A Novel Summer Quotes

“She’d always believed that becoming a writer would be the antidote to everything that bothered her growing up: not having control over where she lived, not being able to keep friends, the nagging fear of being forgotten as she school-hopped from one state to the next. The loneliness.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“It didn’t matter: a book was a book. A book was company. A book was belonging.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“It was funny, though. She thought once she found a literary agent, she’d have “arrived.” Like she’d reached the finish mark—from wannabe to being. But then, the mark moved: she would feel like she belonged once her agent sold her manuscript. And after that, she’d feel it once the book was published. And after that, she’d feel it if the book became a bestseller. Well, now she had a bestseller. But the mark, that tricky little thing, had moved again: she had to write another one.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“Since she couldn’t keep friends, books were her only constant and reliable companion.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“She’d always wanted to be a writer. Maybe every book lover felt that way at some point, and for Shelby, it just stuck.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“One thing they didn’t teach her in grad school but that she’d learned from Claudia was that if an author didn’t know where their book would go on the bookstore shelf, a publisher wouldn’t know, either. And wouldn’t want to publish it.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“Maybe she wouldn’t be as upset with the fictionalized version of herself if she wasn’t disappointed in the real-life version.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“Saying exactly what was on her mind always felt pretty damn good. Unfortunately, that in itself never fixed any problems.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“I was wondering,” the woman said shyly. “What do you like best about writing novels?” Shelby nodded. “That’s a great question. I’d say the thing I like best about writing novels is having the ability to deliver the happy endings we don’t always get in real life,” she said.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“I’m so happy to be here today,” she said, looking at the audience. Her publicist had given her a tip that if she felt nervous, she should look just over people’s heads. That way, she didn’t get distracted by anyone’s facial expression, but she gave the illusion she was seeing the crowd and connecting with them.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“They hadn’t spoken since the night she ended things just before moving to New York City. She could still remember the way his face looked that day on the beach, the way he seemed sad, but more sad for her than sad because of her. “I hope you find what you’re looking for,” he’d said.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“Home, she thought, then corrected herself: Provincetown was no longer her home. Never had been, really. It had been a waystation on the road to her real life. It had served a purpose, a great one. But ultimately, Shelby had always been just a visitor. And she was fine with that. It was a lovely place to visit.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“It would be okay. She hadn’t moved to New York City to find a boyfriend.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“If a person couldn’t share her happiness, what was she doing with them?”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“There was no party like a book party.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“Shelby had found everything in Cape Cod, not just her two best friends, but her first love, and most of all, a sense of home. But New York City had always been the plan. After a childhood moving from place to place, her only constants were the books she read and her hope of someday writing one herself. And New York was where she’d chase that dream.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer

“Their love of books brought them together, and now it was pulling them apart.”
― Jamie Brenner, A Novel Summer