Found this at literaryquotes:

"I wanted a sailboat," he said. "But you didn’t want anything." "Don’t be bitter," I said. "It’s never too late." "No," he said with a great deal of bitterness. "I may get a sailboat. As a matter of fact I have money down on an eighteen-foot two-rigger. I’m doing well this year and can look forward to better. But as for you, it’s too late. You’ll always want nothing." - Wants, Grace Paley (Full text)

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While we're on the topic of literature, let me point you to scans from the book The Recently Deflowered Girl - The Right Thing To Say On Every Dubious Occasion (illustrated by Edward Gorey). It's a parody of the standard ladies' behavior and etiquette books from olden days.

( Excerpt... )

Here are my three favorite and three most hated books for 2008. They don't have to be released in 2008; I just have to have read them for the first time this year.

Best Books:

1. Test of the Twins - Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
The final book of the Dragonlance Legends, this concludes the story of Raistlin's quest for godhood. What can I say? I love, love, love Raistlin. And I'm glad he ( spoiler... )

2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
This story is told in the point of view of an autistic boy who tries to find the murderer of his neighbor's dog, but instead ends up discovering truths about his life that people have been keeping secret from him. I like how the book brings you into the boy's level of processing data and events, how the storytelling hones in on the little details instead of the drama that's unfolding, since it's what the boy keeps track of.

3. Idoru - William Gibson
An American girl flies to Japan because she wants to check out the rumor that her favorite artist wants to marry a Japanese virtual reality idol. I think I enjoyed this mostly because of all the j-culture references.


Worst Books:

1. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
Honestly, I wanted to tear this book to pieces halfway through reading it. It's the same old rehashed theme of Bella thinking she's not pretty enough for Edward, and Edward thinking Bella deserves so much better than him. What is worst about this one is ( spoiler... ) I could trim off a full half of this book and still retain the storyline. Did Breaking Dawn even go through an editor?

2. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
Same old shit as the previous two books: 'Bella, I could kill you.' 'Edward, I don't know why you like me because I'm too fugly, but I want to be with you anyway.' 'Let's keep talking about our feelings until all readers get bored, because that's what normal people in a relationship do!' I want to bang their heads together, I swear. Why did I keep following the series, you might ask? Because I'm a masochist that way.

3. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
I read this one because, even though I didn't really like Twilight (the first book of the series), I didn't hate it all that much. Sure, there was the Mary Sue character, who everybody and their grandfathers had a crush on. Sure, the writing was angsty and generally plotless for probably the first two-thirds of the book. But people kept saying nice things about the series, so I gave it a chance. By the time I finished plodding through this book, though, I hated both Bella and Edward with a passion.