26 Quotes about Books, Reading and Writing

I like quotes by famous authors so much that I Tweet one everyday, 365 days a year at @GuyPortman. Here are 26 memorable author quotes, many of which are humorous.

Never judge a book by its movie. – J.W. Eagan

Few things in life seem more sexy than a banned book. – Chuck Palahniuk

I have only ever read one book in my life, and that is White Fang. It’s so frightfully good I’ve never bothered to read another. – Nancy Mitford

This Is Not a Novel To Be Tossed Aside Lightly. It Should Be Thrown with Great Force. – Dorothy Parker

The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame. – Oscar Wilde

Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. – Groucho Marx

Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you’ll die of a misprint. – Markus Herz

A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking. – Jerry Seinfield

I know many books which have bored their readers, but I know of none which has done real evil. – Voltaire

No one ever committed suicide while reading a good book, but many have tried while trying to write one. – Robert Byrne

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read. – Mark Twain

Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. – P. J. O’Rourke

The Christian’s Bible is a drug store. Its contents remain the same, but the medical practice changes. – Mark Twain

I was reading a book… ‘the history of glue’ – I couldn’t put it down. – Tim Vine

Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house. – Henry Ward Beecher

Books had instant replay long before televised sports. – Bern Williams

Having your book turned into a movie is like seeing your oxen turned into bouillon cubes. – John LeCarre

If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking. – Haruki Murakami

Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere. – Mary Schmich

I’m writing a book. I’ve got the page numbers done. – Steven Wright

‘Classic.’ A book which people praise and don’t read. – Mark Twain

So many books, so little time. – Frank Zappa

Where would Jesus be if no one ever wrote the gospels? – Chuck Palahniuk

There’s many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher. – Flannery O’Connor

To hold a pen is to be at war. – Voltaire

I find television to be very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book. – Groucho Marx

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