Stephen Chbosky

Maybe it's good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there.

Asleep by the Smiths
Vapour Trail by Ride
Scarborough Fair by Simon & Garfunkel
A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum
Dear Prudence by the Beatles
Gypsy by Suzanne Vega
Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues
Daydream by Smashing Pumpkins
Dusk by Genesis (before Phil Collins was even in the band!)
MLK by U2
Blackbird by the Beatles
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Asleep by the Smiths (again!)

-Charlie's mixtape

Charlie, you’re one of the most gifted people I’ve ever known. And I don’t mean in terms of my other students. I mean in terms of anyone I’ve ever met.

I don't know if it's better to be close with your daughter or make sure that she has a better life than you do.

Girls are weird, and I don't mean that offensively. I just can't put it any other way.

I don't even remember the season. I just remember walking between them and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere.

As I was walking up the stairs to dad's old room, and I was looking at the photographs, I started thinking that there was a time when these weren't memories. That someone actually took the photograph, and the people in the photograph had just eaten lunch or something.

I really think that everyone should have watercolors, magnetic poetry, and a harmonica.

It's nice to have things to look forward to.

Despite everything my mom and doctor and dad have said to
me about blame, I can't stop thinking what I know. And I know
that my aunt Helen would still be alive today if she just bought me
one present like everybody else. She would be alive if I were born
on a day that didn't snow.

It's like when my doctor told me the story of these two brothers whose dad was a bad alcoholic. One brother grew up to be a successful carpenter and never drank. The other brother ended up being a drinker as bad as his dad was. When they asked the first brother why he didn't drink, he said that after he saw what it did to his father, he could never bring himself to even try it. When they asked the other brother, he said that he guessed he learned how to drink on his father's knee. So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.

I don’t want to start thinking again. Not like I have this last week. I can’t think again. Not ever again.

The outside lights were on, and it was snowing, and it looked like magic. Like we were somewhere else. Like we were someplace better.

We didn't talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough

It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book.