alley we heard sirens . . . real quiet at first, but then louder. The House on Mango Street 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a second she was worried he’d been hit by some flying debris or something, but then he spoke and she understood. Dactyl Hill Squad 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z

She was about to ask what, but then her eyes went to Emma, and she seemed to read the answer on her face. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

Mama seemed torn, but then she said, “We must respect your grandparents.” A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

“Someday an opportunity will come. Think about Harry Potter. His life is terrible, but then a letter arrives, he gets on a train, and everything is different for him afterward. Better. Magical.” Boy21 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

I went inside the building and was a bit nervous about the whole Vera-meeting-Bodega thing, but then again I was also glad it would finally be over. Bodega Dreams 2000-03-14T00:00:00Z

They had been met, then as now, with a strained silence, but then they were silly, bad jokes. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

These in-between places are scary, but then again, I understand that nothing is ever certain. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

A flicker of movement in the reflection made Cole glance up, but then he realized the movement was a fish hovering near his knees. Touching Spirit Bear 2001-01-09T00:00:00Z

She nods and doesn’t speak for a little while, but then she turns back to me. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

His lips were pursed, but then he relaxed them. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

There was a moment of uncertainty, and he worried he might destroy the engine, but then the root popped out of the ground. Small Steps 2006-01-10T00:00:00Z

With a snort of hurt pride, Red Rabbit started in his harness; but then he stayed put. Dragonwings 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

The freedom to inspect the road and trees kept him occupied for a while, but then he tired of this constant inspection and slithered between Anya and Ivan. Anya and the Nightingale 2020-11-10T00:00:00Z

“Then Grandma fell backward, arms spread out. At first I thought she slipped, but then she started swishing her arms and legs, making a snow angel.” Keep It Together, Keiko Carter 2020-05-05T00:00:00Z

I kept thinking that I should message him, but then remembered that my phone got boosted. The Stars Beneath Our Feet 2017-09-19T00:00:00Z

For a while this was fun, but then a hollow feeling began to grow inside Matt. The House of the Scorpion 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

“You don’t have to sound so surprised,” I say, but then I see Yolanda looking at me and I add, “I mean, you’re welcome.” A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

At first, I have no idea what she's pointing to, but then, about fifteen feet up, I make out the vague shape in the dimming light. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

He deemed it the only reasonable response to the situation in which he found himself, but then he remembered the words of the threadmaster: honor, courtesy, devotion, and bravery. The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread 2003-08-25T00:00:00Z

I look around for my brother, hoping for some cover, but then I remember that Roli got his fancy senior portraits taken in July at a nice air-conditioned studio at the mall. Merci Suárez Changes Gears 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z

The Martian was silent, but then he looked on ahead. The Martian Chronicles 1950-01-01T00:00:00Z

He catches my eye but then quickly turns away. Internment 2019-03-07T00:00:00Z

Malcolm lifted his head and looked at the woman, who seemed to be looking straight back at him, so he felt horribly uneasy for a moment; but then she turned to the headmaster. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

At first, tired, I slip deeper, but then I hear my mother say: “Pull, Lanesha. Pull.” Ninth Ward 2010-08-16T00:00:00Z

I gulp, unsure what to say, but then decide to go with the truth. Amina's Song 2021-03-09T00:00:00Z

“Well, it was going fine, I guess, but then...Remember how I told you my dad passed when I was eleven?” Dear Martin 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

She started to say something but then hesitated. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

At that point he threw up his hands in annoyance but then sat forward and smoothed out the folds of his cassock. The Stranger 1989-03-13T00:00:00Z

“Cameron, this is too much,” she called after me, but then I was out of the store, back on the sidewalk, free from her generosity or pity or kindness, all of it. The Miseducation of Cameron Post 2012-02-07T00:00:00Z

"Now," continued the Dwarf, "sit you down. The table's a bit low for you, but then the stool's low too. That's right. And here's porridge—and here's a jug of cream—and here's a spoon." The Horse and His Boy 1954-09-06T00:00:00Z

For a moment Mona’s shadow seemed to arch overhead malevolently, but then Mona settled back into her chair, and she was just an old woman again. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

For a moment he was puzzled by it, but then he knew what he was seeing. In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse 2015-11-10T00:00:00Z

The phone finally stops, and I slowly stand, but then it starts chirping loudly, texts coming in one after the other. Five Feet Apart 2018-11-20T00:00:00Z

I don’t remember her, though—but then, Mission Viejo High is a pretty big school. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

Beyond that was a range of hills . . . but then I noticed they weren’t regular hills. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

At first she dressed up like everyone else, but then she began to reject it. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Dad said grace before we ate the same way you always did, but then he made everyone say what they were thankful for. Goodbye Stranger 2015-08-04T00:00:00Z

I started walking toward the door, but then this one thought popped into my head, like a fully formed idea. Auggie & Me 2015-07-20T00:00:00Z

I was about to explain that even if I did go to Juilliard, I’d be home for Christmas and New Year’s, but then I realized that wasn’t the point. If I Stay 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

They were interested in me, too, because my name was Jackson—like the Southern general—but then I ruined it by telling them I was from New York. The Sea of Monsters 2006-04-01T00:00:00Z

Ash opened her mouth to do so, but then remembered that her stepmother would be at home. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Laura told me she had finished school, but then she gave up the college idea. The Autobiography of Malcolm X 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

“I felt great,” I began almost reflexively, but then paused—there were complicated feelings there that I hadn’t examined—and finished, “but maybe also a bit sad.” Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

He was still looking angrily at Mr. Tushman, but then he looked at Dr. Jansen. Auggie & Me 2015-07-20T00:00:00Z

There's a slight pause in Max's speech but then it picks up with the upbeat tone of a brilliant idea. The Sky at Our Feet 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

I laughed, but then I said, “I’ll do what you say, Coach. But I don’t want Shandra's job. I want Maya’s.” Tangerine 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

A field of elephant grass weighted with wind, bowing under the stir of a helicopter’s blades, the grass dark and servile, bending low, but then rising straight again when the chopper went away. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

These connective tendrils had not only conveniently appeared whenever it was necessary to move a living organism from one landmass to another, but then obligingly vanished without leaving a trace of their former existence. A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z

I want to run to her, talk to her, and hold her, but then I see her husband lying next to her. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

I think maybe I do, but then being around Pam tonight I’m not so sure. The Misfits 2001-10-01T00:00:00Z

I would miss my parents, but then again, they were the ones to blame for my predicament. Americanized 2018-02-08T00:00:00Z

She looked at me gratefully, but then stared down at all the books and scrolls she’d pulled from the shelves. The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z

They were browsing slowly down the path to the river, but then the mother stopped and raised her head, her large ears perking in two different directions. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

She hits me once more but then she’s looking, looking at my Noise as it comes, seeing the pictures of what’s waiting for us in the swamp. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

I wonder how he’ll get in without his card, but then, Uncle Basil finds ways around any situation. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

He looked like he was going to say something more but then just put his hat on his head and stepped back from the door, nodding at Mama, then us. Root Magic 2021-01-05T00:00:00Z

And at first I think he means the word, but then I know he means the town. All The Bright Places 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

Mrs. Burke was “Judith Hancock” on the cover, which threw you at first, but then if you looked on the back, there was her picture looking very young and serious. Bridge to Terabithia 1997-10-21T00:00:00Z

At first it felt as if just the white families were leaving, but then that changed, too. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z

Anya didn’t dare look back to see if he was following, but then another booming whistle exploded behind them. Anya and the Nightingale 2020-11-10T00:00:00Z

At first I thought the radio’s vacuum tube had blown, but then a man’s voice came on the radio. Prisoner B-3087 2013-03-01T00:00:00Z

“Don’t worry. You’ll be all whacked for a few days, but then you’ll get used to this place. I have. We live here, this is it. Better than living in a pile of klunk.” The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

He’d always been a little grumpy, but then he started drinking a lot. Keep It Together, Keiko Carter 2020-05-05T00:00:00Z

“Perhaps,” said Scythe Curie, “but then again, perhaps not. There are some traditions not even the unscrupulous among us would dare break.” Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

I felt something in my chest, both sharp and sloshy, that I first thought was anxiety, but then realized was guilt. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

Ophie started to ask Aunt Rose what she meant, but then she saw it: the hazy blue outline around the elderly woman’s body. Ophie's Ghosts 2021-05-18T00:00:00Z

We talked some, mostly about girls, but then O’Dell and Sherman kind of drifted off. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

I wanted to say to her, It’s no good, you won’t be able to help him now, but then I realized she wasn’t trying to stop the bleeding. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was odd to be sitting on a million-dollar horse, talking to Priscilla Willis in the middle of the night, but then it was a relief to be talking to someone besides the cat. Bone Gap 2015-03-03T00:00:00Z

There were times when Allen, on patrol and by then Nicholas’s putative stepfather, would catch him on the street and write up a summons but then let him go. Class Matters 2005-09-02T00:00:00Z

As they saw Lyra, they slowed for a moment, but then the race took hold of them again. The Subtle Knife 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

She could see nothing; but then, the watchtower was high, and they could see what was still hidden from her. The Golden Compass 1995-07-01T00:00:00Z

At first I couldn’t figure out whom I was furious with, but then I knew. Homesick 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

The man in the grey suit lifts his hand to knock again, but then lowers it and walks away instead. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

I half expect us to sit there all day with them, but then Finch turns to me, blue eyes dancing. All The Bright Places 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

Fuchsia purses her lips, but then she takes my jacket. The Benefits of Being an Octopus 2018-09-04T00:00:00Z

I laugh but then quickly turn away from him. Amari and the Night Brothers 2021-01-19T00:00:00Z

Amil and I had short, whispering conversations, but then Papa would put his finger over his mouth and an hour would go by and we wouldn’t speak. The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

Miss Skeeter start to say something, but then she stop herself. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

It takes a second for the penny to drop, but then I laugh, shaking my head. Five Feet Apart 2018-11-20T00:00:00Z

I often caught him looking at me, but then, people were always looking at me. A Very Large Expanse of Sea 2018-10-16T00:00:00Z

"Drink with me," he says, and I shake my head, but then Jane pokes me in the back, and I realize that I have to take a bullet for Tiny. Will Grayson, Will Grayson 2010-04-06T00:00:00Z

Theresa takes off her roller skates, but then begins to cry because she can’t find her shoes. Al Capone Does My Shirts 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

I almost told him that Scrappy signed his letter with the word love, but then, that would probably sound dumb to a boy who gets loved so much every day of his life. Wish 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z

I figured any second he was going to ask me how many hit points I had, and I’d lose my cool completely, but then Zoe Nightshade came up to us. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

"Just remember how Mister Lincoln couldn't think of anything to say at the Gettysburg, but then, bang! Four score and once upon a time ago," she began reciting. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents 1991-01-04T00:00:00Z

“I think, um, you just got hit by the trolley car, sir. You’re—” She bit her lip, but then realized there was no point in not telling him the truth. Ophie's Ghosts 2021-05-18T00:00:00Z

Princesse peered at this re-creation, not immediately recognizing herself, but then seeing in the face, the eyes, the breasts, a very true replication of her body. Krik? Krak! 2015-12-15T00:00:00Z

He's walking away from me, and I try to stand my ground, but then finally chase after him up the steps to school, because I've got a burning question. Will Grayson, Will Grayson 2010-04-06T00:00:00Z

That is the thing with curses—they seem like a bad thing at first, but then sometimes you realize you can’t live without them. Breadcrumbs 2011-09-27T00:00:00Z

He feels it tighten like a noose, but then the scarf comes loose from his neck, and time speeds up again as Lefty is thrown clear of the auto. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

He started to drag his desk away, but then he stopped and looked at Tino, adding sarcastically, “Not that your brother and his new type of banana aren’t fascinating.” Tangerine 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

Anya almost said she didn’t know why, but then she realized she did. Anya and the Nightingale 2020-11-10T00:00:00Z

Two Step stammered, but then they both fell back down as the brachy reared back, letting out a terrified howl. Dactyl Hill Squad 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z

He thought about kicking the door with the flat of his foot but then he thought that was not a good idea. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z

I started to nod, but then admitted, “No.” The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ivan inhaled like he was going to speak, but then he let the air out slowly. Anya and the Dragon 2019-09-24T00:00:00Z

I think about skirting around them to get to class, but then I notice Alex in the middle of all those boys, and I can’t let Bernard beat up on my friend. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

Size comparisons, Lelia might joke, but then she always referred him directly to me. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Not even once,” she says but then she closes her eyes, and within seconds, she’s asleep. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

For a moment, I took him for a vagrant, but then I saw he was just some local fellow enjoying the fresh air and summer sunshine, and saw no reason not to comply. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

I heard my aunt call piteously from behind, but then my uncle said, “Swanle!”—Finished!—“She is already changed.” The Joy Luck Club 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z

Doctors thought it had, but then they noticed blood pulsing from a wound where his index finger had contracted and cut deep into his thumb—a sign that his heart was still pumping. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

I shake my head but then realize my grandmother can’t see me. Dragons in a Bag 2018-10-23T00:00:00Z

For a minute there, I think that I’ve tripped into the land of the truly insane, but then a crowd roars. Speak 1999-10-01T00:00:00Z

Professor Thomas looked at me with a confused expression, but then she glanced at the picture on her desk and picked it up to get a closer look. From the Desk of Zoe Washington 2020-01-14T00:00:00Z

We had to run the mile in PE today, so at first I worry I might stink, but then I realize Principal Trask is staring hard at my armband. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

I’m thinking about changing the rose wallpaper, but then Mom would get involved and Dad would measure the walls and they would argue about paint color. Speak 1999-10-01T00:00:00Z

I squeezed out from behind the desk and began following her to the door, but then another question occurred to me, one that had been nagging at me for a long time. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

He finally goes inside to grab drinks, but then he hears voices on the stairs, and he pokes his head around the corner to see Grace and Maya sitting on the stairs. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z

The plane got smaller but then circled back. Life Is So Good 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

He looks at me as if I were a small miracle, but then his smile turns into something more. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

She has her bottom lip clenched by her teeth, but then finally she lets go of the sigh she’s been holding. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

“I sound like me,” Isabella says, but then her voice softens. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

I figured Howard probably wouldn’t hear me, but then I saw him give me a thumbs-up before the truck disappeared from sight. Wish 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z

For a moment, all was still, but then the river began to churn, bubbling with a foul odor. When the Sea Turned to Silver 2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

He held out the key, but then thought better of it. Bone Gap 2015-03-03T00:00:00Z

Tyler smiles at me, but then he stops smiling. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

They glanced up at Lefty but then returned to their game, ignoring his dirty clothes. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

At first, I think there’s no way Elsie will agree to this but then she extends her hand. Amari and the Night Brothers 2021-01-19T00:00:00Z

I keep saying over and over that Ive got to do something but then I forget or maybe its just easier not to do what I say Im going to do. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z

I considered jumping over the side and following her, but then I tensed. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

I go after these girls I think I have a chance of developing real feelings for, but then they get all weird and googly-eyed and expectant. Odd One Out 2018-08-09T00:00:00Z

I thought I’d gone too far, but then the trembling eased. The Last Olympian 2009-05-05T00:00:00Z

I stare at the ceiling first, but then I remember: the windows. Sparrow 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

I wavered a second before hitting send, but then I did and sat back, breathing hard. From Twinkle, with Love 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z

I started to tell him that most of it had already been dug before and was therefore easy, but then I decided not to. Z for Zachariah 1976-07-29T00:00:00Z

For a moment she seems so worn that I feel like I can see right through her, but then she straightens, and the feeling is gone. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

Patti lets me play with the shiny soap bubbles in the sink for a while, but then she says I must stop because if I don't, my fingers will get as wrinkly as her skin. Born Behind Bars 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

Dylan starts at my words, but then he drops his head. Amari and the Night Brothers 2021-01-19T00:00:00Z

It protests for a moment, but then it speeds me forward, a dot in a sea of moving humanity. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

The spider raced along and we were keeping up, but then we spotted a tunnel off to the side that was dug from raw earth, and wrapped in thick roots. The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z

I almost laugh, but then I feel Mrs. Salisbury like a little bird on my shoulder. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

Harry thought even Professor Sprout seemed distant with him -— but then, she was Head of Hufflepuff House. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 2000-07-08T00:00:00Z

She’ll insist on going through the box with me, but then she shows up late and gives me a sassy nonresponse to explain herself. I Can Make This Promise 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z

We could decide, after intense discussions, that a particular student was a plotter, but then we’d always find a reason not to challenge him just yet—to wait until “we had in all the evidence.” Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

I was going to go over to him, but then I thought maybe he was whisper-crying because he didn’t want me or anyone else to hear him. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

Then he sprays another line, making an X. I curse silently under my breath and start to turn away— —but then the soldier does something unexpected, something I've never seen before. Legend 2011-11-29T00:00:00Z

For a moment I thought they were going to ignore me and come in anyway, but then August put her hand on Rosaleen’s arm and they eased out of sight. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

God had come a long way from the desert—but then so had Allah, though in a very different direction. The Fire Next Time 1963-01-21T00:00:00Z

He didn’t want to keep things from his parents, but then they didn’t usually have the time to ask anything more than once. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

I didn't understand what had happened at first, but then I realized—it was me. The Belles 2018-02-06T00:00:00Z

Diego sighed, and I wasn’t sure he was going to answer, but then he said, “Snakes get to shed their skin, why shouldn’t we?” We Are the Ants 2016-01-19T00:00:00Z

Every now and then he would act like he would need to sit down, but then he would just stay standing, dazed. The Stars Beneath Our Feet 2017-09-19T00:00:00Z

For a second, I thought she might say something real, but then she saw the look on my face and said, “Let’s play again.” The Science of Breakable Things 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

I was focused on Emma as she dialed, but then a commotion broke out behind me and I turned to see a crimson-faced man waving an umbrella at us. Hollow City 2014-01-14T00:00:00Z

He turned toward me, about to speak, but then his face went dopey and reddish. P.S. Be Eleven 2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

They lived in Jasper’s mom’s guesthouse for a while, but then finally rented a bigger apartment just outside of town. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

I took my tea from her, but then I put it on the coffee table before I scorched my fingerprints off. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

I started to walk away again, but then when I had all but reached the doors out to the corridor, I heard Miss Kenton say: 'Mr Stevens,' and thus turned once more. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

At first I meant to stretch the truth, but then I out-and-out lied to my sisters. P.S. Be Eleven 2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

I start to say, but then I realize I don’t know what comes after it. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

At first I thought he meant me, but then I saw the spiders were leaving the jar, crawling over the thick edge and down toward the earth to safety. The Ugly One 2013-06-11T00:00:00Z

I think I grabbed her shoulder—I’m not sure, but then she was screaming, and I was sharply back to reality with the sense of danger. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z

For a moment I nearly panicked—we couldn’t just leave the body in the open, could we?—but then I realized it was the only thing we could do. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

It took Ekon a moment to understand the cause of the unease running down his length, but then he pinpointed it. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

I paused in the driveway and turned around, ready to get into it, but then realized her words weren’t in attack mode. Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence 2022-03-22T00:00:00Z

My dad smiled as he studied the book—but then he said, “Dante, this is really very generous—but I don’t know if I can accept this.” Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 2012-02-21T00:00:00Z

Valencia turned off the engine, but then she slumped against the steering wheel, and the horn brayed steadily. Slaughterhouse-Five 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

He maintained a serene comportment at all times but generated a threatening atmosphere, like a thunderhead that seems far away but then is suddenly overhead with loud violence. The Underground Railroad: A Novel 2016-08-02T00:00:00Z

Again I have to wonder if I’m dead but then I tell myself no. If I Stay 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was a mystery, but then fairly simple things were mysteries to Tom Watson and he preferred to leave them that way. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z

He half expected to come face-to-face with a grizzly bear, but then he realized how ridiculous that was. Hello, Universe 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z

Carl ended up staying until my parents came back with the pizza, but then he left. Red Kayak 2004-09-23T00:00:00Z

Joon looks up at the sound of my voice, but then with a scowl focuses back on the blocks in his hands. A Step from Heaven 2001-04-30T00:00:00Z

“Your grandpop is a tricky man, baby,” Ma began to explain, but then she got hung up and didn’t seem to know what else to say, so she looked at Dad. As Brave As You 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z

She shot me a look, but then started laughing. Turtles All the Way Down 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

Kelton initially follows behind me, but then he pushes his way in front—as if just remembering that Eagle Scouts probably shouldn’t hide behind girls. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

Scared me half to the afterlife, but then she told me she was crying because of what I said. Fast Pitch 2021-08-31T00:00:00Z

The young man appeared to call for a servant, but then put the book down and came to the door himself. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

When I got to the darkroom and saw the red light on outside, I almost turned away, but then stopped. Tradition 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z

We nearly shook hands again but then decided against it. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a brief second I feel strong—brave—but then I'm overcome by an intense wave of guilt. Starfish 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

For what seemed like an infinite time they stood immobile, adjusting to the changes and the new distances, but then a sparrow trilled and everything reverted to the way it had been the preceding summer. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

Which I was thankful for...but then I felt a hand on my lower back. Fast Pitch 2021-08-31T00:00:00Z

I almost say, but then I recover my wits and press my lips together. An Ember in the Ashes 2015-04-28T00:00:00Z

He looks shocked at first, but then fires back, hitting the person next to Marlene. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

Each time a tune ended I told myself to go inside, but then another irresistible song would begin, and I would find myself unable to leave. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

Tool nodded sharply and turned away, but then he paused. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z

Mr. Cooper didn’t seem like a cold-blooded killer, but then, I didn’t know any cold-blooded killers, did I? Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z

Tyler seems to be the only one who got away unscathed...but then Justyce sees him shake out his right hand. Dear Martin 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

For a moment I wondered if he needed help, but then I remembered how he had clambered over the roof to water his fig trees. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

He hesitates, turning the tiny glass bottle with Widget’s version of his tree trapped inside over in his hand, but then he adds it as well, flinching as it shatters against the iron. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

I thought she was going to do a split, but then her other foot touched the water and slid forward. Because of Mr. Terupt 2010-10-11T00:00:00Z

When he took the wand away, hair seemed to be clinging to it — but then Harry saw that it was in fact a glistening strand of the same strange silvery-white substance that filled the Pensieve. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 2000-07-08T00:00:00Z

We all took off running for the ramp, but then I felt a tingling in my hands, and I stopped to look behind us. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z

He left my sight for a long time, and I got nervous and even started to feel sick to my stomach, but then his light flashed somewhere different from where I’d thought he was. Kira-Kira 2004-02-01T00:00:00Z

She lifts her head from his shoulder, hesitant, but then confesses: “I’m not sure if I want any at all. Would you’ve been okay with that?” The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

That part is true, but then there’s me. The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z

“That’s where she wanted to go. It’s a whole thing,” I started, but then I caught myself. The Boy in the Black Suit 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

I open my mouth to ask more stuff I don’t wanna know but then, as if there was never gonna be anything else that could ever happen, we hear it. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

I was about to tell him the truth for the first time, about to let him know that he’d let us all down plenty, but then I stopped. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

I walk to the other side of the room, toward a half-empty table, but then behind me I hear my name. All The Bright Places 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

At first, they helped Root out, but then they had to stop. The Woman All Spies Fear 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z

It was easy to make her mad, and she was nearly always cross with Bess and annoyed with the twins—but then she’d fill with regret, moaning in agony over her own sharp tongue. We Were Liars 2014-05-13T00:00:00Z

“Yeah, but then look at today,” I said, more mopey than I wanted to sound. All American Boys 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

I’m about to ask why, would a got scared if I had the time, but then the thirty-odd peoples in the room start clapping. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

The heat of the kitchen staggered her, but then people from Death Valley would have keeled over in Grandma’s kitchen. A Long Way from Chicago 1998-09-01T00:00:00Z

ALBUS: It was weird though—I thought I saw Cedric start to expand— but then he sort of started shrinking again — and I looked at you and you had your wand out. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 2016-07-31T00:00:00Z

It clouds up every morning and gets muggy for an hour, but then the sun beats down and dries up everything. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

We felt like the case was open-and-shut, but then one day, after a month or so, we got a call that he’d made bail. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

At first I couldn't make out who it was, because my eye only opened a short way, but then I saw it was my brother. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z

Aibileen opens her mouth to disagree, but then she closes it, looks down. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

For a second, I think it’s a feather, but then I remember I’m not living in the 1800s. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

I think about escaping into the hanging suits, joining the men in mourning until the egg-timer goes off, but then Heather bumps into me and laughs. I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

I pause for a moment, thinking maybe I should just end it there, but then Suesetta nudges me and the words just come right out like they needed the push. Betty Before X 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

My first thought was that I must be dead, but then I began to wonder whether he was real or not. Watership Down: A Novel 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

I was a little afraid then at having to play the host to Robin and Miss Whitlaw; but then I realized that they were probably just as afraid of being my guests. Dragonwings 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

“You know—” he started to say, but then something across the street distracted him. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

My mom’s mouth hangs agape, but then curves into a faint smile. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

I was about to make a joke about how good that was, because someone needed to teach him some manners, but then I saw the look on his face. Made You Up 2015-05-19T00:00:00Z

At first she holds me by my wrists, but then she pulls me close, embracing me with her wooden arms. Challenger Deep 2015-04-15T00:00:00Z

Something flickered on his face—doubt maybe—but then he smiled at me. Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel 2011-09-15T00:00:00Z

Finding the names of those who arrested her husband was satisfying at first, but then it only fueled her rage. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

I wanted to ask him why, but then I thought of how the answer might make my stomach hurt. The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

They stare at each other for a moment, while Marco tries to come up with an appropriate response, but then Isobel laughs. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

I’m starting to think I should’ve left this project for Mr. Neely’s “top students,” but then again, five hundred dollars. The Science of Breakable Things 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

“I call it Presto. I tell them, ‘I’ll give you three warnings, but then it’s on you.’ Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a second, Seven thought it might be enchanted mail, but then she noticed the old brown dress shoes sticking out beneath the boxes. Witchlings 2022-04-05T00:00:00Z

Dad’s business trips to Europe sometimes kept him away from home for months, but then he was on the go and in a different environment. Cheaper by the Dozen 1948-01-01T00:00:00Z

There was no one to see but Boatwright and a score of shadows, but then the moon went in again and the shadows dissolved in a deeper darkness. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

She looks at me, opens her mouth, but then closes it again, turning away. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

I assume he means his shoulder as I race toward him, but then he stands up, and I’m looking at a Ben-high crack in the particle- board. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

Nathan was about to extend his pinkie but then decided not to. Healer of the Water Monster 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z

So I changed into grubby jeans and reached for my hat, my Baltimore Orioles cap, but then I thought, no, this was the hat that Ben wore just before he died. Red Kayak 2004-09-23T00:00:00Z

For a second it felt like it was working, but then I lurched too far. Ugly 2013-08-20T00:00:00Z

I start to open my door, but then I stop. Things Not Seen 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

She wanted to travel to Buenos Aires and Spain, Germany and Colombia, but then she met Christian and got pregnant and found happiness in her new world. They Both Die at the End 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z

I wanted to ask him what he meant, but then the second guard shouted for an officer and we were moving. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

Her wings were keeping her up, but then up became down and she tumbled, exactly as Lazlo had planned it, right into his arms. Strange the Dreamer 2017-03-28T00:00:00Z

“Fancy you saying that,” Magdalys chided, but then a terrible moan rolled through her so suddenly she almost toppled into the hole. Dactyl Hill Squad 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z

For a second he was afraid he was the doofus, but then he remembered that was what she called her bodyguard. Small Steps 2006-01-10T00:00:00Z

Left . . . left . . . hook . . . cross, once he thought Hubbard's head jerked back, but then the iron pipes were ramming into his stomach, one after another. The Contender 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

I twist the knife in my hand a time or two but then I reach behind my rucksack and put it away. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

Harold and I started our drive home, but then it occurred to me that I could go anywhere. Turtles All the Way Down 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

“Yeah, but then he died again. Or ascended to heaven?” Free Lunch 2019-09-10T00:00:00Z

These men don’t even sleep on mats on the ground? she thought briefly, but then the horror of what was about to happen overwhelmed her and she looked around wildly for a means of escape. Copper Sun 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

I could shout at my mother and tell her to stop, but then there's the part of me that needs to know how much has been hidden from me. The Sky at Our Feet 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

I was about to explain that we would be home before school started, but then realized that I really didn’t know when we were leaving. The Red Umbrella 2010-04-25T00:00:00Z

I’m sure I’m imagining it, but then Unanimity replaces it in purple. The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z

At first I didn’t even realize he was talking to me but then Ducky pushed my arm and I woke up. Slam! 1996-11-01T00:00:00Z

The beast snapped at one satyr, who danced out of its way, but then it pounced on another who was too slow. The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z

In the beginning there were horses in the ghetto, but then they began to disappear. Milkweed 2003-09-09T00:00:00Z

At first, a guerrilla army picks off enemy outposts and interferes with communications, but then, if it gathers strength, it must eventually move from hit-and-run attacks to a massed engagement with the enemy. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

“I was gonna bring it in last night, but then I thought ‘one last coat of oil, rub it, and let dry.’ The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

Perhaps you think that far-fetched, Mr Stevens, but then look how far I came with her in a few months. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

And some things are better left unsaid, but then again, other things aren’t. The Science of Breakable Things 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

She hesitated, but then finished what she had been going to say. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

I don’t see what difference it makes when I get up, since this is a travel day, but then it turns out that yesterday’s makeover was just to get me to the train station. Catching Fire 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z

Almost told him everything, but then what would he think of me? The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

For a moment she thought maybe she should tell him, but then she remembered the village and decided not to. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z

At first Joe was very excited by all the attention his case was generating, but then the guards and other prisoners started making fun of him and treating him more harshly than usual. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

He was sure he’d never seen her before—but then the slightest hint of doubt crept into his mind. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

Dad looked up, like he was going to speak, but then looked at his hands and swallowed. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

She walked across the garden, but then broke into a run the rest of the way to the barn. Anya and the Dragon 2019-09-24T00:00:00Z

Moss bolted off the couch, but then stood there, staring at her. Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z

I thought they were going to beat me up, but then Dad burst into the room, along with Coach Warner. Tangerine 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

Briefly, I thought about turning around, just giving up, but then I got out of the car and walked up to the front porch. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Poor little thing! It was hard upon her when she tried so heartily to please me. She was wrong, of course, but then she was young. I must be patient and teach her.” Little Women 1868-01-01T00:00:00Z

I wondered when my dream had turned into Cinderella’s ball, but then I realized it was broken glass in their hair, and it wasn’t rouge on their cheeks, it was blood. The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

I started to run out of the house, but then I stopped and turned around. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

“Ethnic” girls we were called, but then who wasn’t, when you got right down to it? Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

I hurry over to the bench but then freeze when I realize Ambrose might blame me for what happened to Ma. Dragons in a Bag 2018-10-23T00:00:00Z

He thought Ernie was asleep, but then he felt his brother shaking from giggling. As Brave As You 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z

I thought about waiting him out, but then something caught my eye. Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z

It is kind of a flip answer, but then I wonder if it’s true. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

I start to fold the letter up, but then I get a better idea. Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero 2020-08-18T00:00:00Z

I open my mouth to raise such questions, but then suddenly stop myself, remembering what my father always told me about the sheep. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

I hold him, but then he is gripping me around my shoulders and clenching the back of my blouse, my hair. What the Night Sings 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z

For a moment, Ekon was mildly offended, but then curiosity got the best of him. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

We started to—but then I heard a rustling of branches. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then changed her mind and closed it. From the Desk of Zoe Washington 2020-01-14T00:00:00Z

Brent toys with him—most times retreating, but then adding a bounce to quicken his speed for a lunge, then hit. Black Brother, Black Brother 2020-03-03T00:00:00Z

The docking itself went well, with just a slight bump as Columbia nudged Eagle, but then Eagle gave a wild lurch and for a couple of seconds I thought we might have real trouble. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was reassuring to hear people, but then again, we couldn’t get to them. The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z

The bacteria grew exponentially at first, as expected, but then paused for a while before resuming growth again. The Gene 2016-06-02T00:00:00Z

When they reached the blanket, Jiichan stared at Hanako for a moment—her hair—but then hissed with wide eyes, “Every day we will take some wheat to sell on black market.” A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

Grandpa is quiet for a long moment, but then he gets up and goes into the kitchen. Finding Junie Kim 2021-05-04T00:00:00Z

I was afraid he was going to strangle Beth Ann, but then he smiled and his eyes became friendly enormous cow eyes once again. Walk Two Moons 1994-06-30T00:00:00Z

“There isn’t really anything to say about Elliot. I mean, I was going to tell you guys about him, but then Audrey said she liked him.” Keep It Together, Keiko Carter 2020-05-05T00:00:00Z

It was good, too, to complain about not being made of money but then to reach down and give her enough cash to have her hair done or get something for the baby. 145th Street: Short Stories 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

Izzi jumps at Cook's sudden appearance, but then, to my shock, she stands and crosses her arms. An Ember in the Ashes 2015-04-28T00:00:00Z

When we were little, we used to have playdates all the time, but then Christopher moved to Bridgeport in Connecticut. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

At first we didn’t think we were in the right place, but then, jing-bang, it was right before us. Walk Two Moons 1994-06-30T00:00:00Z

“Swear to it,” Thyon ordered, but then he cast his eyes over the books on the floor and abruptly changed his mind. Strange the Dreamer 2017-03-28T00:00:00Z

Dimple laughed, wanting to tell him she’d kiss him even without him doing that, but then their lips met again, and she lost her train of thought. When Dimple Met Rishi 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z

I thought I’d gone too far, but then he looked down at the mosaic and his shoulders sagged. The Last Olympian 2009-05-05T00:00:00Z

I assumed it was a bottle of booze, but then he opened the paper bag and turned it upside down. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

I thought it might be a lady pirate, since the words sounded something alike, but then again, I thought it might be an umbrella. Bunnicula 1979-03-01T00:00:00Z

They wouldn’t have been out of the running next to the liverwurst sandwiches, but then Lettie produced a tin with two cookies in it. Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z

He was so content in this country, so impressed with and loving of its opportunities, but then why, sometimes, did Americans fall short of their best selves? Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

He mustered a smile, and for a moment it hung there, a little lifeless, but then all the energy of his million-dollar flash came back. Tradition 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z

Anya almost asked what that meant, but then she realized she already knew. Anya and the Dragon 2019-09-24T00:00:00Z

Finally, she picks up her bag, about to leave, but then she takes my hand. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

He felt silly, speaking to them, but then thought they might feel silly speaking over him as well. The Voyage Of The Frog 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z

I didn’t know whether to follow him or to leave, but then he called out, “Do you want a coffee?” The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Harry began to talk about a trip they had recently taken to Medical Lake, but then choked up and had to stop. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

She raised her hand, and I thought she was going to hit me, but then she sat down at the spool table and rested her head on her arms. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

It takes a little while, a horrible little while, for Manchee to find the scent again once we’re back in the woods but then he barks, “This way,” and we’re off again. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

I say that to be polite, but then I get to thinking about it, and it is true. In the Time of the Butterflies 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

The courtroom had been deadly silent, but then a woman gasped, and I heard muttered swearing. Mississippi Trial, 1955 2002-05-27T00:00:00Z

I imagine I'm standing in front of it with my father—but then Bedi Ma'am pulls the photograph gently out of my hands and demands, "Pay attention, Kabir!" Born Behind Bars 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

I thought I saw something move out there, but then I didn’t see it anymore. Kira-Kira 2004-02-01T00:00:00Z

People on the tilt-a-whirl scream long and loud, but then laugh that they are just playing. A Step from Heaven 2001-04-30T00:00:00Z

The car pulled ahead of him, and for a second he thought they were through with him, but then it swerved sharply into a driveway, blocking his path. Small Steps 2006-01-10T00:00:00Z

I was going to ask more, but then I heard Sohrab’s mom let out a cry and charge across the sea of Bahramis separating her from her target. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

I hesitate—my dad is a doctor, after all, and holy unhygienic, Batman!—but then she starts wiggling it and making her eyebrows dance. Odd One Out 2018-08-09T00:00:00Z

She would have gone to her at once, but then Con brushed past Taisin, entering the room with a yawn. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

We were like that for the whole trip, our eyes rolling up, but then—and this happened nearly every time—the food would come and we would just be all, nom nom nom. Genuine Fraud 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z

“I know that’s not what you meant,” I replied, but then a lump lodged itself in my throat and I couldn’t talk anymore. If I Stay 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

I’m frozen to the spot for a split second, but then my feet are racing toward my house. Merci Suárez Changes Gears 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z

You won’t find Copernicus, or Kepler, or Galileo praising moderation, impartiality, industry; but then Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo are primarily mathematicians. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

As he walks toward me, I consider closing my eyes and pretending to be asleep, but then our eyes meet and it’s too late. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

And he looks just like me, or almost like me, and maybe he is me, I think, but then he speaks, and it’s my grandfather’s voice. Hollow City 2014-01-14T00:00:00Z

It worked for a while but then an alien torpedoed me through my own duct. Black Swan Green 2006-04-10T00:00:00Z

My family is pretty solemn on the way home, and it’s like no one wants to be first to break the silence, but then Daddy clears his throat. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

And I'm about to say huh again, because those people were far cooler than our classmates and also far cooler than us, but then I know what he means. Will Grayson, Will Grayson 2010-04-06T00:00:00Z

Lyra didn’t care for that and started to object, but then Malcolm pretended to get hiccups and she laughed so much she forgot the lanyard and let go. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

Had it been his choice, he probably would have stayed there forever, but then a teammate went over to hoist him up. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Part of me wonders if she’s lost her mind, but then when she pulls into the parking space, she hands me the EBT card. The Benefits of Being an Octopus 2018-09-04T00:00:00Z

For one brief, glorious moment, Kaede felt vindicated, but then her father said, “She is my daughter. She is not of age. She does not go where I do not permit.” Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

I told him he could hide out at my place for a few days, but then I was leaving. Hole in My Life 2002-03-26T00:00:00Z

Frightful doesn’t have such a word in her vocabulary, but then her ancestors were never pestered by flies as were Slats’s. On the Far Side of the Mountain 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

He had given it a passing thought, but then forgotten it. American Gods 2011-06-21T00:00:00Z

“I—I hadn’t thought...,” she starts, but then her voice trails off. How to Disappear Completely 2020-04-28T00:00:00Z

I open my mouth to correct him, but then I realize that he, more than anybody, does know how I feel. A Mango-Shaped Space 2003-04-16T00:00:00Z

I knew that saying too much could cause trouble, but then I wondered if saying nothing could be just as bad, maybe worse. Life Is So Good 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

He starts out holding me, but then he forgets I even there. Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

I thought I could get past them without being noticed, but then I heard, “That’s sure an ugly dog.” It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z

Finn opened his mouth to ask, but then Sean wound the jacket around his hand like a boxer protecting his knuckles. Bone Gap 2015-03-03T00:00:00Z

We reach a shallow puddle in a dip in the sidewalk, and Ziggy sniffs at it but then stands there. A Soft Place to Land 2021-09-14T00:00:00Z

I begin to wonder if maybe Garrett was right, but then the door creaks open, and there’s Uncle Basil. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

I supposed she was suffering the feminine hysteria common to pregnant women, but then I saw the recruit, standing in the small window of the projection booth. Salt to the Sea 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z

I was about to give my home address, where I would probably be by the time the bill arrived, but then I thought of my mother opening the bill and seeing what it was for. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z

Seven felt completely helpless, but then she remembered there was one thing she could do on her own. Witchlings 2022-04-05T00:00:00Z

For a moment he saw the people, flat now, with no detail, but then they faded abruptly and were gone. Messenger 2004-04-26T00:00:00Z

I noticed right off that they ate more meat than I got at home, but then again the biscuits weren’t as good as my mama made for us. Life Is So Good 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

She glanced down a second at her hands, but then almost immediately her gaze returned to me. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

Mrs. Granger glared at the spelling mistakes, but then chuckled and shook her head. Frindle 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

“You want to hear my list? Take a painting class with Bob Ross. Lots of happy little trees and cadmium yellow that you don’t think will work but then...” Five Feet Apart 2018-11-20T00:00:00Z

It all astonished me for a while, sure, but then it became part of the scene. X: A Novel 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Usually my pole was only a foot or so in the water, but then suddenly it would go down three feet and I knew I had found the gut again. Jacob Have I Loved 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

It crashes down through the lower branches, snagging temporarily on a few but then twisting free until it smashes with a thud on the ground. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

Mom tried to argue for a while, but then she saw how much Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots cost, and she said she supposed one present would be fine. Absolutely Almost 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z

Sanjeev had considered these women, had even ranked them in order of preference, but then he had met Twinkle. Interpreter of Maladies 1999-05-22T00:00:00Z

She kept opening and closing her mouth as if she was going to say something but then fell silent. Witchlings 2022-04-05T00:00:00Z

She wouldn’t say why, but then a visitor would come calling just as I was leaving. Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z

I debate telling him about my conversation with Ren, but then decide against it. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

Anya smiled, but then the memory of the creature in the dungeon snuffed her smile out. Anya and the Nightingale 2020-11-10T00:00:00Z

Biting them was like a battle between her teeth and the crackers, but then Mama told her to suck on one until it softened. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

Dad looks proud, but then he’s always proud of me. Black Brother, Black Brother 2020-03-03T00:00:00Z

He started to describe it to me but then stopped, realizing it was better to spare me the extra pain. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z

At one point a couple popped in but then went back outside when they heard, “Free food all day!” from the loudspeakers. The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

“The audition actually went very well, Libby. By the way. Like: I didn’t get cut, or I did at first but then got called back.” Better Nate Than Ever 2013-02-05T00:00:00Z

I helped clear the dishes but then I sat back down. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

“No, Salva. I am going to take you to the refugee camp, but then I will return to Sudan, to fight in the war.” A Long Walk to Water 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

I ran to the top of the stairs, but then stayed there and listened. As Brave As You 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z

At first, they don’t seem too concerned about the rain, but then it starts to pick up more. A Soft Place to Land 2021-09-14T00:00:00Z

At first I think he’s just goading me—but then I realize it’s a serious question. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

I reached for Riptide, which I always kept in my pocket, but then I realized I was wearing gym shorts. The Sea of Monsters 2006-04-01T00:00:00Z

I didn’t have to go at first, but then I realized that yes, I did have to go. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 2007-09-01T00:00:00Z

I saw him reach toward me hesitantly with his right hand, but then he stopped and placed it slowly back on the steering wheel. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

He could have told the story wearing sunglasses, but then none of it would've been believable, even though he definitely was sounding cool enough to pull it off. When I Was the Greatest 2014-01-07T00:00:00Z

He hesitates, about to argue, but then his eyes meet mine. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

He’s just a name, an impulse that keeps me moving, but then his image returns to me, his hazel eyes, his lanky body, his oversized hands and feet. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first I didn’t know the reason why they always hunt me down, but then I figured it out, it was simply because I was of a different race. The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z

He was going to lie, but then for some reason he said his real name. The Invention of Hugo Cabret 2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

Her face first got mad but then when the farmer put me down on my feet and I fell over to one side because of the pain in my ankle she got all worried again. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

Dam little time to do anything in, but then I am used to that. The Sound and the Fury 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z

She closes her eyes again, but then opens them quickly. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

At first Alice was startled, but then that passed, and when she found some unsuspected present the garden smile flashed and disappeared the way a trout crosses a knife of sunshine in a pool. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z

He would stop for a few minutes, but then give it a turn or two and my heart would slow down. The Night Diary 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z

I heard a screen door slam behind me, and my heart thumped as I heard footsteps, but then they stopped. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

He looked askance at my luggage-less state, but then shrugged, not caring enough to ask. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

He was beginning to regret coming—but then he saw it. Stormbreaker 2000-09-04T00:00:00Z

Maybe her treasure hunt suspicion was way off—but then why not pick one of Poe’s spookier stories if Halloween was the point? Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

Arthur sitting on a stool somewhere fancy, and at first I think it’s a restaurant, but then I see photos of him on the wall. What If It's Us 2018-10-09T00:00:00Z

It took Stanley a moment, but then he realized Zero was asking about Clyde Livingston's shoes. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

“Oh, don’t mind her. She’s like a match. If she rubs up against something, she flares up for a second, but then she fizzles out very quickly.” Three Little Words: A Memoir 2007-12-27T00:00:00Z

“One night, she took a tumble out of bed, probably she needed the bedpan, but then after she fell, she couldn’t get herself up. She was too weak, too sick.” I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

“I was supposed to come to Freetown for school, but then the war came. I heard it is a beautiful city,” Alhaji said. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

Hugo hesitated for a moment, but then set to work. The Invention of Hugo Cabret 2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

I wanted to look ahead to where I was going, not back at what I was leaving, but then I turned anyway. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

She seemed almost asleep, her breathing slow and rhythmic, but then her eyes snapped open and she said, “Lindsey, I sure missed seeing you. I missed holding this hand.” An Abundance of Katherines 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z

It does not seem a very good rate, but then conditions were a bit adverse. The Left Hand of Darkness 1969-03-01T00:00:00Z

She raises her knuckles to thump him again but then changes her mind. A Step from Heaven 2001-04-30T00:00:00Z

I laugh and agree, but then she takes it back. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

It had been a long, strange day—the hug in the band room, the explanation from Tobias, but then the way he hugged me after I’d said no. Maybe He Just Likes You 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z

“Sometimes,” I say, “I think I can’t miss Lucy any more than I already do, but then something like dress shopping comes up, and I remember all the things she won’t be here to see.” Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

I expected Mom and Dad to say something like, “Oh, honey, don’t say things like that. We’ll be mad at you for a while, but then things will get better.” P.S. I Miss You 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

I flinch, but then I open my mouth to catch some of it. Legend 2011-11-29T00:00:00Z

I figured he was about to toss us into the snow, but then Thalia stepped forward and did something very weird. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

I wanted to ask him about that, but then he pulled a golden drachma from his saddlebag and tossed it to me. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

He grabbed Cole’s arm roughly, but then let go. Touching Spirit Bear 2001-01-09T00:00:00Z

So it must not have been aimed at me, but then—why tell it? Code Name Verity 2012-05-15T00:00:00Z

He acted quite smart about it, but then, who wouldn’t? Miracles on Maple Hill 1956-08-01T00:00:00Z

At first she did nothing, but then, when the feeling became quite strong, she turned round and looked behind her. The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa 2004-12-07T00:00:00Z

Maybe her treasure hunt suspicion was way off—but then why not pick one of Poe’s spookier stories if Halloween was the point? Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

I let him pull me for a second, maybe two, but then I stop moving. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

He said at first he thought I caught a cramp or something, but then said he saw me smiling and knew it couldn't have been a cramp, unless it was a cramp in the mind. Sunny 2018-04-10T00:00:00Z

The port bottle was still a good thirty minutes away, but then Granddaddy did something unprecedented in the entire History of Dinner: He left before the port. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z

He laughed again at the look on my face but then we heard footsteps and the tinkle of ice in an advancing cocktail—Francis. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

I couldn’t wait to tell the boys, but then I thought I couldn’t do that—this was supposed to be a secret. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

Dimple paused for a moment as the pain washed over her, but then she continued as if nothing had happened. When Dimple Met Rishi 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z

At the end, I asked if I could travel to Amsterdam, and Dr. Simons actually and literally laughed, but then Dr. Maria said, “Why not?” The Fault in Our Stars 2012-01-10T00:00:00Z

No one must recognize them, not this time—but then he heard the footsteps. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

For a moment she was about to talk, but then when they began talking, she thought it better to listen. The Princess Bride 1973-11-01T00:00:00Z

I wanted to cry, but then, in the next instant, I wanted to laugh, because the statue also made me feel like Lily the Smiled-Upon, like there was goodness and beauty in me, too. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

Laika didn’t seem worried at all, but then again the place probably had that pleasant reek of death which so satisfied my dog’s finely tuned sense of smell. 100 Sideways Miles 2014-09-02T00:00:00Z

“No, ma’am. From right here in Alexandriaville. Well, I grew up here, but then I flew the coop.” Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics 2016-01-05T00:00:00Z

At first it just seems like chaos, each person dancing to their own tune, but then I realize they’re just offset by a few seconds. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

At first he thought he should leave the apartment and search everywhere for new bodies, but then he knew what the flashlight really meant. The Dead and the Gone 2008-05-04T00:00:00Z

I too pushed to the window to see, but then I remembered the rhythmic snores, and coolly walked away. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

A full minute goes by, but then the door cracks open, just enough so that I can see his shadow on the tile floor. Five Feet Apart 2018-11-20T00:00:00Z

“He looks like he’s about to take a swing at me, but then just walks off.” Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

Of course he wanted to be with me; but then the boat service would, most likely, be the one which would destroy the ... the ... the ... Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z

I started to tell him to forget it—it couldn’t possibly work out—but then I thought of Dad. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

He sounded as if he meant it; but then he always did, Hand Clap told me later. Dragonwings 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

I began to sprint for the exit, but then stopped in the middle of the chamber. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

She should talk the situation over with Helen, she thought; but then said nothing. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z

After this she phones me frequently, but then less frequently. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z

During these walks she has never said anything that was not strictly orthodox, but then, neither have I. She may be a real believer, a Handmaid in more than name. The Handmaid's Tale 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

My heart was beating triple time, but then I waved at her involuntarily, like I was brushing away a bee. The Line Tender 2019-04-16T00:00:00Z

I wanted to run from the cabin . . . but then again I didn’t. The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z

When the pounding of the drums suddenly died, the dancers stopped in confusion, their applause abruptly ending, but then Ash heard a great cheer go up from the far side of the Square. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

“You say don’t feel sorry for you, but then you tell a story about the base of the toilet,” she blurts. We Were Liars 2014-05-13T00:00:00Z

The flashlight is still on the ground, and I take a step back, to pick it up, but then I see Ben pointing. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

Ms. Jacobs gives my shoulder a squeeze, but then she releases it. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

She glanced up when he entered, but then returned her gaze to whatever it was she held. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z

I thought I might be able to exist there without touching anything, but then hours passed and it turned out I was wrong. We Are Okay 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

I pretended to examine the shack but then turned, expecting to meet his gaze. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

He and Frank talked for a few minutes about the storm, the flood, how Frank had expected it but then hadn’t expected it at all. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

Emma looked at me like I was nuts for a second, but then got the idea and began to stomp and sway along with me. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

She’s about to question me further, I can tell, but then her phone vibrates on her lap. I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

I pointed to purple, but then quickly slid my thumb over to green. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z

I feel an urge to escape, but then I remember that my car is still at Pagoda Pizza. Please Ignore Vera Dietz 2012-10-12T00:00:00Z

Erin opens her mouth, no doubt to call Rod on his racist statement, but then she thinks better of it. Boy21 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

His daddy was smiling, and Beto just knew that he was going to hug him, but then the preacher came up and started shaking Henry’s hand. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

When they got up the hill they even started running, which seemed weird, but then I thought how Flaca’s girls were still scared about what happened with Rondell at the party. We Were Here 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z

He opens his mouth to reply—but then the song switches, and his whole demeanor changes. Leah on the Offbeat 2018-04-24T00:00:00Z

The vision seemed so vivid, but then Joseph remembered Leo wasn’t real, and the boy dissolved like smoke into the winter sky. The Marvels 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

I was sure he was going to chew me out, but then his look turned to weariness. The Sea of Monsters 2006-04-01T00:00:00Z

In fact, I believe I actually took a few steps towards the doorway, but then I turned to her again and said: 'So, Miss Kenton, the new recruits are getting on well, you say.' The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

A woman with curly gray hair and a black coat follows close behind him, but then stops in front of me where I’m standing with my satchel. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

Even the old guard doesn’t remember, but then again he doesn’t remember very much of anything. The Invention of Hugo Cabret 2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

I start pushing it up, but then the person on the other side pulls it. A Soft Place to Land 2021-09-14T00:00:00Z

“Before...,” she whispered, but then she looked at Ess’s wide eyes and found she couldn’t say more, or didn’t want to. Orphan Island 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z

At first, I’m worried, but then I realize it’s highly unlikely that anything could be worse than what’s already happened. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

He went to stand up, but then stared down at his father. Finding Junie Kim 2021-05-04T00:00:00Z

About how I thought his mom was dead but then she wrote him a letter and then he punched kids that he didn’t even know and ended up in a police car. Shouting at the Rain 2019-05-07T00:00:00Z

I’m watching him and can’t tell what he’s thinking, but then he stops at the frontal view and inhales sharply as he raises a hand to his mouth. I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

She was about to say something, but then a toilet flushed and she realized we were not alone. Bronx Masquerade 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

For a moment, she thought to take it out by the firelight, but then she might run into someone, and they’d be sure to ask what she was holding. Orphan Island 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z

And he caught the gun—but then Mrs. Coulter fell still, and Will became aware of a strange stalemate. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

She was plainly thrilled, but then she caught something in Lyddie’s face. Lyddie 1991-02-01T00:00:00Z

This ape had been living a fairly comfortable life hunting and gathering until about 10,000 years ago, but then began to invest more and more effort in cultivating wheat. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

I once read that squirrels spend most of their time hiding acorns for later, but then they forget where they hid them. Hello, Universe 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z

Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Of Mice and Men 1937-01-01T00:00:00Z

It seemed strange to announce Look at me, I’m writing! but then again, writers were quite strange. Aru Shah and the End of Time 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

I contemplate telling her about this latest development but then decide it’s not really a development. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

At first he was too timid, but then the male two-legs picked him up and put him down close to her. Tiger, Tiger 2004-10-04T00:00:00Z

Her hands stretch like she’s doing piano exercises, but then they crumple in her lap like injured fans. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

There were metal folding chairs along the back wall to accommodate the crowd, but then someone spotted a half-empty pew and we headed for that: Francis and Sophie, the twins, and me. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

She almost called out, Hey, Dad! but then the man had turned, and she saw his matted hair, and there was something about him that frightened her. Ruby Holler 2002-02-01T00:00:00Z

I waited for him to approach home plate, but then I realized, as he took his stance, that he was already there — farther from the pitcher’s mound than I would have thought possible. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

As I fell, something invisible began rocking me back and forth—lightly at first, but then harder and harder until I was flopping around like a rag doll. Flush 2005-09-13T00:00:00Z

She brushes away the thought, but then the responsible-person guilt collides with the burn in her legs and the ache in her toes. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z

Jonathan started to laugh too, but then his terrible shame returned. The Fighting Ground 1984-04-01T00:00:00Z

It was a mystery, but then there are many mysterious things in our social thinking. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z

I approached her, leaving the trolley in the middle of the floor, but then she made an impatient gesture, and I saw she wanted me to bring the trolley too. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z

She hadn’t expected to tell him anything, but then she hadn’t expected him to know so much. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

Briefly, he thought, a question lingered in her fuzzy eyes, but then she turned and punched the button for him and returned to her friends in the Firebird. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

I rushed over to check on him, but then I heard Grover’s voice: “Percy!” The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z

I picked up my fedora and started to put it on, but then I reconsidered. The Boy on the Wooden Box 2013-08-27T00:00:00Z

I open my mouth to reply but then realize Ma doesn’t expect me to say a word. Dragons in a Bag 2018-10-23T00:00:00Z

Of course nothing comes out, but then he sniffs the spout. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

It sounded important, the way he said it, but then most of what Papa said sounded important. Purple Hibiscus 2003-10-01T00:00:00Z

The fluorescent light in the hallway was not kind: beneath it, Laura looked dead, but then, it did that to everyone. American Gods 2011-06-21T00:00:00Z

She seems poised to sit down without addressing these questions, but then changes her mind. Orphan Train 2013-04-02T00:00:00Z

Hugo looked at the picture, but then Isabelle said, “Quick, the manager is coming.” The Invention of Hugo Cabret 2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

“You don’t need to be dealing with no boys,” she says, but then maybe because she knows she sounded way too much like Momma, she sets her comb down and faces me. A Good Kind of Trouble 2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

He seemed taken aback, but then he said gruffly, “I suppose you are your mother’s daughter.” Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

I started to right it, but then I saw what he meant. The Season of Styx Malone 2018-10-16T00:00:00Z

I pulled my lunch out of my bag, but then I noticed a few kids standing around glancing at me. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z

And she gasped as the car cracked against a rock and reeled back across the road with an ominous scraping somewhere beneath, but then gathered itself together valiantly and resumed its dogged climb. The Haunting of Hill House 1959-10-01T00:00:00Z

Marco frowns, but then, very slowly, his face begins to change. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

She opens her mouth, probably to tell me again that Mirjam couldn't have escaped through there because of the inside latch, but then thinks better. Girl in the Blue Coat 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z