Favorite Literary Quotes Part 2

Aliis Sinisalu

My first "Favorite Literary Quotes" was quite popular. So I thought I'd do a second version!

Here are some of my favorite quotes, from books, poems, essays, and other literary sources. Which one is your favorite?

Janko Ferlič

“She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! Alas! She must confess to herself that she was not wise yet.” 

― Jane Austen, Persuasion

“Let us never underestimate the power of a well-written letter.” 

― Jane Austen, Persuasion

Álvaro Serrano

“The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.”

― Laura Ingalls Wilder

“She succumbed to the eternal feminine passion for bargains.”

― Georgette Heyer, Cotillion

“She tried to act as though it were nothing to go to the library alone. But her happiness betrayed her. Her smile could not be restrained, and it spread from her tightly pressed mouth, to her round cheeks, almost to the hair ribbons tied in perky bows over her ears.”

― Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown

Alfons Morales

“Was life always like that? she wondered. A game of hide and seek in which you only occasionally found the person you wanted to be?”

― Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy and the Great World

“I can live alone, if self-respect, and circumstances require me so to do. I need not sell my soul to buy bliss. I have an inward treasure born with me, which can keep me alive if all extraneous delights should be withheld, or offered only at a price I cannot afford to give.”

― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

John-Mark Kuznietsov

Sea Fever

By John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

Diogo Sousa

What's your favorite literary quote?

My Favorite Literary Quotes

“A man is born into this world with only a tiny spark of goodness in him. The spark is God, it is the soul; the rest is ugliness and evil, a shell. The spark must be guarded like a treasure, it must be nurtured, it must be fanned into flame. It must learn to seek out other sparks, it must dominate the shell. Anything can be a shell, Reuven. Anything. Indifference, laziness, brutality, and genius. Yes, even a great mind can be a shell and choke the spark.”
― Chaim Potok, The Chosen

"'We're growing up,' Betsy said aloud.  She wasn't even sure she liked it.  But it happened, and then it was irrevocable.  There was nothing you could do about it except to try to see that you grew up into the kind of human being you wanted to be. 'I'd like to be a fine one,' Betsy thought quickly and urgently."
- Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy Was a Junior

“Sorrow and joy, he thought, so inextricably entwined that he could scarcely tell where one left off and the other began.”
― Jan Karon, At Home in Mitford

“Everywhere I have sought rest and not found it, except sitting in a corner by myself with a book.”
― Jan Karon, In the Company of Others

“People always think that happiness is a faraway thing," thought Francie, "something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up; a place of shelter when it rains - a cup of strong hot coffee when you're blue; for a man, a cigarette for contentment; a book to read when you're alone - just to be with someone you love. Those things make happiness.”
― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

“I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“Atticus, he was real nice."
"Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

“Generosity without delicacy, like wit without judgement, generally gives as much pain as pleasure.”
― Fanny Burney, Evelina

“It had always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty. Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside-- but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it and then it was as if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond-- only a glimpse-- and heard a note of unearthly music.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Emily of New Moon

“To love is easy and therefore common - but to understand - how rare it is!”
― L.M. Montgomery, Emily of New Moon

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Besty-Tacy (and Tib)

My life has been shaped and defined by a book series and fictional characters.  Is that weird?  I have memories of things that I haven't done, but I experienced them so vividly through these books that it feels like I lived them.

But really I think I'm not alone.  How many grown men and women are obsessed with Harry Potter?  Harry Potter is to them what Betsy is to me.  

Betsy is a character in the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace.  The series starts with Betsy as a 5 year old and followers her life as she grows into a young woman and then eventually marries.  Betsy had two best friends named Tacy and Tib.  Betsy was the imaginative one, the creative one, the one always telling stories and coming up with adventures.  Tacy and Tib were the good spirited, obliging friends who were always up for whatever Betsy could come up with.  Betsy's childhood was light-hearted and carefree.  She and her friends would have daily picnics, put on neighborhood plays in their sheds, experiment in the kitchen, and most importantly, climb "the Big Hill."  As she grew older she and her friends would go ice skating, have bonfires, make fudge, and gather 'round the piano singing and dancing.  And don't forget about Sunday Night Lunch, which consisted of her father making sandwiches out of whatever happened to be left over in the kitchen from the week.

Maybe I always loved the Betsy books because I always wished my life could be like hers.  She had a group of friends who seemed so lovely, she lived in Minnesota where there are actually seasons, and she had so many fun things to do.  Meanwhile I grew up in a boring desert where there was nothing to do and no one to do it with.  

I also loved reading about the fashion and culture of a by-gone era.  Betsy lived at the turn of the century, when electricity was new and exciting, automobiles were only for the really wealthy, and makeup was just becoming suitable for regular folk.  It was a simpler time, full of new discoveries and inventions.

Betsy's life wasn't perfect.  She had boy drama, academic troubles, and illnesses just like the rest of us.  But that's what made her so relatable.  She lived 100 years before me, yet I could relate to her completely.  

What are your favorite books?  Do you think you'll give Betsy-Tacy (and Tib) a try?

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The first four books in the series*:

The first two years of High School*:

The second two years of High School*:

After High School and Betsy gets married*:

*affiliate links

Free Fun || Public Library

Free Fun || Public Libraries

Anyone who loves books must surely love libraries, right?  The library in my hometown wasn't the greatest.  It always smelled musty and dusty, and it wasn't very big.  But, as a kid, I loved checking out the Boxcar Children Series, The Hardy Boys, and the "Eddie" books (my favorites).  Free books!  What's not to love?

I didn't know what to expect from the Dothan public library.  Dothan isn't a "small" town, but it isn't a big city, either.  I don't know what happened to the original library building, but apparently it has recently been rebuilt.

It's pretty large and new looking.  I love the wide open space and large windows.  They had a very good selection of books and I ended up checking out 5 books!  They had a separate room for children's books and a play area.  And there were many computers, desks, and comfy reading-chairs.  I look forward to going back!

I tried to take some sneaky pictures without anyone noticing.

I added a pirate book, "for Peter," but we all know I'm going to love it. lol

I've already read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and highly recommend it.  I haven't heard of City of Glory or City of Promise before, and I'm not sure if they're a series and which comes first, or if it really matters.  The Last Runaway looks pretty good - Civil War meets Quaker woman... Would you like me to post reviews of these books when I'm done?

Do you ever go to your city's public library?

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Barnes and Noble Haul

Hey Folks... Peter and I recently went to Barnes and Noble and bought a few things.  I thought it would be fun to share with you which books caught our fancy and why.

Sorry for the horrible picture quality.  We had to sell our nice camera when we left Brazil, and we haven't had the money to get a new one yet.  I've just been using my iPhone camera, which isn't horrible but isn't great, either.

Dutch Blitz - a fast paced card game.  Pretty fun.

These three were in the "End-of-Summer Clearance" section.

Forget about it by Caprice Crane - A girl gets in an accident and pretends to have amnesia so she can get a "do-over" on life.  So far it's pretty chick-lit.  Haha!

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon -  I absolutely LOVE the Mitford series by Jan Karon, and this book follows the protagonist of the Mitford series as he and his wife go to the country of his ancestors - Ireland.

On Hummingbird Wings by Lauraine Snelling - A woman has to move from New York back to California to take care of her dying mother, "even though her primary ailment seems to be hypochondria."  Another Chick-Lit pick.

Should I post reviews when I'm done?

We bought these three because they are part of the series of books that Barnes and Noble has where the covers are decorated by current popular illustrators... Peter already has a lot from the series.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - It's a classic.  You should read it.

The Constitution of the United States of America and Selected Writings of the Founding Fathers - The majority of this book is the "selected writings" portion.  Some very interesting info in here, especially for the history geeks (which I am).

A Treasury of Classic Poetry - Peter and I both love poetry.  I grew up reading all my mom's books of poems, but I realized I didn't have any of my own!  This is a good start to my collection.

So that is an overview of our most recent trip to Barnes and Noble.  I'll let you know if I like them!

XOXO,

Julie

I judge books by their covers

Not gonna lie - I have nothing to blog about today.  I was busy most of the day and now I'm too bored and lazy to write an awesome post.  So I'll just fill the space with something random and hope you're bored enough to read it. haha!

Confession: I am a sucker for packaging.  I buy products based on how they look.  I am the reason companies spend millions of dollars on marketing and advertising.  

Today I am totally judging these books by their covers.*

Because they made me chuckle:

Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Because they look "smart:"

Coolidge

Eliot Ness: The Rise and Fall of an American Hero

Because they look "artistic:"

The Sea Close by

The Wapshot Chronicle (Perennial Classics)

Because the title "popped:"

The Bear: A Novel

Because they're pretty:

If I had a diary like this, I'd write amazing things every day.  From here

From here

From here

Do you judge books by their covers?

Are you bored today like I am??


XO,

Julie

*Please note: I have not read all of these books and I am not necessarily promoting them.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.  Read my disclaimer here.

Made with Paper - The Perfect Living Room

So I had issues with the couch.  But other than that, I really like this sketch.  I used the ipad app, Paper.

This drawing wasn't part of The Pen and Paper Challenge, although it could be, I suppose.