Mela > Mela's Quotes

“Words alone were ambiguous, unreliable. But what could be reliable, if not words”
― Julianne Donaldson, Edenbrooke

“I felt a crack in my defenses—a weak place where truth knifed and twisted and pried for an opening”
― Julianne Donaldson, Blackmoore

“It seems there is always a road with bends and forks to choose, and taking one path means you can never take another one. There’s no starting over nor undoing the steps I’ve taken”
― Nancy E. Turner, These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901

“Maybe part of passing that test was a marker for where I’ve been, but it feels more like a pointer for something I’ll never reach”
― Nancy E. Turner, These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901

“But chains made out of blood and memory were a thousand times more difficult to sever than those made of steel, and the past could overtake a person if she wasn’t careful”
― Alice Hoffman, The Probable Future

“The day had begun, cool and clear and absolutely impossible to avoid”
― Alice Hoffman, The Probable Future

“Being a physician is like working on a machine that keeps breaking down, time after time.”
― Alice Hoffman, The Probable Future

“Honesty was like a stone, dropped and irretrievable once it was spoken aloud”
― Alice Hoffman, The Probable Future

“Love was like that, like a dream you didn't quite understand, one in which you didn't necessarily know what you were looking at until it was right in front of you.”
― Alice Hoffman, The Probable Future

“Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.

(Pluck the day [for it is ripe], trusting as little as possible in tomorrow.)”
― Horace, The Odes of Horace

“I do not like your name, sir,” she answered.
“There was no thought of pleasing you when I was christened.” he quoted lazily.”
― Georgette Heyer, The Black Moth

“As soon as one promises not to do something, it becomes the one thing above all others that one most wishes to do.”
― Georgette Heyer, Venetia

“There is nothing so mortifying as to fall in love with someone who does not share one's sentiments.”
― Georgette Heyer, Venetia

“Do you forget that I am your sister?”
“No; I’ve never been granted the opportunity to forget it.”
― Georgette Heyer, Frederica

“[...]my memory is reasonably good—unlike yours, dear sir!”
“Mine is erratic,” he said imperturbably. “I remember only what interests me.”
― Georgette Heyer, Frederica

“You may have married her, but she is mine. Do you think I shall let you take her? She may be ten times your wife, but, by God, you shall never have her.”
― Georgette Heyer, Devil's Cub

“You are shameless!” he said angrily.
“Nonsense! You only say so because I drove your horses,” she answered. “Never mind! I will engage not to do so again.”
“I’ll take care of that!” he retorted. “Let me tell you, my dear Cousin, that I should be better pleased if you would refrain from meddling in the affairs of my family!”
“Now, that,” said Sophy, “I am very glad to know, because if ever I should desire to please you I shall know just how to set about it. I daresay I shan’t, but one likes to be prepared for any event, however unlikely.”
He turned his head to look at her, his eyes narrowed, and their expression was by no means pleasant. “Are you thinking of being so unwise as to cross swords with me?” he demanded. “I shan’t pretend to misunderstand you, Cousin, and I will leave you in no doubt of my own meaning! If you imagine that I will ever permit that puppy to marry my sister, you have yet something to learn of me!”
“Pooh!” said Sophy. “Mind your horses, Charles, and don’t talk fustian to me.”
― Georgette Heyer, The Grand Sophy

“Sir Richard sighed. "Rid yourself of the notion that I cherish any villainous designs upon your person," he said. "I imagine I might well be your father. How old are you?"

"I am turned seventeen."

"Well, I am nearly thirty," said Sir Richard.

Miss Creed worked this out. "You couldn't possibly be my father!"

"I am far too drunk to solve arithmetical problems. Let it suffice that I have not the slightest intention of making love to you.”
― Georgette Heyer, The Corinthian

“I wished she’d never stop squeezing me. I wished I could spend the rest of my life as a child, being slightly crushed by someone who loved me.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“Everyone called it losing Mother, but she wasn’t lost. She was gone, and no matter where I went — another town, another country, Fairyland, or Gnome Caverns — I wouldn’t find her”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“I refused to love it. He was going to sell it too”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“But sleep was busy elsewhere”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“We don’t do big magic. Lucinda’s the only one. It’s too dangerous.”
“What’s dangerous about ending a storm?”
“Maybe nothing, maybe something. Use your imagination.”
“Clear skies would be good. People could go outside.”
“Use your imagination,” Mandy repeated.
I thought. “The grass needs rain. The crops need rain.”
“More,” Mandy said.
“Maybe a bandit was going to rob someone, and he isn’t doing it because of the weather.”
“That’s right. Or maybe I’d start a drought, and then I’d have to fix that because I started it. And then maybe the rain I sent would knock down a branch and smash in the roof of a house, and I’d have to fix that too.”
“That wouldn’t be your fault. The owners should have built a stronger roof.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Or maybe I’d cause a flood and people would be killed. That’s the problem with big magic. I only do little magic”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“Don't think about things you can't have. It will just make you miserable”
― Anne Osterlund, Aurelia

“being a leader is more about compromise than making choices”
― Anne Osterlund, Aurelia

“Sometimes 'Hmm' is the wisest thing to say.”
― Alethea Kontis, Enchanted

“If you did not indulge in fantasies, how else would you know if you were living an interesting life?”
― Alethea Kontis, Enchanted

“May we all be doomed to a happy life.”
― Alethea Kontis, Enchanted

“All of us heal in time. The strongest are born again. We only keep the scars we choose to keep.”
― Alethea Kontis, Enchanted

“There are four things that make a man fight as you just did," the duke explained to Rumbold. "Love, despair, anger, or insanity."

Erik counted them off on his fingers. "Everything to lose, nothing to lose, someone's taken it, or you've lost it.”
― Alethea Kontis, Enchanted