Trenton Quotes

Nicholas Benedict did have an exceptional gift for knowing things (more exceptional, in fact, than most adults would have thought possible), and yet not even he could know that this next chapter was to be the most unusual-and most important-of his entire childhood. Indeed, the strange days that lay ahead would change him forever, though for now they had less substance than the mist through which he ran. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

The roof is on its side. Does that mean the boat is on its side . . . or ?"
"YES that's what it means. What are you talking about!!"
"I didn't know how boats this big work, alright. ~ Trenton Oldfield

I'm an orphan!" Constance cried gleefully. "I'm an orphan!" ~ The Prisoner's Dilemma ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Hey," Trenton said, breathless and sweaty.
He pulled a few yellow strands of fake hair from his face.
"Did you lose a bet?" I asked.
"As a matter of fact, I did."
Taylor and Tyler were across the room, slapping their knees and laughing so hard they could barely breathe.
I slapped Trenton's ass. "You look hot, bro."
"Thanks," he said. The music started and he shook his hips at me. I pushed him away, and, undeterred, he danced across the room to entertain the crowd. ~ Jamie McGuire

Henry O. Sturges, born in England, March 2nd, 1563. Landed at Roanoke, July 27th, 1587. Friend to the American Revolution, present at the Battles of Trenton and Yorktown, staunch supporter of the North in its hour of need, adviser to presidents, a decorated soldier who distinguished himself in the trenches of the Great War, and member of the Union Brotherhood - a collective of vampires dedicated to preserving the freedom of man and his dominion over the earth. ~ Seth Grahame-Smith

Au contraire..."
"What?" Constance demanded.
Curtain blinked.
~ The Perilous Journey ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Somhow those Ten Men
at the time they were called Recruiters, of course
discovered that Constance had been at the library. Most likely one of their informants saw her come out, because it was on that very day that the brutes showed up and threatened the librarians. Who told them nothing, incidentally.'
'The same thing happened in Holland,' Kate reflected. 'You'd think these guys would learn their lesson
librarians know how to keep quiet.'
'It helps to ask politely,' said Mr. Benedict ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Trenton raked the strands of hair away from my face and out of my eyes, My entire body was overwhelmed by the most wonderful intensity. It enveloped me, and I cried out as it traveled like electricity throughout my body.
"Goddamn, keep making that sound," he said, breathless. ~ Jamie McGuire

For every exit, there is also an entrance. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

The answer to this riddle has a hole in the middle,
And some have been known to fall in it.
In tennis it's nothing, but it can be received,
And sometimes a person may win it.
Though not seen or heard it may be perceived,
Like princes or bees it's in clover.
The answer to this riddle has a hole in the middle,
And without it one cannot start over. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Sometimes when you try not to repeat your mistakes, you forget that the original mistakes are still unfolding ~ Lauren Kate

Enter at the exit ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

I tend to find characters who lack vulnerability dull. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

He knew many things now that he had not known only a short time earlier. He knew that despite all the good things happening now, John would still miss his parents, and Violet and her family would still miss her brother, and Nicholas would miss having John at the Manor, and when Viloet went away to art school, he would miss her, too.
'Nothing's easy,' Nicholas thought, sneaking glances at his friends, who were serving themselves more pie. 'But some things help. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

There are empty rooms, and then there are rooms that feel crowded, corner to corner, with absence. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

You know what i like about buttons? They're very small things that hold bigger things together. Awfully important, buttons - little but strong. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

I want love and I won't settle for less ~ Sylvia Day

There's a difference between remembering and thinking, ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

The Charger whined as I drove far beyond the speed limit back to my father's. I stumbled into the living room, and Thomas handed me a bottle of whiskey. They all had some in a glass.
"You told them?"I asked Trenton, my voice broken.
Trenton nodded.
I collapsed to my knees, and my brothers surrounded me, placing their hands on my head shoulders for support. ~ Jamie McGuire

I said no strippers, I said, watching dumbfounded as Trenton danced around the room to Britney Spears. ~ Jamie McGuire

I get the urge to feel it, too, so when she takes her hand away, I turn her toward me and I feel the edges of New Jersey. I kiss Hoboken and Atlantic City. I kiss Newark and Trenton. I kiss Camden, and then I follow the road west, over the Walt Whitman Bridge into Pennsylvania. And I kiss home. ~ A.S. King

I don't mean to be critical of the Trenton police," I said, "but wouldn't you think someone could catch this goddamn rabbit? He's riding around, handing out photos. ~ Janet Evanovich

Yeah? ... Oh, hell no, I got Pidge here with me. We're just gettin' ready to go to bed ... Shut the fuck up, Trent, that's not funny ... Seriously? What's he doin' in town" He looked at me and sigued. "All right. We'll be there in half an hour ... You heard me, douchebag. Because I don't go anywhere without her, that's why. Do you want me to pound your face when I get there?" Travis hung up and shook his head. I raised an eyebrow. "That is the weirdest conversation I've ever heard. ~ Jamie McGuire

I go to bars and restaurants, and I sit and I eavesdrop on people and I watch people in shopping centers and, you know, I read the newspapers and I talk to the Trenton cops, and I just get a lot of information that comes in that somehow turns into a book. ~ Janet Evanovich

Don't thank me,' Mr. Curtain called as the door slid closed. 'Impress me! ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Mr. Harinton was real.
There were adults in the world who would actually make sacrifices for others - not just for their own families but for anyone who needed help.
Nicholas had always had the impression that families looked after one another, and he had come to understand that, on rare ocassions, children would do the same ... But this was different.
What Mr. Harinton was doing certainly helped Nicolas - but it also simply felt right to Nicholas. It made him want to be exactly like Mr. Harinton himself. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

And when I do crave privacy, I have only to flip the "Closed" sign on my shop door until I'm feeling sociable again. Everyone should have such signs on their doors, don't you think? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Trenton cops wore more hats than I could name. They were arbitrators, social workers, peacekeepers, baby-sitters and law enforcers. The job was boring, terrifying, disgusting, exhausting and often made no sense at all. The pay was abysmal, the hours inhuman, the department budget was a joke, the uniforms were short in the crotch. And year after year, the Trenton cops held the city together. ~ Janet Evanovich

You're right, because we're just friends."
"Christ, Cami, I know. You don't have to keep rubbing it in my face."
My eyes widened. "Wow. Rubbing it in your face? Okay."
Trenton laughed, frustrated. "How can you not know? Everyone else in the entire fucking world knows but you!"
"I know. I'm just trying to keep things simple."
Trenton took a step toward me. "This isn't simple. Not even close. ~ Jamie McGuire

She liked it dark when her soul felt black ~ Jamie McGuire

Indeed, confident assurances and promises of fortune, when whispered into the right ears, often serve as substitutes for thinking at all. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

I worked in Trenton, and then I got sidetracked into comedy and then onto 'SNL.' And then into being a live performer - what I do now; virtually that's what I am: I'm a live entertainer. ~ Joe Piscopo

Reynie's fce fell. 'It's not funny, Kate.'
For a moment - a fleeting moment - Kate looked desperately sad. 'Well, of course it's not funny, Reynie Muldoon. But what do you want me to do? Cry? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

But you have said it too often, Mr. Benedict!" said Mrs. Perumal in an imperious tone that was quite out of character. "And if you continue in this vein, I'm afraid we'll be compelled to cut our visit short. Surely there are other establishments that would host an entire troup of guests - indefinitely and without reward - and not feel obliged to apologize for it! ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Now listen, we need to be quiet as mice. No, quieter than that. As quiet as ... as ... "
"Dead mice?" Reynie suggested.
"Perfect," said Kate with an approving nod. "As quiet as dead mice. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

What is life without laughter? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

My Christmas present? That's nice. But I'm not really in the mood to - "
"Open the goddamn thing or I'll kill you where you stand."
"Sir! Opening it." She ripped the paper, stuffed it hurriedly in her pocket, and pulled off the lid. "It's a key code."
"That's right. It's to the ground transpo that'll be at the airport over in that foreign country. Air transpo's been arranged, for two, on one of Roarke's private shuttles. Round trip. Merry fricking Christmas. Do what you want with it."
"I - you - one of the shuttles? Free?" Peabody's cheeks went pink as a summer rose. "And - and - and - a vehicle when we get there? It's so ... It's so seriously mag."
"Great. Can we go now?"
"Dallas!"
"No. No. No hugs. No hugs. No. Oh, shit," she muttered as Peabody threw her arms around her and squeezed. "We're on duty, we're in public. Let me go or I swear I'll kick your ass so hard that extra five pounds you're whining about will end up in Trenton. ~ J.D. Robb

You've read half the books in this house? This whole house?"
"Well, approximately half." Sticky said. "To be more accurate, I suppose I've read more like" - his eyes went up as he calculated - "three sevenths? Yes, three sevenths."
"Only three sevenths?" said Kate, pretending to look disappointed. "And here I was prepared to be impressed. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

In the candle's flickering light, the library's thousands of books emerged from the shadows, and for a moment Nicholas could not help admiring them again. During free time he had almost never looked up from the pages he was reading, but now he saw the books anew, from without rather than from within, and was reminded of how beautiful they were simply as objects. The geometrical wonder of them all, each book on its own and all the books together, row upon row, the infinite patterns and possibilities they presented. They were truly lovely. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Ranger is one of the few civilians in Trenton with a permit to carry concealed. He owns office buildings in Boston, has a daughter in Florida by a failed marriage, has worked worldwide as a mercenary, and has a moral code that isn't entirely in sync with our legal system. I have no idea who the heck he is . . . but I like him. ~ Janet Evanovich

Hazel stabbed him again, and both of Trenton's feet came off the floor, but he didn't make a sound. "And that is why I waited for your girl. So you wouldn't cry. Damn, Cami takes your dick every night, and it's way bigger than a sixteen gauge."
I frowned. "Uncalled for. You need to get laid. You've been super in-apropos lately."
Hazel jutted out her lip. "Tell me about it!"
Trenton wore a wry smile. "But she's right, baby doll. I'm way bigger than a sixteen gauge. ~ Jamie McGuire

One problem with being a leader, is that even among your friends you are alone, for it is you
and you alone
to whom the others look for final guidance. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Listen, just do what you think is right, and we'll support it." ~ Sticky Washington, The Prisoner's Dilemma ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

And I realize there's no shortage of wickedness in the world," said Mr. Benedict, with a significant look at Reynie, "but is it not heartening to know that so many are willing to fight for the good? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

For some 25 years, I worked as a librarian, first at the New York Public Library, then at Trenton State College in New Jersey. My life has always been with, around, and for books. ~ Avi

You must understand something, George. The world's leaders create catastrophes and resolve them
all at their own whimsy
every single day. It is how the world runs. Lacking anything else to believe in, common people need to believe in their leaders' abilities to save them. It's true! Their emotional well-being
and yes, their fate
depends on the intelligence and skill of those who manipulate the days' disasters. And it should go without saying that the one who succeeds in taking the reins of leadership
by whatever means
is the most intelligent and skillful, and therefore most qualified to lead. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Out from behind the desk where he'd been sitting, hidden by the piles of books, appeared a bespectacled, green-eyed man in a green plaid suit. His thick white hair was shaggy and mussed, his nose was rather large and lumpy like a vegetable, and although it was clear he had recently shaved, he appeared to have done so without benefit of a mirror, for here and there upon his neck and chin were nicks from a razor, and occasional white whiskers that he'd missed altogether. This was Mr. Benedict. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Trenton," Nick said patiently, "it is simple: your pizzle, her quim, you both enjoy each other until you can't move. Nothing simpler. You have three children, for pity's sake, need I draw you diagrams? ~ Grace Burrowes

You were brave to do what you did," he said slowly. "And I know you did it out of live for our friends. But if you ever do something like this again, I can promise you that Ten Men and Executives are going to be the least of your worries- do you understand?" His espression was very severe, his jaw was set, and his words were clipped and terse as if spoken with much suppressed anger. Kate burst out laughing. "Milligan," she said, "I'll bet you scare the wits out of bad guys, but as a dad you don't scare anyone very much." "She's right." Constance said. "I can tell you aren't really angry." Milligan frowned and looked at Reynie, but Reynie averted his eyes to avoid disappointing him- for he, too, had been unfazed by Milligan's stern admonition. Only Sticky, furiously polishing his spectacles in the back seat, showed the effect Milligan had hoped for. But Sticky was easily unnerved and could hardly be used as a measure. "Well," Milligan said, his face relaxing. "At least I tried."

"... Speaking of which, the boys weren't actually touching the breifcases in the trunk, I hope?" Wondering how Milligan knew, Kate stuck her head out the office door and gave Reynie and Sticky a warning look. They nodded and tried to close the trunk as quietly as possible. "They aren't now anyway." "Good," Milligan said, picking up his duffel bag. "I'd hate to have to speak sternly to them again. It embarasses me to be so ineffective. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

The missing aren't missing, they're only departed,
All minds keep all thoughts - so like gold - closely guarded, ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

In the midst of your enemies, one should not lose his morality. Morality is what separates us from our enemy. Morals keep us from losing ourselves to our situations. ~ Trenton Quinn

Rules and school are tools for fools! I don't give two mules for rules. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Would you ever have thought I might choose a lie for the sake of my own happiness? The Whisperer's version of happiness is an illusion
it doesn't take away your fears, it only lies about them, makes you temporarily believe you don't have them. And I know it's a lie, but what a powerful one! Maybe I'm not who I always thought myself to be. Maybe I'm the sort of person who will do anything to hear what I want to believe ... ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Sights, smells, temperature changes - all sorts of stuff. We notice it without consciously thinking about it. He says we may not be paying attention, but our brains are recording and processing it all the same, and these ... these observations, or whatever you want to call them, make up a pattern. So if you're good with patterns, the way Mr. Benedict says I am, you can sometimes predict things. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

I wanted to go to Sesame Street! I remember distinctly running through my neighborhood, thinking I knew how to get to Sesame Street, and then finally finding myself among some scrub trees and realizing I don't know where to go from here. I had to just mope back home. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

You need to find yourself a new eye doctor. Trenton just happens to have one."
Her eyes moved to him,then back to the cup she'd managed to get hold of. "There's nothing wrong with my vision," she replied indignantly.
"You're as blind as a bat."
"What an unkind thing to say," she said with a humph.
"You get top honors on unkind remarks, Missy. I'm just stating the obvious."
"Which isn't the least bit true."
"Isn't it? How many fingers am I holding up?" When she said nothing, he added, "Uh-huh,I rest my case."
She lowered her head a bit,conceding, he thought, until she replied triumphantly, "Three."
He mumbled under his breath. "You were guessing."
"And you have trouble admitting when you're wrong,don't you? ~ Johanna Lindsey

No sooner had he thought this than he realized what was anchoring his happiness. It was purpose. He knew what he wanted to do. He knew the way he thought things should be, and Mr. Harinton was proving that other people
even adults
could feel the same way. Nicholas had something to aim for now. He might not know what he wanted to be when he grew up, but he knew with absolute certainty how he wanted to be. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

No one seems to realize how much we are driven by FEAR, the essential component of human personality. Everything else - from ambition to love to despair - derives in some way from this single powerful emotion. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

In his mind's eye, he saw his dream of a new life drifting away like a lost balloon. And for some time he sat there, hating to see it go. But then it was gone, and he began to invent a new dream, and he began to feel better. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Books had been her means of escape; now they would be her refuge. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

There was a unique pleasure in knowing a friend so well, Reynie reflected, rather like sharing a secret code. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

From the Battle of Trenton to the Argonne, Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras of tranquility at home, generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war in both hemispheres and in every corner of the seven seas, that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security. ~ John A. Lejeune

[Stephanie] That's not the point. I can't just let monkeys loose in Trenton.
[Lula] Why not? There's all kinds of crazy shit loose in Trenton. ~ Janet Evanovich

So began one of the fiercest and strangest battles ever fought, a battle that involved all manner of business supplies, elegant clothing and accessories, and no shortage of trickery and taunts. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Sorry it took me so long, Katie-Cat," said her father. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

You are the smartest children i know. You just don't beleive it. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Isobel moved farther into the kitchen, not knowing whether to be relieved that her mother hadn't had an atomic meltdown, or mortified that she'd taken it upon herself to play head chef with the nearest thing Trenton High had to a Dark Lord. ~ Kelly Creagh

Something about this made Reynie uneasy. Had he done so badly? Was this meant to test his courage? He did as he was told, closing his eyes and bracing himself as best he could.
"Why are you flinching?" the pencil woman asked.
"I don't know. I thought maybe you were going to slap me."
"Don't be ridiculous. I could slap you perfectly well with your eyes open. I'm only going to blindfold you. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

I hope you haven't given up on the S.Q.'s of the world, Reynie. As you see, there are a great many sheep in wolves' clothing. If not for S.Q.'s good nature, we'd never have escaped. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Was it worse for him, Reynie wondered, to have felt loved and then rejected? Or was it worse to have always felt alone? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Good grief! They're going to call us inside soon, and Sticky hasn't even met Madge yet!"
"Who's Madge?" Sticky asked.
"Her Majesty the Queen! ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

It just supports my personal opinion that he's a wacko ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Rachel," came a raspy voice from the upper level, and both Trent and I turned. It was Quen, wrapped in a blanket as if it was a death shroud, the black-haired intern at his side, supporting him. His hair was plastered to his skull with sweat, and I could see him wavering as he stood there. "Don't touch Trenton," he said, his gravelly voice clear in the hush, "or I'm going to have to come down there ... and smack you around. ~ Kim Harrison

The victory at Trenton boosted morale among the troops, the Congress, and the people to a degree possibly unwarranted by winning back a town in New Jersey, what with it being a town in New Jersey. ~ Sarah Vowell

Or your arms," Trenton added. "Because if you ever talk to her with anything less than a respectful tone again, I will rip those fuckers off and beat you with 'em. Do we understand each other? ~ Jamie McGuire

I was always interested in the possibility maybe of finding my way into a big adventure. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Did the men steal the papers?" Reynie asked, fearing her response.
No, because they are fools," Sophie said bitterly. "They demanded to see the papers, and when I did not answer fast enough
they were very frightening, you see
they hurt me so that I was not awake ... When I opened my eyes they were still trying to find the papers. They did not understand how we organize the library, you see. They were angry and creating a bad mess ... The police were coming and the men decided they must leave. I shouted at them as they left: 'It is a free and public library! All you had to do was ask! ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

It's not going to be over until we say so. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Grow the lawn and mow the lawn
always keep the TV on,
brush your teeth and kill the germs,
poison apples, poison worms. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

If Nicholas Benedict truly had been able to see the future, his own would have startled him to sleep at once, for he would have seen that he was destined to do things far greater than he ever could have imagined – that wonderful and amazing people would one day be drawn to him like metal to a magnet; that together with Nicholas they would form a most unusual kind of family; and that together, during one of the world's darkest, most dangerous hours, they would change the course of history… For now he was simply a little boy on a cot, trying to fight off sleep as he had done countless times before… ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

You're really going to cut me out of your life because of one fucking kiss?"
"Was that all it was?" I asked.
Trenton fell quiet.
"That's what I thought." I hit End again. ~ Jamie McGuire

No. Listen. I get off at nine. I'm gonna pick you up at ten. If you aren't dressed and ready, and I mean showered and shaved ready, I'm going to call a bunch of people and tell them you're having a party at your house with six free kegs and hookers".
"Damn it Trenton, don't."
"You know I will. Last warning. Ten o'clock, or by eleven you'll have guests. Ugly ones". ~ Jamie McGuire

... I see that something's are hard to do, but that you can't live with yourself if you don't do them. I see that the best way to help myself is to help the people I care about. The rest will sort itself out. It has to, right? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

So what's your team called?" asked Kate, twisting her legs into a pretzel-like configuration, "We're called the Winmates because we're inmates who win." Kate looked back and forth at Reynie and Constance, searching their expression for signs of delight.
"You gave yourselves a name?" asked Constance.
Now it was Kate's turn to be baffled. "You didn't? How can you have a team without a name? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Kate seemed to have doubled in size. She had drawn back her broad shoulders and set her jaw, and something in the stance called to mind the contained ferocity of a lioness. But it was the fierceness in Kate's bright blue eyes that had the most striking effect. The sort of look that made you thankful she wasn't your enemy. "It's not going to be over," Kate said firmly "Until we say so. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Suppose I was able to get to court, and the zombies followed me there, and they ate all the people's brains who were in the court?'
'This is Trenton,' Lula said. 'You might not notice. ~ Janet Evanovich

Lula had Eminem cranked up. He was rapping about trailer park girls and how they go round the outside, and I was wondering what the heck that meant. I'm a white girl from Trenton. I don't know these things. I need a rap
cheat sheet. ~ Janet Evanovich

In other words, you are our last possible hope. You are our only hope. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

but is it not heartening to know that so many are willing to fight for the good? Think of that young librarian, Sophie, who made certain you escaped. Think of S.Q., who risked my brother's wrath to make me more comfortable. Think of Captain Noland, and Joe Shooter, and all the others – even strangers – who were prepared to sacrifice their safety, perhaps even their lives, on our behalf. That's something, is it not? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Why, then, do you think the white player might have done it?"
Reynie considered. He imagined himself moving out his knight only to bring it right back to where it started. Why would he ever do such a thing? At last he said, "Perhaps because he doubted himself. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

The power itself comes from the fact that you can do something and people can't see you do it and what kind of responsibility do you have when you can do it. What kind of good things can you do or can you do good things from being invisible in this way? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Every great thinker keeps a journal, you know. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

'Is that really the best you can say? An average-looking boy? An awful lot of boys are average-looking, S.Q.!' And poor S.Q., he just kept arguing that 'this boy was especially average-looking.' " ~ Kate Wetherall, The Mysterious Benedict Society ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

They stared out their window at night enough to know where the darkest shadows lay, and it was to the darkest shadows they kept. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Sometimes, Reynie, trouble itself is the key. - Mr. Benedict ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Oh, here's a clever one. Do you remember this question from the first test? It reads, 'What's wrong with this statement?' And do you know what Constance wrote in reply? She wrote, 'What's wrong with you? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Daddy, will you take me to the mill, again? ~ Trenton Lee Stewart

Browsing the first editions at my local independent bookstore, I came across 'Pastoralia,' a collection of stories by George Saunders. I'd read one of the stories in it already, and several other Saunders stories in magazines and anthologies, and liked them all. ~ Trenton Lee Stewart