That Ain’t Witchcraft Quotes

“There’s not a chosen one. There never was. There’s just people, all over the world, trying their best to make sure the sun comes up tomorrow. We do the job because we know the job exists, and once you know the job exists, it’s hard to pretend it doesn’t matter.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“We build our presents on the ruins of our pasts, and we hope the foundations we construct from the dust of bad ideas and painful choices will be strong enough to hold up our futures. They have to be.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“She was trying to do something good and she fucked up, which is basically the story of humanity’s time on this planet—we’re always trying to do something good, and we’re always fucking up.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“There are very few people in this world who will love and treasure us for who we are, rather than who they think we have the potential to someday become.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“I have so many problems with this plan that I don't think I could list them all even if I wanted to try," said Sam. "On second thought, no. I really want to try, because this isn't so much a 'plan" as it is the Rube Goldberg version of a suicide attempt.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“The mice have email,” I said darkly.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain't Witchcraft

“Just so you know, I had already decided I was adopting you and taking you home to meet the rest of the family. I really, really hope you wanted siblings, because you now have two sisters, a brother, a sister-in-law, a brother-in-law, and assorted cousins, aunts, uncles, and other such familial detritus.” James looked back to me, blinking in slow bewilderment. “Ah,” he said finally. “I suppose I’ll have a busy Christmas.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain't Witchcraft

“Sometimes closure is the only gift worth giving.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain't Witchcraft

“In the days when the faith in the Feathered Lords was waning, came Elizabeth Evans, called Beth, the kindly Priestess, who did find Us gathered in her yard and say Why Look At You, You Must be Starving. And she did gather Us in her apron and carry Us into her Home, which would be our Home thereafter, and say, You Are Safe Here, If You Will Follow the Rules I Set—”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“Sometimes, good intentions do more damage than all the wicked plots in all the world.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“We can get hurt anywhere. It’s better to get hurt doing something you love, or helping someone you love, than to get hurt because the world isn’t fair.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“It’s not science until somebody writes it down.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“Family is more than what's in your blood.

Family is what's in your heart, and who you reach for when the sun goes down.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“I thought I was going to be happy."
"Okay," I said, for the third time, because there wasn't anything else I could say.
"I was so wrong." He kept looking at his hands. "I thought I knew what happy was, and I guess I did because I wasn't miserable. People liked me. My grandmother loved me. She still loves me. She'll die loving me, even if she never sees me again. I love the trapeze. I did good stuff with the carnival, and I'm not sorry I did it, but I wasn't happy the way I am when I went with you.
Even when I'm mad at you, or you're mad at me, or you do something stupid, like when you ate that gas station sushi and I had to hold your hair back when you threw up in the ditch, even then, I'm so happy it hurts. This isn't happiness. This is weaponized joy. I'm going to die from loving you too much, and I'm not even sure I'll e sorry. How is that fair? You didn't mean to, and I don't blame you, but you've ruined me for being happy without you. I can't do it. I can't too. I want to, and I can't."
"Okay," I said one more time, and placed my hand over his.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“Never go into a book. Either it's a dimensional portal, which is bad, or it's some sort of Dungeons and Dragons-style mimic-thing, which is also bad, although in a less 'we'll never find your body' sort of a way.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“What’s good today, Sarah?” “An abstract philosophical concept meant to guide the actions of people who would really rather be doing whatever they want without concern for repercussions,” said Sarah solemnly.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain't Witchcraft

“The rules of magic are complicated, confusing, and sometimes contradictory. Magic is basically the English language of universal constants.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“You just forgot that sometimes the people who love us are willing to do things for us that they’d never dream of doing for themselves.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“I mean if they had all the advantages he,’ James flapped a hand at Leonard, ‘wants to claim they have, why is this happening? Why is any of this happening? You’re one woman. Granted, you’re faintly terrifying and I’m not sure I’m going to survive knowing you, but you’re not worth delaying an invasion.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“Cylia leaned against the wall, dressed in a fluffy yellow bathrobe that made her resemble nothing so much as a malevolent daffodil come to pass judgment on the weak.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“I’ve never seen a skeleton army, but if they exist, I’m absolutely positive they’d be marching on Ohio. There’s nothing else to do in Ohio. It’s just corn, corn, skeleton army, possibly evil corn maze, football, corn.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“Life is a death sentence. Get as many stays of execution as you possibly can.

- Frances Brown”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“Her eldest daughter, Agnes, refused us, but did not break her mother's Confidence, saying, You Ask Too Much of Me. But her second daughter, Enid, the Patient Priestess, did say, Mother, I Love You, and I Love the Mice, and I will Keep Them Safe.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft

“If there’s something that might slow you down in a fight—like, say, leaving your boobs to flop around free-range and cumbersome—you deal with it before the fight gets started.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain't Witchcraft

“Sarah, are you eating your cereal with tomato soup?"
"Yes." She didn't look up from her book. "I like it better than V8. It's not as spicy. I don't mind the spicy, really- it's mild- but it clashes with the little marshmallows, and I like the little marshmallows.”
― Seanan McGuire, That Ain’t Witchcraft