

“They say that a person’s personality is the sum of their experiences. But that isn’t true, at least not entirely, because if our past was all that defined us, we’d never be able to put up with ourselves. We need to be allowed to convince ourselves that we’re more than the mistakes we made yesterday. That we are all of our next choices, too, all of our tomorrows.”
― Anxious People
― Anxious People

“One had followed the rules, and one had not. But the problem with rules... was that they implied a right way and a wrong way to do things. When, in fact, most of the time they were simply ways, none of them quite wrong or quite right, and nothing to tell you for sure what side of the line you stood on.”
― Little Fires Everywhere
― Little Fires Everywhere

“You believe someone not because you have no doubts about them. Belief is not the absence of doubt. You believe someone because you don’t have enough doubts about them.”
― Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know
― Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know

“Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground, and start over. After the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too. They start over. They find a way.”
― Little Fires Everywhere
― Little Fires Everywhere

“He who gets behind in a race must forever remain behind or run faster than the man in front.”
― The Nickel Boys
― The Nickel Boys
Matt’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Matt’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Matt
Lists liked by Matt