Cecila Holihan > Cecila's Quotes

“He desperately tried to think of a story to explain his involvement in her sudden appearance, without mentioning the book of magic in his possession.
 ”
― Max Nowaz, The Three Witches and the Master

“My grandmother said, ‘It doesn’t really matter where you had to go, where you got the ring, or where you played the Super Bowl, all that matters is that you put in the work, you deserved it, and you earned it.”
― Vernon Davis, Playing Ball: Life Lessons from My Journey to the Super Bowl and Beyond

“I walked past Malison, up Lower Main to Main and across the road. I didn’t need to look to know he was behind me. I entered Royal Wood, went a short way along a path and waited. It was cool and dim beneath the trees. When Malison entered the Wood, I continued eastward. 
I wanted to place his body in hallowed ground. He was born a Mearan. The least I could do was send him to Loric. The distance between us closed until he was on my heels. He chose to come, I told myself, as if that lessened the crime I planned. He chose what I have to offer.
We were almost to the cemetery before he asked where we were going. I answered with another question. “Do you like living in the High Lord’s kitchens?”
He, of course, replied, “No.”
“Well, we’re going to a better place.”
When we reached the edge of the Wood, I pushed aside a branch to see the Temple of Loric and Calec’s cottage. No smoke was coming from the chimney, and I assumed the old man was yet abed. His pony was grazing in the field of graves. The sun hid behind a bank of clouds.
Malison moved beside me. “It’s a graveyard.”
“Are you afraid of ghosts?” I asked.
“My father’s a ghost,” he whispered.
I asked if he wanted to learn how to throw a knife. He said, “Yes,” as I knew he would.  He untucked his shirt, withdrew the knife he had stolen and gave it to me. It was a thick-bladed, single-edged knife, better suited for dicing celery than slitting a young throat. But it would serve my purpose. That I also knew. I’d spent all night projecting how the morning would unfold and, except for indulging in the tea, it had happened as I had imagined. 
Damut kissed her son farewell. Malison followed me of his own free will. Without fear, he placed the instrument of his death into my hand. We were at the appointed place, at the appointed time. The stolen knife was warm from the heat of his body. I had only to use it. Yet I hesitated, and again prayed for Sythene to show me a different path.
“Aren’t you going to show me?” Malison prompted, as if to echo my prayer.”
― K. Ritz, Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master

“Joey was surprised that plants could be used to clean water. Then, he had a funny thought. He imagined a dandelion standing at a sink while it washed Water just like his parents when they washed the dishes. He started to laugh.”
― Ellen J. Lewinberg, Joey and His Friend Water

“Visitors are not permitted to see me twice. You will have to join the cult in order to do so. If the visitor sees me for the second time, he does not recognize me.”
― Rebecca Harlem, The Pink Cadillac

“If the Agency could become a container for something neither Anna nor Mary had known before: a family. Now, without Caroline depending on her, Anna was alone. It did not taste good. There were voices inside: I am risking everything; I could lose everything.”
― Susan Rowland, The Alchemy Fire Murder

“Oppressive language does more than represent violence; it is violence; does more than represent the limits of knowledge; it limits knowledge.”
― Toni Morrison

“Don't be so hard on yourself,
as if you'd been trapped
and sealed in amber.
Since you passed away
I've been following your trail,
traced only with lost words.

Recently I went looking for the castle
and found it in Bohemia.
You'd given orders
for diligent restorers
to renew its façades
on all sides.

They hadn't finished back then,
they're still at it today,
and they will be tomorrow.
Because it crumbles, cracks appear,
mold swells the plaster, withers its bright skin,
on the weather side first.

It comforts me, their toil,
for I too loved you
on all sides, in vain.”
― Günter Grass, Vonne Endlichkait

“You see, I want a lot.
Maybe I want it all:
the darkness of each endless fall,
the shimmering light of each ascent.
So many are alive who don't seem to care.
Casual, easy, they move in the world
as though untouched.
But you take pleasure in the faces
of those who know they thirst.
You cherish those
who grip you for survival.
You are not dead yet, it's not too late
to open your depths by plunging into them
and drink in the life
that reveals itself quietly there.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

“وقتی مسافرها از عزیزترین خاطراتشان حرف می‌زنند، به‌هیچ‌وجه قادر نیستند حقیقت را پنهان کنند. زن‌وشوهری ممکن است ادعا کنند عاشق همدیگران، اما ما به‌جای عشق در وجودشان بیزاری، خشم، یا حتی نفرت می‌بینیم. یا نوعی بیهودگی عمیق، گاهی فقط ترس از تنهایی و بس.”
― Kazuo Ishiguro, The Buried Giant

“Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three. Even among men lacking all distinction he inevitably stood out as a man lacking more distinction than all the rest, and people who met him were always impressed by how unimpressive he was.”
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

“We're going to win this war, you know, now that our army's together. But the world doesn't care who wins. It'll go on spinning, no matter how many people are slaughtered." After a moment, he added. "I almost wish it wouldn't, if we aren't allowed to go on spinning with it.”
― Kristin Cashore, Fire

“Standing before her was the eleven-feet tall by fifteen-feet wide masterpiece, encased in a modern steel frame and protected behind glass.”
― Rich DiSilvio, The Arnolfini Art Mysteries

“He turned and saw Becky, crying in the doorway of her house. What was he doing here? Turning back he saw flashing blue lights at the end of the road, and realised the ringing in his ears was the sound of approaching sirens.”
― R.D. Ronald, The Zombie Room

“We are surrounded by forces that technology cannot yet measure.”
― Charles Dowding, Charles Dowding's Skills for Growing

“Acceptance can be so freeing. Before you know it, you’ll move toward forgiveness, which leads to wholeness.”
― Arelis Calkins, Rising Above Adversity: Healing and Nurturing your Inner Child

“Rumor traveled fast in a small town like Crestview—so news of a quadruple homicide with biblical implications would travel like wildfire.”
― S.E. Stitcher, The Doomsday Butcher

“You must tell the true story of the Arkstone and the Toltecs — and the
Turanians. Through you and your tale those who are born into humankind
in later years will remember. You will stir their soul memories.”
― Candace L. Talmadge, Stoneslayer: Book One Scandal

“Please remember that life begins with blank pages. How you fill them will measure your worth, not to others, but to yourself.”
― JoDee Neathery, Wings Against The Wind

“Strife and disagreement are givens—and lawyers are usually at the front line.”
― Mark C. Zauderer, Counsel, the Courtroom Is Open: Lessons from More Than a Half-Century in Law and Life

“He smelled of rain, as if he had blown in on the wind, thought Mary.”
― Susan Rowland, The Swan Lake Murders

“They were determined to find something mechanically wrong with him - because broken machines are easier to fix.”
― Lionel Shriver, We Need to Talk About Kevin

“was going to say anyway. And he got to talk first because he had won the coin toss—heads—a victory over Maura. But at the moment he was wishing he had called tails. As Greg began going over his opening statement for the ninth time, the chairperson of the School Committee said, “For the next item under New Business, we have a proposal about . . . a comic-book club at Ashworth School. Who’s speaking on this?” Greg bounced to his feet and managed to say, “I . . . I am.” The chairperson pointed. “Please come up to the table and talk into the microphone.” Maura thought Greg looked very nice tonight in his blazer and his gray slacks. His black eye was almost gone, and she was pretty sure he had even tried to brush his hair. As Greg went down the center aisle, he got a good look at Mrs. Davenport sitting in the second row with the other principals. She wasn’t smiling.”
― Andrew Clements, Lunch Money

“Better he should be bruised from head to foot by me who love him than that he should come to harm through ignorance,”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill,
of things unknown, but longed for still,
and his tune is heard on the distant hill,
for the caged bird sings of freedom.”
― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

“It's not fair. It's not fair," she cried, knowing it was a child's argument but not caring, because being childish did not make it untrue.”
― Kristin Cashore, Fire

“Girls were born knowing how destructive the truth could be. They learned to hold it in, tamp it down, like gunpowder in an old fashioned gun. Then it exploded in your face on a November day in the rain.”
― Janet Fitch, Paint it Black