“My companions for the afternoon were affable, welcoming middle-aged men in their late thirties and early forties who simply had no conception of the import of the afternoon for the rest of us. To them it was an afternoon out, a fun thing to do on a Saturday afternoon; if I were to meet them again, they would, I think, be unable to recall the score that afternoon, or the scorer (at half-time they talked office politics), and in a way I envied them their indifference. Perhaps there is an argument that says Cup Final tickets are wasted on the fans, in the way that youth is wasted on the young; these men, who knew just enough about football to get them through the afternoon, actively enjoyed the occasion, its drama and its noise and its momentum, whereas I hated every minute of it, as I hated every Cup Final involving Arsenal.”
― Fever Pitch
― Fever Pitch
“Think of it this way: There are two kinds of failure. The first comes from never trying out your ideas because you are afraid, or because you are waiting for the perfect time. This kind of failure you can never learn from, and such timidity will destroy you. The second kind comes from a bold and venturesome spirit. If you fail in this way, the hit that you take to your reputation is greatly outweighed by what you learn. Repeated failure will toughen your spirit and show you with absolute clarity how things must be done.”
― Mastery
― Mastery
“In Greenland there is no ownership of land. What you own is your house, your dogs, your sleds and kayaks. Everyone is fed. It is a food-sharing society in which the whole population is kept in mind--the widows, elderly, infirm, and ill are always taken care of. Jens said, "We weren't born to buy and sell, but to be out on the ice with our families.”
― Unsolaced: Along the Way to All That Is
― Unsolaced: Along the Way to All That Is
“at some point in a woman’s life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time. After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is.”
― City of Girls
― City of Girls
The American Novel Since 1945
— 324 members
— last activity Oct 16, 2025 01:22PM
Yale posted a series of lectures entitled, "The American Novel Since 1945." This group will follow this lecture series. Your Host: Lisa of Troy (htt ...more
Animal Farm Readalong #AnimalFarmReadalong
— 303 members
— last activity Mar 30, 2022 08:08AM
This January, I will be hosting a readalong of George Orwell's classic Animal Farm. Please do join in if you would like to read this book or learn a b ...more
°The Rainy Day Book Club°
— 516 members
— last activity Feb 11, 2025 12:08AM
Welcome to The Rainy Day Bookclub, Where we don't want the rain to go away! We are a peaceful and book-loving group that plays games, does motm's, ...more
Little Women Readalong
— 204 members
— last activity Sep 21, 2025 04:32PM
This June, I will be hosting a readalong of Louisa May Alcott's classic Little Women. Please do join in if you would like to read this book or learn a ...more
Barb’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Barb’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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