Do I have to talk to insane people?" "You're a librarian now. I'm afraid it's mandatory.

Humans like stories. Humans need stories. Stories are good. Stories work. Story clarifies and captures the essence of the human spirit. Story, in all its forms—of life, of love, of knowledge—has traced the upward surge of mankind. And story, you mark my words, will be with the last human to draw breath.

Sometimes choice is a luxury that fate does not afford us.

The cleanest souls are the easiest to soil.

I was on HPD--Heathcliff Protection Duty--in Wuthering Heights for two years, and believe me, the ProCaths tried everything. I personally saved him from assassination eight times.

I still feel threatened by academics, but my books have a lot of academic in-jokes and everybody assumes I went to university and studied English.

I collect ex-boyfriends -- and more than five, at last count.