426 books
—
86 voters
to-read
(313)
currently-reading (3)
read (3848)
did-not-finish (0)
x-to-read-some-other-time (6)
mystery-thriller (1244)
play (476)
x-mystery (243)
sailing (127)
x-sf (114)
scifi (103)
history (98)
currently-reading (3)
read (3848)
did-not-finish (0)
x-to-read-some-other-time (6)
mystery-thriller (1244)
play (476)
x-mystery (243)
sailing (127)
x-sf (114)
scifi (103)
history (98)
my-favorite-thrillers
(94)
short-stories (93)
general-non-fiction (85)
read-in-14 (75)
af-am (70)
art (70)
read-in-13 (66)
thinking (66)
west-and-westerns (59)
read-in-2015 (58)
psychology (53)
ancient-history-and-lit (51)
short-stories (93)
general-non-fiction (85)
read-in-14 (75)
af-am (70)
art (70)
read-in-13 (66)
thinking (66)
west-and-westerns (59)
read-in-2015 (58)
psychology (53)
ancient-history-and-lit (51)
“I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.”
―
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.”
―
“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
―
―
“I have always lived violently, drunk hugely, eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping, worked too hard and too long in glory, or slobbed for a time in utter laziness. I've lifted, pulled, chopped, climbed, made love with joy and taken my hangovers as a consequence, not as a punishment.”
― Travels with Charley: In Search of America
― Travels with Charley: In Search of America
“I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.”
― Foucault’s Pendulum
― Foucault’s Pendulum
“The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.”
― Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
― Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
Charles’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Charles’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Charles
Lists liked by Charles


































































