Excerpt From A Book Quotes

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Oh honey, someday a real man is going to make you see stars and you won't even be looking at the sky." Excerpt from Grace Willow's Last Minute Bride
Grace Willows
You’re three wishes from Aladdin’s Chirag, all rolled into one. Anirudh Jha, I’d ask for nothing more for the rest of my life.
Pratibha Malav (If Tomorrow Comes (A Kind Of Commitment, #2))
I want you to move in here with me. I want to fall asleep with your hair in my face every night. And I want to wake up wrapped around you every morning. I want us to spend whole weekends without any clothes on at all. I want to have clean fights and dirty makeup sex...I want to talk to you until the sun comes up, and I want to bring you cereal in bed every Sunday. I want to work long, endless hours in this office, but only if you’re here next to me.” Excerpt From: Chase, Emma. “Tangled.” Omnific Publishing, 2013-05-21T05:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Emma Chase (Tangled (Tangled, #1))
Then, somehow, I got caught up in one of Kevin's World War II books - a book of excerpts from the recollections of concentration camp survivors. Stories of beatings, starvation, filth, disease, torture, every possible degradation. As though the Germans had been trying to do in only a few years what the Americans had worked at for nearly two hundred. ... Like the Nazis, antebellum whites had known quite a bit about torture - quite a bit more than I ever wanted to learn.
Octavia E. Butler (Kindred)
If love is trust and need and always feeling better when I'm with you...I love you.” Excerpt From: Rocha, Kit. “Beyond Shame.” CreateSpace, 2012-09-16T03:58:52+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Kit Rocha (Beyond Shame (Beyond, #1))
I can survive without you, but it's only that. Surviving. I want to live.” Excerpt From: Rocha, Kit. “Beyond Shame.” CreateSpace, 2012-09-16T03:58:52+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Kit Rocha (Beyond Shame (Beyond, #1))
She was my heaven, I was her hell.” —Oliver Master” Excerpt From Stay With Me (Stay With Me Series Book 1) Nicole Fiorina This material may be protected by copyright.
Nicole Fiorina (Stay with Me (Stay with Me, #1))
I was angry at myself for my inclination to vice. I longed for the day when a state of frenzy would lead my mind to sober pasture, just as it had for Saint Augustine. I longed for the day when the love of one woman would be sacred enough to forget all the rest.
Roman Payne (The Wanderess)
You’ve got to take the good with the bad Smile with the sad Love what you’ve got and remember what you had Always forgive but never forget Learn from mistakes but never regret” Excerpt From: Stone, J.M. “Skin Deep.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
J.M. Stone (Skin Deep (Skin Deep, #1))
You are enough to drive a saint to madness or a king to his knees Excerpt from To Kiss a King by Grace Willows Coming this summer to Amazon Kindle and paperback.
Grace Willows (To Kiss a King)
Trin Tragula—for that was his name—was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher or, as his wife would have it, an idiot.” Excerpt From: Adams, Douglas. “The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.” Random House Publishing Group, 2010-09-29. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Douglas Adams (The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2))
Since the first night I met you, you’ve had me messed up. You’re my weakness − pure and simple. But you’re also the only thing that I really couldn’t live without.” Excerpt From: Suzanne, Wright. “The Bite That Binds (The Deep In Your Veins #2).” Suzanne Wright, 2013-01-29T22:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Suzanne Wright (The Bite That Binds (Deep In Your Veins, #2))
It seemed that people had a habit of underestimating my blunt, crazy, homicidal ray of sunshine” Excerpt From: Wright, Suzanne. “Taste of Torment.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Suzanne Wright (Taste of Torment (Deep In Your Veins, #3))
This is what it means to belong to me—that you trust me to give you what you need.” Excerpt From: Rocha, Kit. “Beyond Shame.” CreateSpace, 2012-09-16T03:58:52+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Kit Rocha (Beyond Shame (Beyond, #1))
John Mason wrote a very good book that I recommend you read: An Enemy Called Average. I learned from this book: ‘Know your limits, then ignore them. The most unprofitable item ever manufactured is an excuse. Don’t sit back and take what comes. Go after what you want’ ” (excerpt from her book, A Leader in the Making).
John Mason (An Enemy Called Average)
Don’t you think the things people are most ashamed of are the things they cannot help?” -Pysche
C.S. Lewis (The 10 Best Books to Read for Easter: Selections to Inspire, Educate, & Provoke: Excerpts from new and classic titles by bestselling authors in the field, with an Introduction by James Martin, SJ.)
Find a man that will watch over you. Don’t settle for men who only have one thing in mind. If he doesn’t like to eat, something is wrong with him,” she says, which makes me laugh. “He needs to put you before himself—always,” she would tell me. “He needs to love you more than you love him.” That one confuses me a bit, but I don’t ask... “You mustn’t be afraid of love, Blake. No matter what you go through in life, don’t be afraid to love. Loving is the only thing that keeps us sane. If it weren’t for love, the suffering we experience wouldn’t be worth it. If it weren’t for the suffering, we wouldn’t cherish the good things life gives us. Sometimes it’ll seem as though life only knocks you down, but you have to learn to pick yourself up and fight back. I love you, Blake. I will always love you even when I’m no longer here to tell you,” Aunt Shelley breathes weakly.” Excerpt From: Contreras, Claire. “There Is No Light in Darkness.” Claire Contreras, 2013-01-10T00:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Claire Contreras (There is No Light in Darkness (Darkness, #1))
He yanked his t-shirt out of his jeans, pulled a penknife out of his pocket, cut away the hem and pressed it against my temple. This must have meant he didn’t have tissues in the glove box.” Excerpt From: Ashley, Kristen. “Rock Chick Rescue.” Kristen Ashley. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Kristen Ashley (Rock Chick Rescue (Rock Chick, #2))
When they leave, you realize that somewhere along the way you lost yourself. You don’t even know who you are anymore because they made you into something completely different. I don’t miss you. I miss myself.
Nadia Nell Starbinski (excerpts from the book i'll never write)
5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger. Excerpt From: Sunzi. “The Art of War.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Sun Tzu (The Art of War)
You fall into it like a manhole. Then you’re just stuck. You die in love more than you live in love.” Excerpt From: Tarryn, Fisher. “Dirty Red (Love Me With Lies).” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Tarryn Fisher (Dirty Red (Love Me with Lies, #2))
You want what you can’t have. Again, is it worth it? Does it hurt your heart or does it hurt your balls?”~ grandpa Ray Excerpt From: Boheme, Kade. “Trouble & the Wallflower" Kade Boehme, 2014-03-03T20:38:08+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Kade Boehme (Trouble & the Wallflower)
Don’t be so focused on the past or future situations that you overlook the beauty of the present moment that is NOW. Excerpt from "Living in Light, Love & Truth". (Page 29).
Kasi Kaye Iliopoulos (Living in Light, Love & Truth: You Can Positively Change Your Life by Living in Light, Love, & Truth-Awareness + Reflection + Learning + Application = Wisdom)
I don't want to be without you anymore. Somewhere in the middle of this fantasy world you created, I fell in love with you," Aria said. - Excerpt from Camp Jameson.
Wendy Lea Thomas (Camp Jameson (Camp Jameson Series Book 1))
I know. It's easy to forget things you don't need anymore.” Excerpt From: Haruki Murakami. “Kafka on the Shore.” iBooks.
Haruki Murakami (Kafka on the Shore)
Books and movies are like a blueprint…a survival manual disguised as fiction. As folklore. Because the truth hides in plain sight and those that see have to hide and those that can’t see…well, they’re just a part of the plan.' ~ Excerpt from a NYPD Investigation, November, 1951
P.D. Alleva (Golem)
God bestows great gifts on human beings with perfect justice, but not All gifts we are given come from God. Some gifts come from society or culture, and it is here that problems develop.
John Mark Reynolds (The Great Books Reader: Excerpts and Essays on the Most Influential Books in Western Civilization)
My book should smell of pines and resound with the hum of insects. The swallow over my window should interweave that thread or straw he carries in his bill into my web also. We pass for what we are. Character teaches above our wills.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (Self-Reliance: An Excerpt from Collected Essays, First Series)
I’m calling in one of my birthday presents, Tru,” he says softly. His eyes look opaque, heavy with desire. “What do you want?” My voice is quiet, trembling. Propping himself up on his elbow, I tilt my head back as he looks down at me. He pulls my hair free from its knot, running his fingers through it. “You.” He moves his face close to mine, staying a breath away, waiting for his invitation. “Happy birthday,” I whisper.” Excerpt From: Towle, Samantha. “The Mighty Storm.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Samantha Towle (The Mighty Storm (The Storm, #1))
Excerpt from Ursula K Le Guin's speech at National Book Awards Hard times are coming, when we’ll be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now, can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technologies to other ways of being, and even imagine real grounds for hope. We’ll need writers who can remember freedom – poets, visionaries – realists of a larger reality. Right now, we need writers who know the difference between production of a market commodity and the practice of an art. Developing written material to suit sales strategies in order to maximise corporate profit and advertising revenue is not the same thing as responsible book publishing or authorship. Yet I see sales departments given control over editorial. I see my own publishers, in a silly panic of ignorance and greed, charging public libraries for an e-book six or seven times more than they charge customers. We just saw a profiteer try to punish a publisher for disobedience, and writers threatened by corporate fatwa. And I see a lot of us, the producers, who write the books and make the books, accepting this – letting commodity profiteers sell us like deodorant, and tell us what to publish, what to write. Books aren’t just commodities; the profit motive is often in conflict with the aims of art. We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable – but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art. Very often in our art, the art of words. I’ve had a long career as a writer, and a good one, in good company. Here at the end of it, I don’t want to watch American literature get sold down the river. We who live by writing and publishing want and should demand our fair share of the proceeds; but the name of our beautiful reward isn’t profit. Its name is freedom.
Ursula K. Le Guin
Did you know that if you put a frog in boiling water, he’ll jump out? But, if you put one in cold water and heat it slowly, he’ll stay in. And boil to death. He won’t even try to get out. He won’t even know he’s dying. Until it’s too late. Men are a lot like frogs.” Excerpt From: Chase, Emma. “Tangled.” Omnific Publishing, 2013-05-21T05:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Emma Chase (Tangled (Tangled, #1))
Passion, friendship, love, loyalty, trust . . . if you found the right person . . . you really could have it all.” Excerpt From: S.C, Stephens. “Reckless.” Simon & Schuster UK, 2013-03-05T00:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
S.C. Stephens (Reckless (Thoughtless, #3))
And, baby, I can’t put my hands on you…” he pressed his hips to her lower back, the hard ridge of his erection branding her, “…and not strip us both to our skin and fuck you until you’re screaming in pleasure.” His warm mouth brushed her neck. “No fear, just pleasure,” Excerpt From: Lyon, Jennifer. “The Proposition.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Jennifer Lyon (The Proposition (The Plus One Chronicles, #1))
It’s turbulence, for crying out loud. I refuse to die by cloud fart.” Excerpt From: Gregg, L.B. “How I Met Your Father.” L.B. Gregg, 2013-11-12T06:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
L.B. Gregg (How I Met Your Father)
…when people feel the need to flaunt it, it’s usually because things are really not as great as they pretend they are,” Excerpt From: Jennings, S.L. “Dark Light.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
S.L. Jennings
We want no proofs. We ask none to believe us! This boy will some day know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is. Already he knows her sweetness and loving care. Later on he will understand how some men so loved her, that they did dare much for her sake.” Excerpt From: Stoker, Bram. “Dracula.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright. Check out this book on the iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/M...
Bram Stoker (Dracula)
It’s my place to stand beside you, and support you, and yes, just fucking look pretty on your arm sometimes. It’s my right, my duty, and my privilege, Eva, just as it’s yours in reverse.” Excerpt From: Day, Sylvia. “Reflected in You: A Crossfire Novel.” PENGUIN group, 2012-10-02T05:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Sylvia Day (Reflected in You (Crossfire, #2))
Financial parasites: greedy people who live luxurious life at the expense and hard work of others." ~ Angelica Hopes, an excerpt from the book, Odyssey of a Heart, Home of a Soul
Angelica Hopes
I am yours, angel,” he said determinedly. “And you, you are mine.” We kissed as if it was the first time. As if it was the last time. “You are mine,” he repeated against my lips, wrapping his hand around my wrist and holding it like he’d never let go. “My angel is mine.” Excerpt From: Karina, Halle. “On Every Street.” Metal Blonde Books, 2013-03-08T11:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Karina Halle (On Every Street (The Artists Trilogy, #0.5))
I want you here when I go to sleep.’ He licks my bottom lip. ‘And I want you here when I wake up. Starting and ending my day with you is all I need.” Excerpt From: Jodi Ellen Malpas. “Beneath This Man.” Jodi Ellen Malpas Limited, 2013-01-15T05:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Jodi Ellen Malpas (Beneath This Man (This Man, #2))
The way that some guys kiss their long-term girlfriends or wives is an absolute travesty. A kiss should never be routine, like saying hello or good-bye. Kissing the person you love should be sign language for the soul. It should say I love you, I need you, and I’m happy to see you or sorry to see you go. If you can’t kiss like that, you should really keep your fucking lips to yourself” Excerpt From: Prescott, R.J. “The Aftermath.” Forever, 2016-08-02T04:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
R.J. Prescott (The Aftermath (The Hurricane, #2))
I ran across an excerpt today (in English translation) of some dialogue/narration from the modern popular writer, Paulo Coelho in his book: Aleph.(Note: bracketed text is mine.)... 'I spoke to three scholars,' [the character says 'at last.'] ...two of them said that, after death, the [sic (misprint, fault of the publisher)] just go to Paradise. The third one, though, told me to consult some verses from the Koran. [end quote]' ...I can see that he's excited. [narrator]' ...Now I have many positive things to say about Coelho: He is respectable, inspiring as a man, a truth-seeker, and an appealing writer; but one should hesitate to call him a 'literary' writer based on this quote. A 'literary' author knows that a character's excitement should be 'shown' in his or her dialogue and not in the narrator's commentary on it. Advice for Coelho: Remove the 'I can see that he's excited' sentence and show his excitement in the phrasing of his quote.(Now, in defense of Coelho, I am firmly of the opinion, having myself written plenty of prose that is flawed, that a novelist should be forgiven for slipping here and there.)Lastly, it appears that a belief in reincarnation is of great interest to Mr. Coelho ... Just think! He is a man who has achieved, (as Leonard Cohen would call it), 'a remote human possibility.' He has won lots of fame and tons of money. And yet, how his preoccupation with reincarnation—none other than an interest in being born again as somebody else—suggests that he is not happy!
Roman Payne
I’m Holden Maxwell,” Max answered immediately, in other words before I could. “I own the house Nina rented. There was a mix up, I had to be in town on personal business and Slim didn’t tell Nina. She showed up at the house and I was there. Lucky I was. She was sick as a dog, lapsed into a fever so bad she was delirious for two days and I was worried I’d have to take her to the hospital. The fever broke and since then things have advanced between us. We’ve gotten to know each other, we both like what we know and, bottom line, you didn’t take care of what was yours. Now, as Nina has explained, you’ve lost it, I found it and it’s mine.” Excerpt From: Ashley, Kristen. “The Gamble.” Kristen Ashley. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Kristen Ashley (The Gamble (Colorado Mountain, #1))
I watched with my eyes, tasted with my tongue, heard with my ears and felt with my fingers as my beautiful girl reached her climax. The only sense I didn’t use as she came apart was that of speech. There were no words to describe her, nor were there ones I could coherently form in the moment; she was a work of art, and I was speechless” Excerpt From: Raine, Miller. “Eyes Wide Open: The Blackstone Affair, Book 3.” Atria Books, 2013-05-13T22:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Raine Miller (Eyes Wide Open (The Blackstone Affair, #3))
A few years ago, on a particularly cold autumn day, I found myself in a pit of self-doubt. Yet I was beginning to realize that if I ever wanted to grow, I couldn’t stay there. I realized that I could spend the rest of my life doubting myself, or I could make the brave decision to work through self-doubt and allow myself to be stretched in ways I had not been before. Excerpt From: Morgan Harper Nichols. “All Along You Were Blooming.” iBooks.
Morgan Harper Nichols (All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living (Morgan Harper Nichols Poetry Collection))
Jav’s face was numb. Fingertips ice cold. His shirt stuck to his back with sweat and every square inch o“f skin prickled and tingled. He could feel his heart breaking down, dropping off piece by piece into the rolling boil of his stomach. Every splash sending up clouds of toxic steam, choking his throat. He was sure the next words out would be inside a scream. Instead he heard a strong, calm voice—a seasoned captain taking over the helm. “I’m with you,” Jav said. “Fucking take their ship down. I’m here. Right until the end, I won’t leave.” Excerpt From: Suanne Laqueur. “An Exaltation of Larks.” iBooks.
Suanne Laqueur (An Exaltation of Larks (Venery, #1))
I want to come on every inch of your body,” he whispered, and somehow it didn’t sound dirty at all. It sounded clean, pure, like rainwater. “I want to rub it in you, like this, until it’s a part of your skin. I want to stain you, Eden. I want myself embedded in your skin, in your heart, in your soul.” I didn’t know what to say to that, so I sat up and put my hands on either side of his neck and kissed him as sweetly as I could. “You’ve stained me, Javier.” Excerpt From: Karina, Halle. “On Every Street.” Metal Blonde Books, 2013-03-08T11:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Karina Halle (On Every Street (The Artists Trilogy, #0.5))
Dare to Dream Yes, if you can dare to dream. Surely you can catch the sunlight's beam. While all else seems to fail. Truth shall forever prevail. (Copyright excerpts from the poem and published poetry book 'From the Silence Within
Madhavi Sood
You have to move forward in life. You can’t sit in the same place, unless you want to, that’s a choice too. But you can’t sit there because someone else says you have to, because your moving forward makes them uncomfortable.” Excerpt From: Steel, Danielle. “Country.” Delacorte Press, 2015-06-16. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Danielle Steel
I believe in the kindness of strangers.” Excerpt From: Daria Sanetra. “Your Emotional Belly Cure”. Apple Books.
Lana Del Rey
Excerpt: Here are some thoughts from Charlene the Star: “I’ll bet that’s why Mama put the word “Star” in my name. I have a feeling I’m going to be a star as a jumper.
Deanie Humphrys-Dunne (Charlene the Star (The Charlene the Star Series Book 1))
Cixi was not at the coronation. The majestic main part of the Forbidden City was out of bounds to her – because she was a woman. She still could not set foot in it, even though she was now the de facto ruler. In fact, when her sedan-chair went within sight of it, she had to close the curtain and show humility by not looking at it. Virtually all decrees were issued in the name of her son, as Cixi had no mandate to rule. It was with this crippling handicap that she proceeded to change China.” Excerpt From: Chang, Jung. “Empress Dowager Cixi.” Random House, 2013-09-25T18:30:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Jung Chang (Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China)
Why do people say, "Grow some balls"?  Balls are weak and sensitive.  If you wanna be tough, grow a vagina.  Those things can take a pounding. -Betty White” Excerpt From: Vale, Lani Lynn. “Highway Don't Care (Freebirds).” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Lani Lynn Vale (Highway Don't Care (Freebirds, #2))
I must not wish you no pain, for that can never be, but I do hope you will be always as happy as I am now” Excerpt From: Stoker, Bram. “Dracula.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright. Check out this book on the iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/drac...
Bram Stoker (Dracula)
It’s a metaphor,” I explained. “He puts the killing thing in his mouth but doesn’t give it the power to kill him.” The stewardess was flummoxed for only a moment. “Well, that metaphor is prohibited on today’s flight,” she said.” Excerpt From: John, Green. “The Fault in Our Stars.” ePub Bud (www.epubbud.com), 0000-00-00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
John Green (The Fault in Our Stars)
Don’t come at me with logic,” I hissed at him. “We’re way past that. We’ve been through too much crap to be sensible.” Excerpt From: Stacey Marie Brown. “Dwellers of Darkness.” Twisted Fairy Publishing, 2013-12-31T16:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Stacey Marie Brown (Dwellers of Darkness (Darkness, #3))
I know, right? My angel walks into a bar and the other angels are like, ‘Oh shit, that's the poor sap that's got Jory Harcourt. Look at him, he started drinking again. Excerpt From: Calmes, Mary. “Bulletproof.” Dreamspinner Press. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Mary Calmes (Bulletproof (A Matter of Time, #5))
But the most catastrophic display of misogyny in all religion lies at the very heart of Christianity—in the story of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was born of a virgin is a fundamental narrative upon which all Christianity is based. It is one that is carried through to Islam, where the Quran holds Mary in great esteem. The implications of this have historically been devastating to women. ...Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ as a virgin, with no man ever having touched her. She is therefore described as pure, chaste, undefiled, innocent—being the product of an “immaculate conception” herself (as per Catholic doctrine), and now hosting God’s immaculate son in her unblemished womb. What does this mean for women who are touched by men? Are their conceptions corrupted? Are their characters and bodies now impure or unchaste? Have they been “defiled”? ...Was all of Mary’s beauty, sanctity, chastity, and innocence confined to her vagina? Fetishizing Mary’s virginity—as Christians and Muslims both do—is a sickness that directly leads to a dangerous, unnatural glamorization of celibacy and sexual repression.” Excerpt From: Ali A. Rizvi. “The Atheist Muslim.” iBooks.
Ali A. Rizvi (The Atheist Muslim: A Journey from Religion to Reason)
The minister read, quoting the Benediction of the Apaches.   “Now you will feel no rain, For each of you will be shelter to the other. Now you will feel no cold, For each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there is no more loneliness for you. For each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two bodies,  But there is only one life before you.” Excerpt From: R. K. Lilley. “Grounded.” R.K. Lilley, 2013-02-10T00:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
R.K. Lilley (Grounded (Up in the Air, #3))
The recipe for becoming a good novelist, for example is easy to give but to carry it out presupposes qualities one is accustomed to overlook when one says 'I do not have enough talent'. One has only to make a hundred or so sketches for novels, none longer than two pages but of such distinctness that every word in them is necessary; one should write down anecdotes each day until one has learned how to give them the most pregnant and effective form; one should be tireless in collecting and describing human types and characters; one should above all relate things to others and listen to others relate, keeping one's eyes and ears open for the effect produced on those present, one should travel like a landscape painter or costume designer; one should excerpt for oneself out of the individual sciences everything that will produce an artistic effect when it is well described, one should, finally, reflect on the motives of human actions, disdain no signpost to instruction about them and be a collector of these things by day and night. One should continue in this many-sided exercise some ten years: what is then created in the work­shop, however, will be fit to go out into the world. - What, however, do most people do? They begin, not with the parts, but with the whole. Per­haps they chance to strike a right note, excite attention and from then on strike worse and worse notes, for good, natural reasons.
Friedrich Nietzsche (Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits)
When you have a goal, obstacles are actually teaching you how to get where you want to go—carving you a path.” Excerpt From: Ryan Holiday. “The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph.” iBooks.
Ryan Holiday (The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph)
Learning means bringing forth the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual knowledge, skills and values, that are within us. Our learning starts as soon as we are born. Excerpt from "Living in Light, Love & Truth". (Page 3).
Kasi Kaye Iliopoulos (Living in Light, Love & Truth: You Can Positively Change Your Life by Living in Light, Love, & Truth-Awareness + Reflection + Learning + Application = Wisdom)
The way I just focused on the sight of his naked form, helpless with passion, you’d think I expected to never see it again. I forgot to talk and I resisted the urge to touch him – I just wanted to see it all, to save it for my memories.” Excerpt From: Nicolaie, Alexandra. “Sublimation.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Vee Hoffman (Sublimation (Acclamation #3.5))
I want to wake up every day I have left to the warmth of your lips on mine, the sound of your voice singing next to me, the feel of your fingers on my skin and your heart beating music with mine.” Excerpt From: Zolendz, Christine. “Saving Grace.” DarkRoadDesigns, 2012-10-05T03:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Christine Zolendz (Saving Grace (Mad World, #2))
For folks who have that casual-dude energy coursing through their bloodstream, that's great. But gays should not grow up alienated just for us to alienate each other. It's too predictable, like any other cycle of abuse. Plus, the conformist, competitive notion that by "toning down" we are "growing up" ultimately blunts the radical edge of what it is to be queer; it truncates our colorful journey of identity. Said another way, it's like living in West Hollywood and working a gay job by day and working it in the gay nightlife, wearing delicate shiny shirts picked from up the gay dry cleaners, yet coquettishly left unbuttoned to reveal the pec implants purchased from a gay surgeon and shown off by prancing around the gay-owned-and-operated theater hopped up on gay health clinic steroids and wheat grass purchased from the friendly gay boy who's new to the city, and impressed by the monstrous SUV purchased from a gay car dealership with its rainbow-striped bumper sticker that says "Celebrate Diversity." Then logging on to the local Gay.com listings and describing yourself as "straight-acting." Let me make myself clear. This is not a campaign for everyone to be like me. That'd be a total yawn. Instead, this narrative is about praise for the prancy boys. Granted, there's undecided gender-fucks, dagger dykes, faux-mos, po-mos, FTMs, fisting-top daddies, and lezzie looners who also need props for broadening the sexual spectrum, but they're telling their own stories. The Cliff's Notes of me and mine are this: the only moments I feel alive are when I'm just being myself - not some stiff-necked temp masquerading as normal in the workplace, not some insecure gay boy aspiring to be an overpumped circuit queen, not some comic book version of swank WeHo living. If that's considered a political act in the homogenized world of twenty-first century homosexuals, then so be it. — excerpt of "Praise For The Prancy Boys," by Clint Catalyst appears in first edition (ISBN # 1-932360-56-5)
Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore (That's Revolting!: Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation)
You have the heart one expects to see at the center of a fire, bending and twisting like steel, but never breaking. If something happens to mine, yours would be stubborn enough to beat for both of us.” Excerpt From: Pam Godwin. “Beneath the Burn.” iBooks.
Pam Godwin (Beneath the Burn)
...Nature becomes your teacher, and from her you will learn what is beautiful and who you are and what is your special quest in life and whither you should go...You live on manna vouchsafed to you daily, miraculously. You stretch out arms for hidden gifts, you year toward the moonbeams and the stars, you listen with new ears to bird's songs and the murmurs of trees and streams....From day to day you keep your log, your day-book of the soul, and you may think at first that it is a mere record of travel and of facts; but something else will be entering into it, poetry, the new poetry of your life, and it will be evident to a seeing eye that you are gradually becoming an artist in life, you are learning the gentle art of tramping, and it is giving you an artist's joy in creation.
Stephen Graham (The Gentle Art of Tramping;With Introductory Essays and Excerpts on Walking - by Sydney Smith, William Hazlitt, Leslie Stephen, & John Burroughs)
Forgiving isn’t forgetting. At the core of forgiveness is the understanding that the hatred and bitterness we hold onto destroys us. Forgiving isn’t meekness. It is letting go of the past, living in the present, and paving the way for the future. In order to forgive, we must first grieve for what could’ve been and what never was. To forgive others, we must also forgive ourselves. Perhaps, that is the hardest forgiveness of all.” Excerpt From: Kelly, Kathryn. “Misbehavior.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Kathryn C. Kelly (Misbehavior (Death Dwellers MC, #3))
How often do people start down a path and then give up on it entirely? How many treadmills, exercise bikes, and weight sets are at this very moment gathering dust in basements across the country? How many kids go out for a sport and then quit even before the season is over? How many of us vow to knit sweaters for all of our friends but only manage half a sleeve before putting down the needles? Ditto for home vegetable gardens, compost bins, and diets. How many of us start something new, full of excitement and good intentions, and then give up—permanently—when we encounter the first real obstacle, the first long plateau in progress? Many of us, it seems, quit what we start far too early and far too often. Even more than the effort a gritty person puts in on a single day, what matters is that they wake up the next day, and the next, ready to get on that treadmill and keep going.” Excerpt From: Angela Duckworth. “Grit.” iBooks.
Angela Duckworth (Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance)
Life is like a foot race, Marcus: There will always be people who are faster than you, and there will always be those who are slower than you. What matters, in the end, is how you ran your race.” Excerpt From: Joël Dicker. “The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair.” iBooks.
Joël Dicker (La Vérité sur l'Affaire Harry Quebert (Marcus Goldman, #1))
The Angel of Death took the woman's frail hand. "Don't be afraid." she said. "Life is your past. Death, on the other hand, is your soul preparing for a new beginning. A brand new adventure, if you like." An excerpt from Paradox - Equilibrium. Book 4 in the Paradox series (release date 2013)
Patti Roberts
Well, look. You're the kid sister, but you always had a good, clear image of what you wanted for yourself. You were able to say no when you had to, and you did things at your own pace. But Eri Asai couldn't do that. From the time she was a little girl, her job was to play her assigned role and satisfy the people around her. She worked hard to be a perfect little Snow White—if I can borrow your name for her. It's true that everybody made a big fuss over her, but I'll bet that was really tough for her sometimes. At one of the most crucial points in her life, she didn't have a chance to establish a firm self. If 'complex' is too strong a word, let's just say she probably envied you.” Excerpt From: Haruki Murakami. “After Dark.” iBooks.
Haruki Murakami (After Dark)
Watching the painter painting And all the time, the light is changing And he keeps painting That bit there, it was an accident But he's so pleased It's the best mistake, he could make And it's my favourite piece It's just great --- excerpt from the song "An Architect's Dream" from the album Aerial
Kate Bush (Kate Bush Book Of Lyrics)
& so she did what any rational woman would do— ever so calmly, she reached out & she tore the stars apart. ” Excerpt From: Amanda Lovelace. “the mermaid's voice returns in this one.” iBooks. “& so she did what any rational woman would do— ever so calmly, she reached out & she tore the stars apart.
Amanda Lovelace (The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One (Women Are Some Kind of Magic, #3))
From darkness; take me unto Light. O God! Help me today, make my maiden flight. From sorrow; give me the strength to break. And help me to love and to care. From darkness take me unto Light. O God! Hear my prayers and let in the sunlight. (excerpts of my poem from my book 'From the Silence Within')
Madhavi Sood
Family cannot be determined by blood. Family is determined by actions. Family is about trust. Family is about acceptance. Family is about love. True family is earned, not born.” Excerpt From: Brianne, Sarah. “Vincent.” Young Ink Press, 2015-03-15T00:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Sarah Brianne (Vincent (Made Men, #2))
Suddenly she felt guilty for not working harder to forgive him and repair the damage, but he hadn’t either. They had been two lost people, treading water for seven years, after the ship went down. Excerpt From: Steel, Danielle. Country. Delacorte Press, 2015-06-16. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Danielle Steel
So I can finish this diary, and God only knows if I shall ever begin another. If I do, or if I even open this again, it will be to deal with different people and different themes, for here at the end, where the romance of my life is told, ere I go back to take up the thread of my life-work, I say sadly and without hope, "FINIS".” Excerpt From: Stoker, Bram. “Dracula.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright. Check out this book on the iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/drac...
Bram Stoker (Dracula)
Time weighs down on you like an old, ambiguous dream. You keep on moving, trying to slip through it. But even if you go to the ends of the earth, you won't be able to escape it. Still, you have to go there—to the edge of the world. There's something you can't do unless you get there.” Excerpt From: Haruki Murakami. “Kafka on the Shore.” iBooks.
Haruki Murakami (Kafka on the Shore)
Excerpt from the endnote on the audiobook read by the author: "There have been so many interpretations of the story that I am not going to choose between them. Make your own choice. They contradict each other, the various choices. the only choice that really matters, the only interpretation of the story, if you want one, is your own. Not your teacher's, not your professor's, not mine, not a critic's, not some authority's. The only thing that matters is first, the experience of being in the story, moving through it. Then, any interpretation you like, if it is yours, that's the right one. Because what's in a book is not what an author thought he put into it, it's what the reader gets out of it.
William Golding (Lord of the Flies)
even though I knew I had a snowball’s chance in Hades with you.” She sniffed and wiped a tear with the back of her hand. “I just … I just wanted to give you something pure. It’s all I have. Had. Everything else about me is tainted by demon blood. But I had that. And it’s always been yours.” -Gem to Kynan Excerpt From: Larissa Ione. “Desire Unchained.” iBooks.
Larissa Ione (Desire Unchained (Demonica, #2))
Should you see the light of your future, within the shadows of your present, The resilience of life dancing over vast deserts of death, Witness if you so shall, the majesty of Creation. The connectedness of All was and always will be. Entanglement? No. We call it Love.” ~ Sargon of Akkad 2345 B.C. Excerpt from Andulairah's upcoming book "The Erunisis Medallion
Andulairah (Eyes Of The Scarlet Rose)
There'll be the lightning bugs with their Morse code display, And shooting stars and constellations to befriend; The dragonflies will keep us from going astray, As we search for new adventures 'round every bend. -excerpted from the poem 'The Huge Playroom that is Nature' in the book FROM GUAM TO CROWN CITY CORONADO (THANKS TO HERMANN, MISSOURI): A JOURNEY IN POESY
Mariecor Ruediger
Absolutely love this particular excerpt: "Books are silent friends, and should be treated well. I am proud of my books. I hope that my children will use them and preserve them when I am gone from this world. Human friends may betray you, but not so with books. Books contain wisdom for our understanding, humour for our entertainment, information for our development, and matter for our pleasure.
Brenda C. Mohammed (Memoirs of Dr Andrew Moonir Khan - A great Educator In Trinidad and Tobago)
The director started the music again and the girls moved into their routine. About two minutes in, Logan got up and started doing the dance in front of the stage. He got every step right—further testament to just how many times he’d actually seen this rehearsed—and he got the girls smiling and laughing as they went through the steps. When they got to the part that had tripped Chloe up earlier, Logan moved through it perfectly…and Chloe followed him. She didn’t miss a step and when the routine ended, the director clapped. And Chloe beamed. At Logan.” Excerpt From Taking It Easy: Boys of the Big Easy book two Erin Nicholas This material may be protected by copyright.
Erin Nicholas (Taking It Easy (Boys of the Big Easy, #2))
Don't make up problems you don't have yet. It's not a problem until it's a real problem. Most of the things you worry about never happen anyway. The decisions you make today don't need to last forever. If circumstances change, your decisions CAN change. Decisions are temporary. Pay attention to today and worry about later when it gets here. Otherwise, you'll waste energy, time and money fixating on problems that may never materialize." ~ An excerpt from the awesome book, "Rework
Jason Fried
Of all the conceptions of the divine, of all the language Jesus could put on the lips of the God character in the story he tells, that’s what he has the Father say. “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” ... Millions of people in our world were told that God so loved the world, that God sent his son to save the world, and that if they accept and believe in Jesus, then they’ll be able to have a relationship with God... But there’s more. Millions have been taught that if they don’t believe, if they don’t accept in the right way, that is, the way the person telling them the gospel does, and they were hit by a car and died later that same day, God will have no choice but to punish them forever in conscious torment in hell... A loving heavenly father who will go to extraordinary lengths to have a relationship with them would, in the blink of an eye, become a cruel, mean, vicious tormentor who would ensure that they had no escape from an endless future of agony... if your God is loving one second and cruel the next, if your God will punish people for all eternity for sins committed in a few short years, no amount of clever marketing or compelling language or good music or great coffee will be able to disguise that one, true, glaring, untenable, acceptable, awful reality... sometimes the reason people have a problem accepting “the gospel” is that they sense that the God lurking behind Jesus isn’t safe, loving, or good. It doesn’t make sense it can’t be reconciled, and so they say no... God create, because the endless joy and peace and shared life at the heart of this God knows no other way. Jesus invites us into THAT relationship, the one at the center of the universe... so when the gospel is diminished to a question of whether or not a person will “get into heaven,” that reduces the good news to a ticket, a way to get past the bouncer and into the club. The good news is better than that.
Rob Bell (Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived)
Book Excerpt: "What about your family, Abu Huwa? Are you an orphan?” the little girl very innocently asked the Sphinx. “My father and your father are one and the same. However, I do have a brother who has stood as my mirror throughout time on the opposite horizon. It is I who faces east, but it is he who faces west. I am the recorder of yesterday and he holds the records of tomorrow. I am the positive, and he is my negative. I carry the right eye of the sun and he carries the left eye of the moon. He keeps his eye on the underworld and I keep an eye on the world over. Together we have joined the sky and earth, and split fire and water.” Seham stood on all toes to peek over the Sphinx's shoulder for a sign of his brother. “Where is he?” she asked, her eyes still searching the open horizon. “He has yet to be uncovered, but as I stand above the sands of time, he still sleeps below. Before the descent of Adam, we have both stood as loyal Protectors of the Two Halls of Truth.” The girl asked in astonishment, “I've never heard of these halls, Abu Huwa. Where are they?” “At the end of each of our tails is a passage that will reveal to you the secrets of Time. One hall reflects a thousand truths, and the other hall reflects all that is untrue. One will speak to your heart, and the other will speak to your mind. This is why you need to use both your heart and mind to understand which one is real, and which is a distorted illusion created to misguide those that have neglected their conscience. Both passageways connect you to the Great Hall of Records.” “What is the Hall of Records?” “The Great Pyramid, my child. It is as multidimensional in its shape as it is in its purpose. Every layer and every brick marks the coming of a prophet, the ascension of evil, or another cycle of man. It contains the entire history and future of mankind. And, as is above, so is below. Above ground, it serves as the most powerful energy source to harmonize and power the world! The shape of the pyramid above ground is also the same image mirrored beneath it. Underground, it serves as a powerful well and drain. This is really why Egypt is called the Land of Two Lands. There exists a huge world of its own underneath the plateau, a world within worlds. Large amounts of gold, copper and mercury were once housed here, including the secrets of Time, the 100th name of He Who Is All, and a gift from Truth that still awaits to be discovered. It sleeps with Time in the Great Pyramid, hidden away in a lower shaft that leads to the stars.” Dialogue from 'The Little Girl and the Sphinx' by Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun (Dar-El Shams, 2010)
Suzy Kassem (Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem)
like to see more of Vivian and Luca and maybe other Italian bachelors follow in Rafe’s footsteps, too. ;) I’d love to write a new romantic adventure for Rafe and Ari, too (but is that allowed for Kindle Worlds? Mm..).   Oh, and you can also write to me directly. I love hearing from readers. You can reach me via my website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or you can also email me.   A list of my works (arranged according to reading order) can be found here and you can also visit my author page on Amazon for book links.   Lastly, for updates on my newest releases and exclusive excerpts for upcoming releases, please consider signing up for my newsletter.   Thank you!
Marian Tee (Devoured (Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe))
Then they heard voices. At least three men, laughing and joking outside the car. Underneath her, Daniel tensed, cursing. Story’s movements slowed, but didn’t stop completely. Oblivion within reach, she couldn’t stop now if she wanted to. He gripped the hair at her nape, forcing her feverish eyes to meet his eyes. “I know you can’t stop, baby. I don’t want you to, either. You feel so goddamn perfect. But you need to be very quiet for me. If you need to scream, bite my shoulder instead. Just don’t make a sound.” Excerpt From: Bailey, Tessa. “Officer Off Limits.” Entangled Publishing, LLC (Brazen), 2013-05-23T10:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Tessa Bailey (Officer off Limits (Line of Duty, #3))
You’re wrong Lucas,” Slade says, his voice low. “You won't always spoil her, or treat her like a princess. You won't tell her she's beautiful every day. You won't make her smile every night and you won't always want her the way you do now. That fades. Those giddy little stomach flutters fade and you're then left with reality. There will be days you will forget to tell her she's beautiful, even though she needs to hear it. There will be days you'll forget to say I love you. There will be days when you forget a birthday or an anniversary. There will be a time when she will walk past you, and you won't want to ravish her, the way you do now. Those “things fade, and when they do, what's left is what's truly worth fighting for. Love isn't always beautiful, heck, it's not even close to being perfect half the time. Feelings change, the spark dies down and what you're left with is something you either chose to fight for or you don't. When you know that even though those things are gone, you're still willing to fight for her every breath, then you know the love is real.” Excerpt From: Botefuhr, Bec. “Racing For Freedom.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Bec Botefuhr (Racing for Freedom)
Be men to be proud of. Actions speak louder than words, boys. When you do wrong, and believe me, you will do more wrong than right some days, you own up to it. Completely. You can’t take back the stone once it’s thrown. The reality is, you can never really right the wrong once it’s done. It will live on forever in one’s memory. You can atone for it. You can work hard to assure you never make the same mistake twice. But there is a time for freedoms and a time for life responsibilities. Be the man to handle his responsibilities. Be the man to take responsibility for his shortcomings and failures. Take pride in being humble enough to admit when you are wrong and when you have failed....“People will think many things of you. Some true, some complete lies. Their opinions don’t matter. The half-truths, the lies, the many things people will think of you throughout this life should never hold weight. It is what you see in the mirror looking back at you that should tell you the character and the man in which you are. Look in the mirror, boys, and be men to be proud of.” Excerpt From: Camaron, Chelsea. “Merciless Ride: A Hellions Novel.” Whiskey Girls Publishing, 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Chelsea Camaron (Merciless Ride (Hellions Ride, #3))
.....I'm certain I asked for a cowboy one December past-- For I wanted the excitement of pioneers to last; I ached to sing with a fiddle, speak with a drawl and twang; I surely requested John Wayne to be part of my gang. Of course I dreamed of a cowboy in those Yuletides of yore-- For I wanted that ace, that corral fighter, that scout roar; I ached for the authentic frontier hero of the West; I surely requested the sacred battleground's finest. I did pray Santa'd give me a cowboy some time ago-- For I wanted a legend in denim wrangler for beau; I ached to be rounded up safely by my saddled knight; I surely requested I be prospected, mined, settled right... -----excerpted from the poem 'A Cowboy For Christmas' in the book FROM GUAM TO CROWN CITY CORONADO (THANKS TO HERMANN, MISSOURI): A JOURNEY IN POESY, by Mariecor Ruediger
Mariecor Ruediger
HOW TO DRIVE A WRITER CRAZY “1. When he starts to outline a story, immediately give him several stories just like it to read and tell him three other plots. This makes his own story and his feeling for it vanish in a cloud of disrelated facts. "2. When he outlines a character, read excerpts from stories about such characters, saying that this will clarify the writer's ideas. As this causes him to lose touch with the identity he felt in his character by robbing him of individuality, he is certain to back away from ever touching such a character. "3. Whenever the writer proposes a story, always mention that his rate, being higher than other rates of writers in the book, puts up a bar to his stories. "4. When a rumor has stated that a writer is a fast producer, invariably confront him with the fact with great disapproval, as it is, of course, unnatural for one human being to think faster than another. "5. Always correlate production and rate, saying that it is necessary for the writer to do better stories than the average for him to get any consideration whatever. "6. It is a good thing to mention any error in a story bought, especially when that error is to be editorially corrected, as this makes the writer feel that he is being criticized behind his back and he wonders just how many other things are wrong. "7. Never fail to warn a writer not to be mechanical, as this automatically suggests to him that his stories are mechanical and, as he considers this a crime, wonders how much of his technique shows through and instantly goes to much trouble to bury mechanics very deep—which will result in laying the mechanics bare to the eye. "8. Never fail to mention and then discuss budget problems with a writer, as he is very interested. "9. By showing his vast knowledge of a field, an editor can almost always frighten a writer into mental paralysis, especially on subjects where nothing is known anyway. "10. Always tell a writer plot tricks, as they are not his business.
L. Ron Hubbard
I looked at him and drew him into a poignant silence, traced my fingers over his lips, I watched Dominic’s green-grey eyes with fiery certainty as I swiped my thumb on his plump bottom lip and then pulled down, opening it for a kiss. He surrendered and slid his tongue against mine almost on instinct, which is when I made my move. Grabbing his tongue at first gently between my teeth, I felt him tense and shudder, the movement replaced with a moan and an acquiescence when I sucked it hard to a tingling numbness between my lips. I repeated the movement a couple of times before letting him go, and by the time I did he was close to tearing my t-shirt with the ferocity of his grip. Dominic drew in a sharp, desperate breath when I pulled back, and stared at me, wide-eyed and trying to process this. Every stage of understanding played over a fistful of split-seconds on his face, and at last he whispered: “Do you mean what I think you mean by that?” Excerpt From: Hoffman, Vee. “Acclamation.” Indie Inklings Ltd. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright. Check out this book on the iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/M... Excerpt From: Hoffman, Vee. “Acclamation.” Indie Inklings Ltd. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Vee Hoffman (Acclamation (Acclamation, #1))
Of all the conceptions of the divine, of all the language Jesus could put on the lips of the God character in the story he tells, that’s what he has the Father say. “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” ... Millions of people in our world were told that God so loved the world, that God sent his son to save the world, and that if they accept and believe in Jesus, then they’ll be able to have a relationship with God... But there’s more. Millions have been taught that if they don’t believe, if they don’t accept in the right way, that is, the way the person telling them "the gospel" does, and they were hit by a car and died later that same day, God will have no choice but to punish them forever in conscious torment in hell... A loving heavenly father who will go to extraordinary lengths to have a relationship with them would, in the blink of an eye, become a cruel, mean, vicious tormentor who would ensure that they had no escape from an endless future of agony... if your God is loving one second and cruel the next, if your God will punish people for all eternity for sins committed in a few short years, no amount of clever marketing or compelling language or good music or great coffee will be able to disguise that one, true, glaring, untenable, acceptable, awful reality... sometimes the reason people have a problem accepting the gospel is that they sense that the God lurking behind Jesus isn’t safe, loving, or good. It doesn’t make sense, it can’t be reconciled, and so they say no... God creates, because the endless joy and peace and shared life at the heart of this God knows no other way. Jesus invites us into THAT relationship, the one at the center of the universe... so when the gospel is diminished to a question of whether or not a person will “get into heaven,” that reduces the good news to a ticket, a way to get past the bouncer and into the club. The good news is better than that. (excerpts all from chapter 7)
Rob Bell (Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived)
Você é contratada por uma empresa que vive propalando seu compromisso com “diversidade”, mas você é uma das poucas mulheres na equipe. Dia após dia, você se vê em salas de maioria masculina e branca, passando por eles nos corredores, ouvindo pedidos para ajudá-los em seus projetos, e de repente você começa a pensar se estão te olhando estranho, te escrutinando, porque você é a única diferente no recinto. Um dia, um deles questiona seu trabalho. Outro pergunta, inocentemente ou não, “Você nasceu aqui ou é de fora?”. A pressão vai aumentando e você começa a duvidar de si mesma. Você está brava, irritada, mas também aflita: simplesmente não pode errar, ou vai provar que o estereótipo está certo. Você precisa ser invencível. Aí comete um pequeno erro e começa a espiral de preocupação. É uma espécie de síndrome de Estocolmo institucional, só que pior: uma mistura de síndrome da impostora (fenômeno no qual mulheres e minorias de ótimo desempenho sentem que não fazem parte de um lugar), incluída aí a ameaça do estereótipo (medo de confirmar o pior estereótipo que têm sobre você – e por isso seu desempenho acabar caindo); assim como machismo e racismo reais (sim[…]” Excerpt From: Jessica Bennett. “Clube da luta feminista: Um manual de sobrevivência (para um ambiente de trabalho machista).” Apple Books.
Jessica Bennett (Clube da luta feminista: Um manual de sobrevivência (para um ambiente de trabalho machista) (Portuguese Edition))
Godwin on Fenelon and his Valet * Following is an excerpt from William Godwin's Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, Book II, Chapter II: “Of Justice”: In a loose and general view I and my neighbour are both of us men; and of consequence entitled to equal attention. But, in reality, it is probable that one of us is a being of more worth and importance than the other. A man is of more worth than a beast; because, being possessed of higher faculties, he is capable of a more refined and genuine happiness. In the same manner the illustrious archbishop of Cambray was of more worth than his valet, and there are few of us that would hesitate to pronounce, if his palace were in flames, and the life of only one of them could be preserved, which of the two ought to be preferred. But there is another ground of preference, beside the private consideration of one of them being further removed from the state of a mere animal. We are not connected with one or two percipient beings, but with a society, a nation, and in some sense with the whole family of mankind. Of consequence that life ought to be preferred which will be most conducive to the general good. In saving the life of Fenelon, suppose at the moment he conceived the project of his immortal Telemachus, should have been promoting the benefit of thousands, who have been cured by the perusal of that work of some error, vice and consequent unhappiness. Nay, my benefit would extend further than this; for every individual, thus cured, has become a better member of society, and has contributed in his turn to the happiness, information, and improvement of others. Suppose I had been myself the valet; I ought to have chosen to die, rather than Fenelon should have died. The life of Fenelon was really preferable to that of the valet. But understanding is the faculty that perceives the truth of this and similar propositions; and justice is the principle that regulates my conduct accordingly. It would have been just in the valet to have preferred the archbishop to himself. To have done otherwise would have been a breach of justice. Suppose the valet had been my brother, my father, or my benefactor. This would not alter the truth of the proposition. The life of Fenelon would still be more valuable than that of the valet; and justice, pure, unadulterated justice, would still have preferred that which was most valuable. Justice would have taught me to save the life of Fenelon at the expense of the other. What magic is there in the pronoun “my,” that should justify us in overturning the decisions of impartial truth? My brother or my father may be a fool or a profligate, malicious, lying or dishonest. If they be, of what consequence is it that they are mine?
William Godwin
I said this one day to the doctor in charge of my case, and he told me that, in a sense, what I was feeling was right, that we are in here not to correct the deformation but to accustom ourselves to it: that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities. Just as each person has certain idiosyncrasies in the way he or she walks, people have idiosyncrasies in the way they think and feel and see things, and though you might want to correct “them, it doesn't happen overnight, and if you try to force the issue in one case, something else might go funny. He gave me a very simplified explanation, of course, and it's just one small part of the problems we have, but I think I understand what he was trying to say. It may well be that we can never fully adapt to our own deformities. Unable to find a place inside ourselves for the very real pain and suffering that these deformities cause, we come here to get away from such things. As long as we are here, we can get by without hurting others or being hurt by them because we know that we are "deformed". That's what distinguishes us from the outside world: most people go about their lives unconscious of their deformities, while in this little world of ours the deformities themselves are a precondition. Just as Indians wear feathers on their heads to show what tribe they belong to, we wear our deformities in the open. And we live quietly so as not to hurt one another.” Excerpt From: “Haruki Murakami Norwegian Wood.” Apple Books.
Haruki Murakami (Norwegian Wood)
Where were you yesterday?" "Yesterday? Where was I-let me see...." "I thought you took a powder." "Me? How could that be?" "You mean, you wouldn't run out on me?" Run out on fragrant, sexual, high-minded Ramona? Never in a million years. Ramona had passed through the hell of profligacy and attained the seriousness of pleasure. For when will we civilized beings become really serious? said Kierkegaard. Only when we have known hell through and through. Without this, hedonism and frivolity will diffuse hell through all our days. Ramona, however, does not believe in any sin but the sin against the body, for her the true and only temple of the spirit. "But you did leave town yesterday," said Ramona. "How do you know-are you having me tailed by a private eye?" "Miss Schwartz saw you in Grand Central with a valise in your hand." "Who? Ramona said, "Perhaps some lovely woman scared you on the train, and you turned back to your Ramona." "Oh..." said Herzog. Her theme was her power to make him happy. Thinking of Ramona with her intoxicating eyes and robust breasts, her short but gentle legs, her Carmen airs, thievishly seductive, her skill in the sack (defeating invisible rivals), he felt she did not exaggerate. The facts supported her claim. "Well, were you running away?" she said. "Why should I? You're a marvelous woman, Ramona." "In that case you're being very odd, Moses." "Well, I suppose I am one of the odder beasts." "But I know better than to be proud and demanding.” “Life has taught me to be humble." Moses shut his eyes and raised his brows. Here we go. "Perhaps you feel a natural superiority because of your education." "Education! But I don't know anything..." "Your accomplishments. You're in Who's Who. I'm only a merchant-a petit-bourgeois type." "You don't really believe this. Ramona." "Then why do you keep aloof, and make me chase you? I realize you want to play the field. After great disappointments, I've done it myself, for ego-reinforcement." "A high-minded intellectual ninny, square ..." "Who?" "Myself, I mean." She went on. "But as one recovers self-confidence, one learns the simple strength of simple desires.” “Please, Ramona, Moses wanted to say-you're lovely, fragrant, sexual, good to touch-everything. Ramona paused, and Herzog said, "It's true-I have a lot to learn.” Excerpt From: Bellow, Saul. “Herzog.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
Saul Bellow (Herzog)