"They must have been familiar sights, walking around that shopping plaza in their shirts and ballerina slippers that always scuffed the sidewalk, with charm bracelets jingling on their thin wrists; they would lean together to whisper and laugh secretly if someone passed by who amused or interested them."

-Joyce Carol Oates, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

"Drunk, Jane spoke as though she were Nancy Drew." 
-Michael Chabon The Mysteries of Pittsburgh

"His room smelled of Lysol, cooked grease, and age."  

- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

“Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a scattering of brown slowly recede into the walls as we walked into the next room: live roaches.” 
 - Jean Kwok, Girl in Translation

"She could not fall asleep in a room when the closet door was open; she did not like to see the dresses hanging there." - John Irving A Widow for One Year