“The one thing that everybody wants is to be free...not to be managed, threatened, directed, restrained, obliged, fearful, administered, they want none of these things they all want to feel free, the word discipline, and forbidden and investigated and imprisoned brings horror and fear into all hearts, they do not want to be afraid not more than is necessary in the ordinary business of living where one has to earn one's living and has to fear want and disease and death....The only thing that any one wants now is to be free, to be let alone, to live their life as they can, but not to be watched, controlled and scared, no no, not.
~ September, 1943”
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~ September, 1943”
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“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”
― The Picture of Dorian Gray
― The Picture of Dorian Gray
“It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.”
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“If you are bored and disgusted by politics and don't bother to vote, you are in effect voting for the entrenched Establishments of the two major parties, who please rest assured are not dumb, and who are keenly aware that it is in their interests to keep you disgusted and bored and cynical and to give you every possible reason to stay at home doing one-hitters and watching MTV on primary day. By all means stay home if you want, but don't bullshit yourself that you're not voting. In reality, there is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some Diehard's vote.”
― Up, Simbal!: 7 Days on the Trail of an Anticandidate
― Up, Simbal!: 7 Days on the Trail of an Anticandidate
Retro Reads
— 635 members
— last activity Jun 21, 2026 02:08PM
A buddy reading group for those interested in twentieth century books and authors. Our time period will be 1900-2000. Authors like M.M. Kaye, Elizabet ...more
50 books to read before you die
— 12053 members
— last activity Jun 04, 2026 06:29PM
These are the named books: 1 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien 2 1984 by George Orwell 3 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 4 The Gra ...more
THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP
— 2740 members
— last activity 7 hours, 41 min ago
A chance to discuss books covering the Second World War, the battles, campaigns, leaders and weapons. Tantum librorum, tam brevi tempore (So many ...more
Cassie’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Cassie’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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