A silly book game part 22

Easy Rules*:
1. Grab the book you're currently reading.
2. Find a quote which answers the question in the post above yours.
3. Tell us what book you're quoting (include author's name).
4. Find another quote from the same book (a question this time) for the next poster to answer.

Hint: It's good if both your answer and question are related, but that's not absolutely necessary.

*Newbies welcome!

Continued from here

Previous post:

Message 266: SqueakyChu

"...an old BoyScout knapsack packed with Ben Gay ointment and Ace bandages for the shleppers, and for the Designated Eater, a roll of Tums, a jar of salted Japanese umeboshi plums (great after too much sugar), a canteen of water, and six packets of Alka-Seltzer."

Outwitting History - Aaron Lansky

"...but where are the two thousand books?"

'those books were carefully removed over time, maybe for years, which points to Geiger's children, maybe the servants. . .'

The bookwoman's last fling: A Cliff Janeway Novel by John Dunning

'where can i find Sharon?'

"I managed to catch Sharon in Cleveland (she had just finished her lecture)..."

Outwitting History - Aaron Lansky

"And who are you?"

"Why not call me Bernard."

The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry

"Why did he die?"

"I'm not sure you'll want to hear this."

The Red Scarf by Kate Furnivall

"Does she have the child with her?"

"'i think so. she needs. . .' he groped for a word and i found it for him. 'closure.'"

The bookwoman's last fling: A Cliff Janeway Novel by John Dunning

'how'd she get them?'

"Oh yes . . . the Ouija board. Ouija boards give clear and understandable answers, if used correctly."

Prospero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter

"Do you think angels and men are the only children of God?"

'but who else is there?'

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

'is there anything you would recommend?'

"Let us pray," he said.

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

"Where? At the dig?"

"There is a place on Dartmoor called Grey Wethers."

The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie

"A pile of - now, what was it?"

'books, bread and butter, mashed potato. . .'

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

'is there anything you would recommend?'

“I would not recommend an egg boiled by any body else – but you need not be afraid – they are very small, you see – one of our small eggs will not hurt you.”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Mrs Goddard, what do you say to half a glass of wine? A small half glass – put into a tumbler of water?”

"As I said, this is very likely an anomaly."

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

"She would not be at risk, would she?"

"It may be lonely sometimes."

Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine

"Was it what they thought?"

"It's a game, but a sophisticated one."

The Black Tulip by Milt Bearden

"How is your visitor?"

"Ah, yes, a savage. Of the famous Chromotonsorial Cahokian Goth tribe."

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher

"Have you ever thought about... you know. Us?"

Yes, good man! – thought Emma -

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“How could you suppose me ignorant?”

Edited for an ignorant spelling mistake.

And a missing full stop!

"If my wisdom is not appreciated, I will withhold it. No need to waste water trying to fill a sieve."

Prospero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter

"They were the goddesses worshipped by the Eleusians, weren't they?"

"She told me she was a waitress."

The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly

"Do you remember what you talked about?"

#16-20 great fun (despite all RA's igernant mitsakes). chuckle

"Just what I told you, Boss."

The Black Tulip by Milt Bearden

"How long will it take you to get down here?"

"It would take them more than a week to walk home."

Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine

"Had she sacrificed her wings for nothing?"

'It will soon be set right. It shouldn't hurt too long."

Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran

"Won't you come in for a cup of tea?"

'. . .they promptly sell on eBay.'

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

'any news from home?'

"My hunch is that they're not under control."

The Black Tulip by Milt Bearden

"Who else knows this?"

“Highbury gossips! - Tiresome wretches!”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Who makes you their confidant?”

"Miss Meteyard--of Somerville. One of the brighter ornaments of our department. She makes the vulgarest limericks ever recited within these chaste walls."

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"Where's my notebook?"

'they would often come upon her in odd unfrequented corners of her various dwellings, spectacles on the end of her nose, notebook and a pencil beside her.'

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

'where had this appetite come from?'

He has just come from a disappointing breakfast and as he stood there sniffing, his ample stomach gave a long, mutinous growl.

Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran

"Would you like to try my baklava?"

"A plain biscuit and a cup of tea every day."

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"But I say, do you know what I did yesterday?"

"He was among scientific illiterates and could have said anything."

Solar by Ian McEwan

"So come on. Tell me. Let's hear you apply Heisenberg to ethics. Right plus wrong over the square root of two. What the hell does it mean?"

Harriet could not long resist so delightful a persuasion.

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Grandpapa, can you give me a bit of string?”

>33 alaudacorax::LOL

Yes, he liked a substructure of powerful logic.

Solar by Ian McEwan

"You think I made it up?"

“It is such a pretty charade, my dear, that I can easily guess what fairy brought it.”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Do you really think it a bad thing?”

"Personally, I'm broadminded. I rather like it."

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"Did she hear what the fuss was?"

"They say there are seals here, but I have seen none yet."

The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch

"Why not?"

'. . .fifty years of composure and self-possession plus half a century of understatement stood in the way.'

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

'where do you get your ideas from?'

"I have reason to believe Ashton did find these three in the woods."

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

"What do you gentlemen think?"

"Gosh! It's a Googly"

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"Is that a compliment to my sagacity or a reflection on my virtue?"

"By the standards of the day, he was a precocious lad when he arrived at Oxford."

Solar by Ian McEwan

"When did you find out?"

"I did not see the sea until I was fourteen."

The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

"Mr. Arkwright, do you ever see any very large eels in this vicinity?"

"Your crazy friend tells you Irish fairy tales," I say.

The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

"You know how you said he was a black hole?"

"Betz's Law."

Solar by Ian McEwan

"Bad news from home?"

"You will have heard the rumors that she was struck by lightning..."

The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

"Can you tell us why you failed to attend your English exam?"

"It seems to me now we were all brainwashed about sex."

The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch

"Perhaps it was just that the wood was too wet?"

"There is no smoke without fire."

The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie

"What did he say when he was rambling?"

"Beard said that without reductionism there could be no science."

Solar by Ian McEwan

"Do you honestly believe that what you don't know about doesn't exist?"

"I have to admit, a lot of these things can be explained as normal, day-to-day life rather than as paranormal activity."

The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

"Who even cares about castanets?"

"I would pay you thirty dollars an hour, what a private detective would get, to find out."

Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman

"Where does Ava work?"

"Her entire life, but for a few hours each day of overpaid tutoring, is disconcertingly free."

Body Surfing by Anita Shreve

"Are you a teacher?"

“You cannot really, seriously, doubt it.”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Shall I ring the bell?”

"Soak it in bleach for half an hour."

The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

"But where is the body?"

"You passed it on the way probably."

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"What is the Temnestrian Iconography?"

"I have no idea."

The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

"You telling me you couldn't hear that noise?"

"It's difficult to make out from here. It sounded almost like Voco."

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"Has anyone you know ever been ritually mutilated because they were seen reading a book?"

"Well, DUH!"

The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

"Why are your eyes shining so strangely?"

"You might say that the difference between us and you is that we have been infected by a vision of...another world."

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"So, you're worried that a pink dragon will fly over the concent and fart nerve gas on us?"

"I'm not as stupid as I sound, you know."

The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

"What's that terrible smell in my shoe closet?"

"Two colors of ants, Fraa Raz. They're having a war. I regret to say I caused it."

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"Did you know that we live in a beautiful place?"

"Welcome to Charm City."

Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman

"Wanna race all the way to the glass factory?"

"Let's get this over with."

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"Do you think the city's getting bigger or smaller?"

"Briefly, he thought he saw the plane's shadow flitting like a free spirit across St.James's and over the rooftops, but this was impossible at such a height."

Solar by Ian McEwan

"Trouble at home?"

"We were set upon!"

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"Are you expecting an Inquisitor to fall out of a tree?"

"I even went down to the old tree behind the Music Rooms, and photographed it..."

The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

"Was she known for being clumsy around windows?"

"But no one is surprised when the girl says no."

Body Surfing by Anita Shreve

"Whose girlfriend is coming for the weekend?"

"If I leave the Rolls here and don't flash my diamonds, no one will know who I am."

True Colors by Diana Palmer

"Doesn't Mr. Smith have a first name?"

"I remember she called him Riley, like his name could not be touched."

The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

"You think they're going to break up?"

"Oh! she's a decent sort of female, but makes no allowances."

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"what was wrong with my lamented predecessor?"

"I noticed he was serving the main course at supper."

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"Is it the Big Nugget?"

"'yes,' said the Queen."

The garden behind the moon by Howard Pyle

'lady, lady, why are you so sad?'

"I wasn't counting on you being unable to ignore our baby."

Solar by Ian McEwan

"What is it, and what did you just say?"

"Blackmail! The companion woman was blackmailing her. Only I can't see why Miss Marple says it was clever of her to kill herself."

The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie

"Was that what you spoke of as a final coincidence?"

"My God, I had come here, to this very place, and against all the chances I had found her at last!"

The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

"Where was she going to along the misty sea road at night?"

"I am going to run down to within musket-shot of the windward ship."

Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian

"What say you to some barley-water, with some lime-juice in it?"

"My mother was quite sick of it."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"Altogether, they will have five hundred a year amongst them, and what on earth can four women want for more than that?"

"Why do you think a woman would want that?"

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

*apologies if question answers to questions aren't allowed, I just couldn't resist! :D*

"Who could have guessed that our cosmographer was an enthusiast for dead languages?"

"You know what he thinks of Cowper and Scott; you are certain of his estimating their beauties as he ought, and you have received every assurance of his admiring Pope no more than is proper."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"Confess, Marianne, is not there something interesting to you in the flushed cheek, hollow eye, and quick pulse of a fever?"

"I've been married twice -- once divorced, once widowed."

Body Surfing by Anita Shreve

"Bread?"

Just-Danya, I've used a question to answer. If it fits, I see no problem, and nobody corrected me.

"As hosts, it is our duty to serve."

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

"What if it's dark?"

"In my younger days I could have done it with my eyes shut."

How to twist a dragon's Tale by Cressida Cowell

"Is it just me, or is this guy really rather irritating?"

"He is as good a sort of fellow, I believe, as ever lived."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"What can you have to do in town at this time of year?"

"We were at Home Depot, tracking down window blinds and kitchen cabinet knobs."

The Voice On The Radio by Carolin B. Cooney

"Could we stop off at the Johnsons and see Janie?"

"You'll scare the children, Mark."

Body Surfing by Anita Shreve

"You guys do this often?"

"We all know that my uncle's investment was an impulsive gesture triggered by a most unusual situation."

The Girl who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

"Can you afford to buy us out?"

"He so frequently talked of the increased expenses of housekeeping, and of the perpetual demands upon his purse, which a man of any consequence in the world was beyond calculation exposed to, that he seemed rather to stand in need of more money himself than to have any design of giving money away."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"And is Mrs. Smith your only friend?"

"But that's over."

The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

"Was I not perhaps meddling in something dreadful?"

"His interest in technology was even weaker than his interest in climate science."

Solar by Ian McEwan

"Would he have been better off with a bullet-headed, shin-kicking son?"

"It's a funny action...accepting somebody as your father when you're grown up."

The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

"Look, you don't really believe Titus is my son, do you?"

"Unimaginable."

Body Surfing by Anita Shreve

"Did the sons make it back?"

"Nothing but real indisposition could occasion this extraordinary delay."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"Had you any idea of his coming so soon?"

Emma could only class it, as a proof of love,

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“How can you imagine such conduct practicable?”

"Even the stupidest of them realized they were now under attack."

How to twist a Dragon's Tale by Cressida Cowell

"How many of us can you take on your back at once, Goliath?"

“Nonsensical girl!” was his reply, but not at all in anger.

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Was she a horse-woman?”

"Smart as paint, but rather silly, I thought, the only time I saw her."

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"Why the devil do you want to know about his sister?"

"She is a relation of the Colonel's, my dear; a very near relation."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"Do not you know who Miss Williams is?"

"A girl with an appetite."

Body Surfing by Anita Shreves

"This might be a mistake. … What time is it?"

"Well, he said, "it is getting a bit late."

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"How many pores should you say there were in the human skin, Ingleby?"

'. . .they are ten thousand times more numerous than things that men have seen and heard about and remembered.'

The garden behind the moon by Howard Pyle

'what part of me have i left down there?'

"I do not want to pry into other men's concerns."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"And, after all, what is it you suspect him of?"

Grant assured him that no arrest was contemplated. All he wanted was to MEET Mr. Gotobed (sic). He needed information from him.

A Shilling for Candles by
Josephine Tey

"What did you do with the coat you took at Dymchurch?"

“Oh! here it is. I was sure it could not be far off: but I had put my huswife upon it, you see, without being aware, and so it was quite hid, but I had it in my hand so very lately that I was almost sure it must be on the table.”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Who could have seen through such thick-headed nonsense?”

"What the sultan said was true, but perfectly ridiculous: the Habsburgs were notoriously ugly, notoriously alike."

The Bellini Card by Jason Goodwin

"The portrait, my padishah - it still exists?"

"I would not ask such a question for the world."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"How can you think of dirt, with such objects before you?"

"I must say... you have been very lucky with the weather. Most summers this hole would be ankle deep in water and mud this time of year."

How to twist a dragon's Tale by Cressida Cowell

"How do you take advice from someone who has taken a vow of silence?"

"Something very melancholy must be the matter, I am sure," said she. "I could see it in his face."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"Reserved! Am I reserved, Marianne?"

"Al has got you wrong, but you must admit, who can blame him, what with the sharkworm incident and everything... I just know if you guys got together you would really get along."

How to twist a dragon's Tale by Cressida Cowell

"What does he LOOK like, this Terrific Al of yours?"

He looks like Gene Hackman as Popeye Doyle, and he knows it, cultivates it.

The Singer by Cathi Unsworth

"You want to start a band, don't you?"

Edit because I forgot to point ts to correct title.

"We never could agree in our choice of a profession. I always preferred the church, as I still do."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"But how is your fame to be established?"

"Well, Socrates said we must practice dying."

The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

"Who?"

". . .might be remembered as one of the outstanding metaphysical authors of the
20th century . . . entered fringe politics ... a successful essayist and short story writer."

Occult America by Mitch Horowitz

Did you hear (the joke) about the man who read Bridey Murphy and changed his will?

N.B. This was written to answer 110. I guess it also answers the question "Who?" of 111.

oh, it goes perfectly, roland!

"Of course, Gilbert and the others would have laughed their cynical laughs, but they would have been wrong."

The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

"But why not simply have what you want?"

"Oh, dear!" cried Margaret, "how happy I should be! I wonder what I should do with it!"

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"My love, have you been asleep?"

"Yes? … It takes a while for her eyes to adjust."

Body Surfing by Anita Shreve

"Where are we?"

*Sings* "I didn't mean to come he-ere,
And I didn't mean to sta-a-ay...
But I lost my heart to these rainy bogs
And I'll ne-e-ever go awa-a-ay!!"

How to Twist a Dragon's Tale by Cressida Cowell

"Why is it always ME who has to be the Hero?"

“It is a great pleasure where one can indulge in it,”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Balls – had they balls?”

"What! You thought nobody could dance because a certain person that shall be nameless is gone!"

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"May I ask if your engagement is of long standing?"

"That is dangerous talk."

A Man in Uniform by Kate Taylor

"What if he isn't guilty?"

"You understand too much, Yashim efendi," Malakian said.

The Bellini Card by Jason Goodwin

"What's happened?" His wife looked anxious. "Did he pay you off?"

"No, those were consolation fantasies."

The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

"Was the same true of my desire for Hartley?"

"Your own judgment must direct you."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"Did he come from your uncle's then, when he visited us?"

"Even among those who were present on that occasion -- of whom I was one -- there has never been any unanimity."

Transforming Rights by Maxwell Yalden

"What do you expect?"

"Rogues and thieves."

Mary's Land by Lucia St. Clair Robson

"Art thou a child of Egypt?"

'David was a moon-calf.'

The Garden Behind The Moon by Howard Pyle

'and what was it like inside of the moon?'

"There were...special restrictions on foreign-language broadcasting..."

Transforming Rights by Maxwell Yalden

"But, if it was so clear as all that, why did they have to go on about it?"

"Probably some sublime scheme for selling Sopo to sapheads."

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"Who dragged whom, how many times, at the wheels of what, round the walls of where?"

#126 & 127 loud chortling from this corner love the Mr. Bredon quote. MMA has some of the snappiest dialogue of all the LPW books. imo.

“But they like it papa; there is nothing they like so much.”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Was not it delightful?”

'David sat down on the wooden bench and took up a big blue star. he blew his breath upon it and rubbed it with lamb's wool, and as he rubbed it it grew brighter and brighter, and pulsed and glowed and throbbed with light as though it were alive. David did not know how beautiful a star could be until he held it in his own hand and rubbed it with lamb's wool.'

The Garden Behind The Moon by Howard Pyle

'and where shall i go for my holiday?'

"So I would advise you two to set off for town when you are tired of Barton, without saying a word to Miss Dashwood about it."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"Is your sister ill?"

"Spray with Sanfect and you're safe."

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"Mother! has your Child Learnt Regular Habits?"

(mirrordrum: MMA is one of my favourites, and perfect for this game.)

"I have a notion," said Lucy, "you think the little Middletons rather too much indulged; perhaps they may be the outside of enough; but it is so natural in Lady Middleton; and for my part, I love to see children full of life and spirits; I cannot bear them if they are tame and quiet."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"I suppose your brother was quite a beau, Miss Dashwood, before he was married, as he was so rich?"

"I think the answer is 'yes' with a big 'but'."

Transforming Rights by Maxwell Yalden

"But what if the whole system discriminates?"

'run like hell.'

Woman strangled - news at ten by Laurie Moore

'do you scare easily?'

"Oh! Lord! Yes, that I do, indeed."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"But have you likewise heard that Miss Grey has fifty thousand pounds?"

"Then, "Come with me," Andy said, and he took them out the front, down the steps, and around the back of the building."

Wit's End by Karen Joy Fowler

"Did you get the idea for that from a real case?"

"I might again cite the example of height requirements in police forces..."

Transforming Rights by Maxwell Yalden

"But is the fuss justified?"

"All this arguing about what you and I would do and what the reasonable man would do is very unsatisfactory."

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"Who else was in the lavatory?"

"...a group of experts sitting in their individual capacities."

Transforming Rights by Maxwell Yalden

"What does this entail in practice?"

"I can't think of anything less healthy than this place"

Confessions of a Jane Austen addict by Laurie Viera Rigler.

"Very well. But would you mind terribly if I spend a few minutes here and then meet you outside?"

'suit yourself.'

Woman strangled - news at ten by Laurie Moore

'what if there's an emergency and i need your help?'

"I feel awkward," she stammered. "I'm not used to boys."

Charity by Lesley Pearse

"Will you meet me here tomorrow?"

"I do not believe so for a moment."

Transforming Rights by Maxwell Yalden

"Does that mean that we have no option but to sit by, like impotent editorialists, occasionally launching a verbal thunderbolt at the wicked?

"The thought of just how mad the venture was struck her, now."

Mary's Land by Lucia St. Clair Robson

"D'ye know the difference between orthodoxy and heterodoxy, Squire Brent?"

"At least I remember who I am."

Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani

"Am I meant to die in the ravine?"

"Oh, yes, I dare say you will."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"Where is the greenhouse to be?"

"It's a private house, belonging to a Major Milligan."

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

"How did you get so pally with Dian?"

"Having shared these experiences, we will be friends for life."

Charity by Lesley Pearse

"What are you going to name your baby?"

"John Dandy."

Mary's Land by Lucia St. Clair Robson

"Where's the wench?"

She had been expertly gathering tomatoes at the salad bar with two primitive wooden utensils, the sort that look like souvenirs from a holiday in Tonga.

Utterly Monkey by Nick Laird

"What sort of problem?"

"She never knew how to address the priests."

Mary's Land by Lucia St. Clair Robson

"Is someone stealing from us?"

"Ring the police!" Mrs. Gullick ordered. "You, Pat! Don't just stand there."

Charity by Lesley Pearse

"So where are Hester and Anna now?"

"They are excellent neighbours to you in the country, I understand."

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"Do you like London?"

'i find large quantities of Stolichnaya help.'

Woman strangled - news at ten by Laurie Moore

'what's that hanging around your neck?'

‘The charming Augusta Hawkins,’

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“I think we had better send the leg – do you not think so, my dear?”

"We shocked the congregation of mourners -- the church was full -- and we disgraced ourselves."

Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani

"What happens if we can't move our limbs?"

“Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Oh! Miss Woodhouse, why are you always so right?”

"I have stopped, can never stop asking why."

Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani

"Didn't I have a man's name?"

"I called myself Basil as it sounded more classy, and got a few elocution lessons."

Charity by Lesley Pearse

"Now, please can I have a cup of coffee?"

"Nope. No food or drink in the lab. Tomorrow, come early and help yourself to coffee in the staff lounge."

Thunderhead by Douglas Preston

"And what do I have to do, exactly?"

"Bid every noise be still."

Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani

"Who pretends to understand?"

"Perhaps you, Mr. Smithback, with your no doubt profound knowledge of Anasazi witches and their modern day descendants, the skinwalkers, can enlighten us further."

Thunderhead by Douglas Preston

"And what does this spiral mean?"

"It's bad luck."

Sowing Seeds in Danny by Nellie McClung

"Why didn't ye git here earlier?"

"she didn't want to get into the whole, embarrassing dumped-for-a-stripper, got desperate, resorted to an online dating service explanation, so she said, 'first date,' and left it at that."

Woman strangled - news at ten by Laurie Moore

'why would you go out on a limb for me?'

“You divert me against my conscience.”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“Miss Bates, are you mad, to let your niece sing herself hoarse in this manner?”

"Miss Edgeworth has been prone to sniffles and sneezing ever since she was a little girl. But she is always well again."

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler.

"You are a friend of Henry's, are you not?"

"He died a drunkard with delirium trimmings, but was terrible smart."

Sowing Seeds in Danny by Nellie McClung

"But dead or alive, flowers are all right for folks, ain't they, Jim?"

"No," she said. "Get them away from me!"

Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles

Do I get treated better if I quote some poetry?"

"Things is what they are and what'sthe good of saying anything."

Sowing Seeds in Danny by Nellie McClung

"Nellie, will you dance with me?"

"I can't dance", I manage to murmur.

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler.

What would he say if I told him the truth?

"Damn me. 'Tis cold as a whore's heart."

Mary's Land Lucia St. Clair Robson

"Intent on wakin' the dead, were ye?"

"No," said his father. "Not this time, old buddy."

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

"If I have a cough, will I be burned up?"

#170 'delirium trimmings,' oh law! ROFL

"I don't wonder you're sick -- you haven't been eatin' enough to keep a canary bird alive."

Sowing Seeds in Danny by Nellie McClung

"But what was Pearl doing so long in the kitchen?"

'the attendant prattled on about how he'd eaten a linebacker's breakfast of eggs and bacon with a slice of ham and a dish of peaches-and-cream oatmeal. and coffee.'

Woman Strangled - News at Ten by Laurie Moore

'what the hell was wrong with these people?'

"Hell, good guys have been screwng up the world since it began."

The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

"How many of these people had talked to Doyle?"

"The Greers, Smitters and Paynes, all from Hickman County, Tennessee."

Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles

"Have you heard any news of my family?"

"Out of nowhere, his father's drowned body rose."

The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

"Would you like a cuddle?"

"'let's do it,' she said almost breathless and they raced outside to the nearest ENG van."

Woman Strangled - News at Ten by Laurie Moore

'and the third thing i did right?'

"Putting that flag up."

The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

"What are your reasons, Alf?"

"Sorry, Charlie. We've got a new boss man and he's sweeping clean."

Killer Instinct by Zoe Sharp

"So what's happening to the old place then?"

'It should have been cleared and flattened years ago, but the Council had better ways to spend its money."

Hard Frost by R.D. Wingfield

"Is this what you have come to talk to me about - ancient bloody history?"

"'If you would but swear the oath of allegiance to Parliament," he said, "no one will touch anying of yours, nor offer you any insult.'

Mary's Land by Lucia St. Calir Robson

"'What will you do with Thomas Copley?'"

'if something's brewing, take him along.'

Woman Strangled - News at Ten by Laurie Moore

'what's on your mind, little darlin'?'

"I think my life would be well spent if, at the end, there were a hundred pages of poems that people still wanted to read when I was gone."

The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

"If I tell you something, do you promise to keep it to yourself?"

"Bloody hell, Jack," the reporter protested, "you want me to sit on the biggest scoop I've ever had!"

Hard Frost by R.D. Wingfield

"Has there been a ransom demand?"

"God, you're cynical!"

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

"Can't you be positive, just for once?"

"Not today, you rascal."

The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

"Who's your father?"

"Father White."

Mary's Land fy Sucia St. Dlair Robson

"What mean ye by such foolery?"

"It's the neuro-regeneration project. We now have genuine human neocortex tissue growing in a pigoon."

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

"You want me to dig ditches?"

"'Don't fall in', she said dryly."

The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

"Was he afraid she'd stop loving him?"

“Oh! she shall not do such a thing again,”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“When did it happen before, or anything like it?”

"What a silly question." she said, forcing a little laugh.

Someone Like You by Barbara Bretton

"Tell me the truth," Joely said as they neared Loch Craig. "How badly are bipeds outnumbered around here?"

"Two hundred. But only there are only a few soldiers among them."

The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan

"Bit like a wedding, really, isn't it?"

"That's crazy."

The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

"Am I your girlfriend?"

"Yes," he replied, "I assume you approve?"

The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan

"What's George up to these days?"

'he coulda run off with some woman, somebody his sister would have hated on sight, some teenybopper, for Christ's sake. all i know is, he's gone.'

A trouble of fools by Linda Barnes

'what did he leave, Gloria?'

"More people with the brains of pigs. Don't we have enough of those already?"

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

"Was that out of line, Killer?"

"You must think I'm one eager whore."

The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

"What about your children?"

"She's only eleven years old at most."

Mary's Land by Lucia St. Claire Robson

"Where's the brat?"

"Ah, yes, France."

The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

"On holiday?"

"I know not."

Mary's Land by Lucia ST. Clair Robson

"Then who did kill him?"

"An earthquake in China...who the hell knows?"

The Island Walkers by John Bemrose

"Shall we get you a partner then?"

"His Lordship will not allow it."

Mary's Land by Lucia St. Clair Robson

"Mistress Margaret, would you accept my hand in marriage?"

"I think my brain has just stopped Functioning. Would you say that again?"

Someone Like You By Barbara Bretton

"Why should Annabelle be anything different."

“You are prepared for the worst, I see – and very bad it is.”

‘Emma’ by Jane Austen.

“I could suppose she might in time – but can she already?”

'she takes karate lessons.'

A trouble of fools by Linda Barnes

'what did he talk about?'

"It was Roland, after all, that said from time to time that folks were going to bring slavery back to Illinois, mark his words, and everybody would be the better for it, not only the poor niggers."

The all-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley

'Dey comes an' 'dey goes, don't 'dey?"

'does a man go off to another country without saying goodbye to his family, without packing a suitcase?'

A trouble of fools by Linda Barnes

"'so,' he said, when i looked up, 'you wanna go out sometime?'"

"No means no! Didn't you hear me? I said no!"

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

"Can I have a parrot?"

"This would have required the organization of large amounts of labour and illustrates the degree of control already exercised by the main religious organizations."

A Green History of the World by Clive Ponting

"Why, if Ur was an empire's capital, if Sumer was once a vast granary, has the population dwindled to nothing, the very sol lost its virtue?"

'i dropped my eyes and ate ice cream. i wasn't going to touch that one, not the way he said it.'

A trouble of fools by Linda Barnes

'you in some kind of trouble?

“I’m dying of hunger.”

‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ by Jules Verne.

“And the reason?”

"...the traditional problems of malnutrition and starvation stemming from population pressure."

A Green History of the World by Cline Ponting

"Who were the people that built this city?"

"Guys who repair things."

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

"So are we the kings and dukes?"

"Iʻm the Chief of Police. I know everything."

Split Image by Robert B. Parker

"You like working for the Feds?"

"It is a prospect which I view with equanimity and a clear conscience."

A Green History of the World by Clive Ponting

"Are humans an integral part of nature or are they separate from it and in some way superior to it?"

“We’ll see for ourselves, provided, that is, anything at all can be seen down there.”

‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ by Jules Verne.

Had I just heard the senseless speculations of a lunatic or the scientific analyses of a great genius?”

"I don't have any opinions."

The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler

"What if Lindy wasn't really Pagan's mother?"

"It astonishes me now to think of it!"

The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley

"May I talk of a womanly thing, even though you haven't had a child yet?"

" I HAD a baby . . . Well, I miscarried, but I was pregnant.

The Body in the Big Apple by Katharine H. Page

"What did you do? Did you confront them?"

“When science has spoken, one can only remain silent thereafter!”

‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ by Jules Verne.

“Because the monster has been asleep since 1229, does it necessarily follow that it won’t wake up again?”

"Well, of course not."

The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley

"Didn't we know that something like this was always a possibility?"

With what horror, with what despair I was seized then, I would not be able to say.

‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ by Jules Verne.

Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?

"I was stunned myself and wondered why."

The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley

"Hadn't we talked of something like this for months?"

"No. This was different."

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

"Have you slept with your students before?"

"Donʻt know. Think about it. We can talk some more on Thursday."

Split Image by Robert B. Parker

"Would you like to BE that woman?"

"Very funny."

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

"You think they'll come up with a good story at Microsoft?"

ʻNot really. . . . Heʻs dead now."

Split Image by Robert B.Parker

"You from around here?"

"I have a life in Bohemia, and family, and friends."

The Celestial Globe by Marie Rutkoski

"How do you know so much about swords?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

"Is that a problem?"

"Nothing you need to tell our father about, Petra."

The Celestial Globe by Marie Rutkoski

"How did you save Ariel?"

'well, we had one exciting night, let me tell you.'

A trouble of fools by Linda Barnes

'you know where the bastard i asked you to nail is? right this very minute?'

ʻThis is not exactly OS domain, is it?"

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

"What is this lunatic talking about?"*


*(in bold; probably Italics in the
regular edition.)

The professor, as usual, was getting excited as his imagination ran away with him.

‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ by Jules Verne.

What was the point of worrying about hunger pains, when death was possible in so many other ways?

'as my grandmother used to say: you're such a brain, you can worry more in one minute than other people can in a whole year.'

A trouble of fools by Linda Barnes

'where'd you get this?'

". . . all in choosing the right key words. Unique but not restrictive."

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

ʻYour blog said you believe that metasystems modeling can TRANSFORM the study of noetics?"

"I laughed."

The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley

"Why you laughin'?"

"You mean our Founding Fathers beieved in
astrology?"

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

"A mermaid?"

'these things happen, but they happen very rarely.'

A trouble of fools by Linda Barnes

'why didn't you mention the money when you came to me?'

“No job – no money y’know. Didn’t want to look pointed. That sort of thing, what?”

‘The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club’ by Dorothy L. Sayer.

“Had your morning’s inspiration?”

"This is critical. I could ruin the whole rest of the day if I pick the wrong doughnut."

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

"You mean on account of they're waggin' their tongues at us and making kissey sounds?"

Wimsey laughed, rather excitedly.

‘The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club’ by Dorothy L. Sayers.

“What price the gypsy’s warning now?”

Hah! LOL

"'Bout thirty-six dollars, ma'am."

The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley

"What in the world had made me think I had anything in the way of strength or quick wits to offer Lorna?"

“Oh, lord! That was a bloomer.”

‘The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club’ by Dorothy L. Sayers.

“Are you devoted to young criminals, by any chance?”

Edited to remove a trespassing full stop (period).

"Don't adopt so high a tone with me, miss!"

The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley

"Did you think of that before you hatched your plot?"

“Oh no; it is a preparation I always keep by me, ready made up.”

‘The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club’ by Dorothy L. Sayers.

“I suppose it’s the girl you’re after, isn’t it?”

'no. . .she's a virgin, and as far as i'm concerned, she always will be.'

Murder by the Book by Rex Stout

'excuse me, what did you say about my weight?'

Slightly overweight--the perennial twelve pounds she couldn’t lose...

The Homecoming by Melissa James

"Damn it, Charlene, why didn’t you tell me I’m a father?"

"Cripes. You two want to get a room?"

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

"Do you think that would get me off the hook?"

.
.
.
NEW GAME STARTS HERE!

I know thread's finished, but I've got to comment on #252 - wickedly funny, the two parts together.

:)