“Reflect upon your present blessings -- of which every man has many -- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
― A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings
― A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings
“Life is tragic simply because the earth turns and the sun inexorably rises and sets, and one day, for each of us, the sun will go down for the last, last time. Perhaps the whole root of our trouble, the human trouble, is that we will sacrifice all the beauty of our lives, will imprison ourselves in totems, taboos, crosses, blood sacrifices, steeples, mosques, races, armies, flags, nations, in order to deny the fact of death, the only fact we have. It seems to me that one ought to rejoice in the fact of death--ought to decide, indeed, to earn one's death by confronting with passion the conundrum of life. One is responsible for life: It is the small beacon in that terrifying darkness from which we come and to which we shall return.”
― The Fire Next Time
― The Fire Next Time
“The power of a glance has been so much abused in love stories, that it has come to be disbelieved in. Few people dare now to say that two beings have fallen in love because they have looked at each other. Yet it is in this way that love begins, and in this way only.”
― Les Misérables
― Les Misérables
Billy’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Billy’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Billy
Lists liked by Billy

































