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Thinking Time: 365 inspiring, amusing and thought-provoking quotes to get you through the year
Thinking Time is a collection of inspiring, amusing and thought-provoking quotes from a diverse range of people – authors, artists, actors, politicians, musicians and thinkers – from past centuries right up to the present day, and from all over the world.
Some are well-known, others less so, and a few unique to this collection. All were originally written or said by some of the most talented and interesting individuals who ever lived – though some quoted here are still very much alive!
This book can simply be enjoyed for the wisdom, insight and truth within these quotes, or used as a resource for anyone planning a speech, presentation, lecture, lesson or any form of public speaking.
These motivational and inspirational quotes can also be used to develop Intelligent Mindfulness in everyday life, to effectively promote a clear sense of purpose, success, wellness and positive personal development.
Some are well-known, others less so, and a few unique to this collection. All were originally written or said by some of the most talented and interesting individuals who ever lived – though some quoted here are still very much alive!
This book can simply be enjoyed for the wisdom, insight and truth within these quotes, or used as a resource for anyone planning a speech, presentation, lecture, lesson or any form of public speaking.
These motivational and inspirational quotes can also be used to develop Intelligent Mindfulness in everyday life, to effectively promote a clear sense of purpose, success, wellness and positive personal development.
376 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2021
2 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Jem Vanston
6 books9 followersBorn in Dartford, Kent, I now live in Swansea, UK, where I am slave to two rescue cats, Bumble and Honey Cat.
I am a former English teacher and occasional freelance journalist and film producer, and also run my own editing company.
I am also a published songwriter (free listening to some of my songs on Soundcloud.com on the Jem Vanston page).
My books include Crump (2010) by PJ Vanston and A Cat Called Dog (2013) by Jem Vanston.
A child-friendly illustrated A Cat Called Dog (2015) and its sequel A Cat Called Dog 2 - The One with The Kittens (2017. Plus a dark satirical novel about reality TV called 'Rasmus - a television tale' by PJ Vanston.
'Santa Goes on Strike' - an illustrated Christmas poem picture book for both kids and adults - by Jem Vanston, was published in late 2018 to great acclaim, and looks like being a Christmas regular.
2020 saw a sequel to Crump published - 'Somewhere in Europe' has been called the 'Lucky Jim' of now. Set in a town very much like Swansea too. Gower, Caswell, Mumbles and Cardiff mentioned by name.
My first non-fiction book 'Thinking Time - 365 inspiring, amusing and thought-provoking quotes to get you through the year' published in late 2021. A perfect reflective read for all ages. Good for mindfulness.
In April 2022, my 9th book and first collection of poetry was published: 'The Loved Ones - a Collection of Pandemic Poems about Love and Loss. Very proud of that. Some poems are available to read for free on www.vanston.co.uk
The Nine Lives of Summer, my 10th book, was published on 1st March 2023. It is a moving, funny, emotional-rollercoaster of a diverse adventure with a cat living 9 lives (which means 8 deaths) in over a dozen countries around the world. For children age 7+ and adults.
I am a former English teacher and occasional freelance journalist and film producer, and also run my own editing company.
I am also a published songwriter (free listening to some of my songs on Soundcloud.com on the Jem Vanston page).
My books include Crump (2010) by PJ Vanston and A Cat Called Dog (2013) by Jem Vanston.
A child-friendly illustrated A Cat Called Dog (2015) and its sequel A Cat Called Dog 2 - The One with The Kittens (2017. Plus a dark satirical novel about reality TV called 'Rasmus - a television tale' by PJ Vanston.
'Santa Goes on Strike' - an illustrated Christmas poem picture book for both kids and adults - by Jem Vanston, was published in late 2018 to great acclaim, and looks like being a Christmas regular.
2020 saw a sequel to Crump published - 'Somewhere in Europe' has been called the 'Lucky Jim' of now. Set in a town very much like Swansea too. Gower, Caswell, Mumbles and Cardiff mentioned by name.
My first non-fiction book 'Thinking Time - 365 inspiring, amusing and thought-provoking quotes to get you through the year' published in late 2021. A perfect reflective read for all ages. Good for mindfulness.
In April 2022, my 9th book and first collection of poetry was published: 'The Loved Ones - a Collection of Pandemic Poems about Love and Loss. Very proud of that. Some poems are available to read for free on www.vanston.co.uk
The Nine Lives of Summer, my 10th book, was published on 1st March 2023. It is a moving, funny, emotional-rollercoaster of a diverse adventure with a cat living 9 lives (which means 8 deaths) in over a dozen countries around the world. For children age 7+ and adults.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 20, 2022
When I read something great, I love to write it down or take a picture of it until I find I either lost the piece of paper or accidentally deleted the photo. Jem Vanston does a great job of putting together a fantastic collection of quotes that I know I’ll return to often.
Like the title says, these are thoughtful quotes that actually made me think. This is a book I would carry around the house with me, re-reading, even after making it through all 365 quotes. As someone who used to fill journals with collections of quotes, I understand how important and impactful words can have on a mindset throughout the course of a year or longer. On that note, I will also say that you do not at all have to be a quote connoisseur to enjoy this book. I believe it is important to take the time to let these quotes sit with you for a bit longer than you may have let them before picking up this title. Like most things in life, you’ll get out of this book what you put into it. I like the varied lengths and sometimes humorous quotes in this collection. It was nice to have a little bit of everything included.
Along with the variety, I appreciated that this book allows you to read it in a few different ways. Obviously, you can follow what day of the year we are currently on and read the collection in order, one day at a time, or you can read it like I did and read it in one day—-with the fullest intention of going back and re-reading my favorites for days to come. Finally, you could just bounce around and read whichever page you want whenever you want—maybe play a “flip the page game” and choose a page at random. All are great ways to experience this book.
A collection like this one is truly one to hold onto.
(I am grateful to have been given a copy of this book from Rowanvale Books at no cost and no obligation for a review. I am posting my original honest thoughts by my own choice to do so.)
Like the title says, these are thoughtful quotes that actually made me think. This is a book I would carry around the house with me, re-reading, even after making it through all 365 quotes. As someone who used to fill journals with collections of quotes, I understand how important and impactful words can have on a mindset throughout the course of a year or longer. On that note, I will also say that you do not at all have to be a quote connoisseur to enjoy this book. I believe it is important to take the time to let these quotes sit with you for a bit longer than you may have let them before picking up this title. Like most things in life, you’ll get out of this book what you put into it. I like the varied lengths and sometimes humorous quotes in this collection. It was nice to have a little bit of everything included.
Along with the variety, I appreciated that this book allows you to read it in a few different ways. Obviously, you can follow what day of the year we are currently on and read the collection in order, one day at a time, or you can read it like I did and read it in one day—-with the fullest intention of going back and re-reading my favorites for days to come. Finally, you could just bounce around and read whichever page you want whenever you want—maybe play a “flip the page game” and choose a page at random. All are great ways to experience this book.
A collection like this one is truly one to hold onto.
(I am grateful to have been given a copy of this book from Rowanvale Books at no cost and no obligation for a review. I am posting my original honest thoughts by my own choice to do so.)
February 25, 2022
Disclaimer:
I was gracefully given a free copy of the book by Rowanvale Books. This review depicts my honest, unbiased opinion, which was written and published at my own intention.
As an avid reader, I always find inspiration in the words of other people, people who have achieved great things and are now past of the collective memory. This is the main reason why I was so happy to come across this collection of quotes!
The author invites his readers to discover the wonderful effect of reflection, with the included quotes being used to develop a habit of daily mindfulness. I read the whole book in one sitting, but I think one can also start the practice of reading one quote each day. Regardless of your preference, I am sure you will find the selected quotes to be both calming and empowering. The whole reading experience is uplifting, especially if you pair it with other mindfulness practices, such as deep breathing.
I selected a few of the quotes I liked the most and wrote them in my diary, reflecting on the words spoken by wise people. They helped me put my own thoughts in order and deal with difficult emotions, and I am grateful to the author for taking the time to bring them together. If you are used to daily meditation, you might consider starting your practice with a quote from this collection.
For me, the collection has two strong points. One, the quotes came from people I admired and respected. Second, it was interesting to see how my own life context led to a personal interpretation of each quote. Reading the words left by the author in the introduction, I discovered that the book offered a personal collection of favorite quotes, which made the whole reading experience even more wonderful. Well-done!
I was gracefully given a free copy of the book by Rowanvale Books. This review depicts my honest, unbiased opinion, which was written and published at my own intention.
As an avid reader, I always find inspiration in the words of other people, people who have achieved great things and are now past of the collective memory. This is the main reason why I was so happy to come across this collection of quotes!
The author invites his readers to discover the wonderful effect of reflection, with the included quotes being used to develop a habit of daily mindfulness. I read the whole book in one sitting, but I think one can also start the practice of reading one quote each day. Regardless of your preference, I am sure you will find the selected quotes to be both calming and empowering. The whole reading experience is uplifting, especially if you pair it with other mindfulness practices, such as deep breathing.
I selected a few of the quotes I liked the most and wrote them in my diary, reflecting on the words spoken by wise people. They helped me put my own thoughts in order and deal with difficult emotions, and I am grateful to the author for taking the time to bring them together. If you are used to daily meditation, you might consider starting your practice with a quote from this collection.
For me, the collection has two strong points. One, the quotes came from people I admired and respected. Second, it was interesting to see how my own life context led to a personal interpretation of each quote. Reading the words left by the author in the introduction, I discovered that the book offered a personal collection of favorite quotes, which made the whole reading experience even more wonderful. Well-done!
March 5, 2022
Disclaimer – I received a free copy of this book from Rowanvale Books in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
I don’t usually read this type of book, but I quite enjoyed it. It’s a personal collection of favourite quotes from the author about a variety of themes and emotions, such as happiness, courage and friendship. There were also a lot of quotes on the idea of achieving the impossible, success and dreaming.
I liked the wide range of quotes and the structure of having one quote a day, with the author written below. It was nice being able to interpret the quote in your own way by having a quote per page and not a book divided into categories/themes, which made it much easier to focus and reflect on. I read the book in two sittings, but you can read a quote a day in order to practice ‘intellectual mindfulness’. One thing that stood out to me when reading was how many of the quotes would be very useful when teaching, as they were thought-provoking and could work really well in structuring a debate question for a class.
Some of the things that lowered my rating were that I felt some quotes were a bit similar and I noticed that the book used quotes from the same couple of authors a lot throughout. However, this is more of a personal opinion and might be because I read the book more quickly than is intended.
Overall, I quite enjoyed reading this book.
I don’t usually read this type of book, but I quite enjoyed it. It’s a personal collection of favourite quotes from the author about a variety of themes and emotions, such as happiness, courage and friendship. There were also a lot of quotes on the idea of achieving the impossible, success and dreaming.
I liked the wide range of quotes and the structure of having one quote a day, with the author written below. It was nice being able to interpret the quote in your own way by having a quote per page and not a book divided into categories/themes, which made it much easier to focus and reflect on. I read the book in two sittings, but you can read a quote a day in order to practice ‘intellectual mindfulness’. One thing that stood out to me when reading was how many of the quotes would be very useful when teaching, as they were thought-provoking and could work really well in structuring a debate question for a class.
Some of the things that lowered my rating were that I felt some quotes were a bit similar and I noticed that the book used quotes from the same couple of authors a lot throughout. However, this is more of a personal opinion and might be because I read the book more quickly than is intended.
Overall, I quite enjoyed reading this book.
February 28, 2022
I was fortunate to receive a copy of this book in return for an honest review from Rowanvale Books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection of quotes. I believe written in the context that it is written, the quotes allow readers to reflect more intuitively rather than if they were to see the same quotes on a social media post. I particularly enjoyed that the quotes were structured on a daily basis rather than just listed, which I have noticed in similar quote guides. Self-help books are intended to be personally reflective and as there is no authorial voice, readers can interpret the quotes in a manner that suits them and I found that works best for me. I used the quotes as part of my daily meditation practice and I found it invigorated me and allowed me to ground myself and set intentions for each day. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a little reminder each day of the personal power that they possess and take in the wisdom of those that are quoted, from famous actors and authors to philosophers.
March 19, 2022
Disclaimer: I was sent this book as an ARC by Rowanvale Books for an honest and unbiased review.
I really enjoyed the concept of this book. Although I myself read it in one sitting, I imagine that this would be a great thing to have at the start of every day throughout the year to guide your feelings and perspectives. I myself enjoy inspirational quotations whenever I come across them, so having one for every day of the year in one book is really lovely.
I took off two stars, however, because I found that the author kept using quotations from the same people, and I think it would have been great to have a slightly wider range of perspectives. Also, I found that some quotations have a similar general gist to them, and they are placed on consecutive days, so this made the book feel a little repetitive.
I really enjoyed the concept of this book. Although I myself read it in one sitting, I imagine that this would be a great thing to have at the start of every day throughout the year to guide your feelings and perspectives. I myself enjoy inspirational quotations whenever I come across them, so having one for every day of the year in one book is really lovely.
I took off two stars, however, because I found that the author kept using quotations from the same people, and I think it would have been great to have a slightly wider range of perspectives. Also, I found that some quotations have a similar general gist to them, and they are placed on consecutive days, so this made the book feel a little repetitive.
March 6, 2022
While I was sent this book as an ARC free from Rowanvale Books to review optionally and honestly, I frequently find myself gravitating towards inspirational and mindfulness books at the beginning of each year. I really enjoyed this read, the ‘how to use this book section’ is well written and directional but not restrictive and immediately centres the reader in the experience of reading or using this book. The quotes themselves are well selected and concisely contextualised on each page. The range of quotes is also amazing, varying in time period, length, and source. This book is perfect for anyone looking to make mindfulness or inspiration a grounded, manageable, and staple part of their day.
February 22, 2022
This book is a must read, each day of quote you can read, and lots of quotes are full of humor, encouragement and inspirations. It is a collection of all famous people around the globe to gather all the 'moments' of our lives. To celebrate and reflect what a life lesson is all about it. This is a book full of wisdom and enrich your life. I give a 5 star.
March 7, 2022
A free copy of this book was generously provided by Rowanvale Books for my perusal. Overall I found both the introduction and quotes to be wordy, somewhat repetitive, and generally lacking the soul I usually look for in mindfulness books. That being said I enjoy the layout of the book which provides a lot of blank space for one to make notes or journal as they please.
March 18, 2022
I have always been someone who loves a quote that has meaning or a power behind it that impacts me personally. This is a book that provides that, giving me a quote of the day right at my fingertips and I absolutely love that! With my busy schedule, this book gives me the opportunity to read one quote a day if I'd like, providing me one for every day of the year, including leap year.
The compilation of quotes is unique in that they address different things from family and friends, to creativity and work, to strength and regret, to love and loss and so much more, each one addressing the reader for them to consider the quote in their own lives, which is exactly what I did. Although I don't want to give too much away, I love that some of my favorite quotes were included such as, "If you can dream it, you can do it," by Walt Disney, as well as many I've never heard. The quotes gave me inspiration, encouragement, pride, determination, laughter and more. With just a few words, I'm again ready to follow my dreams.
Memorable individuals have been included in this compilation such as authors, actors, singers, scientists and presidents to name a few. Thinking Time is a book I will keep in my home office, so I'm able to open it up regularly and reflect on the next day's quote. I believe it's a book that can impact everyone differently, but the reader can always find it beneficial with a little thinking time for yourself.
I do want to say I did receive a free copy of this book from Rowanvale Books, but I have not been forced into providing a review. My review is my honest opinion and not at all baised. Thank you for the book!
The compilation of quotes is unique in that they address different things from family and friends, to creativity and work, to strength and regret, to love and loss and so much more, each one addressing the reader for them to consider the quote in their own lives, which is exactly what I did. Although I don't want to give too much away, I love that some of my favorite quotes were included such as, "If you can dream it, you can do it," by Walt Disney, as well as many I've never heard. The quotes gave me inspiration, encouragement, pride, determination, laughter and more. With just a few words, I'm again ready to follow my dreams.
Memorable individuals have been included in this compilation such as authors, actors, singers, scientists and presidents to name a few. Thinking Time is a book I will keep in my home office, so I'm able to open it up regularly and reflect on the next day's quote. I believe it's a book that can impact everyone differently, but the reader can always find it beneficial with a little thinking time for yourself.
I do want to say I did receive a free copy of this book from Rowanvale Books, but I have not been forced into providing a review. My review is my honest opinion and not at all baised. Thank you for the book!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews