You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now; except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.
quote by Charles Jones

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Related quotes
Associate with the noblest people you can find read the best books live with the mighty. But learn to be happy alone. Rely upon your own energies, and so do not wait for, or depend on other people.
quote by Thomas Davidson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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My beloved Spider!
She weaves a strong Cobweb;
And I asked why darling
I am getting Sixty very soon?
Sixties are the naughtiest
And she cries in Beatitude!
*You're the same today that you'll be five years from now except two things; the people you meet and the books you read.
-Mac McMillan
poem by Nimal Dunuhinga

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Listen, my day job is also Chief Creative Officer for Marvel, and it's a very painful job because we publish a lot of books, and there are things I see where I can punch people out. Therefore, we have some new people now, and the kids are going to read our books.
The Romance Of A Book
Reading a book, you're hit by romance,
No matter the subject matter,
You can read and read,
And every book is different,
Some stories are more pleasant than others,
While some are funny, but most are serious,
For the romance of a book,
Is in everyone's heart,
No matter their age or height,
Whether male or female:
It is all relative and I devour,
Each and every book,
I can read the classics,
Or even a heart-warming romance,
I just get through so many books,
I love every storyline,
Not so much the gory parts,
But the cleverness of the fictional detectives,
And those rock stars that roam the stage,
For a book is something that will never age,
No matter how many years on the shelf,
And stories can be shared with everyone else,
Yet everyone has their own views,
And books can be lifting when they're feeling blue,
For people have been reading fiction for centuries,
But, of course, not all books are fictional:
There're the historical books, interesting,
Even if a reader is just passing through,
And we can all learn something from the history books,
And let's not forget the autobiographies:
Many a man and woman fascinating,
Having lead unique lives and having had special loves,
And there is a romance to these people,
For they walked the same earth as everyone else,
Yet brought something strange and special to the world,
Like a scientist making a new discovery,
Or a rock star penning a hit song,
And all these things are which make books belong,
I haven't met anyone yet who finds books boring,
Because books are not boring: they are fascinating,
Unique, special, strange, romantic and enjoyable,
And every reader's dream: like hitting 'play' on a record,
For this is the romance of a book.
poem by Paula Glynn

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It's different in Scotland. People who come to readings are more interested in literature as such, but the readership in general is really quite diverse. It's a cliche, but it's said that people who read my books don't read any other books, and you do get that element.
quote by Irvine Welsh

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Books
books after being read
become nothing
but things
books unread
are treasures of gold
undiscovered
beneath your feet
books unshared
are thoughts unspoken.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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Most books today seemed to have been written overnight from books read the day before.
quote by Nicolas de Chamfort

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Most of today's books have an air of having been written in one day from books read the night before.
quote by Chamfort

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Since You Went Away
You said you couldnt tell the doormat from my face
You said if I had brains I would pawn them
Could be Ive finally gotten up off of my thumbs
Could be that youre the one that was on them
Cause the plants have grown
The dog came home
The bills are all getting paid
Things are much better since you went away
And Ive changed my looks
I read new books
Ive got friends that mean what they say
Things are much better since you went away
You said without your help I couldnt tie my shoes
You said without a doubt Id be stranded
Could be that you were right and you had to fly the coop
Could be the eagle finally has landed
Cause the plants have grown
The dog came home
The bills are all getting paid
Things are much better since you went away
And Ive changed my looks
I read new books
Ive got friends that mean what they say
Things are much better since you went away
When I was younger I was told without another
Id be incomplete and deflated
My chosen one has chosen to befriend another
And to my surprise -
Im elated!
Cause the plants have grown
The dog came home
The bills are all getting paid
Things are much better since you went away
And Ive changed my looks
I read new books
Ive got friends that mean what they say
Things are much better since you went away
[repeat]
song performed by by Monkees

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Comic Books
Long before I was 12 I would read by myself.
Archie, josie, super-heroes.
I would read them by myself.
I had the stars on my wall.
14 was a gas for me.
Batman on tv.
I would cheer the super-heroes.
They were all I wanted to be.
I had the stars on my wall.
18 I was guaranteed.
I would lose my teenage dream.
But its so funny how I got to look.
Like all the people in my comic books.
Now Im a star on my wall.
Comic books.
Comic books.
Comic books.
Comic books.
song performed by by Blondie

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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On Books
Books are my first love, I’m so proud to read;
They give me knowledge and help life to lead;
Hours, days just pass by, by reading life-time;
Life would not be worth, if not for my rhyme.
Great are those people who write books all life;
Burning just candles, with Goose-quills in strife;
Tired of writing though day-long or night,
They keep on writing in such a bad light.
Books serve a great cause; their value can’t cease;
It takes years to write but reading is ease;
Book-makers struggle to print a few books;
And keep spending time to, improve their looks.
Some find their way to libraries in town;
Some remain untouched and nev’r taken down;
Silver-fish, Moths eat the books that are old;
Some are gone obsolete, some sold like gold.
Some are in tatters and must be rebound;
Books are Man’s best friends where solace is found;
Reading for long hours, does help you to learn;
Books give much knowledge and wisdom to men.
Read books with great care whose weight is in gold;
Serve generations though they may be old;
Source of much Info, deserving respect;
Books are life-partners whom you ne’er reject!
poem by John Celes

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Human Seeds
She didn't have the best mind in the class
she knew that;
nor the prettiest face.
She couldn't play the clown-make people laugh
and she was not the one to understate
thoughts and feelings
on specific things.
She moved among her contemporaries
unseen, untouched
not noticed
nor scorned
but not given either
much respect.
She didn't dance-
too much exposure there-
and her body often betrayed
her lack of balance
and too
she didn't much think
of body parts as
internal expressions.
At least not her's.
So she circled her Being
around one friend and her books;
the one friend who shared her predicament.
And the two would associate, rather than talk,
hung together on lunch-time walks
each having someone who
could navigate that long mile
from lunch room table
to lunch room door.
Two shadows close enough
each concealing the other,
therefore, together they were shadowless.
Til one day she read in one of her books
that Shadow Beings have an
opportunity
to make of themselves new things,
because they are not filled up yet with superficials.
Empty vessels tho they might be
they too
can choose what ingredients
will make up their life-soup
instead of already in their teens
having been already filled with gruel mean.
So taken that way
she thought
I am a Human Seed
awaiting still
My Blossoming.
And that was her
first
Awakening.
poem by Lonnie Hicks

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I knew I would read all kinds of books and try to get at what it is that makes good writers good. But I made no promises that I would write books a lot of people would like to read.
quote by Carl Sandburg

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I still love books. Nothing a computer can do can compare to a book. You can't really put a book on the Internet. Three companies have offered to put books by me on the Net, and I said, 'If you can make something that has a nice jacket, nice paper with that nice smell, then we'll talk.' All the computer can give you is a manuscript. People don't want to read manuscripts. They want to read books. Books smell good. They look good. You can press them to your bosom. You can carry them in your pocket.
quote by Ray Bradbury

Submitted by Dan Costinaş
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I think most people read and re-read the things that they have liked. That's certainly true in my case. I re-read Pound a great deal, I re-read Williams, I re-read Thomas, I re-read the people whom I cam to love when I was at what you might call a formative stage.
quote by James Laughlin

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
quote by Francis Bacon

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
quote by Francis Bacon

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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cn U rd ths? Its nt gd nws...
The National Literacy Trust in Britain
did a survey and
- yes, you guessed -
57% read 'only a bit' or not at all
and 25% of the older ones said
they had no intention to
read any more than this
So what do they read when
they read?
Well, mags,
and websites
and txt msgs of course
and jokes,
and TV books and mags
and e-mails
and eighth on the list comes fiction
that's made-up stories, right?
right
then comix ninth
then newspapers well
they're just for people
who don't have TV and
don't mind waiting 12 hours
to read the news put that tenth
what's that? poetry?
sorry would you spell that
oh poetry nah
girls said, they read
to find out how other people live
and feel and
to help them understand
more about themselves
boys said, they read
because they have to and
because it helps them
get a job so
some old farts might say
put up a sign
civilisation's postponed until further notice
but it may all work out
well it'll have to
poem by Michael Shepherd

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I read over a hundred books a year and have done so since I was fifteen years old, and every book I've read has taught me something.
quote by Nicholas Sparks

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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When I came out, and for many years afterwards, it had become a habit for me to sit and read and read and read, like an obsession. I would take 20 books, and not come out until I'd finished them. It took me a while to change that habit.
quote by Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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