BookJingle Blog

Archive for the ‘Famous Quotes’ Category

Sometimes, if I’ve spent too much time inside, I can forget what it’s like outside. I have windows, and I can see the sun shining. But, being inside where the temperature is practically always controlled, the warmth or the cold isn’t a factor. And once I step outside, I remember it is winter or summer. Right now, obviously, it is winter. It is cold, sometimes dreary, and hard to bear for long. I go outside in the winter when the temperature is hovering at 30 degrees, and wonder how people manage in colder climates. I race to whatever my destination might be: the car, the mailbox, the trash can, then hurry to get warm.

It can be easy to dismiss this season as a “bad” season, I think. Yes, Christmas is in winter, and just about the only time many people even allow the thought that snow might fall. Driving in ice and snow can be difficult, and the cold can be crushing. I recently came across a quote that conveys my feelings about this season very well, courtesy of Mr. John Steinbeck from “Travels with Charley”.

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” 

If it weren’t for the days where I think “Could it get any colder?” or “I can’t feel my nose it’s so cold.” would I look forward to the warmth of spring and summer the way I do now? Of course, once July comes around, I am tired of the sweltering, sweaty heat. Perhaps no season would be appreciated without the extremes in the other?

Either way, these are my thoughts on this chilly, winter day. What do you think about winter? Do you have any favorite literary quotes about winter, or any other season?

As you are all well aware, I am kind of obsessed with fall. Today, I came across a quote from Anne of Green Gables that summarizes my love for this season of change.

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” – Anne of Green Gables

I can relate, Anne.

What are your favorite literary quotes about fall?

Roald Dahl has been credited with saying the following: “So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookcase on the wall.”

I recently came across this quote, and it made me think. I love reading, but I also love watching TV. Should I be ashamed that I have a TV, and not a bookshelf instead? Sure, you can spend all of your time watching The Real Housewives of Anywhere, or other similar shows that don’t amount to anything. But, there are still plenty of educational shows on television. Documentaries on PBS, shows about the planets on History Channel, and plenty of shows about other cultures on National Geographic.

And, when it comes to reading, you could be digesting the words of great classical literature or non-fiction tomes outlining the fall of Rome. Or, you could be reading romance novels and chick-lit that is Real Housewives in book form.

So, can one form of media really be better than another? Yes, reading is great fo

r your brain. Television is entertaining. But both reading and watching television cause you to sit for long periods of time. While reading is a brain exercise, and TV can be an exercise in relaxing, neither act is giving your body a workout. I believe that both books and television can live side by side in everyone’s life. I can’t imagine my life without either, because sometimes I just want to veg on the couch with big bag of carrots and hummus & watch Gilmore Girls. Other times, a good book is what beckons.

To reconcile these two media, I bought some new living room furniture. Yes, I do still have a TV on my wall. But, the entertainment center now serves as a book shelf as well. Even though I’m sure Roald Dahl would have never said: “So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray, don’t throw your TV set away, just be sure your entertainment center also serves as book case,” but for me it is a nice compromise. I could never give up my books, but television also has a place in my heart (and my living room).