Having a purpose is the little secret of the nonpretties. Something to do always beats something to look at.

If only men came made to order. It's so hard to find a decent fellow.

The most precious research to me came from the paperwork filed on behalf of my grandparents and great-grandfather. The ship's manifest showed that they could read and write. I am still emotional when I look at those boxes checked yes.

The good things that happen to us were meant to happen, and the bad things that happen are lessons meant to teach us to be better.

When a girl is beautiful, she gets to pick - she never has to wait for someone to choose her.

I look at my roommates who are so proud of me that it makes me proud.

The Wise County Bookmobile is one of the most beautiful sights in the world to me. When I see it lumbering down the mountain road like a tank . . . I flag it down like an old friend. I've waited on this corner every Friday since I can remember. The Bookmobile is just a government truck, but to me it's a glittering royal coach delivering stories and knowledge and life itself. I even love the smell of books. People have often told me that one of their strongest childhood memories is the scent of their grandmother's house. I never knew my grandmothers, but I could always count on the Bookmobile.