Valerie > Valerie's Quotes

“It's because I haven't courage,' said Samuel. 'I could never quite take the responsibility. When the Lord God did not call my name, I might have called his name - but I did not. There you have the difference between greatness and mediocrity. It's not an uncommon disease. But it's nice for a mediocre man to know that greatness must be the loneliest state in the world.'

'I'd think there are degrees of greatness,' Adam said.

'I don't think so,' said Samuel. 'That would be like saying there is a little bigness. No. I believe when you come to that responsibility the hugeness and you are alone to make your choice. On one side you have warmth and companionship and sweet understanding, and on the other - cold, lonely greatness. There you make your choice. I'm glad I chose mediocrity, but how am I to say what reward might have come with the other? None of my children will be great either, except perhaps Tom. He's suffering over the choosing right now. It's a painful thing to watch. And somewhere in me I want him to say yes. Isn't that strange? A father to want his son condemned to greatness! What selfishness that must be.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“Mr. Furrow jerked a thumb toward the mule in the back of the barn. "Rabbit'll kill anything comes near his carrot if he hasn't done with it. And he'll kick you if you make him go too fast in the field. I'd whip him, but he's so old a whipping might kill him, and he's our last and only mule. So we just keep away from his carrot and we keep it slow. That's the rules with Rabbit.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

“Remember the White Knight.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society

“She announced her age right away, for children consider their ages every bit as important as their names.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society

“ 'Is that really the best you can say? An average-looking boy? An awful lot of boys are average-looking, S.Q.!' And poor S.Q., he just kept arguing that 'this boy was especially average-looking.' " ~ Kate Wetherall, The Mysterious Benedict Society”
― Trenton Lee Stewart

“The missing aren't missing, they're only departed.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society

“ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society

“It fluttered Nicholas's collar and made his eyes water, blurring the stars. And then the sensation of tears seemed to trigger a sort of emotional reflex, for the next thing he knew, Nicholas was truly crying, which surprised him.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

“At Farthenwood, lies and truth blur together.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The False Prince

“No, it's real gold. I am real, Lord Kerwyn.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The False Prince

“Nobody gives you respect in this life. You must take it, you must earn it, and then you must hold it sacred, because no matter how hard respect is to attain, it can be lost in an instant.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne

“If both Evendell and I survived this, we would have to discuss his timing when explosives were involved.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne

“You won't eat to save yourself, but you will to save a stranger. How interesting.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne

“I loved everyone who's been taken from me. So don't tell me when I'm allowed to break.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne

“In all fairness to his soldiers, until the moment I spit on their king, I had probably looked pretty humble.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne

“Promise me that you will find happiness in life, Jaron. Don't give in to bitterness.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne

“I might have been the one in chains, but he was the one who looked afraid.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne

“Then I'll find you soon. But if I don't - if I can't - then be happy and know I loved you.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne

“Be loyal to the thing you know is right. Never bend to weakness, never yield to a false crown.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne

“Conner had died much as he lived, in the grayest shadow between right and wrong.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Shadow Throne

“I thought you were from a civilized country," he said. "How have you come to look more like Carthya's whipping boy than its king?"
"I have a habit of irritating some of our less civilized people," I answered. "But you seem like a civilized...pirate. I'd much prefer it if you didn't have me whipped."
"And why shouldn't I?"
With some effort, I forced a smile to my face. "Because it will hurt.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Runaway King

“How is it that you can see your enemies so clearly and never your friends?”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Runaway King

“And my stature never sank when I joined you. You may be a thief, but there is far more good in you than bad. I'm better off for knowing you.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Runaway King

“Was it possible for a king to run so far from his identity that he ceased to be anyone special? Because I had never felt lower, or less worthy of my title.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Runaway King

“There was something you failed to understand about me. I never run!”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Runaway King

“Tears welled in my eyes, bringing to the surface an emotion that I had always thought would forever linger out of my reach. I was at peace.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Runaway King

“He knew that Jael's pack would be chosen for the queen's mission because of him.”
― Marissa Meyer, The Queen's Army

“This is why," he whispered, and it occurred to Winter that, at some point, he'd started crying too. "This is why I can't leave you, Winter. This is why I'll never leave.”
― Marissa Meyer, Stars Above