“There can be second chances. But maybe it's also true that things can never be the same, and that you have to decide whether the second chance lives up to the first.”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Shadow Society
“When you're a stranger to people you care about, you become a stranger to yourself.”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Shadow Society
“Isn't that... isn't that what friends do? They change our perspective on the world. Part of why we care about them is because we love that feeling. The feeling of being changed.”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Shadow Society
“The truth can sometimes sound like a lie because we're too afraid to believe it.”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Shadow Society
“Truth was like an exploding star: violent, glitteringly beautiful. Now that I had seen it, felt it, it was impossible to settle for anything less.”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Shadow Society
“How can you interpret the behavior of others when you're a mystery to yourself?”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Shadow Society
“A snowfall softens all the hard noises and hard corners. It's a natural liar. I saw the sky sprinkle down a hundred, a thousand little white lies, and decided I didn't owe Orion anything.”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Shadow Society
“For a while there was no other sound than the liquid whisper of my brush across paper, and as I painted,I thought about how the truth can sometimes sound like a lie because we're too afraid to believe it.”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Shadow Society
“I got kicked out of my first home for poking a wire hanger into an electrical outlet. My foster mom caught me, shrieked, and called the DCFS to come cart me away, because I was clearly suicidal and no one had told her that I was a child with ‘special needs.’”
“Were you? Suicidal?”
“I was five.”
“Still.”
“No, I wasn’t trying to off myself. I was curious. Little kids spend half their waking hours being warned not to do things. Don’t run with scissors. Don’t lick a flagpole in winter. Don’t stick anything into electrical outlets. Those three little holes looked so mysterious. I had to know if they were as dangerous as everyone said.”
“What happened?” A smile curled the corner of Conn’s mouth, indicating he’d already guessed the answer—which wasn’t exactly hard, given that I was standing right there in front of him, and not buried in an early grave with the tombstone Here Lies Darcy Jones, electrocuted orphan.”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Shadow Society
“I felt the back of my neck prickle. I was being watched. I knew this even before I slowly turned around, knew it like I knew I had ten fingers and ten toes.”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Shadow Society
Marie Rutkoski
Born place: in Hinsdale, Illinois, The United States
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“In a field you’re already familiar with—like your own job—think carefully about what characterizes good performance and try to come up with ways to measure that, even if there must be a certain amount of subjectivity in your measurement. Then look for those people who score highest in the areas you believe are key to superior performance. Remember that the ideal is to find objective, reproducible measures that consistently distinguish the best from the rest, and if that ideal is not possible, approximate it as well as you can. Once”
― K. Anders Ericsson, quote from Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise
“I wouldn’t call them unfinished,” Sabre said. “More like… brilliance on hold.”
― Lucian Bane, quote from Seven Sons of Zion
“Gladstone .. spent his declining years trying to guess the answer to the Irish Question; unfortunately, whenever he was getting warm, the Irish secretly changed the Question, ...”
― quote from 1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England
“Love can fuck up desire, I’ll agree to that,” I said, and I believed that. If, on the occasions when someone I had sex with remained after orgasm, and an edge of friendship was being suggested to me—as, say, we might lie, though rarely, talking—if, then, at those times, all desire faded.”
― John Rechy, quote from After the Blue Hour
“saying this to Patrick, “that he misses me. He was clearly discombobulated when he saw me, and he did see me. I am quite certain he knew it was me. But there was also delight. Before he had a chance to check his emotions, I saw delight.” As she speaks, Grace recognizes she still has loyalty; she still cares. This is her husband of over twenty years. Whatever betrayal has happened, whatever infidelities there have been, he is still her husband. She does not want to see him destroyed. They talk for a long time. About everything. And nothing. Hitting traffic in Stamford, Grace reluctantly says good-bye, turning off the highway and taking the back roads. Through Darien, the pretty water town of Rowayton, through Norwalk, Grace delighting in the gorgeous old homes. When she couldn’t get ahold of her by phone days ago, Grace went back to Anne, who arranged this meeting. Emily didn’t want to talk on the phone, she said, but they could meet; she would tell her everything. Past the churches, under the railway tracks, she turns into the pretty village of Southport and pulls up outside the Driftwood Diner. She knows who Emily must be as soon as she walks in, a pretty woman sitting at a table by herself, her face drawn and tired. “Emily?” She nods as Grace sits, orders a coffee, makes small talk,”
― Jane Green, quote from Saving Grace
Palace of Stone
Eyes of Silver, Eyes...
The Ladies of Grace...
The Broken Eye
Deep
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