Everything I know I imagine everyone else knows as well. And then everything that everyone else knows I imagine they know on top of what I know, so I’m constantly anxious about what everyone else knows.

Libby stood at the bar like something that had been hastily added at the end of a painting that hasn’t quite dried yet.

Somewhere in the world there is a magical book. What does this book do? It simply changes itself to become the book you most need at this point in your life.

Heather cocks her head to one side as if she’s trying to make the information roll down a hill in her mind and come to rest in a place she can access it.

Some writers, notably Anton Chekov, argue that all characters must be admirable, because once we’ve looked at anyone deeply enough and understood their motivation we must identify with them rather than judge them.

Aquinas wondered what would happen if God wanted to achieve universal resurrection. In other words, bringing everybody who had ever lived back to life at the same time. What would happen to cannibals, and the people they ate? You couldn’t bring them all back at the same time, because the cannibals are made of the people they have eaten. You could have one but not the other. Ha.′ I looked at Rowan. ‘That’s a good example of a paradox.

There’s a woman in the bakery who smiles at me as if everyone I’ve ever known has just died.

Max always mumbles; not in a shy way, but rather as if he’s telling you what it will cost to take out your worst enemy, or how much you’d have to pay to rig a horse race.

I feel like crying. There’s something so sad about broken concrete.

I’d been pleased to find there was an alternative to the other stuff, which all reminded me of advertisements containing people with perfect teeth, heroic expressions and offspring that looked like they were on their way to Hitler youth rallies.