Diana Wynne Jones, Castle in the Air

"If you must know, I-I had never in my life kissed a young lady, and you are far too beautiful to me to want to get it wrong!"

"Take it from me, Fate doesn't care most of the time."

"Jamal stared at the dog in his arms. "Why I am I holding a dog full of angels?"

"Tell me of this Wizard Howl of yours". Sophie's teeth chattered but she said proudly, "He's the best wizard in Ingary or anywhere else. If he'd only had time, he would have defeated that djinn. And he's sly and selfish and vain as a peacock and cowardly, and you can't pin him down to anything."

"I can't abide people who go soft over animals and then cheat every human they come across!"

"I am a believer in free will. If my dog chooses to hate the whole human race except myself, it must be free to do so."

"Nobody gets praised for the right reasons."