Brad Meltzer Quotes

You tell them - you tell them there's a cost ... Every decision we make in life, there's always a cost.

We're all being tested...That's what life is.

Would all go tell their friends and neighbors and cousins and strangers in the supermarket that we went up for our baptism and sneezed in the holy water.

Haven't you ever played Uno? ... Sometimes you have to lose all your cards to win.

There's nothing in the world like buried treasure-and people hungry and obsessed enough to risk their lives for it. Pirate Hunters isn't just a good story-it's a true one. Searching for the souls of its explorers, it takes you to the far tip of the plank and plunges you deep to the bottom of the ocean.

All writers steal from their own lives.

On the day my daughter was born, I started writing a book for her. The plan was that, over the course of her life, I'd fill it with advice on how to be a strong woman. But along the way, I got caught up in the stories of Amelia Earhart, Sally Ride, and so many others. So how do you pick the best heroes for your kids?

I'm not saying I needed my life to be a symphony - I just never thought it'd turn out to be a country song.

If I've learned one thing over the years, it's that every person you encounter brings out a different part of you.

You need to understand something Cal-in this world, we're not humans having a divine experience. We're divine beings having a human experience.

The past may not hurt you, but it won't challenge you, either.

When I was in that danger ... I felt like I was shaken awake ... after everything she made me feel ... I made a decision and went to sleep. Do you know what that's like - trying to go to sleep, and lose yourself in the hopes of burying the worst fears in your life? ... I wasn't in love with the past. I was terrified of my own future.

History doesn't choose individual people. History chooses everyone. Every day. The only question is: How long will you ignore the call?

Onto the unpaved dirt road that runs toward the

our work's reactive: In the

Stories aren't the beauty of what did happen. They're the beauty of what could happen.

There are some people in your life who bring back old memories. And there are others - your first kiss, your first love, your first sex - who, the moment you see them, bring a spark ... and something far more potent. They bring back your old life and with that, potential. And possibilities. And the feeling that if you were back in that time, life could be so very different from where you're stuck right now. That's the most tantalizing thing ... I want my potential back.

Never forget, the greatest battle we'll ever face is the battle within ourselves.

Life is filled with trapdoors.

The point is, as death gets closer - what's so wrong with wanting someone you love to live forever?

It's rotten, okay? And once something's rotten, it can never be good again.

For me, Superman's greatest contribution has never been the superhero part: it's the Clark Kent part - the idea that any of us, in all our ordinariness, can change the world.

But ever since she returned to my life ... life doesn't make complete sense. But it definitely makes more sense than it used to.

The juice. All I'm asking is that you keep it away from this gossip woman, because if that story runs tomorrow and Ellen sees it - There's a click on my phone.

She wasn't tracking down her father to learn more about him. She was tracking him down to learn more about herself.

No civilian has been allowed to see the gold in Fort Knox since 1974, nearly 40 years ago.

Not every President is a great speaker. Not every President is a great thinker. But in the modern era, every single President is a master of one thing: eye contact.

Immaculate Deception.

We all live best in our imaginations.

As your father, my instinct is to protect you ... Other people will want to protect you too. But remember that you are not a damsel in distress, waiting for some prince to rescue you. Forget the prince. With your brain and your resourcefulness, you can rescue yourself.

Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.

Tell your story.
That's the secret of immortality. The one true way to live forever.

No one answered. Wasting no time, Clementine speed-limped, doing

No matter how far we come, our parents are always in us.

Do you know the real secret of how Presidents become Presidents?" Before I can answer, he explains, "It's because they're good at getting people to do things for them. In fact, they're not just good at it. They're maestros. Virtuosos. To get that title of President, you need thousands of people doing thousands of different things, all for your benefit. It's a massive churning machine. And y'know what feeds that machine?" he asks. "People like you, Beecher. It's fed with your life, and your family, and your reputation. Because when things go wrong ... and they always go wrong ... the President isn't allowed to have that skunk smell around him. So when that happens, he doesn't just replace you. He crumples you up, tosses you out back, and ... chomp goes the woodchipper.

My sleep that night was restless and unquiet, haunted by the ungodly howls of the horrible creature. Its yellow eyes lingered in my mind's eye as I awoke the next morning,

It's far easier to judge others than to judge yourself.

You may never make peace with your father. But you can always make peace with yourself.

Life takes time. Death, however, reveals itself in an instant.

My worst moments as a parent have been much like my greatest moments as a parent: the product of complete and perfect accident.

Sharing education, sharing a book ... that's what changes the world.

She dumped me for the worst reason of all. For absolutely no reason at all ... I mean, if she fell in love with someone else, or I did something wrong, or I let her down in some unforgivable way ... That, I'd understand, right? But instead, she said ... it wasn't anything. Not a single thing. It was just me. I was nice. I was kind. We just ... she didn't see the connection anymore. I think she thought I was boring. And the cruelest part is, when someone says something mean about you, you know when they're right.

Nico was wrong. The Book of Fate isn't already written. It's written every day.
Some scars never heal.
Then again, some do.

Y'know what they call the person who does all the work but gets none of the credit? An opportunity.

I need the kind of help that comes with a side order of help.

They can also be as manipulative as a James Taylor song. Sure, they're calming and bring you to a good place-but at their core, the whole goal of the damn thing is to undo you.

We make a great bad guy, and they all say they hate us. But at the end of every day, people want to trust us. Because we're their government. And people trust their government.

Here's what I love: I love sitting at my desk, staring at the blank screen, and beginning that conversation with my imaginary friends.

So much harm comes into this world when the wrong thing is said. But that's nothing compared to the pain from what goes unsaid.

History isn't written by the winners - it's written by everyone - it's a jigsaw of facts from contradictory sources. But every once in a while, you unearth that one original document that no one can argue with ...

Sometimes a speech can make things better. This isn't one of those times.

The worst lies in life are the ones we tell ourselves.

From ancient to modern times, the human animal knows how to find fighting.

Every life has forks in the road. And sometimes, the tines of that fork stab deep.

Today, I don't believe in destiny. But I do believe in history ... There's nothing more powerful than history ...

We all hate something from our past, Cal. That's why we run from it, or compensate for it, or even fill our van with homeless people. But when something like this happens-when your dad shows up-maybe there is a bigger purpose. 'What you intended for evil, God intended for good.' Genesis 50:20

It's so damn easy to judge. But as Paolo knows from his niece, no matter how much you want someone back in your life, sometimes it's the letting-them-back-in part that hurts the most

Life is a monster, Calvin. Especially when it doesn't turn out the way you hoped. But that doesn't mean you can hide from it.

History is simply what's behind us.

Be daring, be daring, always be daring. There is no big dream unless you dream big.

There's nothing more intimate in life than simply being understood. And understanding someone else.

Life delivers far less disappointment when your expectations are low.

There's the life you live and the life you leave behind. but what you share with someone else - especially someone you love - that's not just how you bury your past. It's how you write you future.

Most archivists don't like surprises. That's why we work in the past.

A little threat of evil is always the far better way to fill the seats. But sometimes the monsters aren't who we think they are.

Some people help thousands of people directly, like Marie Curie or Susan B. Anthony. Others help us by inspiring us, like Amelia Earhart. But you do have to help someone.

I spend every day showing people the power of history. But history only has the power you give it.

Since the moment I saw her yesterday, I've been looking through the sparkly prism of exhilaration that comes with any old flame. But now, for the first time, I'm not just seeing what I want. I'm seeing what my friend needs.

your intentions.

Lust: Which senator once reached for a handkerchief in his pocket and proceeded to wipe his brow with a pair of women's panties?