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“TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”
―
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”
―
“Her heart was a secret garden and the walls were very high.”
― The Princess Bride
― The Princess Bride
“She sounds like someone who spends a lot of time in libraries, which are the best sorts of people.”
― The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
― The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
“She thought of the library, so shining white and new; the rows and rows of unread books; the bliss of unhurried sojourns there and of going out to a restaurant, alone, to eat.”
― Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown
― Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown
History is Not Boring
— 2060 members
— last activity 3 hours, 51 min ago
Why do people think history is boring? I don't get it. ...more
Goodreads Librarians Group
— 312020 members
— last activity 0 minutes ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
Ladies of Literacy
— 5 members
— last activity Dec 21, 2016 07:58AM
We do what we want, we read what's awesome, and then we meet up for drinks and discussion. ...more
Folklore & Fairytales
— 382 members
— last activity Feb 06, 2026 01:12AM
For everyone who is interested in folklore and fairytales, either as a reader/hearer, writer/storyteller, or researcher.
Kate’s 2025 Year in Books
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