I decided at the beginning of the year that I wanted to keep a journal of my bookish adventures in some way. I know that bullet journaling is popular among bookworms, but that felt like a large undertaking, and I didn’t want to take on too much and end up not sticking with it.
So I decided that I would keep things very simple. In my book journal I:
- Record the title and author for every book I read,
- Keep track of what number book each is for the year, and
- Write down all the quotes and passages that I flagged while reading.
I’ve already read a good number of books so far in 2018, and rather than keeping these beautiful and impactful bits of prose to myself, I want to share them with you. Below are five of my favorite literary quotes for my January and February reads:
“When feminism falls short of our expectations, we decide the problem is with feminism rather than with the flawed people who act in the name of the movement.” –Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
“…happiness itself is often subtle and incomplete.” –Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Bad Feminist is probably one of the most impactful books I’ll read all year. These are just a couple of the maaaany passages I copied into my book journal.
“Thoughts have wings.” –The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
Chloe Benjamin’s latest book is so poignant and contains such important observations on life and death. It also shows how powerful our thoughts are – for better and for worse.
“‘It’s my favorite film. The whole thing was done, not from a book…not from a play…not from an actual happening or anything…but just an idea. An idea that nobody is born to be a failure. As simple as that. I liked that idea.'” –Jimmy Stewart: The Truth Behind the Legend by Michael Munn
This quote is directly from Jimmy Stewart. He’s talking about his movie It’s a Wonderful Life, which happens to be my all-time favorite film. I loved reading this biography and learning more about him and his career.
“…be more curious than defensive, all while seeking moments of togetherness.” –Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown
If there’s one book I wish everyone in America would read, it would be Brené Brown’s latest. We all need to understand how dangerous it is to divide ourselves into groups and separate ourselves from our fellow humans. We don’t have to agree, but we must seek to listen and understand.
Do you keep a record of your favorite quotes and passages in the books you read? Do you have a different tracking system? Tell me about it in the comments!
Leave a Reply