“Getting to a higher spiritual level is like increasing your credit score. You get a lot more points for sinning and repenting than if you have no credit history at all.”

“Shaw...has a woman ever asked you to write a poem for her?""Good God, no," Gideon replied with a snicker. "Shaws don't write poetry. They pay others to write it for them and then take the credit for it.”

“Was parenting ever going to get easier? Did you ever reach a point where you could stop worrying?”

“But we have to find ways of compromising when we disagree on something. You know what compromise is, right?""Uh-huh. It's when you don't get to have everything your way and I don't get to have everything my way, and no one's happy.”

“I still don’t get why I have to eat breakfast if you don’t,” Josie muttered.“Because you have to be a certain age to earn the right to ruin your own life.”

“...just a little touches her and there. He puts his hands on your arms or back, he stands close to you, getting you used to him... it's a mating ritual. Like March of the Penguins.”

“When you're walking through the darkness, you can't depend on anything or anyone else to light your way. You have to rely on whatever sparks you've got inside you. Or you're going to get lost.”