“I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this, but first impressions are often entirely wrong.” “If you have ever lost a loved one, then you know exactly how it feels. And if you have not, then you cannot possibly imagine it.” “Your initial opinion on just about anything may change over time.” “The worst surroundings in the world can be tolerated if the people in them are interesting and kind.” “What a schmuck!” “One of the most troublesome things in life is that what you do or do not want has very little to do with what does or does not happen.” “Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don’t always like.” “Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.” “Reading is one form of escape. Running for your life is another.” “People aren’t either wicked or noble. They’re like chef’s salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict.” “Everyone should be able to do one card trick, tell two jokes, and recite three poems, in case they are ever trapped in an elevator.” “I suppose I’ll have to add the force of gravity to my list of enemies.” “If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats.” “A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them.” “When someone is crying, of course, the noble thing to do is to comfort them. But if someone is trying to hide their tears, it may also be noble to pretend you do not notice them.” “All the secrets of the world are contained in books. Read at your own risk.” “Strange as it may seem, I still hope for the best, even though the best, like an interesting piece of mail, so rarely arrives, and even when it does it can be lost so easily.” “…you know that a good, long session of weeping can often make you feel better, even if your circumstances have not changed one bit.” “Well-read people are less likely to be evil.”
