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“I see, Miss Lion,” he said, “you have a new pocket.” I blinked. “How could you tell? I thought the folds hid it quite well.” “You’ve a confidence that only comes with such an acquisition.”
“His pulse hammers. Somewhere on board his brother's heart beats, too. Please, God. The hearth that heat inside his own before they'd even drawn breath. This friend he'd shared a lifetime with. Only a wall of war-thick steel and military protection between them.”
― Whose Waves These Are
― Whose Waves These Are
“We're bookmates," she said, in the decisive tone one would assert "the sky is blue," or "Paris is the best city in the world." I was skeptical about soulmates, but could believe in bookmates, two beings bound by a passion for reading.”
― The Paris Library
― The Paris Library
“I found a place to belong, people who loved me, and they became the home I'd dreamed about as a girl. And then you came along and taught me how big love could be."
"I treated you like you had the plague."
Elsa smiled. "For a few years . But before all of that, you...You couldn't stand to be apart. You cried for me at naptime, so you couldn't sleep without me."
"I'm sorry," Loreda said. "For---"
"No sorries. We fought, we struggles, we hurt each other, so what? That's what love is, I think. It's all of it. Tears, anger, joy, struggle. Mostly, it's durable. It lasts. Never once in all of it --the dust, the drought, the fights with you--never once did I stop loving you or Ant or the farm.”
― The Four Winds
"I treated you like you had the plague."
Elsa smiled. "For a few years . But before all of that, you...You couldn't stand to be apart. You cried for me at naptime, so you couldn't sleep without me."
"I'm sorry," Loreda said. "For---"
"No sorries. We fought, we struggles, we hurt each other, so what? That's what love is, I think. It's all of it. Tears, anger, joy, struggle. Mostly, it's durable. It lasts. Never once in all of it --the dust, the drought, the fights with you--never once did I stop loving you or Ant or the farm.”
― The Four Winds
“Jack says I am a warrior and, while I don't believe it, I know this: A warrior believes in an end she can't see and fights for it. A warrior never gives up. A warrior fights for those weaker than herself.
It sounds like motherhood to me.”
― The Four Winds
It sounds like motherhood to me.”
― The Four Winds
“You work for 30, 40 years. 40 freaking years getting in the car, driving through traffic, dealing with BS, driving home, and taking the kids to buy sneakers?”
I realized April had come over. How long she had been listening, I didn't know.
“ And you don't want all that?”, She asked me.
“Maybe . Someday,” I said. “I don't even know if I'll go to college, but my mom's looking at an MBA for me, and I go along, mostly. Why? Because I care about business? No, because everyone's on me about my future. Got to get the good grades so you can get a good college so you can get a good business school so you can get on with some big firmware you Shuffle papers and tap on the keyboard That's it, man, that's your life so you get old and wonder what the hell you did with your life. That's not life. Not for a man, anyway.”
April cocked an eyebrow. “The way you described it, it doesn't sound like life for anyone. That won't be my life. You leave it all the good stuff: friends and family. Kids. The things you love to do."
I waved my hand, dismissing it all. “There used to be an adventure. You know? Going west in a wagon train, or going to war, or exploring some place no human being had ever been before. Now what do we have? Look at Sven. Look at that guy. He's my age, look at his life. Then look at mine or Jalil’s or your’s.”
April barked out a laugh. “He can barely talk because someone rammed a sword through his mouth. “
I nodded. “You know the difference between him and me? We're both about 16. But he's a man. I'm a boy.”
April made a face, angry, dismissive, frustrated. “What is it with you guys? Is it the testosterone? You know, David, it's the dawn of the 21st century and you live in the richest, most powerful Nation on Earth where there's almost no one starving and no one's slave and no one invading to murder and pillage and rape. And finally, finally after thousands of years of men slaughtering men, women, and children over nonsense, we have a few places on Earth where there's a little piece, a little decency a few places where most people get to be born and live their lives without total horror being rained down on them, and your reaction is, ‘this has to stop!”
―
I realized April had come over. How long she had been listening, I didn't know.
“ And you don't want all that?”, She asked me.
“Maybe . Someday,” I said. “I don't even know if I'll go to college, but my mom's looking at an MBA for me, and I go along, mostly. Why? Because I care about business? No, because everyone's on me about my future. Got to get the good grades so you can get a good college so you can get a good business school so you can get on with some big firmware you Shuffle papers and tap on the keyboard That's it, man, that's your life so you get old and wonder what the hell you did with your life. That's not life. Not for a man, anyway.”
April cocked an eyebrow. “The way you described it, it doesn't sound like life for anyone. That won't be my life. You leave it all the good stuff: friends and family. Kids. The things you love to do."
I waved my hand, dismissing it all. “There used to be an adventure. You know? Going west in a wagon train, or going to war, or exploring some place no human being had ever been before. Now what do we have? Look at Sven. Look at that guy. He's my age, look at his life. Then look at mine or Jalil’s or your’s.”
April barked out a laugh. “He can barely talk because someone rammed a sword through his mouth. “
I nodded. “You know the difference between him and me? We're both about 16. But he's a man. I'm a boy.”
April made a face, angry, dismissive, frustrated. “What is it with you guys? Is it the testosterone? You know, David, it's the dawn of the 21st century and you live in the richest, most powerful Nation on Earth where there's almost no one starving and no one's slave and no one invading to murder and pillage and rape. And finally, finally after thousands of years of men slaughtering men, women, and children over nonsense, we have a few places on Earth where there's a little piece, a little decency a few places where most people get to be born and live their lives without total horror being rained down on them, and your reaction is, ‘this has to stop!”
―
Jessica’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Jessica’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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1,002 books
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1,547 books
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6,133 books
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