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February 20 - March 19, 2025
“Books have tremendous power.”
This world throws all kinds of obstacles at us; we are forced to endure so much that is absurd. Our best weapon for fighting all the pain and trouble in the world isn’t logic or violence. It’s humor.”
“It’s good to read lots of books, but make no mistake . . .” The man in the white suit flinched again, but he didn’t speak. In the silence, Rintaro found his memories turning ever more fluidly into words. “. . . Books have tremendous power. But take care. It’s the book that holds the power, not you.”
“It’s not true that the more you read, the more you see of the world. No matter how much knowledge you cram into your head, unless you think with your own mind, walk with your own feet, the knowledge you acquire will never be anything more than empty and borrowed.”
“Books can’t live your life for you. The reader who forgets to walk on his own two feet is like an old encyclopedia, his head stuffed with out-of-date information. Unless someone else opens it up, it’s nothing but a useless antique.”
“It’s all very well to read a book, but when you’ve finished, it’s time to set foot in the world.”
“Because the obvious is no longer obvious in today’s world.”
“In today’s world, a lot of what should be obvious has been turned upside down. The weak are used as stepping-stones and those in need are taken advantage of. People just get caught up in this pattern. Nobody stands up and calls for it to stop.”
“Reading isn’t only for pleasure or entertainment. Sometimes you need to examine the same lines deeply, read the same sentences over again. Sometimes you sit there, head in hands, only progressing at a painstakingly slow pace. And the result of all this hard work and careful study is that suddenly you’re there and your field of vision expands. It’s like finding a great view at the end of a long climbing trail.”
“Being able to express shallow words of sympathy in a sweet voice doesn’t make someone a caring, compassionate soul. What’s important is the ability to have empathy for another human being—to be able to feel their pain, to walk alongside them in their suffering.”
Suddenly the cat spoke. “Books have a soul.” Its beautiful eyes seemed to capture the light of the stars and they, too, twinkled in the darkness. “A book that sits on a shelf is nothing but a bundle of paper. Unless it is opened, a book possessing great power or an epic story is mere scraps of paper. But a book that has been cherished and loved, filled with human thoughts, has been endowed with a soul.”
“Books have souls,” repeated the cat softly. “A cherished book will always have a soul. It will come to its reader’s aid in times of crisis.”
“You’ve earned my acknowledgment. The twisted soul is strong—” The cat paused. “But you are stronger.”
“I don’t know the answer. But I do know that books have helped me many times. I’m the kind of person who tends to dwell on the past, and I give up way too easily, but somehow, I’ve made it this far because books keep me going.”
“Books teach us how to care about others.”
“Books are filled with human thoughts and feelings. People suffering, people who are sad or happy, laughing with joy. By reading their words and their stories, by experiencing them together, we learn about the hearts and minds of other people besides ourselves. Thanks to books, it’s possible to learn not only about the people around us every day, but people living in totally different worlds.”
“I think the power of books is that—that they teach us to care about others. It’s a power that gives people courage and also supports them in turn.”
Empathy—that’s the power of books.”
“It doesn’t matter how slight or superficial it is, a change is a change.”
“If you find it difficult, it’s because it contains something that is new to you. Every difficult book offers us a brand-new challenge.”
“If you find a book easy to read, that means it’s all stuff that you already know,” he went on. “That’s why it’s easy. If you find it difficult, then that’s proof it’s something brand new.”
