I hate the idea that, when it comes to books and learning, hard is often seen as the opposite of fun. It's strange to me that we should be so quick to give up on a book or a math problem when we are so willing to grapple, for centuries if necessary, with a single level of Angry Birds.

I am concussed," I announced, entirely sure of my self-diagnosis.

We have this habit of romanticizing the lives of writers. I remember when I was a kid, I was like, 'I want to be Kurt Vonnegut.'

You're arguing that the fragile, rare thing is beautiful simply because it is fragile and rare. But that's a lie, and you know it.

He'd fought hard, Lida told me, as if there was another way to fight.

Who would you die for? Who would you wake up at five forty-five in the morning for even though you don't even know why he needs you?

I've read a lot of bad books. I used to review books for a living, and when you're a reviewer you read tons of terrible books.