The food was so good that with each passing course, our conversation devolved further into fragmented celebrations of its deliciousness: 'I want this dragon carrot risotto to become a person so I can take it to Las Vegas and marry it.

It is very sad to me that some people are so intent on leaving their mark on the world that they don’t care if that mark is a scar.

I don't even know how ugly and pretty get decided.

You couldn't be more wrong," I said. "You are buying into the cross-stitched sentiments of your parents' throw pillows. 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." "You're a hard person to comfort," Augustus said. "Easy comfort isn't comforting," I said.

Whenever you read a cancer booklet or website or whatever, they always list depression among the side effects of cancer. But, in fact, depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying.

It seemed like forever ago, like we've had this brief but still infinite forever. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.

Nothing really ever happens like you imagine it will.