I have always enjoyed reading book quotes, so I decided that for 2019 I will share my favourite quotes for every five books that I read! These are quotes that stood out to me, but will in no way spoil the book for you. I hope they give you a sense of what the book is about and the writing style!
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
“There is an anxiety in being yourself, though. There is the haunting question of “What if?” always lingering. What if who I am will never be enough? What if I will never be right enough for someone?”
“I am stronger than I am broken.”
“My father believes hunger is in the mind. I know differently. I know that hunger is in the mind and the body and the heart and the soul.”
“This is a memoir of (my) body because, more often than not, stories of bodies like mine are ignored or dismissed or derided. People see bodies like mine and make their assumptions. They think they know the why of my body. They do not.”
Lady Susan by Jane Austen
“…where there is a disposition to dislike, a motive will never be wanting”
“I write only to bid you Farewell. The spell is removed; I see you as you are.”
“There is exquisite pleasure in subduing an insolent spirit, in making a person pre-determined to dislike, acknowledge one’s superiority.”
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
“You can’t sit on the fence forever.”
“It takes a whole lot longer to dispose of a body than to dispose of a soul, especially if you don’t want to leave any evidence of foul play.”
“The most loving parents and relatives commit murder with smiles on their faces. They force us to destroy the person we really are: a subtle kind of murder.”
The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin
“The greatest works of poetry are the stories we tell about ourselves.”
“If you live long enough and well enough to know love, its various permutations and shades, you will falter. You will break someone’s heart. Fairy tales don’t tell you that. Poetry doesn’t either.”
“It’s possible to exist under any number of illusions, to believe so thoroughly in the presence of things you cannot see—safety, God, love—that you impose upon them physical shapes. A bed, a cross, a husband. But ideas willed into being are still ideas and just as fragile.”
Peter Darling by Austin Chant
“Dreamers are always welcome here, whatever their reasons.”
“That’s the trick of growing up. Nothing stays the same.” Hook sounded oddly sympathetic. “You see the faults in everything. Including yourself.”
“The very world here bends for the sake of your stories, Pan. I see no reason why I, a mere man, should not.”
Have you read any of these books? I would love to know if any of the quotes resonated with you!
I have to point out that while The Last Romantics isn’t perfect (planning to post a full review soon!), it is one of the most quotable books that I have read in a long time.
“The most loving parents and relatives commit murder with smiles on their faces. They force us to destroy the person we really are: a subtle kind of murder.”
This one punched me in the gut
I felt the same way when I first read it.
Powerful quotes from Hunger. I absolutely loved that book.
Yes! I could have quoted the whole book.
I have not read these books but the quotes from the first and third books really hit me. I struggled with a food addiction to the point I was 250 lbs in my 20s so that might be why (with the first quote). I went to OA and literally, over appx 8 years lost half myself, weight wise and then realized the real work begins.
I think that Hunger would really resonate with you. It’s a tough read but very honest. She touches on the fact that food addition is a lifelong struggle and she explores where her addiction started. I also follow her on Instagram and she talks about her journey sometimes on her stories. I love the recipes that she shares!
I just reserved it at the library! Thanks for the rec!
Oh, great. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it!
I have to say.. the first quote from Hunger slapped me right away. Haha. 💔 I can totally relate to most of the quotes you’ve shared! I think I need to read these! Thanks for sharing these awesome quotes!!
Me too. I listened to the audiobook and I disctinctly remember hearing that line and pausing it and rewinding it so I could write it down.
I think Hunger is probably my most highlighted book! I’ve marked so much of what she’s written because it just spoke so much to me. I also really liked that quote about parents/relatives from My Sister, The Serial Killer!
Yes! I listened to the audiobook but I want to buy a physical copy so I can annotate it, which I really do!
I started with the audiobook but when I saw it at the airport bookstore I immediately bought it. So worth it! 😊
I haven’t read Hunger, but I have read Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay and I’m really interested in reading Hunger now as well!
I also read Bad Feminist! I am making my way through all of her work so Not That Bad is next.
I really love her work, I think I might do the same later on. Good luck 🙂
I fall in love with anything Peter Pan related; “Dreamers are always welcome here, whatever their reasons.”
Me too! Isn’t that such a great quote?
It’s beautiful! To be honest, I haven’t heard of that book so I’ll be keeping an eye out for it now.
I can’t wait to read Peter Darling! I loved Coffee Boy by the same author. Great post 🙂
I can’t wait to read Coffee Boy. I haven’t heard many people talking about it so I’m happy to hear you loved it!