Acceptable rules of conduct were suspended when it came to the spoon shortage. The deficit had gotten so bad that prices were all but unaffordable, and dynastic spoon succession had become a matter of considerable interest. Spoons were even postcode engraved and carried on one's person to eliminate theft, and good table manners, one of the eight pillars upon which the Collective was built, had been relaxed to allow tea to be stirred - shockingly - with the handle of a fork.

Sometimes I don't know whether I'm thening or nowing.

Love and magic are like oil and water--they just don't mix.

I also read about Heathcliff's unexpected three-year career in Hollywood under the name Buck Stallion and his eventual return to the pages of Wuthering Heights.

Religion isn't the cause of wars, it's the excuse.

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

...being written by someone who might not quite understand the subconscious nuance of the character leaves us in varying degrees of flatness.