to-read
(641)
currently-reading (5)
read (290)
series (124)
fantasy-love (104)
classics (85)
favorites (77)
currently-reading (5)
read (290)
series (124)
fantasy-love (104)
classics (85)
favorites (77)
other-asian-authors
(65)
spooky (63)
dramarama (55)
adventures (48)
paranormal (38)
dropped (32)
romansu (32)
spooky (63)
dramarama (55)
adventures (48)
paranormal (38)
dropped (32)
romansu (32)
“There is a story for children, There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon, by Jack Kent, that I really like. It’s a very simple tale, at least on the surface. I once read its few pages to a group of retired University of Toronto alumni, and explained its symbolic meaning.*2 It’s about a small boy, Billy Bixbee, who spies a dragon sitting on his bed one morning. It’s about the size of a house cat, and friendly. He tells his mother about it, but she tells him that there’s no such thing as a dragon. So, it starts to grow. It eats all of Billy’s pancakes. Soon it fills the whole house. Mom tries to vacuum, but she has to go in and out of the house through the windows because of the dragon everywhere. It takes her forever. Then, the dragon runs off with the house. Billy’s dad comes home—and there’s just an empty space, where he used to live. The mailman tells him where the house went. He chases after it, climbs up the dragon’s head and neck (now sprawling out into the street) and rejoins his wife and son. Mom still insists that the dragon does not exist, but Billy, who’s pretty much had it by now, insists, “There is a dragon, Mom.” Instantly, it starts to shrink. Soon, it’s cat-sized again. Everyone agrees that dragons of that size (1) exist and (2) are much preferable to their gigantic counterparts. Mom, eyes reluctantly opened by this point, asks somewhat plaintively why it had to get so big. Billy quietly suggests: “maybe it wanted to be noticed.”
― 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
― 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
“Because reading is one of the joys of life, and once you begin, you can't stop, and you've got so many stories to look forward to.”
―
―
“The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.”
―
―
“Widespread intellectual and moral docility may be convenient for leaders in the short term, but it is suicidal for nations in the long term.”
― Billions & Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium
― Billions & Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
— 9040 members
— last activity 9 minutes ago
Do you want to broaden your reading horizons and discover new books, authors and genres? Do you love reading challenges? Do you live for competition? ...more
Japanese Light Novel Book Club
— 1681 members
— last activity 16 hours, 28 min ago
--We are a book club for readers of light novels and novels from Japan. Our goal is to promote the enjoyment and discussion of Japanese Light Novels. ...more
New Books Readers&Authors
— 55 members
— last activity Sep 28, 2020 06:19PM
A group for those who love to explore and discover the potential of new ideas, even in their early stages, through newly released books, soon to be re ...more
Andra’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Andra’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Andra
Lists liked by Andra






































