32,841 books
—
124,656 voters
Nicole
https://www.goodreads.com/mygarnets
The BFG
by
‘I can hear plants and trees.’ ‘Do they talk?’ Sophie asked. ‘They is not exactly talking,’ the
“All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain't safe in a family of men. But I never thought I'd have to fight in my own house. She let out her breath. I loves Harpo, she say. God knows I do. But I'll kill him dead before I let him beat me.”
― The Color Purple
― The Color Purple
“At that time, I well remember whatever could excite - certain accidents of the weather, for instance, were almost dreaded by me, because they woke the being I was always lulling, and stirred up a craving cry I could not satisfy. One night a thunder-storm broke; a sort of hurricane shook us in our beds: the Catholics rose in panic and prayed to their saints. As for me, the tempest took hold of me with tyranny: I was roughly roused and obliged to live. I got up and dressed myself, and creeping outside the basement close by my bed, sat on its ledge, with my feet on the roof of a lower adjoining building. It was wet, it was wild, it was pitch dark. Within the dormitory they gathered round the night-lamp in consternation, praying loud. I could not go in: too resistless was the delight of staying with the wild hour, black and full of thunder, pealing out such an ode as language never delivered to man - too terribly glorious, the spectacle of clouds, split and pierced by white and blinding bolts.”
―
―
“Learning to decipher words had only added to the pleasures of holding spines and turning pages, measuring the journey to the end with a thumb-riffle, poring over frontispieces. Books! Opening with a crackle of old glue, releasing perfume; closing with a solid thump.”
― Little, Big
― Little, Big
“How long does a mouse live?"
"Ah," she said. "I've been waiting for you to ask me that."
There was a silence. She sat there smoking away and gazing at the fire.
"Well," I said. "How long do we live, us mice?"
"I have been reading about mice," she said. "I have been trying to find out everything I can about them."
"Go on then, Grandmamma. Why don't you tell me?"
"If you really want to know," she said, "I'm afraid a mouse doesn't live for a very long time."
"How long?" I asked.
"Well, an ordinary mouse only lives for about three years," she said. "But you are not an ordinary mouse. You are a mouse-person, and that is a very different matter."
"How different?" I asked. "How long does a mouse-person live, Grandmamma?"
"Longer," she said. "Much longer."
"A mouse-person will almost certainly live for three times as long as an ordinary mouse," my grandmother said. "About nine years."
"Good!" I cried. "That's great! It's the best news I've ever had!"
"Why do you say that?" she asked, surprised.
"Because I would never want to live longer than you," I said. "I couldn't stand being looked after by anybody else."
There was a short silence. She had a way of fondling me behind the ears with the tip of one finger. It felt lovely.
"How old are you, Grandmamma?" I asked.
"I'm eighty-six," she said.
"Will you live another eight or nine years?"
"I might," she said. "With a bit of luck."
"You've got to," I said. "Because by then I'll be a very old mouse and you'll be a very old grandmother and soon after that we'll both die together."
"That would be perfect," she said.”
― The Witches
"Ah," she said. "I've been waiting for you to ask me that."
There was a silence. She sat there smoking away and gazing at the fire.
"Well," I said. "How long do we live, us mice?"
"I have been reading about mice," she said. "I have been trying to find out everything I can about them."
"Go on then, Grandmamma. Why don't you tell me?"
"If you really want to know," she said, "I'm afraid a mouse doesn't live for a very long time."
"How long?" I asked.
"Well, an ordinary mouse only lives for about three years," she said. "But you are not an ordinary mouse. You are a mouse-person, and that is a very different matter."
"How different?" I asked. "How long does a mouse-person live, Grandmamma?"
"Longer," she said. "Much longer."
"A mouse-person will almost certainly live for three times as long as an ordinary mouse," my grandmother said. "About nine years."
"Good!" I cried. "That's great! It's the best news I've ever had!"
"Why do you say that?" she asked, surprised.
"Because I would never want to live longer than you," I said. "I couldn't stand being looked after by anybody else."
There was a short silence. She had a way of fondling me behind the ears with the tip of one finger. It felt lovely.
"How old are you, Grandmamma?" I asked.
"I'm eighty-six," she said.
"Will you live another eight or nine years?"
"I might," she said. "With a bit of luck."
"You've got to," I said. "Because by then I'll be a very old mouse and you'll be a very old grandmother and soon after that we'll both die together."
"That would be perfect," she said.”
― The Witches
“Once arrived in the City, he dispersed utterly and gratefully in it like a raindrop fallen into the sea.”
― Little, Big
― Little, Big
Nicole’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Nicole’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Nicole
Lists liked by Nicole









































