“I don't understand your book. Isn't every book a book of words?”

“The fact that at the moment the distinction is being made, a young adult, as opposed to an adult, is the one reading it. In other words, I don’t entirely believe in the distinction. A great book is a great book, and it’s impossible to say what part of a person is going to connect to it.”

“A book that bores me to tears is a book that neglects character building and quality of prose.”

“My books are likely to contain food stains and rings from my tea cups. A book is to be lived with and used.”

“I’m suspicious of the notion of a single book that would benefit everyone to read.”

“My favorite genre is Beautifully Written Books of Any Genre. Could we make that a genre?”

“I don’t often know who should read what book. It’s a little bit like trying to set people up on a date — a good match is unpredictable and mysterious.”