I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this sooner. But, since I’ve already shown you all my favorite song lyrics, I think it’s very important that I also present my favorite quotes. Specifically, book quotes. Books honestly take up 90% of my life, so it’s only fitting that I dedicate an entire post to my favorite quotes from some of my favorite books. Take all of the books that these quotes are from as a recommendation, and enjoy these quotes!
PS: I left out the sappy love quotes. But those are also my favorite. I want a love like the books.
This has to be one of my favorite quotes of all time from what has to be my favorite book of all time (Legend by Marie Lu). I’m not lying when I say that Legend changed my life because it truly did. Day and June taught me the importance of always choosing good and always walking in the light. Day has this unrelenting optimism despite the odds stacked against him, and this quote will forever live in my heart.
“Never let it be said that we take the easy way out” - Rebel by Marie Lu
Doing the right thing isn’t always easy. It’s often extremely difficult, but when the characters in Rebel are faced with a decision, they choose the risky one because that risk is what would ultimately save their people. That risk was the right thing to do.
“A life without purpose may be no life, but a life without love is nothing but an existence.” - We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
This quote from WHTF is especially important to me because one of the main characters, Nasir, was raised to be cold and emotionless. He was told that his compassion was a weakness when it is actually his greatest strength. This resonates with me because even though I’m not the sultan’s assassin, the combination of ambition and passion is something I’m still working through and often I try to hide my emotions. But honestly, I just have to feel.
Enough said. Love is indomitable. Love is powerful. Love won’t conquer all without some work, but your love for someone is a huge driving force.
“Because my mother taught me that, in spite of everything, I must choose goodness.” - Skyhunter by Marie Lu
Do y’all know who my favorite author? Yeah, me neither. In case it wasn’t already clear, I love Marie Lu and the message she brings that choosing goodness is the most important thing of all despite all obstacles. For the main characters in her new series (Skyhunter), being good is by no means easy, but they do it anyway. And they would do it again.
“You always point out the problems with the paintings or the drawings. But what about the things you got right?” - I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
This quote was said by Nathan Allan, who is essentially the human equivalent of a golden retriever: endearing, encouraging, and positive. Ben De Backer, the main character in IWYATB, is more like me. They say that you’re your own worst critic, after all. Nathan really has a point here -- sometimes you have to step back from overanalyzing your flaws and realize how far you’ve come.
“It is a dangerous thing to unbelieve something only because it frightens you.” - Heartless by Marissa Meyer
As Jest would say, “Impossible is my specialty”. Heartless told me that what you believe to be impossible doesn’t have to be because the power of hope is much stronger than you think. Hope is there for you to break the barriers you put up for yourself, and you can’t let fear get in the way of that. As someone who often shies away from risks, this one is special to me.
This quote is quite iconic from the Renegades trilogy, and for good reason. It’s true. You can’t be brave if you don’t have fears because you don’t have anything to be afraid of. Fear makes us human.
“Fear is only your enemy if you allow it to be.” - An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Delving into the topic of fear again, this is one of my favorite quotes from An Ember in the Ashes, my second-favorite book of all time. Laia, the main character, taught me that being strong doesn’t mean you’re fearless, and that really resonated with me because it made Laia more relatable. I think in the past, I often saw book characters as fearless, unyieldingly brave figures, but Laia wasn’t that. She was strong, powerful, and extraordinary, but in the heart of it all, she was a teenage girl who would go to the ends of the world to save her brother.
“Your emotions make you human. Even the unpleasant ones have a purpose. Don't lock them away. If you ignore them, they just get louder and angrier.” - A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
More Sabaa Tahir quotes because this series has my entire heart. This quote is similar to We Hunt the Flame, and I love the message equally as much. In the AEITA series, the highest-ranking soldiers are called Masks. They’re supposed to be emotionless, cold-hearted killers. They’re supposed to be robotic. But Elias Venturius, one of the best Masks, has compassion. He is undoubtedly good. He is human. This quote also resonates with me because of the whole “bottling up my emotions” thing I tend to do.
This is a self call-out in the form of another Renegades quote. I think for me, I often cut myself off before giving someone the chance to change, even though I expect them to. I hate confrontation, which is probably why I do it, but I think this is a reminder that people are bound to be imperfect, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth letting in.
Note: Marissa Meyer is a problematic author (research that online), so if you want to read her books I’d recommend buying secondhand or borrowing from the library.
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