“Ive learned that being alone and being lonely are not the same thing. Once I was surrounded by people and lonely for it, but now Im alone and Ive never been so content.”

“Forgive me again. He lifts the carafe and refreshes his goblet. What happened to those two children who laughed at dandelion fuzz? he says softly. Are they gone forever, do you think?”

“Were to be married. Does it matter if I permit it?To me it does, yes, says Merek. And I imagine you, like me, appreciate the illusion of having a choice, even when illusion is all it is.”

“But I want you, he smiles at me. Not just to make me a king. Ive always wanted you. Despite it all, you are still the bride I would choose. I do choose you.”

“Some experiences are universal. A girl is a girl whether she lives in West Omaha or Sweet Valley. Books are often far more than books.”

“A half-read book is a half-finished love affair.”

“The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,And all the sweet serenity of books”

“Sibyl, what do you want?I want to live, the Sibyl said, and her voice rang rich and full. I want to keep on living forever and watching heroes and fools and knights go up and down, into the world a...”

“When God is driven to the periphery of the public square, the human spiritual capacity longs for exercise, and it often finds it in the suspension of disbelief and activity of the imagination that ...”

“When is a monster not a monster? Oh, when you love it.”