The greatest thing about books: words! All the best words.
It’s kind of hard to have one without the other. That’s just sort of how it works. Or so I’m told.
The best books stay with you long after you’ve finished them and have been rudely ejected from their world and callously dumped back into reality.
I’m sure we can all agree the post-apocalyptic hellscape had more to offer, okay. Book hangovers are just rude.
But my favorite part of discovering new books? New quotes! The sort that make you laugh or cry or melt into an existential crisis. I’m actually super excited for this week’s post, because I’ve always been a big ol’ quote nerd and used to have a motivation board where I posted lovely quotes I’ve found. So strap in! This is gonna be fun.
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is about inspirational/thought-provoking book quotes.
✦ And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman ✦
Everyone knew there would be at least one Backman quote, right? RIGHT?! So I figure I’ll go ahead and get this out of the way early on. This is a novella I don’t talk about often, because it absolutely destroyed me to read it, and honestly, I’m tearing up thinking about it. Because guys, there is very little in life that is more painful than losing someone to dementia. Especially for a story told from their perspective. My grandfather has dementia, and the reality is painful and brutal and ugly and not very nice, but this novella is everything dementia’s not: beautiful, poetic, poignant, and filled front to back with hope and love. I can’t recommend this one enough. And not just so I’m not the only one sitting in a corner sobbing like a baby. But maybe that, too.
“What did you write?”
“I wrote that I wanted to concentrate on being little first.”
“That’s a very good answer.”
“Isn’t it? I would rather be old than a grown-up. All grown-ups are angry, it’s just children and old people who laugh.”
“Did you write that?”
“Yes.”
“What did your teacher say?”
“She said I hadn’t understood the task.”
“And what did you say?”
“I said she hadn’t understood my answer.”
✦ Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman ✦
I knew I had to add this book, but picking a single quote was hard. Because this book tackles such a tough subject (namely, mental health), and there were A LOT of great quotes that really make you stop and think. Sometimes for the better. A lot of times, not. Especially if you’ve ever dealt with mental illness yourself. But in the end, I went with one that was a bit less depressing (because gosh, I’m only on number two and I’m already depressed). Since my banter was one of the favorite parts of this book, I’m going to give you a two-fer, because it’s worth it.
“The constellations are mostly demigods,” I point out. “And they didn’t get to be constellations until after they died.”
He laughs at that, and says, “Death is a small sacrifice to become immortal.”
✦ Theme for English B by Langston Hughes ✦
I’ve loved Langston Hughes for probably forever. If you can read just one poet this year, make it Langston Hughes (though, he did write short stories, too). As a biracial author, Hughes was part of the Harlem Renaissance waaaay back when. Being a biracial woman also growing up in New York, I found there were a lot of things I could relate to in his work. Picked him up from a young age and haven’t looked back. My book of his complete works is a staple on my shelf.
Being me, it will not be white.
But it will be
a part of you, instructor.
You are white—
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That’s American.
Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that’s true!
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me—
although you’re older—and white—
and somewhat more free.
✦ Le Petit Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery ✦
This is still my favorite book and always will be. I’ve forced everyone I know to read it. They probably resent me, but hey, I was being nice. I let them read the English version, since none of them speak French. See? Wasn’t that generous of me? This book has, hands down, the best iconic quotes. I prefer it in French, but for the sake of you, dear readers, I will post the English quote. See? Still totally nailing that generosity thing. You’re welcome.
“What do you mean?”
“When you look up at the sky at night, since I’ll be living on one of them, since I’ll be laughing on one of them, for you it’ll be as if all the stars are laughing. You’ll have stars that can laugh!”
And he laughed again.
“And when you’re consoled (everyone eventually is consoled), you’ll be glad you’ve known me. You’ll always be my friend. You’ll feel like laughing with me. And you’ll open your window sometimes just for the fun of it . . . And your friends will be amazed to see you laughing while you’re looking up at the sky. then you’ll tell them, ‘Yes, it’s the stars; they always make me laught!’ And they’ll think you’re crazy. It’ll be a nasty trick I played on you . . . “
And he laughed again.
“And it’ll be as if I had given you, instead of stars, a lot of tiny bells that know how to laugh . . .”
✦ Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson ✦
Well, that got real depressing real fast, so let’s have something a bit lighter, hm? I’m 99% sure that Lightsong is my spirit animal. I have never before connected with a character on such a spiritual level. He’s just magnificent.
“I can’t imagine you being married to the God King at any age, Scoot,” Lightsong said. Then he pointedly cringed. “Actually, yes I can imagine it, and the dress looks painfully inelegant on you. Make a note to have my imagination flogged for its insolence in showing me that particular sight.”
“I’ll put it in line right behind your sense of decorum, Your Grace,” Llarimar said dryly.
“Don’t be silly,” Lightsong said, taking a sip of wine. “I haven’t had one of those in years.”
✦ Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett ✦
Of all Practhett’s creations, I’m pretty sure I’ll never love any quite like Death. There’s just something about him. I particularly liked him in Reaper Man as he attempts to figure out humans. Spoiler alert: we’ve had foreverrrr and we still haven’t figured it out ourselves. Good luck with that. But watching Death try to figure it out is particularly fun.
✦ A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi ✦
There are two great things about this book: the banter between Vikram and Gauri and the vetala. But I’m going to quote neither, so you’re just going to have to read the book to experience those. Chokshi actually has a really descriptive writing style that is sometimes a little too much for me, but on the other hand, she has some downright gorgeous quotes, so … I’ll deal.
✦ How To Stop Time by Matt Haig ✦
This book had a lot of really good quotes about life and death and time, etc, which I particularly enjoyed. It was sort of difficult just to choose one, but I managed. The whole book in and of itself really gets you thinking.
✦ Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones ✦
I have so much love for this duology, but this second book in particular. I felt that it was just so much … more … than the first. I don’t even know. But it was darkness and mystery and wonder and horror and life and death all rolled into one. Oh, and music. Obviously.
✦ Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor ✦
A lot of these quotes were on the darker side, so I want to end with a lighter one. And what better than one of my go-to series when I need a laugh? The plot of this series frustrates me. Mostly because there isn’t one, really, and what little bit there is, is absolutely nonsensical. But the characters are fantastic, and it never fails to make me laugh.
That Backman quote was wonderful.
My TTT.
Thanks! He does have some of the best quotes. :3
Great selection! I also loved the style you used for this article. It looks beautiful.
Thank you! I appreciate that. 😀
Death quite frankly gets some of the best quotes out of the whole of Discworld. His looking in on our lives is so interesting.
It’s so true. I almost regret starting with the Death trilogy because not that I don’t love the other books, but how can other characters possibly live up to Death? I mean, they’re charming in their own right (it’s hard not to fall in love with, for example, Rincewind lol). But Death is still the best.
I’m also a huge quote fan. I quote things all the time. You picked some good ones.
That Backman quote is really great. I really need to read more of his books! Loved all these quotes actually – many from authors I haven’t read but are on my TBR. Great list!
I will forever recommend Backman! So I agree that you should. 😛 Hope you enjoy them when you get a chance to read them.
I’ve read one of his books but I really need to pick up Beartown because I haven’t stopped seeing it everywhere! Lol 😅
Now that’s one I haven’t read yet, so if you get to it before I do, you’ll have to let me know what you think. 😉
I think I like the one from Shadowsong and How to Stop Time the best.
They’re such lovely quotes, for sure. Though, pretty much everything in those books was lovely, so choosing was really difficult.
I haven’t read Crown of Wishes yet but I did recently read Star-Touched Queen and it was so beautiful. I love Roshani’s writing so much.
I highly recommend Crown of Wishes! I thought it was so much better than Star-Touched Queen (which was also great, so take that however you will). I really liked her writing, too.
I think I’m one of the few people in the world who has yet to read a Fredrik Backman novel. I want to…I just haven’t. I have read A Crown of Wishes though, and that love story just makes me swoon! Find yourself someone who will give you a sword garden.
You know what? I’m not gonna hold that against you, because I’m one of the only people in the world that hasn’t read … well, a lot of the older popular series like The Raven Cycle and Daughter of Smoke and Bone. xD It happens sometimes.
Ahaha yeeees, I loved the romance in that so much! I need more romances like that in books lol.