“This first glance of a soul which does not yet know itself is like dawn in the heavens; it is the awakening of something radiant and unknown.”
― Les Misérables
― Les Misérables
“Any human face is a claim on you, because you can't help but understand the singularity of it, the courage and loneliness of it. But this is truest of the face of an infant. I consider that to be one kind of vision, as mystical as any.”
― Gilead
― Gilead
“There is some kind of a sweet innocence in being human- in not having to be just happy or just sad- in the nature of being able to be both broken and whole, at the same time.”
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“It has seemed to me sometimes as though the Lord breathes on this poor gray ember of Creation and it turns to radiance - for a moment or a year or the span of a life. And then it sinks back into itself again, and to look at it no one would know it had anything to do with fire, or light .... Wherever you turn your eyes the world can shine like transfiguration. You don't have to bring a thing to it except a little willingness to see. Only, who could have the courage to see it? .... Theologians talk about a prevenient grace that precedes grace itself and allows us to accept it. I think there must also be a prevenient courage that allows us to be brave - that is, to acknowledge that there is more beauty than our eyes can bear, that precious things have been put into our hands and to do nothing to honor them is to do great harm.”
― Gilead
― Gilead
The Cornelia Street Society
— 21 members
— last activity Feb 26, 2024 09:06AM
For the swifties who love to read!
Literally Dead Book Club
— 16512 members
— last activity Jan 14, 2026 01:58PM
A mostly monthly book club (February-November) focused on thriller/mystery/horror hosted by BooksandLala and a rotating set of wonderful co-hosts! li ...more
Kjersten’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Kjersten’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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