Junot Diaz is an incredibly powerful writer. His writing is bold and brilliant and has the ability to transform you and allure you into the world he has created with his characters. His words are honest and moving, and you constantly find yourself wanting to read more.

If you haven’t read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Pulitzer Prize winner) or This Is How You Lose Her, I strongly recommend that you do.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from these books:

1.

“She was the kind of girlfriend God gives you young, so you’ll know loss the rest of your life.”
– The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

2.

“That’s life for you. All the happiness you gather to yourself, it will sweep away like it’s nothing. If you ask me I don’t think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That’s enough.”
– The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

3.

“The half-life of love is forever.”
– This Is How You Lose Her

4.

“You ask everybody you know: How long does it usually take to get over it?
There are many formulas. One year for every year you dated. Two years for every year you dated. It’s just a matter of will power: The day you decide it’s over, it’s over. You never get over it.”
– This Is How You Lose Her

5.

“You can’t regret the life you didn’t lead.”
– The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

6.

“And that’s when I know it’s over. As soon as you start thinking about the beginning, it’s the end.”
– This Is How You Lose Her

7.

“You lose her for every second you make her feel less and less of the beauty that she is. When you make her feel that she is replaceable. She wants to feel cherished. When you make her feel that you are fleeting. She wants you to stay. When you make her feel inadequate. She wants to know that she is enough and she does not need to change for you, nor for anyone else because she is she and she is beautiful, kind and good.”
– This Is How You Lose Her

8.

“You must learn her. You must know the reason why she is silent. You must trace her weakest spots. You must write to her. You must remind her that you are there. You must know how long it takes for her to give up. You must be there to hold her when she is about to. You must love her because many have tried and failed. And she wants to know that she is worthy to be loved, that she is worthy to be kept. And, this is how you keep her.”
– This Is How You Lose Her