“You don't have to be anyone but yourself.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“That's always the worst: the not knowing. Because then you're stuck with a hundred questions no one can answer.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“...I never would have seen Chelsea reach up, take Logan's face in her hands, and kiss him. So the off again was definitely on again. And I knew then that Patrick was very wrong about my heart, because if it had actually been an encyclopedia I could have watched it all with perfect composure.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“Stupid patriarchal culture with stupid ideas of beauty—stupid me for going along with it.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“...everyone would wonder, 'What's he doing with her?' And then you'd say, 'Hmm, good question,' and you'd dump me. That wouldn't be nice.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“How stupid would that sound? It was high school, not the Hindu cast system, where the Untouchables have to avoid 'polluting' the upper classes.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“I fought the urge to flee by reminding myself that I couldn't run away every time I felt uncomfortable, embarrassed or hurt.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“Too late to point out that he would be better off with someone smart and sweet and—okay—awkward than with Chelsea. Someone who could make him laugh. Someone like, oh, I dunno, me!”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“And while, yes, a normal day for me means three AP classes, it really isn't so bad. Definitely stressful, but...”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“You said, there was no harm in wondering. You said, it’d just be a peek, And you said, don’t be a mother hen. You said, you could land on your feet. But we both know now, You had to learn somehow. Alice, dear, things in mirrors are not as they seem. Stop risking it all on one of your lunatic schemes.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“You, Mackenzie,” he said slowly, “have a thesaurus where your heart should be.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“What?" My head jerked up too quickly and I lost my balance. The stupid skates sent me hurtling toward the ground, which was exactly what I deserved for thinking that I could tutor and skate at the same time. The Greeks had a word for that type of pride: hubris. And it usually came before a very long and painful fall.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“You asked ... and now I get to ask you questions.” I made an expansive gesture that nearly knocked over my water. “I’m an open book.” “I’m dyslexic.”
― Marni Bates, quote from Awkward
“Termine como termine mi historia, nunca olvidaré lo afortunado que soy.”
― Morris Gleitzman, quote from Once
“Although the release was heartbreaking for the Adamsons, they were mindful that she had been born free.”
― Joy Adamson, quote from Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds
“I follow his stare at the speckles of stars. Suddenly I wonder, "Aren't you guys supposed to, like, sparkle or something?" And immediately wish I hadn't. Frederik stands up so quickly that he doesn't disturb the sand. He grabs the front of my shirt and growls--his eyes are black as the night sky along the horizon, and red veins fray against the white of his eyes. His sharp canines are exposed. "I.Don't.Sparkle." He lets go of me and becomes regular bored Frederik again, no fangs, no bloodshot eyes. Just a dude sitting on the beach at night.”
― Zoraida Córdova, quote from The Vicious Deep
“This...this...thing?"
"A parsnip?" Jem suggested
"A parsnip planted in satan's own garden," said Will. He glanced about. "I dont suppose there's a dog I could feed it to?"
"There dont seem to be any pets about," Jem-who loved animals, even the inglorious and ill-tempered Church-observed.
"Probably all poisened by parsnips," said Will.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Prince
“Ah, I believe Schacht. Only too willingly; that’s to say, I think what he says is absolutely true, for the world is incomprehensibly crass, tyrannical, moody, and cruel to sickly and sensitive people. Well, Schacht will stay here for the time being. We laughed at him a bit, when he arrived, that can’t be helped either, Schacht is young and after all can’t be allowed to think there are special degrees, advantages, methods, and considerations for him. He has now had his first disappointment, and I’m convinced that he’ll have twenty disappointments, one after the other. Life with its savage laws is in any case for certain people a succession of discouragements and terrifying bad impressions. People like Schacht are born to feel and suffer a continuous sense of aversion. He would like to admit and welcome things, but he just can’t. Hardness and lack of compassion strike him with tenfold force, he just feels them more acutely. Poor Schacht. He’s a child and he should be able to revel in melodies and bed himself in kind, soft, carefree things. For him there should be secret splashings and birdsong. Pale and delicate evening clouds should waft him away in the kingdom of Ah, What’s Happening to Me? His hands are made for light gestures, not for work. Before him breezes should blow, and behind him sweet, friendly voices should be whispering. His eyes should be allowed to remain blissfully closed, and Schacht should be allowed to go quietly to sleep again, after being wakened in the morning in the warm, sensuous cushions. For him there is, at root, no proper activity, for every activity is for him, the way he is, improper, unnatural, and unsuitable. Compared with Schacht I’m the trueblue rawboned laborer. Ah, he’ll be crushed, and one day he’ll die in a hospital. or he’ll perish, ruined in body and soul, inside one of our modern prisons.”
― Robert Walser, quote from Jakob von Gunten
BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.
We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.
Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.