Rachel Cohn Books

“'Freedom.' He pauses a moment to reflect on the F-word. 'Sometimes I think it's an idea that enslaves us. We're never free from hungering for the notion that we can even have freedom. When perhaps it's the very idea of it that causes us to suffer.”

Source: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List

Suffering Freedom Individuality

Book:You Know Where to Find Me

Source: You Know Where to Find Me

“Beauty’s not only skin deep. Just because a person is beautiful doesn’t mean there’s no soul beneath. Doesn’t mean that person hasn’t suffered like everyone else, doesn’t mean they don’t hope to still be a good human being in an awful world. (Gabriel)”

Life Beauty Perspective Judgement True

“I lost myself immediately in one of the books, only emerging when the phone rang. “Dashiell?” my father intoned. As if someone else with my voice might be answering the phone at my mother’s apartment. “Yes, Father?” “Leeza and I would like to wish you a merry Christmas.” “Thank you, Father. And to you, as well.” [awkward pause] [even more awkward pause] “I hope your mother isn’t giving you any trouble.” Oh, Father, I love it when you play this game. “She told me if I clean all the ashes out of the grate, then I’ll be able to help my sisters get ready for the ball.” “It’s Christmas, Dashiell. Can’t you give that attitude a rest?” “Merry Christmas, Dad. And thanks for the presents.” “What presents?” “I’m sorry—those were all from Mom, weren’t they?” “Dashiell …” “I gotta go. The gingerbread men are on”

Source: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List

Funny Sad

Author:Rachel Cohn

“Jede Nacht ist für mich ein Song. Jeder Augenblick ist für mich ein Song. Aber diesmal ist alles anders. Und gleichzeitig spüre ich, dass das Leben von uns nicht nur in einem einzigen Song gelebt wird. Wir leben von Lied zu Lied, von Augenblick zu Augenblick, von Akkord zu Akkord. Das Leben ist mehr als der Soundtrack einer Nacht. Es ist ein unendlicher Soundtrack.”

Love Music

Book:Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Source: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

“What's a slut?" I ask him. "A girl who puts out too easily." "Puts out what?" I imagine Greer putting out dinner and don't understand what Iwan wouldn't like about that. "Puts out, you know..." His face, already beet red from our run, turns a darker scarlet. "Sex." I wonder where Greer puts the sex out.”

Funny Ya Beta

Book:Beta

Source: Beta

“Maybe your unspeakable defects give you power too?”

Ya Beta

Book:Beta

Source: Beta

“I was coming down off the last painkiller left in my dresser drawer after Autumn tossed my stash. In that moment I was so groggy and happy I would have accepted a date with Oscar the Grouch - and planned to do some serious feeling up on the green furry beast too. Yeah, stooping to pharmaceutical-inspired sex fantasies about garbage can Sesame Street characters - that had to be the best Just Say No drug lecture a girl in a leg cast could ever receive to make her go cold turkey off the meds.”

Humour Drugs Pills High Medication Shrimp Sesame Street Gingerbread Painkillers Rachel Cohn Cupcake Cyd Charisse Leg Injury Oscar The Grouch

Book:Cupcake

Source: Cupcake

“What else could I be? If I were a mono-thinker, I probably wouldn’t be an insomniac. How is a poly-thinker supposed to fall asleep, and more importantly, stay asleep, when thoughts just won’t stop darting! darting! darting! through my head?”

Insomniac

“When your mom noticed me watching a Buffy rerun on the little TV on the doorman desk one slow night on the job, she admitted that watching Buffy was her shared solace with you after your dad left. She told me how you cry and cry for Buffy. You cry when Angel shows up to be Buffy's prom date even though they'd already recognized the futility of their true love and broken up. You cry when Buffy's mom is taken away by natural instead of supernatural causes. You cry when seasons six and seven really don't reflect the quality of seasons one through five except for the musical episode.”

Source: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List

Buffy

Author:Rachel Cohn

“I approached a small table at the far corner of the Sky Garden and saw Akemi sitting nearby, studying a math textbook. She wore a demure, long-sleeved, knee-length white lace dress, black patent leather Mary Jane shoes, and on the floor was her school backpack that said "ICS-Tokyo" and was adorned with pastel ribbons, bows, and lace.”

Girly Backpack Japanese Fashion Schoolgirl

“A department store two days before Christmas Eve is like a city in a state of siege....”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Dash

“I placed the first piece of sushi in my mouth. HIGH HOLY HEAVEN! It was like a dance of flavors and textures- salty, rich, sweet, chewy yet silken- all at once. "This is maybe the best thing I've ever eaten," I said after swallowing. To be fair, food that good did deserve rules for eating. Each flavor ping caused epic delirium to my taste buds. Ramen was okay. Sushi was the bomb.”

Source: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Flavors Sushi Japanese Food

“We passed an array of stalls selling Belgian chocolates, German sweets, and then French pastries. "The yogashi are the Western-style confections like cakes and pastries. Some of the biggest names from all over the world have stalls here, like Ladurée from France and Wittamer from Belgium. I love going to the depachika for treats. It can be like a cheat weekend trip to Paris or Brussels." "What do the Ex-Brats have when they eat here?" "Hard to say because the Ex-Brats rotation changes all the time. I'm the only girl in our class who has been at ICS-Tokyo for more than five years. People are always moving away. Of the current crew, I never take Ntombi or Jhanvi here. They're always on a diet. So lame. When Arabella was here, we'd come to eat in the Din Tai Fung restaurant one level down. They make these dumplings with purple yams or sweet red bean paste that are just sick they're so delicious." Yams sounded great. I found a food stall I liked and picked out a grilled yam and some fried tempura for lunch. I didn't need Imogen to help me translate. I just pointed at the items I wanted, the counter worker smiled and packaged everything, then showed me a calculator with the amount I owed. I placed my Amex card on the tray the worker handed me, relieved to have had my morning 7-Eleven experience so I was able to observe the proper paying etiquette in front of Imogen. She bought an egg salad sandwich, which was packaged so beautifully you'd think it was jewelry from Tiffany's. It was in a cardboard box that had a flower print on its sides and was wrapped in tight, clear plastic at the top so you could see the sandwich inside. The sandwich had the crusts removed and was cut into two square pieces standing upright in the box, with pieces of perfectly cut fruit arrayed on the side.”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Sweets Japanese Food European Yams Packaged Depachika

“Tokyu Food Show!" Oscar and Nik both said. I eagerly followed the gang to their favorite local food spot in Shibuya Station, where another Japanese department store with a basement food hall offered dazzling displays of grilled eel, fried pork, fish salad, sushi, seafood-and-rice wraps, dumplings, mochi cakes, chocolates, and jellied confections.”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Japanese Food Shibuya

“Goodwill to all.' I know it's techinically 'goodwill to all men,' but in my mind, I drop the 'men' because that feels segregationist/elitist/sexist/generally bad ist. Goodwill shouldn't be just for men. It should also apply to women and children, and all animals, even the yucky ones like subway rats. I'd even extend the goodwill not just to living creatures but to the dearly departed, and if we include them, we might as well include the undead, those supposedly mythic beings like vampires, and if they're in, then so are elves, fairies, and gnomes. Heck, since we're already being so generous in our big group hug, why not also embrace those supposedly inanimate objects like dolls and stuffed animals. I'm sure Santa would agree. 'Goodwill to all.”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Christmas Quirky Quirky Characters

“I know there was no God waiting for her, because no God could have let her find Him this soon.”

Source: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Sucide

Book:You Know Where to Find Me

Source: You Know Where to Find Me

“My brother, Langston, said, “Lily, you don’t understand because you’ve never been in love. If you had a boyfriend, you’d understand.” Langston has a new boyfriend and all I understand from that is a sorry state of co-dependence.”

Love Relationships

“If I died in a freak accident while hurrying through Shibuya's notorious "scramble" intersection, where thousands of pedestrians crossed from all directions at once when the WALK light shifted to green, I hoped whoever performed my funeral service would know I died satisfied. Shibuya felt like being in the center of the vertical world, with tall buildings flashing advertisements, neon lights, and level after level of stores and restaurants visible through glass windows. So many people, so hurried, so much to look at and experience. Fashionista women wearing skinny pants with stiletto pumps riding bikes down crowded sidewalks. Harajuku girls with pink hair and crazy outfits. Loud izakaya bars where men's conversations and laughter spilled onto the street, and women walking by wearing kimonos with white socks tucked into flip-flops. Young people strutting around dressed in kosupure ("cosplay," Nik translated) outfits from their favorite anime, like it was Halloween every day here. TOO MUCH FUN. I didn't want to die, but if I did, I would tell the souls I met in the afterlife: Don't feel bad about my premature end. I saw it all in my short time down in the upworld of Tokyo.”

Source: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Tokyo Cosplay Japanese Fashion Die Happily Shibuya

“On Saturday morning, he'd chosen his favorite place in Taipei to show me, Chung-shan Park. We wandered on a beautiful walking path around a lake with spraying fountains, surrounded by trees, and under the shadow of Taipei's iconic skyscraper, which was called Taipei 101. It was a great place for people-watching, with young couples on romantic walks, parents pushing babies in strollers, older people practicing tai chi, kids riding bikes, and nature lovers snapping photos of flowers. Best of all were the baobing- delicious shaved ices with a super-thin texture and condensed milk that added an extra sweet flavor. I topped my baobing with mango chunks, while Uncle Masa chose sweet potato chunks on his, an addition I never imagined could be delicious until I sampled his for myself.”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Toppings Park Taipei Shaved Ice Sweet Potato

“We entered the Takashimaya department store through the basement level, and my eyes were joyfully assaulted by the sight of an epic number of beautiful food stalls lining the store aisles. "This is called a depachikaThe depachika was like the Ikebana Café with all its different food types, but times a zillion, with confectionaries selling chocolates and cakes and sweets that looked like dumplings, and food counters offering dazzling displays of seafood, meats, salads, candies, and juices. There was even a grocery store, with exquisite-looking fruit individually wrapped and cushioned, flawless in appearance. The workers in each stall wore different uniforms, some with matching hats, and they called out "Konichiwa!" to passersby. I loved watching each counter's workers delicately wrap the purchases and hand them over to customers as if presenting a gift rather than just, say, a sandwich or a chocolate treat. As I marveled at the display cases of sweets- with so many varieties of chocolates, cakes, and candies- Imogen said, "The traditional Japanese sweets are called wagashi, which is stuff like mochi- rice flour cakes filled with sweet pastes- and jellied candies that look more like works of art than something you'd actually eat, and cookies that look gorgeous but usually taste bland." "The cookie tins are so beautiful!" I marveled, admiring a case of tins with prints so intricate they looked like they could double as designer handbags.”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Sweets Japanese Cuisine Depachika

“We entered the Takashimaya department store through the basement level, and my eyes were joyfully assaulted by the sight of an epic number of beautiful food stalls lining the store aisles. "This is called a depachika- a Japanese food hall." The depachika was like the Ikebana Café with all its different food types, but times a zillion, with confectionaries selling chocolates and cakes and sweets that looked like dumplings, and food counters offering dazzling displays of seafood, meats, salads, candies, and juices. There was even a grocery store, with exquisite-looking fruit individually wrapped and cushioned, flawless in appearance. The workers in each stall wore different uniforms, some with matching hats, and they called out "Konichiwa!" to passersby. I loved watching each counter's workers delicately wrap the purchases and hand them over to customers as if presenting a gift rather than just, say, a sandwich or a chocolate treat. As I marveled at the display cases of sweets- with so many varieties of chocolates, cakes, and candies- Imogen said, "The traditional Japanese sweets are called wagashi, which is stuff like mochi- rice flour cakes filled with sweet pastes- and jellied candies that look more like works of art than something you'd actually eat, and cookies that look gorgeous but usually taste bland." "The cookie tins are so beautiful!" I marveled, admiring a case of tins with prints so intricate they looked like they could double as designer handbags.”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Sweets Japanese Cuisine Depachika

“As we walked off the plank, we were greeted by a swarm of felines that clearly knew the boat's arrival time. There were cats stretched out on the dock, cats lounging in the morning sun, cats playing and fighting one another, and cats cleaning themselves. Calicos, tabbies, tuxedoes, ginger, and black cats. At the end of the dock were crates that had been converted into blanket-covered little cat apartments. Tails stuck out from inside the shelters. The few buildings on the street were adorned with graffiti of cats. A Japanese tourist couple also getting off the boat were more prepared than us- they had bonito flake treats to dole out to the felines. But the local fishermen sorted their wares in sheds by the road were the real treat-givers. They threw out small fish to the cats. The lucky cats on the receiving end pranced by us with fish heads and tails sticking out from either side of their mouths.”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Treats Japan Cats Island Tashirojima

“love is love, attraction is what it is, and why should the arbitrary assignment of genital parts determine whether or not you want to be with a person?”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

David Levithan Rachel Cohn

Author:Rachel Cohn

“Akemi (pronounced Ah-kay-mee- I thought it was one of the most beautiful names I'd ever heard) didn't seem too interested in me; her attention was focused on her movie. Emiko had told me that Akemi was a sophomore, but she barely looked old enough for middle school with her hair tied back in a bow, and pastel kawaii "cute style" ribbons and lace bedazzling her school uniform and backpack. I hoped Akemi wasn't one of those supposedly innocent girls who the minute she was removed from her family's sight let her hair loose, removed layers of clothing to show off a banging bod, and became a wild party girl. Or maybe that wouldn't be so bad. Wild party-girl Akemi might be a lot more fun than drive-to-school girl Akemi, who hardly had two words to say.”

Japanese Kawaii Schoolgirl

“The scent of the steaming broth was exquisite. The bowl teemed with thick, fresh noodles, tender meat, a soft-boiled egg and green onion garnishes floating at the top. We sat down and clinked Coke bottles. "Kanpai," said Uncle Masa. "What's that mean?" "Cheers." I took my first spoonfuls. Cheers was right. "OH MY GOD!" I exclaimed. Uncle Masa misinterpreted my outburst. "Too spicy for you?" "Hardly! I can't believe how flavorful the broth is. And these noodles are so fresh. I've never had noodles so good.”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Ramen Cheers

“You're always drinking apple juice. Do you have a Vitamin C deficiency?" "The only deficiency I have is the sixteen years I spent on this planet not knowing how good apple juice could be." "Isn't it the same everywhere?" "That's what I would have thought, till I tried it here. The apples here are just next-level delicious and perfect. The juice is naturally sweet, refreshing, and satisfying.”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Japan Apple Juice

“And we are giddy, because dawn is here, we’re at the center of the world and we’re at the center of our own universe, and spring is here, and the air smells wet and clean. God bless Manhattan, you know, because it must be six in the morning on a Sunday yet trash collection trucks are teeming down the street and Times Square workers in their bright-orange uniforms are cleaning up the night’s excesses and not even the smell of fresh spring rain can completely wash away Eau de Times Square Urine/Trash/Vomit, but somehow this here, this now, it feels perfect.”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Manhattan Times Square

Book:Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Source: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

“Chikusho, I thought. This was the famous Imogen Kato, right here! She saw me and glanced down at the magazine I'd been looking at while waiting for my meeting with Chloe, open to the photo spread- of her. God, how embarrassing. I closed the magazine abruptly. It was definitely the same girl, although now her hair was platinum blond with dark roots instead of a mixture of auburn with honey and green apple-colored streaks. Beneath her plaid uniform skirt, she wore deep purple-and-blue-and-silver leggings that had prints of galloping gray unicorns, and over her blouse was a worn-out, oversize, cream-colored cardigan sweater with the belt tied to the side instead of center. Apparently, the uniform dress code was not that strict at this school.”

Style Leggings Schoolgirl Uniform

“Boy needs to get a good night's sleep. Otherwise, he'll be lucky to get accepted at SUNY-So Far Upstate You Might As Well Be In Canada, eh?”

Source: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Humor Sleep College Insomniac Bruce

“I kind of hate Nick right now, too, but there's someone else higher on my list, someone I hate more than Saddam Hussein and any asshole named Bush combined, hate more than that fuckhead who canceled 'My So-Called Life' and left me with a too-small boxed DVD set that does not answer the questions whether Angela and Jordan Catalano did it, or if Patty and Graham got a divorce, or if there really was something to all that lesbian subtext between Rayanne and Sharon.”

Source: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List

Hate Pop Culture

Book:Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Source: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

“Beneath the water, I can know her. She was fierce, uncompromising. When she loved, she loved deeply, passionately. She loved the blue-eyed water god. She owned him. His heart. But then she felt betrayal, she hated, and she was feared. Hate gave her power.”

Love Hate Water

Book:Beta

Source: Beta

“I don't see why ogling same-sex kissing should be the exclusive domain of frat boys whacking off to lesbian action, that's so sexist. Feminism should be all inclusive- it should be about sexual liberation, equal pay for equal work, and the fundamental girl right of boy2boy appreciation.”

Should Action Girl Sex Pay Boys Feminism Kissing Equal Fundamentals Appreciation Liberation Domain Exclusive Sexist Equal Pay

“How come princesses always have some huge flaw that can cause their downfall?”

Source: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Causes Huge Flaws Princess Downfall

Book:You Know Where to Find Me

Source: You Know Where to Find Me

“No one would want to read a book in which I explain the science of cloning because it would be very dull and it would also make no sense.”

Want Book Would Be Dull Cloning

Author:Rachel Cohn

“We believe in the wrong things. That's what frustrates me the most. Not the lack of belief, but the belief in the wrong things. You want meaning? Well, the meanings are out there. We're just so damn good at reading them wrong.”

Want Believe Wells Reading Belief Damn Want Me Wrong Things You Want Me Damn Good Meaning Well

“But I know the difference. Everyone else is a ghost. I exist here alone, stranded by choice. Deserted.”

Source: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Knows Choices Differences Ghost Deserted Stranded

“It's a total lie to say there's only one person you're going to be with for the rest of your life. If you're lucky - and if you try really hard - there will always be more than one.”

Source: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List

Ifs Trying Persons Hard Lying Lucky Rest Of Your Life

Author:Rachel Cohn

“Bruises mapped my body from bumping into tables and tripping over curbs while walking with a book in my hand, my eyes focused on the pages instead of the live space around me.”

Book Body Hands Eye Space Walking Pages Tables Focused Bruises Curb Tripping Tripping Over

Book:You Know Where to Find Me

Source: You Know Where to Find Me

“There’s no such thing as ready,” she says. “There’s only willing.”

Willing Ready

“Tal told me he loved me, and told me and told me, but you don't tell someone that and then tell them they're not experienced enough in bed and should read a book or something to learn, or they should try wearing deep-red lipstick and tight skirts to look hot like their best friend once in a while. If Tal hadn't lied to me when he said he loved me, I might not be without a future right now, a sucker who was so chickenshit she allowed herself to believe a false dream from a false god. I'm not sure I ever even liked Tal, much less loved him.”

Source: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Ifs Should Trying Believe Looks Said Book Enough Dream Might Right Now Bed Red Hot Not Sure Lied Skirts Lipstick Sucker False Gods Red Lipstick Lied To Me

Author:Rachel Cohn

“We are the ones who take this thing called music and line it up with this thing called time. We are the ticking, we are the pulsing, we are underneath every part of this moment. And by making the moment our own, we are rendering it timeless. There is no audience. There are no instruments. There are only bodies and thoughts and murmurs and looks. It's the concert rush to end all concert rushes, because this is what matters. When the heart races, this is what it's racing towards.”

Looks Heart Ends Matter Moments Body Lines Race Music Audience Instruments Concerts Racing What Matters Timeless Rendering

Author:Rachel Cohn

“He's not my step brother technically, so I think it's okay that I kissed him once.”

Thinking Steps Brother Okay

Author:Rachel Cohn

“No--when the rain falls you just let it fall and you grin like a madman and you dance with it, because if you can make yourself happy in the rain then you're doing pretty alright in life. (Nick, page 156)”

Ifs Fall Pages Rain Alright Madmen Make Yourself Happy

“[S]he leans into this guy and rocks her head like I’m making this music for her, when if I could, I would take it all away and give her as much silence as she’s given me pain.”

Source: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Ifs Giving Pain Guy Given Silence Rocks If I Could This Guy