77 Quotes by Jenny Colgan

"No experimental cures. No life-prolonging – and misery-prolonging – chemotherapy. As far as Colton was concerned, he had made his plans and said his goodbyes and was now letting the tide go out, ever so slightly; the waves came less far up the beach; the sea got further and further from view, bit by bit."

"You know, on the bus, everyone used to read books. But then they were fiddling on their phones or those big phones, I don’t know what they’re called."

"She stepped forward and grabbed a huge romance Nina adored from the top of the pile. “Look at this! You already have it.” “Yes, I know, but this is the hardback first edition. Look! It’s beautiful! Never been read!"

"I am of the old-fashioned conviction that reading is a pleasure to be carefully guarded at all times."

"Some people go through life not really deciding to do much, not wanting to, always too fearful of the consequences to try something new. Of course, that in itself is also a decision. You’ll get somewhere whether you put any effort into it or not. But doing something new is so hard. And a few things can help."

"When you change perspective, everything changes."

"Yes! Do you never listen?” “I never listen.” “Okay, well, it’s a good thing I don’t talk much then, isn’t it?"

"Books were the best way Nina knew – apart from, sometimes, music – to breach the barrier; to connect the internal universe with the external, the words acting merely as a conduit between the two worlds."

"Muffins are just an American way of saying, ‘I eat cake for breakfast."

"A nice manner and a level head would surely get you much further. But that didn’t cut much with the big cheeses, who liked flakey mission statements and loud, confident remarks."