Category: Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Ripped from the Pages book cover - Winery tasting room with wine bottle cubbies along the sides, bottles of wine on a countertop along with a cheese platter, books, and a small orange & white kitten

Favorite Book Quotes

Valerie @ Valerie's MusingsLeave a comment

Before I get started with my favorite quotes, I want to point out that today is the release day for the paperback (mass market) version of Ripped From the Pages!! I’ve linked to my previous review of the book. Get out and purchase it and love it!

Back to today’s program at hand…

Do you ever come across quotes in books that you love so much that you have to write them down or save them somehow? I often do. Sometimes, if it’s a library book and I really need to get it back because of other holds, I’ll even snap a picture of the page/quote with the camera on my phone.

Here are some of my favorites (not in any particular order) and why they struck a chord in me:

“She looked at him gravely. ‘You cannot call back the river that has already flowed past you, Ruith. All you can do is be grateful for where you are in it.'” – Lynn Kurland, Spellweaver
This quote really stuck with me because it helps me remember that what’s done is done. There’s nothing I can do to change the past, but rather I can work through those memories and start each day fresh.

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer’s always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” – Nora Roberts, Tears of the Moon
This quote has helped me to remember to have the courage to stand up and go for what I want. When you have general anxiety all the time, which I do, it’s easy just to stay with the status quo because change really makes your anxiety kick in. But, if I never try to attain something, I never will. It’s certainly not easy and it takes me longer to do sometimes, but eventually I get it and step out of the box.

“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” – J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
This has somewhat become a mantra of mine and a reminder that we’re all a part of this human race and should treat each other with kindness and respect, no matter what our station or what we perceive their station in life to be.

“I’d spent my entire life overdosing on uncut escapism, willingly allowing fantasy to become my reality.” – Ernest Cline, Armada
This one struck a chord in me because for a long, long time I let myself do the same. The character in this book did it with video games, I did it with books. And sometimes when life isn’t going well, I still have a tendency to do this.

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. Remember that.” – J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s (Philosopher’s) Stone
This quote goes right along with the one above it. When I do get that tendency to dwell in the fantasy world of my favorite books, I try to remember this quote and get myself back on track. There’s nothing wrong with reading and escaping the world, as long as you’re not basically living in that fictional world.

“It’s here, inside me, and it’ll bite off pieces when it can. But I can take it because you’re there. Because you know how it feels. You’re the only one who really knows. And because you love me enough to feel it. When you look at me, and I see that, I can take anything.” – J.D. Robb, Reunion In Death
This quote strikes a chord in me because while I don’t have a significant other, I have a best friend who does this for me. It never fails to take my breath away to read this quote and know that I have someone like that in my corner. We all need someone like this to help us battle our demons.

Those are some of my favorite quotes from books I’ve read throughout the years. What are some of your favorites?

Sky Dragons – REVIEW

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3 out of 5 stars.

Sky Dragons by Anne & Todd McCaffrey book cover - background of trees with flat tops and a blue dragon with rider in foreground

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Synopsis

Scores of dragons are dead after plague swept across the world of Pern, and now the Weyrs are struggling to rebuild before Threadfall destroys everything—and everyone—left alive. Their best hope lies with a group of new dragonriders who have volunteered to brave the dangers of an unexplored island populated by vicious wild felines and voracious tunnel-snakes to create a safe home for their young dragons, whose offspring will hopefully replenish Pern’s decimated population. But their leader, Xhinna, the first female rider of a blue dragon, faces an uphill battle to win the respect of her peers, especially after tragedy leaves the new colony reeling. The way forward seems to lie with the awesome ability of the dragons to travel through time. But that power comes with risks: By venturing into the past, Xhinna may jeopardize the very future she has sworn to save.

Review

Sky Dragons by Anne & Todd McCaffrey is the 24th book in the Dragonriders of Pern series and was the last book in the series to be published after Anne McCaffrey died in November 2011.

This unfortunately was not one of the better books in the series. I think all the “timing” it that has happened in the last few books that were published has made even the authors’ brains a bit addled. All of the back and forth, back and forth is becoming utterly confusing.

I still love the characters that Todd McCaffrey has created. Some of them really stretch themselves and grow during this book. We see them overcome some formidable obstacles, including dissension amongst themselves. In the end, they come up with a solution to help the planet which is still in peril from the dreaded dragon sickness. It remains to be seen whether or not this solution will actually be the solution needed, but it’s a start. We may never know if what they tried worked or not since there hasn’t been another Pern book published since Ms. McCaffrey died.

In the end, I would still recommend this book to Pern-lovers because I think it does advance the storyline, but it is certainly not one of the best books in this series.

Dragonheart – REVIEW

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4.5 out of 5 stars.

Dragonheart by Todd McCaffrey book cover - Gold and bronze dragons flying around each other with a background of mountains

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Synopsis

The grim specter of sickness looms over the Weyrs of Pern, felling fire-lizards and posing a potentially devastating threat to their dragon cousins, Pern’s sole defense against the deadly phenomenon that is Thread. Fiona, the youngest and only surviving daughter of Lord Bemin, is just coming of age, and about to assume the duties of a Weyrwoman, when word spreads that dragons have indeed begun succumbing to the new contagion. With the next season of Threadfall quickly approaching, and the already diminished ranks of the dragons once more under siege, every Weyr across Pern is in crisis mode. It is hardly the time for disturbing distractions–such as the strange voice Fiona suddenly hears in her mind at the darkest and most urgent moments.

Circumstances and the mood of the weyrfolk worsen when advance patrols relay the dreaded news that black dust–the unmistakable herald of falling Thread–has been sighted. As more dragons sicken and die, leaving only a new generation of weyrlings too young to succeed them, Weyrleader B’Nik and queen rider Lorana arrive from Benden Weyr to comb Fort Weyr’s archives in a desperate search for clues from the past that may hold the solution to the plague.

But could the actual past itself prove the pathway to salvation for Pern’s stricken dragons and the entire imperiled planet? Guided by a mysterious ally from a wholly unexpected place, and trusting in the unique dragon gift for transcending time, Fiona will join a risky expedition with far-reaching consequences for both Pern’s future and her personal destiny.

Review

Dragonheart by Todd McCaffrey is the 21st book in the Dragonriders of Pern series.

I’ve been a fan of the series since I discovered them in the late 1990’s. I must admit that I was a bit leary when I heard that her son, Todd, was starting to take over the series. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first couple of books that came out under his name, but this one I really love. Fiona and T’mar have become two of my all-time favorite Pern characters and this book really showcases their characters and their development.

In this book, we see Fiona go from a Lord Holder’s daughter to a Weyrwoman. We see her develop through her early teen years trying to adjust not only to the changes in her own body and feelings but also the changes in her life brought on by impressing a dragon. T’mar is an older bronze rider whose path crosses with Fiona’s many times after she first becomes a weyrwoman. Then, they both find themselves back in time at an abandoned weyr which allows their relationship to grow and develop in new ways.

I highly recommend this installment of Pern’s story.

Dragon’s Time – REVIEW

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4 out of 5 stars.

Dragon's Time by Anne & Todd McCaffrey book cover - Dawn or dusk sky background with gold dragon flying upwards in the sky

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Synopsis

Even though Lorana cured the plague that was killing the dragons of Pern, sacrificing her queen dragon in the process, the effects of the disease were so devastating that there are no longer enough dragons available to fight the fall of deadly Thread. And as the situation grows more dire, a pregnant Lorana decides that she must take drastic steps in the quest for help.

Meanwhile, back at Telgar Weyr, Weyrwoman Fiona, herself pregnant, and the harper Kindan must somehow keep morale from fading altogether in the face of the steadily mounting losses of dragons and their riders. But time weighs heavily against them — until Lorana finds a way to use time itself in their favor.

It’s a plan fraught with risk, however. For attempting time travel means tampering with the natural laws of the universe, which could drastically alter history — and destiny — forever. Or so it has always been thought. But Lorana discovers that if the laws of time can’t be broken without consequences, it may still be possible to bend them. To ensure the future of Pern, she’s willing to take the fateful chance — even if it demands another, even greater, sacrifice.

Review

Dragon’s Time by Anne & Todd McCaffrey is the 23rd book in the Dragonriders of Pern series.

As I do with most Anne McCaffrey books (and by extension those by Todd McCaffrey as well), I devoured this book. I enjoyed every part of it except for the epilogue. I felt like someone told the authors to take the next 3 or 4 books and smoosh them all together in one short epilogue.

There are places in the book that can get a bit confusing, but the confusion comes from a chunk of the main plot, so I don’t want to give it away. All I can say is don’t give up on it! It does make sense if you keep reading!

I’ve been impressed by Todd McCaffrey’s ability to “play in his mother’s sandbox” (that’s how he puts it). When he first started writing Pern novels, I wasn’t sure I was going to like his writing style, but now that we’re several books into it, I find that I almost like his characters more! He has developed several well-rounded, complex characters and I enjoy reading the interplay between them and watching them grow and develop.

All in all, an excellent new installment to the Pern series!

Providence Unveiled – REVIEW

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5 out of 5 stars

Providence Unveiled book cover - Memory (teenaged girl) with purple hair and black/purple dress holding sword with Will (teenaged boy) in the background

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©Graphic Garden
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Synopsis

A wicked plot dating back to the very beginning of Avall is coming to its end, and Memory is a vital part. In order to save her friends, Memory will break all the rules. With all worlds put at risk by her actions, she will have to step up and make the greatest sacrifice to repair Avall and make the world something better than before.

Review

Providence Unveiled by Selina Fenech is the last in the Memory’s Wake Trilogy and it provides a fantastic ending to the whole excellent trilogy.

The characters are just as “real” and believable as they have been from day one. The plot line is action packed, just like the first two books. It kept me riveted from page one all the way through the end. I was a little disappointed when I learned who one of the “true” villains was, but only in the sense that I had really liked the character and was disappointed that they turned out to be so evil.

I’ve enjoyed the whole trilogy and don’t think that the author could have written a better ending to it. Memory, Eloryn, Roen, & Will grow throughout the book and at the end you find that they’ve all come a long way from where they were at the beginning of the first book in the trilogy, Memory’s Wake.

Treat yourself and enjoy!

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©Graphic Garden