Shannon Hale, Princess Academy

"It doesn't seem to matter what we think... The prince will come up here and look at us as if we're barrels in a trader's wagon. And if I'm salt pork and he doesn't care for salt pork, then there's nothing I can do."

"No wolf falters before the bite, so strike. No hawk wavers before the dive, so swing. No sun pauses before the set, just strike. No rain delays before the fall, just swing."

"Throwing herself into learning helped Miri ignore the painful chill of solitude around her."

"There you go...let it all slide out. Unhappiness can't stick in a person's soul when it's slick with tears."

"Look no farther than your hand,Make a choice and take a stand."

"I keep thinking about a tale my nurse used to read to me about a bird whose wings are pinned to the ground. In the end, when he finally frees himself, he flies so high he becomes a star. My nurse said the story was about how we all have something that keeps us down."