"We all know Pastor Tom Briggs is a walking skidmark in a bad suit, and his congregation is a stain on Christians everywhere…. Freedom of speech is easy when it’s speech we approve of. The true test of freedom is what we do when people like Briggs and his ilk mount their soapboxes and and show their asses to the world. Fortunately, freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from mockery and other consequences."

"In short, Fahrenheit 451 was never meant to be an instruction manual."

"I wanted to bring the author back from the grave purely so Lena, Nidhi, and I could take turns punching him in the face."

"The more we narrow the definition of beauty, the more beauty we shut out of our lives."

"Copper River was a small, tightly knit town. If gossip was a competitive sport, we’d have been sending teams to the Olympics and bringing back gold."

"Magically speaking, dissociative identity disorder looks a lot like possession."

"If books are indeed magic (and does anyone really believe otherwise?), then they are a collaborative magic between author and reader."

"Power makes people believe they’re invulnerable."

"I leaned closer and whispered, “a librarian’s gotta do what a librarian’s gotta do.”"

"I’m told it’s very difficult to escape death once he adds your name to his list."

"“How do you fight them?” “The same way you fight any enemy. With knowledge.”"

"Don’t let your newfound title worry you. Having lived among goblins and their backstabbing, treacherous ways, you’re far better prepared for politics than most."

"“Besides, is it really stealing if you’re stealing from an asshole?” “I’d have to double-check, but I don’t think the criminal code includes an asshole clause.”"

"Maybe this was why gods stayed on another plane of existence. If they stayed here in the mortal world, their followers would be too tempted to punch them in the face."

"If a god ever decides to talk to you, the best thing you can do is pretend you don’t hear him."

"Cowardice is a far better survival trait than heroism."

"The royal children have skulls of granite, it’s true, but they come by that honestly."

"Nobody dies faster than a tired soldier."

"“The biggest liar in the world is They Say,’” I muttered. “Douglas Malloch.”"

"Jig had never worried about pursuing his destiny. Generally, destiny pursued him. Then it knocked him down and kicked him a few times for good measure."

"Every Porter was required to see a therapist on a regular basis. It seemed a wise precaution for people who routinely rewrote the laws of existence to suit their whims."

"What do I do? Tymalous Shadowstar didn’t answer. Hello? A little help would be nice. Still nothing. It figured. There was never a god around when you needed one."

"The difference between a Hero and an ordinary man is that when the ordinary man comes upon a flaming death swamp full of venomous dragon snakes, he turns around and goes home. The Hero strips down and goes for a swim."

"No night is so dark, no situation so dire, but the intervention of the gods cannot make it worse."

"Keep your enemies close, but your friends closer. That way your friends are between you and your enemies."

"He seemed to think that killing was something to be done only as a last resort. It was a strange philosophy, one that would take some getting used to."

"Despite common belief, the goblin language did include a word for trust. It was derived from the word for trustworthy, which in the goblin tongue, was the same as the word for dead."

"Jig’s life would be much simpler if she were dead. That more than anything else, convinced him she was still alive."

"Unfortunately for you, ignorance makes a poor shield."

"He hoped he hadn’t killed the guard. He had come here to help the goblins. Though eliminating some of the stupider guards might be construed as helping. He would have to think about that later."

"Young Isaac had dreamed of fame. Young Isaac was an idiot."

"Do you remember the moment you first realize you were mortal? That no matter what happened, you would never live long enough to read every book you wanted to read? That you’d die having accomplished only a fraction of your goals?"

"“What happened?” “Nothing serious, as long as I’m careful.” “You’re doomed,” she said."

"No plan survives the first encounter with your enemy, so why bother to make one?"

"Plans were for adventurers. He preferred the goblin approach. Blind panic might not work all the time, but at least it saved you the stress of planning."

"“Everywhere I go, I meet men like him,” Riana muttered. “Follow them into Straum’s lair or let them toss me into the dungeons. They offer you a choice between hells and expect you to thank them for it.”"

"She didn’t argue. That, more than anything else, told me she hadn’t fully recovered from everything she’d been through. A year ago, she would have argued with me on principle, secure in her teenage sense of immortality and invulnerability."

"“Your fear is all too human. Accept it, but as you walk this path, let your hope guide you.” “And what if hope guides me off the edge of a cliff?” “I said let hope guide you. I never said stop paying attention to where you’re going.”"

"“It’s not going to come to that,” I said. “Nobody ever believes it will,” so the driver. “That’s why it does.”"

"You don’t do what’s right because you know it will work out. You do it because you know it’s right."

"Judge not, lest ye be punched in the face for being a self-righteous prick."

"Human ignorance has never needed help."

"“You mean you just let him go?” “What did you want me to do?” I snapped. “Castrate him on the spot? Execute him?” “Both. Both is good.”"

"You want to know if it was worth it. I can’t answer that, Isaac. We can know what was, but not what might have been."

"I knew the one thing that truly mattered. I knew it could be done."

"Hon, nobody eats fried chicken because it’s good for them."

"This would be an excellent time for you to shut up."

"“Damn, Boss. See, this is why everyone likes it better when you’re away on your road trips.” “Don’t call me Boss. Also, staff meeting upstairs in the Wheeler room in 30 minutes.” “That’s cold, Boss. What did we do to deserve that?” “Keep it up, and I’ll make you sit through a PowerPoint presentation.” He raised his hands in surrender. “Cruel and unusual punishment.”"

"If there ever comes a day when I deliberately embrace ignorance, I’ll have lived one day too long."