“But memories are time beings, too, like cherry blossoms or ginkgo leaves; for a while they are beautiful, and then they fade and die.”
― A Tale for the Time Being
― A Tale for the Time Being
“In a better world I would have kissed her over the ice trays and that would have been the end of all our troubles. But you know exactly what kind of world we live in. It ain't no fucking Middle-earth. I just nodded my head, said, See you around, Lola, and drove home.”
― The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
― The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
“At first I was like, No way am I saying that, but when you hang out with people who are always being supergrateful and appreciating things and saying thank you, in the end it kind of rubs off, and one day after I'd flushed, I turned to the toilet and said, "Thanks, toilet," and it felt pretty natural. I mean, it's the kind of thing that's okay to do if you're in a temple on the side of a mountain, but you'd better not try it in your junior high school washroom, because if your classmates catch you bowing and thanking the toilet they'll try to drown you in it. I explained this to Jiko, and she agreed it wasn't such a good idea, but that it was okay just to feel grateful sometimes, even if you don't say anything. Feeling is the important part. You don't have to make a big deal about it.”
― A Tale for the Time Being
― A Tale for the Time Being
“Here at last is her smile: burn it into your memory; you won't see it often.”
― The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
― The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
“If you’re telling a non-black person about something racist that happened to you, make sure you are not bitter. Don’t complain. Be forgiving. If possible, make it funny. Most of all, do not be angry. Black people are not supposed to be angry about racism. Otherwise you get no sympathy. This applies only for white liberals, by the way. Don’t even bother telling a white conservative about anything racist that happened to you. Because the conservative will tell you that YOU are the real racist and your mouth will hang open in confusion.”
― Americanah
― Americanah
Alex’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Alex’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Alex
Lists liked by Alex


































