Five Bookish Quotes & Five Fall TBR

Gandalf and Frodo with All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us quote

Since I missed last week's T op Ten Tuesday, I'm doing a combo edition today. Five bookish quotes for this week's prompt and five books I'm looking forward to reading this fall from last week's.

Five Favorite Bookish Quotes

1. "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." -Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R. R. Tolkien

This has been one of my favorite quotes for a long, long time, but fortunately or unfortunately, it's especially poignant in these pandemically and politically tumultuous times.

2. "Some worlds are built on a fault line of pain, held up by nightmares. Don't lament when those worlds fall. Rage that they were built doomed in the first place." -Hoa, The Stone Sky, by N.K. Jemisin

So true of our world. We shouldn't lament what is falling. We should be thinking about building anew.

3. “This is the trouble with history. You can't see what's not there. You can look at an empty space and see that something's missing, but there's no way to know what it was.”-Narrator, The Power by Naomi Alderman

This was a creepy but important book that reminded me so clearly that how the world is isn't how it has to be.

4. "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim." -Nobel Acceptance Speech, 1986, Elie Wiesel

He would know.

5. "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" -The Summer Day, by Mary Oliver

I've gotten really into Mary Oliver's poetry these last few years. She is so real and in the moment. Both a balm and a call to action.

Five Books on My Fall TBR

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson--already started. so far, it's good fun!
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman-somebody gave me a copy of this, and I enjoyed Britt-Marie Was Here (after the first part), so we'll see
Ariel Samson: Freelance Rabbi by MaNishtana--not sure if I can get my hands on a copy, but I really want to read this!
Through It All by Christine Farris King--I want to learn more about the King family. This book is by MLK Jr's older sister. I didn't know that his mother was also assassinated. Did you?
Windborn by Mary Fan--I love everything she writes!

Books with Single-Word Titles

Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl! Books with Single-Word Titles These are all my favorite books that I could think of with one-word titles. A lot of fantasy, a few nonfiction (minus subtitles) and Kindred , whether you consider it scifi or historical fiction. Also two portmanteaus using the word "bitter." I suppose it's a word that lends itself to amelioration. 1. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler 2. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore 3. Fire by Kristin Cashore 4. Heartless by Marissa Meyer 5. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini 6. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 7. Stoned by Aja Raden (has a subtitle) 8. Educated by Tara Westover 9. Fledgling by Octavia Butler 10. Kindred by Octavia Butler

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Speaking of cultures and society, I leave for Spain on January 9. Instead of continuing as a book blog with a specific goal for number of books to read in a year, Space Station Mir will become a chronicle for my adventures in Spain. Expect a post for each new place that I visit, with pictures! I also plan to continue reviewing books, however I will not make a set goal for number of books to read this year. I do pledge myself to read at least one book in Spanish that was not assigned for a class. In terms of my goals for 2009, I was not diligent enough in keeping track of them. Looking back, I've fulfilled some of them and not others. The greatest trend in my reading this year, which marks a huge deviation for me, is that I've read more non-fiction than I think I've read any other year in my life. I've finally developed the ability to sustain interest in non-fiction other than biographies. For a while, biographies were the only non-fiction I ever read, with the exception

Most Recent Books I Did Not Finish

I feel like I've been DNFing a fair amount lately, mostly with review books. I feel obligated to read review books longer than I would if they were books I just picked up on my own. That said, I have a caveat in my Book Review Policy that if I feel I am not the right audience for the book, I won't post a review. I try to avoid that by only picking books I genuinely think I will enjoy, but of course I can't always predict that before I read. Also, while book clubs have been a great way to get exposed to books I wouldn't normally read, tastes will differ and every once in a while, I find a book I'm just not willing to finish. I also want to say no shade to the authors or anyone who enjoyed these books--they just weren't for me. Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Most Recent Books I Did Not Finish 1. Caribbean Competitors by Poppy Minnix--LibraryThing review--This one sounded great and has a beautiful cover, but while the island setting was compelling, I just couldn't ge

Space Station Mir

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