When it came down to it, he just wasn't that engaged. You had to be engaged to be a vegetarian; you had to be engaged to sing "Both Sides Now" with your eyes closed; when it came down to it, you had to be engaged to be a mother.

You wouldn't believe that so much could change just because a relationship ended.

I lost the plot for a while then. And I lost the subplot, the script, the soundtrack, the intermission, my popcorn, the credits, and the exit sign.

I hate time. It never does what you want it to.

Sequels are very rarely a good idea, and in any case, the success of the book changed my relationship with the club in some ways.

We're here for such a short amount of time. Why do we spend any of it building sandcastles?

It's not what you like but what you are like that's important.