My Commonplace Book

“A book is like a pump. It gives nothing unless first you give to it. You prime a pump with your own water, you work the handle with your own strength. You do this because you expect to get back more than you give . . . eventually.” – Stephen King, Hearts in Atlantis.

“There are also books full of great writing that don’t have very good stories. Read sometimes for the story, Bobby. Don’t be like the book-snobs who won’t do that. Read sometimes for the words—the language. Don’t be like the play-it-safers that won’t do that. But when you find a book that has both a good story and good words, treasure that book.” – Stephen King, Hearts in Atlantis.

“I was raised among books making invisible friends in pages that seemed cast from dust and whose smell I carry on my hands to this day.” – Carlos Ruis Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind.

“Books are mirrors; you only see in them what you already have inside you.” – Carlos Ruis Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind.

“If you resist reading what you disagree with, how will you ever acquire deeper insights into what you believe? The things most worth reading are precisely those that challenge our convictions.” – Anonymous