This batch is from two years ago. The quotes from Horse, Black Bird, and Maizy Chen all seem thematically linked: when you see something wrong in the world, you can take action to help. The chipmunk joke is still one of my all-time favorites (to tell it properly, it must be accompanied by frenzied arm-waving).
- Through stories we can experience a person living an entirely different life. Through stories we can experience a vast range of challenging situations and intense emotions without actually suffering from them. The best stories broaden our horizons, deepen our thinking, and spark our compassion. The best stories help us make better real-world decisions. (How to Build A Human by Pamela S. Turner)
- Perhaps, after all, one’s purpose in this world was to be forgotten, not remembered. (Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson)
- “That is the world as it is. If you do not like it, join me in attempting to change it. Otherwise, keep your peace.” (Horse by Geraldine Brooks)
- “I can’t fix how I acted before. I can just change how I act in the future.” (Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternak)
- “…it’s an honor to help someone.”
“How is it an honor?”
“When you’re in a position to help, that means you’re in a good place in your own life.” (Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee) - “Where do chipmunks go in a tornado?” “All over the place.” (Violet and Jobie in the Wild by Lynne Rae Perkins)
- But we can’t pretend it didn’t happen – because when you pretend a thing didn’t happen, that means it can happen again. (Attack of the Black Rectangles by A.S. King)
- Each hour of sleep is an hour of healing. (“Sleep,” Marshmallow Clouds, Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek)
- It can’t go on, everyone said, but it kept going on. (Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng)
- Why did I tell you so many stories? Because I wanted the world to make sense to you. I wanted to make sense of the world, for you. I wanted the world to make sense. (Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng)
What “sparklets” have jumped out at you from your reading lately?
Jenny Arch 