Prompted by a little Twitter exchange I had with author John Avery the other day, I thought it would be fun to quote from each of the books I have reviewed this year. & nbsp;Some are funny, some sad, some great description and some, well, I just like.
"She looked back. & nbsp;He was watching as they walked. & nbsp;She looked back twice during the length of the ward. & nbsp;He was still watching. & nbsp;At the door, she turned fully. & nbsp;He was still watching. & nbsp;She lifted her arm high in the air and waved to him. & nbsp;He waved back. & nbsp;They turned the corner in silence and walked toward the lift." & nbsp;Dear Dee, Sue Uden
& nbsp;"This afternoon she went through everything in her wardrobe until she found something that looked OK, opting for an oversized white shirt and cropped blue jeans. & nbsp;A wide black eslastic belt pulls the billowing shirt in, and she's crimped and backcombed her hair so that it's just like Debbie Harry's." & nbsp;Hurry Up and Wait, Isabel Ashdown
"Turning around, she came face-to-face with a short man of Chinese origin….. He virtually jumped on Ruby.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;'Wuby, Wuby, Wuby, Wuby!' he sang loudly to the tune of the monumental Kaiser Chiefs' hit, and then carried on in the same loud vein. & nbsp;'So sorry to have kept you waiting. & nbsp;I am…' pause for effect or maybe to remember who he was …'Tony Choi. & nbsp;You will be sitting beside me for the next three weeks, whilst Julia, my usual partner in grime, is shagging her way round world wiv new husband.' " Working it Out, Nicola May
"As Harry headed towards her, Carmen's immaculately plucked and sculpted eyebrows rushed towards each other like two playful tadpoles, and her face darkened." & nbsp;Turning The Tide, Christine Stovell
& nbsp;"And he walked over to me and planted a chaste kiss on my cheek. & nbsp;"Well done," he said softly and Tim beamed gratefully, completely unaware that the comment was aimed solely at me. & nbsp;In fact, he seemed completely besotted by Dan's manly, famous presence." Sophie's Turn, Nicky Wells
"…Cleo had designed a traffic light system in the form of coloured crystals. The green crystal meant you could come in without knocking, the amber coloured crystal meant knock once and proceed with caution, the red crystal mean knock, stop and wait for instructions and the black crystal meant do not enter, knock or even breathe heavily on walking past the door or your life wouldn't be worth living. & nbsp;Samantha had named that particular cystral 'The Bonk'." & nbsp;Breaking the Ice, Mandy Baggot
"Then I heard the bleep of his phone from the dining room.
A text message.
My heart thudded. & nbsp;Was that her?
He'd heard it too because he subtly removed his arm from around my shoulders. & nbsp;But he didn't get up, he just carried on watching TV. The after a little stretch and a yawn, he reached for his glass and pretended to be surprised to find it empty. 'I need another drink,' he announced, getting up. & nbsp;'"Want one?'
I shook my head silently. & nbsp;Liar! He didn't need one at all, he was off to the dining room to check his phone!" & nbsp;His Other Lover, Lucy Dawson
"Martyn's face drained of all colour. & nbsp;She'd read that phrase in books, but she didn't think she'd ever witnessed it close up, a face turning perfectly white. & nbsp;He pulled out a kitchen chair and, slowly, as if he were ill, folded into it, his holdall dropping to the floor. 'Tell me you didn't agree.'" & nbsp;Love and Freedom, Sue Moorcroft
"Lucy shifted in her seat. & nbsp;She wasn't used to accepting compliments. Come to think of it, it wasn't often that she really received them. "Oh, stop," she said.
& nbsp; & nbsp; "Just say, 'Thank you, Jackson,'" he grinned.
& nbsp; & nbsp; She rolled her eyes. & nbsp;"Thank you, Jackson."
& nbsp; & nbsp; "That's better," he smiled. & nbsp;"You were never very good at taking a compliment. & nbsp;We need to work on that." Lucy giggled. "You look amazing," he said.
& nbsp; & nbsp; She started to roll her eyes again, but a look from Jackson sobered her. & nbsp;"Thank you, Jackson," she said. & nbsp;The erupted into giggles."" & nbsp;The One Who Got Away, Jessica Strassner
"Fixated on its movement, both of us wondering whether it would begin to spell out a name, it suddenly shot off the table with amazing speed, flew across the room and smashed within a few inches of where we stood, against the door.
& nbsp; & nbsp;'Shit!' screamed Lucy. & nbsp;'"what the hell was that all about?'
& nbsp; & nbsp;'An angry spirit, I suspect." " & nbsp;Discovery at Rosehill, Kathryn Brown & nbsp;
""We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto."" Three Days to Die, John Avery
"In a matter of seconds, he would have his answer. & nbsp;One word from her – one look, even – would tell him all he needed to know." & nbsp;Persuade Me, Juliet Archer
"She even managed to secure his old geography textbook and changed the way she wrote number sevens to continental style. & nbsp;Even her 'I's became loopy because of Johnny Ingleton. & nbsp;There is nothing like the obsession of a teenage girl!" & nbsp;Meeting Lydia, Linda MacDonald
"I also longed for the caveat that Bitch Rachel had gained three stone, grown thick, dark, facial hair (and would 'grown a penis' have been really sick?). & nbsp; Fat Girls & amp; Fairy Cakes, Sue Watson
& nbsp;"Quickly he bent to to give her a swift kiss, chaste but lingering a touch longer than he should have. 'Please don't come here again," he whispered. & nbsp;'I mean it. & nbsp;It's too dangerous for you. & nbsp;Trust me.'" & nbsp;Trade Winds, Christina Courtenay
