“The trouble is, you are not only sharing dinner tables with her, you are in the process of beginning to share your life in a way you have not before. You’re”
― Open Water
― Open Water
“The train pulls in and she taps her Oyster card on the reader, stepping on board. You both wave as the doors close. She smiles at you as she settles into her seat, waving again. You begin to do the same, chasing after the train in pantomime fashion, spurred on by her laughter. You run and wave and laugh until the train gathers speed and the platform runs out. She escapes the frame, until it is just you on the platform, a little breathless, a little ecstatic, a little sad.”
― Open Water
― Open Water
“It is a strange thing, to desire your best friend; two pairs of hands wandering past boundaries, asking forgiveness rather than permission; "Is this OK?" coming a fraction after the motion.”
― Open Water
― Open Water
“Language fails us, and sometimes our parents do too. We all fail each other, sometimes small, sometimes big, but look, when we love we trust, and when we fail, we fracture that joint.”
― Open Water
― Open Water
“To love someone like that, to know how beautiful and wholesome and healing such a love is, and to turn your back on it required no strength at all.”
― Open Water
― Open Water
ilya’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at ilya’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by ilya
Lists liked by ilya





















