“There is something beautiful about a billion stars held steady by a God who knows what He is doing.”
― Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
― Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
― A Tale of Two Cities
― A Tale of Two Cities
“To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.”
― Les Misérables
― Les Misérables
“But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.”
― East of Eden
― East of Eden
“The home is the center of life. It is a refuge from the grind of work, the pressure of school, and the menace of the streets. We say that at home, we can “be ourselves.” Everywhere else, we are someone else. At home, we remove our masks.
The home is the wellspring of personhood. It is where our identity takes root and blossoms, where as children, we imagine, play, and question, and as adolescents, we retreat and try. As we grow older, we hope to settle into a place to raise a family or pursue work. When we try to understand ourselves, we often begin by considering the kind of home in which we were raised.”
― Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
The home is the wellspring of personhood. It is where our identity takes root and blossoms, where as children, we imagine, play, and question, and as adolescents, we retreat and try. As we grow older, we hope to settle into a place to raise a family or pursue work. When we try to understand ourselves, we often begin by considering the kind of home in which we were raised.”
― Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Joan’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Joan’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Polls voted on by Joan
Lists liked by Joan



























