Are you looking for literary clothes you could wear yourself or gift the book lover in your life?
In online stores – such as Amazon, Etsy, Redbubble, Society6, or Zazzle – you can find lots of book-themed clothes. They are available on dozens of apparel items, not only t-shirts, but also sweatshirts, hoodies, leggings, skirts, or caps.
Most of the bookish clothes are highly colorful, attention-catching, and make the full use of available print space. Many are overdone, too fancy, too childish, or too messy.
You won’t find them in this overview. There is no need to be fancy or childish to express you are a bookworm.
Instead, we have dug through hundreds of products to find the ones that are minimal in style and offer a creative or uncommon look at what the love for books and reading is.
Text-only ideas, vintage-style design, desaturated colors, low contrast – it’s the style we love, and we hope you will love, too.
When it comes to literary fashion, it’s time to start the chapter that follows “Just one more chapter.”
“Well Read Woman” soft t-shirt. From Wild Academia comes a comfortable, lightweight t-shirt that features a sleek design with a text: “Never underestimate a well read woman.” It’s available in eight colors, including White, Mauve, and Heather Forest.
“Raised by Books” t-shirt. Out of Print literary brand is not only about reprinted book cover art. It offers a wide variety of original book-related designs as well. One of them is “Raised by books,” with an image of a wolf howling in the full moon near a stack of books.
“Literature Lover” sweatshirt. A retro illustration of a girl reading a book is placed inside an oval shape, with a text “Literature lover.” The artwork is placed on a pre-shrunk, classic fit sweatshirt that’s made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester.
Mini shirt dress with handwritten literary quotes. A perfect suit for a book lover who finally decides to go to a party. The dress is cozy and soft to wear – an essential for your summer wardrobe.
“Annabel Lee” women’s canvas sneakers. A text from Edgar Allan Poe’s last complete poem “Annabel Lee,” combined with doodles and ornaments, is an artwork that looks stunning on canvas sneakers. They are offered in two colors, in either White or Black.
“Fight Evil Read Books” beanie. From a leading literary clothing company, Out of Print, comes a pom-pom beanie that says: “Fight evil, read books.” Each purchase of Out of Print helps fund literacy programs to communities in need.
“I Love My Kindle” classic t-shirt. Modern book lovers don’t have to choose between ebooks and print books. This lightweight vintage design features the text: “I love my Kindle just as much as I love my print books.” There are also versions for Kobo and Nook owners.
“Life Is Like a Novel” Tote Bag. The vintage artwork features an original book quote by Piotr Kowalczyk: “Life is like a novel, with you being both its author and main character.” A great gift idea for book lovers, especially the ones who admire vintage book design.
“Litterateur” dad hat. A vintage logo design with a description of the word “litterateur” provided by Merriam-Webster dictionary, together with the phonetic notation. Available on either dad hat or baseball cap, plus over 75 other items.
“Wildfell” sweatshirt. Anne Brontë novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is often overshadowed by her sisters’ works. Time to change it. Perfect for snuggling down with a good book, it’ll also keep you warm when you’re reading far too long.
“Natural Born Reader” baby bodysuit. If you are looking for an apparel for your child, you should take a look at this wonderful design saying “Bookish – natural born reader.” Just as other items on Zazzle, you can get the artwork on almost 160 styles.
“On My Way to the Bookshop” tote bag. This vintage design shows the text on a shape of a retro bicycle. Available in dark and light version on almost 80 products, including this lightweight go-everywhere cotton tote bag. There is also a variant saying “On my way to the library.”
“Reading Workout” regular fit t-shirt. A great gift idea for avid book readers – a slim typographic t-shirt with a text: “My workout is reading in bed until my arms hurt.” The tee is medium soft, side-seamed, and comes in five sizes, from S to 2XL.
“Cats and Books Lover” cap. This desaturated vintage-style design features the text “Authentic cats & books addict | geek | lover,” followed by “established before it was cool.” Make sure to explore Redbubble for other variants: with dogs, coffee, and tea. The artwork is available on almost 80 other products.
Dracula tote bag. This attention-catching tote bag features Bram Stoker’s celebrated classic Dracula. On the back, you will see a memorable quote from a book: “Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!” The bag includes a small inner pocket and closes with a magnetic clasp.
Personalized bookworm socks. These stylish premium socks are designed by Solesmith, and feature a large handwritten text saying “bookworm” running from top to bottom. The text is printed with metallic copper-like ink. Most of all, you can personalize the socks by adding your custom text, for instance, your initials.
“Bookworm Phonetic Notation” racerback tank top. A minimalist and uncommon way to say you are a book lover – a Merriam-Webster Dictionary phonetic notation of the word “bookworm.” Several other phonetic transcriptions of book-related words are also available.
“Stay Wild” Atticus poetry cap. If you are a fan of Atticus, an incredibly popular anonymous Canadian poet, you must have a look at the Stay Wild collection of apparel. “Atticus Poetry is making waves and being anonymously remembered for the lines that speak to the heart.”
“Persuasion” infinity scarf. From Storiarts comes a wonderful cream colored scarf that’s made of super soft 100% cotton knit fabric, and is about 63 inches in circumference. The scarf features the text from Persuasion – the last novel completed by Jane Austen.
Overdue books reusable tote bag. From Joyful Moose Store comes a funny typographic canvas shopping bag with a text: “There’s a chance these books are overdue.” The bag has a reinforced bottom, and measures 14.5 × 15 inches.
Mini skirt with signatures from famous writes. The design from Grande Duc includes signatures and autographs from Shakespeare, Austen, Shelley, Poe, Woolf, Twain, Brontë, and other big names in literature. It’s available in light and dark design on over 90 items.
“Recharge Your Brain” laptop sleeve. The minimalist idea puts books inside the battery icon to show that – just like your smartphone or laptop – the brain needs to be recharged. The text says: “Recharge your brain – read books every day.”
“Nevermore” Edgar Allan Poe t-shirt. An idea for fans of dark academia aesthetic. The artwork features a raven and a skull, with a text “nevermore” from Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem “The Raven.” The t-shirt is made of a soft blend of polyester and cotton, and looks especially good on a black tee.
“BKLVR Booklover” relaxed fit t-shirt. Available in 7 colors, this minimalist vintage design shows the abbreviation “bklvr” which stands for “booklover.” Three other bookish abbreviations are also available: “bknrd,” “bkwrm,” and “bkrdr.”
“Romeow and Juliet” tote bag. From Hello Gift Smith comes a 100% organic cotton canvas tote bag featuring a clever artwork looking like a title page of a 16th-century book. The title says “Romeow and Juliet.” A perfect gift for a cat & book lover in your life. Pride & Purrjudice tote bag is also available.
Zip-up hoodie with book reviews. This clever unisex hoodie shows text passages that look like book reviews. The best thing is that they can actually describe you. “Blew everybody’s minds,” “Staggeringly good fun,” or “Dazzling.”
“Unspeakably Competent Librarian” face mask. A vintage design showing a phonetic notation of the word “librarian” is particularly clever on a face mask – especially that the full text goes: “Unspeakably competent librarian.” Other bookish words are also visualized in the same manner on almost 80 other products.
Clever “Pride and Prejudice” fine jersey t-shirt. On Zazzle you can find a clever, minimalist, lettering artwork that says: “Read as if Darcy is watching.” Available on almost 160 styles and products.
Book cover skirt. Here comes a wonderful example of bookish apparel – a skirt with an artwork made of iconic covers of classic novels. Its soft fabric paired with its flared cut. “The flattering silhouette looks great on any body type.”
CoC HP Lovecraft 1928 premium t-shirt. Lovers of H.P. Lovecraft will quickly decode this abbreviation. “The Call of Cthulhu,” Lovecraft’s famous short story, is often abbreviated as CoC. It was first published in 1928. A few other literature-inspired abbreviations are also available.
Librarian word cloud sweatshirt. Here is another example of an apparel with an artwork printed on the back. It features a word cloud around the word “library” – a perfect gift for a librarian or library supported in your life.
“Escape” zipper pouch. Books are a way to escape daily life problems, and you can express it by slightly changing the way the letter “e” looks. This minimalist bookish typographic artwork is available in light and dark version on over 70 products.
“Take Me to Your Readers” t-shirt. A funny literature t-shirt with a UFO ship over the mountains and a text “Take me to your readers.” Printed to order in the USA, and available on over ten clothing styles, including v-neck, tank top, and long sleeve.
Jane Austen “Most Ardently” quote hoodie. If you are looking for bookish clothes with minimal artwork, the Jane Austen quote should meet your needs. In Pride & Prejudice, Mr. Darcy says: “I love you. Most ardently. Please do me the honor of accepting my hand.”
“Book Pile” a-line dress. This fashionable, minimal, black and white design shows an abstract book pattern. Available also on leggings, tote bags, sleeveless tops, and dozens of other clothes.
“Read More, Aim Higher” pullover hoodie. A design from Piotr Kowalczyk shows the text looking like books on a shelf – and you have to read from bottom to top to get the point. You can place the design either on the back or the front of the hoodie. Plus, there are over 70 other products to choose from.
Jungle Book official Disney t-shirt. On oversized t-shirt with a Jungle Book image. It’s the officially licensed Disney merchandise with all authorized licensor branding, packaging and labelling.
“I Am Reading” socks. Made from high-quality super-soft cotton blend and delivered in eco-friendly packaging, these socks feature an iconic text “go away, I am reading” that’s split between both socks. The print will last hundreds of washes and will never peel or fade.
Frankenstein quote hoodie. This oversized sweatshirt features a quote from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: “Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” Well over ten colors are available, including Maroon, Heather Deep Teal, and Sports Gray.
Protantagonist baseball 3/4 sleeve t-shirt. Protantagonist (protagonist and antagonist in one) – someone who will make your life as exciting as a page-turning novel. The design is available on a vintage athletic baseball t-shirt with contrast sleeves and collar, and over 70 other products.
Bracelets with classic literary quotes. Take a look at the set of four rubber bracelets that feature inspirational quotes by William Shakespeare, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Mark Twain. A standard size of 8 inches fits most men, women, and teen wrist sizes.
“Pride and Prejudice” text socks. Socks and tights that use a text from classic novels are always in fashion. This time, we are delighted to share white under knee socks created by Natalia Cohen of Coline Design. Opaque tights with the same text are also available.
“Got Books?” men’s t-shirt. A funny reference to an iconic “Got milk” ad campaign. The t-shirt is available on almost 99 products, including dozens of clothes.
Dorian Gray reading and writing gloves. Handmade from American 100% cotton knit fabric, these beautiful gloves will keep your palms warm, no matter whether you are reading or writing a novel. “Let everyone know about your great taste in books by adorning your wrists in the words of The Picture of Dorian Gray.”
“Bibliophile Heart” fitted scoop t-shirt. This vintage-style design shows a white ribbon with a text “bibliophile” placed in front of the heart shape made of stacked red books. “The bookish heart always has room for one more story.”
Women’s Poetry tunic top. From Jess & Jane comes a washed cotton high low tunic top that stylishly combines a handwritten poem with a gentle watercolor flower image.
“Book Lovers Day” active t-shirt. You can celebrate the love for books 365 days a year, not only during World Book Day, Read a Book Day, Book Lovers Day, Buy a Book Day, or Read in a Bathtub Day. This decent artwork is available on active t-shirts and 80 other products.
“Books & Tea” unisex t-shirt. The tee from Willow and Quill features a minimal, cozy text “Books & Tea, Happy Me.” The t-shirt is made from pre-shrunk fabric, and is suited for a range of body types. There are a dozen available colors, including Heather Prism Dusty and Soft Cream.
“Read Books” t-shirt. From the Amazon Essentials Store comes a highly popular classic fit short-sleeve crewneck t-shirt with a text: “Read books, see art, listen to music.” It’s a part of a 2-pack that also includes an all-white t-shirt.
“I See a Book” essential t-shirt. The artwork is inspired by 17th and 18th century book title pages, using a classic Baskerville serif typeface. It features an original quote by Piotr Kowalczyk: “I see a book, I see a coffee, I see a good day ahead.”
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Everyone would agree that not enough is being done to encourage people to read. Those who can read don’t realize how lucky they are, having in mind that almost 20% of the world population is still illiterate.
Sometimes, a little reminder can do wonders to make someone put away the computer and reach for a printed book, an e-reader, or a book reading app.
We list most beautiful wonder-making artworks below. You’ll find here enigmatic pictograms, minimalist illustrations, visualized book quotes, as well as wonderful vintage images.
Such posters are not only suitable for classrooms or public libraries. You’ll find here designs perfectly matching a style of a children’s or living room, or a home library.
Some artworks can be also downloaded digitally so that you can print them at home or in your local copy center. This form is most affordable – instant downloads usually cost no more than $5, plus you avoid shipping costs entirely.
There are many sources of the read posters on the web. We have picked the best designs from Amazon, Etsy, Society6, Zazzle, and Redbubble. Enjoy!
Read good books. This hand-lettered poster is a perfect wall art for your kids’ room. A colorful text says: “Read good books and ask hard questions.” The poster in printed on Fuji Crystal Archive paper, and is available in one size: 8 × 10 inches.
Nose in a book. An insanely beautiful sketchy illustration featuring an open book, folksy florals, and a hand-lettered text “nose in a book.” You can get in multiple art print formats, as well as ready to hang wall art.
A book is a shortcut to a better life. An original quote by Piotr Kowalczyk was visualized to look like a title page from a vintage 18th century book. Available in multiple colors, including Latte, Chocolate, and Capri – in sizes up to 30 × 30 in.
No therapy, more books. This beautiful typographic artwork was designed by Kit Cronk. The text goes: “I don’t need therapy, I just need more books.” Available on multiple wall art products, including canvas print, framed print, and magnetic print.
Let’s read. A beautifully hand-lettered poster offered by Sharing a Passion shop on Etsy is available as a digital download. You will receive a high-resolution file suitable for printing posters up to 24 × 36 in.
Book nook. This rainbow-themed art print created by Col Invernizzi will turn any space in your home into a cozy reading corner – not only for your kids.
Books turn muggles into wizards. From Print Up comes a cute hand-lettered artwork featuring a text “books turn muggles into wizards,” surrounded by books, mugs, inkwell, wizard’s hat, or magnifying glass.
The world belongs to those who read. This stunning poster with a Rick Holland quote, “The world belongs to those who read,” was hand-lettered by Anouk Heitink. The artwork is available as an A5 poster, printed on sturdy 350 gram matte paper.
To read or not to read. From Lone Star Art Store comes a clever hand-lettered poster asking a question “To read or not to read?” followed by “What a stupid question.” A great gift for book lovers in your life. Available as an 11 × 14 inch art print.
Eat, read, and be merry. A great design for bookworms of all ages. Designed by Evie Seo, this bright and lively artwork features a stack of books with flowers and a Christmas snow globe.
Just one more story. The kid’s edition of “just one more chapter?” Just one more story. This cute art print was designed by Okien Studio, and is available as an instant download which you will be able to print in one of four sizes, from 8 × 11 to 16 × 20 inches.
Read every day. A simple, cute poster with stylized letters forming the word “read.” Works great with other bookish posters created by Urban Type Co. Available in a few color themes, including the blue one shown above.
Certified Book Addict. A wonderful layout from a lettering collection by Risa Rodil. The design is available as photo prints, art prints, canvas prints, among others. There are many sizes to suit your needs.
Read Me a Story Nursery Print. A beautiful typographic print perfect for a children’s room: “Read me a story, tuck me in tight, tell me you love me, kiss me goodnight.” The text can be printed in five colors: Deep Pink, Grey, Teal, Vintage Blue and Bright Orange.
Freedom and books. This beautiful floral and nature inspired illustration by Stacey McEvoy Caunt features a quote by Oscar Wilde: “With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, who could not be happy?” You can have it printed in either A4 or A5 size.
Brainbow – Reading Rainbow. A wonderful read poster designed by Jay Fleck. There are five sizes to choose from: 8 × 9 to 28 × 34. Printed on 100% cotton, acid and lignin-free archival paper.
Between the pages of a book. From Stella Bookish Art comes an insanely bright watercolor design that features a quote: “Between the pages of a book is a lovely place to be,” surrounded by flowers and floral ornaments. You can choose between luster and metallic finish, and pick up one of four sizes.
Readers gonna read. An adorable design that’s perfect for a children’s room or reading nook. You can get it as a digital download to print at home right away.
Don’t talk about books. A minimalist poster designed by Rene Hamann with an original text “Don’t talk about books, read them.” It will fit any bookish space, be it a children’s room, living room, a library hall, or a school corridor.
Magical time to read. From Evie Seo comes a rich, gold and shine typographic layout with a hand-lettered text “time to read,” a stylized clock, and a handful of rich ornaments. You can pick up an art board, canvas print, or framed print.
Read definition poster. The poster imitates a dictionary entry, with a text saying: “To acquire knowledge and entertainment by interpreting letters and numbers while cozying up with a cat next to a fireplace drinking tea.”
A burning bookstore. This lively and positive poster from Jazzberry Blue shows actually the bookstore that is closing. Look into the tiny labels on the door, and flames in the top windows.
There is nothing like a good book. This vintage 1920s poster announcing a National Book Week, is a timeless tribute to people who love reading. You can get it printed in high quality in either 12 × 18 or 24 × 36 inch format.
Reading is a ticket to adventure. The design features the hand-lettered text “reading is a ticket to adventure” – white and golden lettering on a black background. Are you planning an adventure today?
Read all the books. This refreshingly different design from Elisa Victoria encourages to read the books without showing one. The text “read all the books” is placed on a turquoise watercolor ribbon.
Just a girl who loves books. From Darren Art Gallery comes a bright vintage style poster saying “just a girl who loves books.” The can get it in one of four sizes, from 4 × 6 to 24 × 36 inches.
I Ruff to Read. A beautiful illustration by Ma. Luisa Gonzaga. You can get it as a print, in five sizes, with 21 × 28 in being the largest. There is an option to frame the print (at extra cost).
Panda and Polar Bear Reading. A “Goodreads” poster from the webcomic “Panda And Polar Bear”. Unframed posters are available in A2, A1 & A0 format. Art prints are printed out on 240 gsm natural white archival paper.
Good vibes and good books. A minimalist yet cozy poster from On Book Street Prints would make a great wall art in a living room, kid’s room, or a reading nook. An instant download will let you print the poster in up to 18 × 24 in.
Books are my happy place. A light, cozy design for book lovers. The text “books are my happy place” is placed inside a ring protecting against colorful rain drops. The artwork is available in several home decor products, not only wall art.
I read like ink from the books is oxygen. …and I’m gasping for breath. This 11 × 14 inch art print features an original book quote and a beautiful hand-drawn book with butterflies flying from it.
A book is a first-aid box for the mind. A vintage-style poster with a quote by Piotr Kowalczyk, inspired by retro book titles from the 17th and 18th century. Available as art prints, canvas prints, and metal prints.
I just want to drink coffee and read books. This minimalist typography poster says, “I just want to drink coffee, read books, and take naps.” It’s available as an instant download, and you choose from forty background colors.
Reading is always a good idea. From Art Prints Factory comes a cozy watercolor poster that’s a perfect wall art for a playroom or kid’s room. You get a digital download in sizes between 8 × 10 and 16 × 20, ready to be printed at home or a local print shop.
Read more books. A beautiful floral boutique-style design from Stella Bookish Art with a text “read more books.” Available in three square sizes, between 16.4 and 33.2 inches, with semi gloss finish.
The girl on a stack of books. From Yellow Sunday Prints comes a lovely illustration showing a girl reading a book on a stack of other books. The artwork is available as an instant download, and you can print it out at your local print shop.
Frank Zappa quote poster. “So many books, so little time” – this famous quote is wonderfully designed by Risa Rodil. You can get it as a 16.4 × 23.2 inch poster, printed on 185 gsm semi gloss paper. There are several other formats and print options to choose from.
Voltaire quote poster. A stylish poster by Folio Creations with a quote: “Let us read and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”
The image size is 8 × 10 inches, centered on a page with a white border. There is also an option to buy it as a digital download.
Neil Gaiman quote. Here is another gorgeous artwork from Risa Rodil. This time it’s a quote by Neil Gaiman: “A book is a dream you hold in your hand.” You can order this photographic print with either luster or metallic finish.
Reader. From On Book Street Prints comes a stylish black & white typographic poster that hide the word “reader” in the minimalist floral design. Available as an instant download to print at home or your local copy center.
Time to read. This typographic poster saying “time to read” will fit any space, from a children’s room, to bedroom, to reading attic. You can order the design in one of four sizes, plus you can get a framed variant as well.
No enjoyment like reading. A vintage-style poster showing a stack of books and a quote from Jane Austen written on their spines: “I declare there is no enjoyment like reading.” You can get is as a landscape 14 × 11 inch art unframed art print.
Reading time. A typographic design from Kit Cronk shows the text “All this reality is really cutting into my reading time.” Are you planning a reading time today?
What’s your next book? The artwork features a stack of books, a small reading bot, and a mug of tea. The final title asks: “What’s your next book?” The poster is available in multiple dimensions and paper types. You can add a custom frame.
Belle reading a book. This wonderful watercolor poster shows Belle from Beauty and the Beast reading a book. You can get is as an 11 × 14 inch art poster printed on professional Luster paper.
Smart kids read books. A lovely hand-drawn artwork from Carlos Rojas shows a stack of books and a text on their spines saying “Smart kids read books.” A great wall decor for a kid’s room or kindergarten.
How to read. Here is another great illustration from Jazzberry Blue. It features a boy sitting on a stack of books and learning how to read books – from a book. You can get the artwork in two formats, with bordered giclée fine art print being our recommendation.
Once you learn to read. A beautifully designed poster from Friday Evening Prints combines a famous quote by Frederick Douglass with a call to action: “time to read.” Available as a high-resolution instant download.
Cozy reading time. A wonderfully cozy artwork put together all the things that are necessary for comfortable reading time: books, tea, blanket, bookmark, and candle.
Reading gives us someplace to go. A beautiful, chalk hand-lettered poster with a quote by Mason Cooley: “Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.” Available as an 11 × 14 inch unframed art print.
Keep exploring. Here are other lists and tips:
If you don’t want to miss future updates, make sure to enable email notifications in the comment box below. We are also waiting for you on WordPress Reader, Mastodon, Tumblr, and Facebook. You can also add us to your Google News channels.
If you buy an item via this post, we may get a small affiliate fee (details). We only use the cookies that are necessary to run this site properly (details).
You may ask, what book quotes have to do with the ebook site. Ebook sites are still mostly focused on the issues related to technology rather than pleasures of reading.
We believe that a reader has to learn only as much technology as it’s needed to fully enjoy the magic of reading. Reading in times of digital content is changing, but it doesn’t mean it gives less pleasure. Just the opposite.
There is absolutely no difference between a hardcover book or an audiobook or a multimedia book application. There is no difference between a high-quality paper and e-ink screen or a high-resolution Retina display.
The biggest pleasure comes from what we read, not from on what we read.
The real difference, though, lies in our attitude to reading. Gilbert K. Chesterton once said: “There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read.”
If you believe there are great quotes that should be added to the list, don’t hesitate to reach us on social media with your recommendations. Thanks!
Books are a uniquely portable magic.
– Stephen King
This beautiful book quote was beautifully visualized by Risa Rodil. You can get the artwork from Redbubble, on a variety of products. Besides a number of posters, you can have iPad and iPhone cases, mugs, wall clocks, and even a duvet cover! And, yes, apparel is here, too.
No two persons ever read the same book.
– Edmund Wilson
Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.
– Vera Nazarian
If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
I would never read a book if it were possible for me to talk half an hour with the man who wrote it.
– Woodrow Wilson
Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.
– Mason Cooley
Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
– P.J. O’Rourke
Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.
– Author Unknown
I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.
– Harold Kushner
There is no friend as loyal as a book.
– Ernest Hemingway
There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.
– Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.
– Maya Angelou
You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy books and that’s kind of the same thing.
– Anonymous
The book you don’t read won’t help.
– Jim Rohn
Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood.
– John Green
If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.
– Haruki Murakami
A minimalist and stylish visualization of Murakami’s bright thought on how reading makes us exceptional.
A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.
– Gilbert K. Chesterton
There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read.
– Gilbert K. Chesterton
A book is a dream that you hold in your hand.
– Neil Gaiman
This inspiring quote by Neil Gaiman is worth repeating every day. What about placing it in your bedroom right in front of your bed? You’ll see it when you open your eyes, or right before you’ll close them.
A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it or offer your own version in return.
– Salman Rushdie
In a good book the best is between the lines.
– Swedish Proverb
Are we not like two volumes of one book?
– Marceline Desbordes-Valmore
We lose ourselves in books. We find ourselves there too.
– Anonymous
Keep reading books, but remember that a book is only a book, and you should learn to think for yourself.
– Maxim Gorky
It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.
– Oscar Wilde
So many books, so little time.
– Frank Zappa
There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.
– Marcel Proust
The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.
– Oscar Wilde
Beware of the person of one book.
– Thomas Aquinas
Between the pages of a book is a wonderful place to be.
– Anonymous
A lovely flower typographic poster designed by Stella Bookish Arts is available on t-shirts, iPhone cases, travel mugs, tote bags and over thirty other items.
A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it.
– Edward P. Morgan
If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.
– Oscar Wilde
The only important thing in a book is the meaning that it has for you.
– W. Somerset Maugham
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
– Dr. Seuss
Isn’t it one of these quotes that made our childhood a happy and inspiring time? A passage from I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! by Dr. Seuss was visualized by Dune Studio, and you can download it from Etsy in a quality matching posters from 5 × 7 to 16 × 20 inches.
Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself.
– Angela Carter
There’s nothing wrong with reading a book you love over and over.
– Gail Carson Levine
Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled “This could change your life.”
– Helen Exley
This typographic art print was designed by Sacred and Profane and features a bold quote by Helen Exley on how a book can change people’s lives. The poster is available in two sizes, A4 or A3, but you can also order a custom size.
It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.
– C.S. Lewis
Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself.
– George Bernard Shaw
Some books leave us free and some books make us free.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all.
– Abraham Lincoln
I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.
– C.S. Lewis
You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.
– C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis is the author of several meaningful quotes about books and reading, and we feature a few of them in this list. The one shown above is beautifully designed by Violet and Alfie. You can get it in one of four colors.
Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?
– Henry Ward Beecher
A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.
– William Styron
Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.
– Henry David Thoreau
One always has a better book in one’s mind than one can manage to get onto paper.
– Michael Cunningham
I divide all readers into two classes; those who read to remember and those who read to forget.
– William Lyon Phelps
In old days books were written by men of letters and read by the public. Nowadays books are written by the public and read by nobody.
– Oscar Wilde
There comes a time when you have to choose between turning the page and closing the book.
– Josh Jameson
When there comes a time you decide to hang your favorite book quote on a wall, make sure to check out the artwork from The Writing Craft. This quote by Josh Jameson is available on over 40 products: apparel, home decor, personal accessories, and more.
There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.
– Joseph Brodsky
What you don’t know would make a great book.
– Sydney Smith
You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.
– Paul Sweeney
I cannot sleep unless I am surrounded by books.
– Jorge Luis Borges
We read to know that we are not alone.
– William Nicholson
Men do not understand books until they have a certain amount of life, or at any rate no man understands a deep book, until he has seen and lived at least part of its contents.
– Ezra Pound
That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed with profit.
– Amos Bronson Alcott
Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.
– Frederick Douglas
Books are like mirrors: if a fool looks in, you cannot expect a genius to look out.
– J.K. Rowling
A book is a device to ignite the imagination.
– Alan Bennett
I lived in books more than I lived anywhere else.
– Neil Gaiman
It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read.
– Judy Blume
If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it.
– Toni Morrison
A good book has no ending.
– R.D. Cumming
And the last beautiful quote about books turned into a beautiful visual. Hand-lettered by Teri Lea Wright, this 8×10 typographic poster is printed on high-quality matte photo paper.
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There is no such thing as too many books. And there is no such thing as too many book quotes.
If you were looking for quotes about books and libraries, you must have discovered lists by Goodreads, BrainyQuote, or Good Housekeeping, already. We hope you’ve come across one of our tailored lists with book quotes lists as well.
The problem with these lists is that in most cases they highlight the most popular book quotes – the ones you already know and don’t find inspiring any longer.
Sometimes, a brilliant passage about the joy of reading can be found on the 10th or 20th page of the book quote directory on Goodreads, liked by “only” 100 users or 200 users. It’s not that this quote is not good enough. The point is that it has not yet been discovered.
That’s why we’ve come up with a new selection of book quotes. This time the rule is simple: you will find here only the quotes that highlight the benefits and importance of books and libraries.
As usual, multiple quotes are visualized so that you can easily share them across your social media channels – if you are determined enough to spread the love of books. See the highlights below.
From our experience, the best source of new thoughts about books, libraries, and reading is Twitter. And, thanks to popular daily hashtags (such as #MondayMotivation, #TuesdayThoughts, or #ThursdayThoughts), it’s easy to spot the most interesting ones.
The best book quotes are shared by a few Twitter profiles, and we are excited to recommend them to you:
NJ State Library – if you are looking for the constant stream of inspiring quotes on books and libraries, this single profile should make you more than happy. In fact, most quotes in this overview are coming from the NJ State Library’s Twitter account. At least one motivational book-related quote a day guaranteed!
The Paris Review – a Twitter profile of this influential literary magazine shares the most important passages from current articles and interviews. Following it is a must for anyone who is interested in seeing how literature evolves in the digital times.
Penguin Books UK – join almost 2 million Twitter followers to read not only the latest book releases but also timely quotes from your favorite authors. Want to find a quote from the author who is born today? You’ll find it in the Penguin Books UK account.
Maria Popova – on her Twitter profile, Maria Popova shares most interesting excerpts from articles (current and archive) she wrote on her popular Brain Pickings blog which is an “inquiry into what it means to live a decent, substantive, rewarding life.” Not all quotes are about books, but when you find one, you will be amazed.
Goodreads – the most popular Twitter profile for book lovers (3.7 million followers) delivers a perfectly balanced set of tweets that will keep you in the mood of reading books and talking about them. The quotes about books and reading are shared as images, and it’s hard to resist to repost them!
If you are looking for book quotes that are visualized and ready to share on social media, make sure to get in touch on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
There is no problem that a library card can’t solve.
– Eleanor Brown
Reading allows us to see and understand the world through the eyes of others.
– Chris Riddell
Saying the Internet makes librarians obsolete is like saying the plague makes doctors obsolete.
– Cory Doctorow
If you wish to renew your mind, read.
– Lailah Gifty Akita
Libraries, in the past, the present, and the future, are the memory and workshop of humanity.
– Christian Lauersen
Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.
– Mortimer J. Adler
The library is the place I go when I want to be in the know.
– Charmaine J. Forde
A library card is a powerful weapon to change lives. With it, we learn how to value what we have, to mourn what we have lost and to dream of what we might become.
– Val McDermid
There is no substitute for books in the life of a child.
– Mary Ellen Chase
Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world.
– Jeanette Winterson
A book is a device to ignite the imagination.
– Alan Bennett
I can feel infinitely alive curled up on the sofa reading a book.
– Benedict Cumberbatch
One of the greatest gifts adults can give – to their offspring and to their society – is to read to children.
– Carl Sagan
A library doesn’t need windows. A library is a window.
– Stewart Brand
When you read a book, you hold another’s mind in your hands.
– James Burke
The only way to educate oneself is by making books a life companion.
– Michael Bassey Johnson
I read so I can live more than one life in more than one place.
– Anne Tyler
Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.
– Plato
Libraries are the ultimate restaurants for brain food. I sleep better knowing there are libraries.
– Simon Van Booy
One of the best things about reading is that you’ll always have something to think about when you’re not reading.
– James Patterson
A trip to the library is like coming home and going on an adventure at the same time.
– Megan Shepherd
Libraries are no longer archaic rooms of dusty books, but part of a global network that’s championing open access.
– Georgina Cronin
There’s no such thing as a kid who hates reading. There are kids who love reading, and kids who are reading the wrong books.
– James Patterson
A good book is an empathy engine.
– Chris Riddell
A great library is one nobody notices because it is always there, and always has what people need.
– Vicki Myron
If one reads enough books one has a fighting chance.
– Sherman Alexie
I read a book one day and my whole life was changed.
– Orhan Pamuk
The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest men of past centuries.
– René Descartes
Maybe reading is like sex – best discovered on one’s own.
– J.D. McClatchy
I don’t have to look far to find treasures. I discover them every time I visit the library.
– Michael Embry
If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books.
– Roald Dahl
If you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads, but what he rereads.
– François Mauriac
We may sit in our library and yet be in all quarters of the earth.
– John Lubbock
Reading is the finest teacher of how to write.
– Annie Proulx
A library card is the start of a lifelong adventure.
– Lilian Jackson Braun
Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.
– Kate DiCamillo
You’ll never be alone if you’ve got a book.
– Al Pacino
For everyone, a book is a search and hopefully a discovery.
– Shelby Foote
The library is not only a diary of the human race, but marks an act of faith in the continuity of humanity.
– Vartan Gregorian
It is better to be shoeless than bookless.
– Icelandic Proverb
Books are like imprisoned souls until someone takes them down from a shelf and frees them.
– Samuel Butler
Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.
– Charles William Eliot
To read is to voyage through time.
– Carl Sagan
The library is the temple of learning, and learning has liberated more people than all the wars in history.
– Carl T. Rowan
An hour spent reading is one stolen from paradise.
– Thomas Wharton
A bookstore is one of the many pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.
– Jerry Seinfeld
Libraries aren’t in the real world. They’re places apart, sanctuaries of pure thought.
– Paul Auster
I read for pleasure and that is the moment I learn the most.
– Margaret Atwood
You live several lives while reading.
– William Styron
If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.
– Albert Einstein
Books are… companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of mind.
– Barbara W. Tuchman
Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.
– Napoléon Bonaparte
Great books help you understand, and they help you to feel understood.
– John Green
Shout for libraries. Shout for the young readers who use them.
– Patrick Ness
There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.
– Walt Disney
The school library may well be the most important room in any public school building.
– Chris Crutcher
A home without a book is darker than one without a lamp.
– Henryk Sienkiewicz
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The most famous bookish words of the internet era, such as vellichor (the strange wistfulness of used bookshops) or bibliosmia (the act of smelling books), were invented just a couple of years ago.
There are never enough words to describe the life and feelings of a booknerd, but sometimes all you need is open a dictionary and find beautiful words that are either lesser known or long forgotten.
One day, I have visited Merriam-Webster online dictionary and thesaurus to find less popular descriptions of a “book lover.” When I switched to the Unabridged Merriam-Webster Dictionary (which includes also the collegiate dictionary and thesaurus) I have discovered dozens of beautiful words that relate to books, libraries, language, and knowledge.
Do you know what “florilegium” is? What about “exordium,” “sesquipedalian,” or “bibliopegist”?
I realize that in the times of digital books some words, such as “buckram” are less needed for the literari. On the other side, you don’t have to be a double-dome to start using a “shelfback” instead of a book spine or describe your collection of books as “assemblage.”
Which of these bookish classic words do you like the most?
bibliolater
noun [ ˌbi-blē-ˈä-lə-tər ] one who is keenly devoted to books
shelfback
noun a book spine; the edge of a book along which the sections are secured together in binding
literari
plural noun [ ˌli-tə-ˈrä-(ˌ)tē ] persons interested in literature or the arts
buckram
noun [ ˈbə-krəm ] a stiff, heavily sized fabric usually used for library bindings
coinage
noun [ ˈkȯi-nij ] something (such as a word) made up or invented
florilegium
noun [ ˌflȯr-ə-ˈlē-j(ē-)əm ] a volume of writings
broadside
noun [ ˈbrȯd-ˌsīd ] a sizable sheet of paper printed on one side
bibliogenesis
noun [ ¦bi-blē-ə-¦je-nə-səs ] production of books
denouement
noun [ ˌdā-ˌnü-ˈmäⁿ ] the final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work
paragraphist
noun [ par·a·graph·ist ] a writer of paragraphs especially for the editorial page of a newspaper
booklore
noun learning acquired from books as distinguished from practical knowledge
omnilegent
adjective [ (ˈ)äm¦niləjənt ] reading or having read everything
breakfront
noun [ ˈbrāk-ˌfrənt ] a large cabinet or bookcase whose center section projects beyond the flanking end sections
procès-verbal
noun [ ¦präˌsāˌver¦bäl ] a detailed written account of things said or done that is official and authenticated
intelligencer
noun [ in-ˈte-lə-jən(t)-sər ] a person employed by a newspaper, magazine, or radio or television station to gather, write, or report news
word–stock
noun the vocabulary of a language, dialect, or idiolect
frontispiece
noun [ ˈfrən-tə-ˌspēs ] an illustration preceding and usually facing the title page of a book or magazine
bibliotherapy
noun [ ˌbi-blē-ə-ˈther-ə-pē ] the use of reading materials for help in solving personal problems or for psychiatric therapy
exordium
noun [ eg-ˈzȯr-dē-əm ] a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part
articulateness
noun [ är-ˈti-kyə-lət-nəs ] the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way
linguipotence
noun [ liŋˈgwipətən(t)s ] mastery of languages
wordie
noun [ ˈwər-dē ] a lover of words
utterance
noun [ ˈə-tə-rən(t)s ] the style or manner of speaking
shibboleth
noun [ ˈshi-bə-ləth ] a use of language regarded as distinctive of a particular group
argot
noun [ ˈär-(ˌ)gō ] the language used by a particular type or group of people
double-dome
noun [ ˈdə-bəl-ˌdōm ] a person of superior intelligence
bibliotaph
noun [ ˈbi-blē-ə-ˌtaf ] one that hides away or hoards books
vernacular
adjective [ vər-ˈna-kyə-lər ] using a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language
collectanea
plural noun [ ˌkä-ˌlek-ˈtā-nē-ə ] literary items forming a collection
assemblage
noun [ ə-ˈsem-blij ] an organized group of objects acquired and maintained for study, exhibition, or personal pleasure
periphrasis
noun [ pə-ˈri-frə-səs ] the use of too many words to express an idea
minstrelsy
noun [ ˈmin(t)-strəl-sē ] writing that uses rhythm, vivid language, and often rhyme to provoke an emotional response
pidgin
noun [ ˈpi-jən ] a simplified speech used for communication between people with different languages
novelette
noun [ ¦nävə¦let ] a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
litterateur
noun [ ¦litərə¦tər ] a person who creates a written work
fictionist
noun [ ˈfik-sh(ə-)nist ] a writer of fiction; especially novelist
dithyramb
noun [ ˈdi-thi-ˌramz ] a usually short poem in an inspired wild irregular strain
inenarrable
adjective [ ¦inē¦narəbəl ] beyond the power to describe
verbiage
noun [ ˈvər-bē-ij ] manner of expressing oneself in words
wordsmithery
noun [ ˈwərd-ˌsmi-thə-rē ] the skill or craft of working with words
crackerjack
noun [ ˈkra-kər-ˌjak ] a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
bibliotheca
noun [ ˌbi-blē-ə-ˈthē-kə ] a library or collection of books
sesquipedalian
adjective [ ¦se-skwə-pə-¦dāl-jən ] given to or characterized by the use of long words
acrolect
noun [ ˈa-krə-ˌlekt ] the language variety of a speech community closest to the standard or prestige form of a language
polymath
noun [ ˈpä-lē-ˌmath ] one of encyclopedic learning
bellyband
noun [ ˈbe-lē-ˌband ] a band that is used as packaging or decoration around a book, magazine, or similar item
exemplum
noun [ ˈzempləm ] a short narrative used to point a moral or sustain an argument
bibliopole
noun [ ˈbi-blē-ə-ˌpōl ] a dealer in books (such as secondhand, rare, or curious books)
colophon
noun [ ˈkä-lə-fən ] an inscription usually placed at the end of a book containing facts relative to its production
word–painting
noun a graphic or vivid description in words
bibliopegist
noun [ ˌbi-blē-ˈä-pə-jist ] one that binds or repairs books
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On July 4, 1971, the first ebook in the world, the US Declaration of Independence, was created by Michael S. Hart and shared among other users of the computer network at the University of Illinois.
Since that time, several products and concepts appeared and were developed. Some of them failed, but all contributed to what ebooks represent today.
What was the first e-reader you used? Do you still have it in your basement? Do you remember a book reading app you downloaded to your first tablet? Do you still use it? Do you still keep that CD-ROM with the audiobook you received for Christmas 20 years ago?
I started my adventure with ebooks in 2009, when I bought my first iPhone and downloaded the now iconic Stanza book reading app to it. However, the history of ebooks is longer than our own experience. It’s even longer than 50 years.
Ideas to create machines that would make using books more convenient appeared already in the first half of the 20th century. You will also find them on the list.
I have visualized over 20 stories, so that you can easier share them with your friends and followers. Feel free to do it, if you believe ebooks and audiobooks are worth it.
Ebooks are with us for 50 years. Time to celebrate!
The first ebook in the world was released on July 4, 1971. It is the US Declaration of Independence.
In 1971, passionate technologist and futurist Michael Stern Hart, inspired by a free printed copy of the Declaration of Independence, decided to transcribe it into a computer.
He made the file available to other users of the computer network at the University of Illinois, with an annotation that it was free to use and distribute.
The first ebook in the world is still available at Project Gutenberg. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
The longest single ebook currently available is “The MacArthur New Testament Commentary.” The file equals 13,080 print pages and takes 37 MB.
One of the biggest benefits of ebooks is convenience. All parts of a book series can be bundled into a single fully searchable file.
The highest number of pages in an ebook we have found so far is the New Testament commentary series by preacher John MacArthur. The book includes the entire collection – 33 volumes. It was released in 2015, and costs over $400. ⇢ More info.
Enciclopedia Mecánica, an electrical and air pressure reading device from 1949, is the most stunning predecessor of the e-reader.
Patented in 1949 by a Spanish writer and teacher Ángela Ruiz Robles, this incredible device operated through using pressurized air. The user could add different spools containing the preloaded content. The inventor planned on adding a reading light, calculator, and sound, to the following prototypes.
The Mechanical Encyclopedia is exhibited in the National Museum of Science and Technology in La Coruña, Spain. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
In 1998, author and entrepreneur Kim D. Blagg obtained the world’s first ISBN for an ebook.
The ebook, Gambler’s Nook, was offered on a multimedia CD. Blagg distributed it through her company Books OnScreen and then Pagefree Publishing to major retailers including Barnes & Noble and Amazon. ⇢ More info.
In just a few months, a 26-year-old author Amanda Hocking earned almost $2 million from selling her self-published ebooks.
After being rejected by publishers several times, a young paranormal romance writer Amanda Hocking looked into self-publishing. In April 2010, she started publishing her novels in the Kindle Store. The books were priced between $0.99 and $2.99.
In less than a year she sold over 900 thousand copies of her nine novels, with 450 thousand in January 2011 alone. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
Released in 2016, Kobo Aura One was the first e-reader featuring adjustable warm light.
An adjustable warm front light is a way to reduce the amount of blue light exposure in the evening so that you can fall asleep more easily.
The warm light was not the only innovative feature of Kobo Aura One. The e-reader came with a large 7.8-inch 300 dpi display and a built-in OverDrive support. It was waterproof and surprisingly lightweight. ⇢ More info.
In 1997, Audible released the world’s first commercial media player designed for listening to audiobooks.
This portable digital audio device was called Audible MobilePlayer. It cost $199 and was sold only online or over the phone. The package included also a docking station, battery, headphones, serial cable, cassette adapter, and leather carrying pouch.
The device was capable of playing up to two hours of audio content, but users could refill longer books “at a touch of a button.” ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
“Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators” is probably the most famous quote about ebooks.
Stephen Fry shared this witty thought on Twitter in March 2009. Since that time it was cited the countless number of times. ⇢ More info.
This is the point. One technology doesn’t replace another, it complements. Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators.
Electrolibrary is a creative project from 2012 using a paper book as a computer interface.
Created by Waldek Węgrzyn and inspired by El Lissitzky’s manifesto (published in 1923), the experiment combined elements of electronics, printing, graphic design, and bookbinding.
The custom-made 32-page paper book was connected to the computer via USB cable. Just like a mouse or a keyboard, the book was a way to control the computer: navigate by turning the pages, activate animations, or perform special tasks. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
Described in 1968 by futurist Alan Kay, Dynabook was a concept of a personal computer intended for education.
The first sketch from 1972 and the following mock-ups of Dynabook very much resemble e-readers with physical keyboards – Sony LIBRIé or the 1st-generation Kindle.
Alan Kay believed Dynabook would become “a personal computer for children of all ages.” Many features he wanted to see in his portable device are nowadays available in laptop computers, tablets, or e-readers. ⇢ More info.
Stephen King’s “Riding the Bullet” novella was the world’s first mass-market ebook. 400,000 copies were downloaded in just 24 hours.
The ebook was released in March 2000 by Simon & Schuster, and available for download in pdf format at $2.50. The huge demand in the first hours caused the servers to jam. Readers had to wait for hours for the file to download.
Some time later, the book was offered as a free download from Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
An iPhone interactive book app with Nick Cave’s “The Death of Bunny Munro” 2009 novel was an inspiring look into the future of ebooks.
This award-winning, breakthrough book & audiobook app was developed by Enhanced Editions. It featured a full sync between text and audiobook narration, atmospheric music by Nick Cave, and 11 videos of the author reading the novel.
The app included also advanced features that are now a standard in today’s book and audiobook apps: ability to set an audiobook reading speed, advanced personalization options, night mode, and more. ⇢ More info.
Launched in 1990, Sony Data Discman was the first commercially available ebook reader in the world.
The device was launched in Japan in July 1990. It came with a 2.8-inch grayscale LCD screen mounted in the upper lid, and supported a special EB (“Electronic Book”) format.
A year later, the export version (DD-1EX) was launched in the US for $600 and was bundled with three electronic books, including Compton’s Concise Encyclopedia. The books were available on 3-inch optical discs that could contain up to 100,000 pages of text. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
In 1993, The British Library started a digitization of their most precious manuscripts, including Beowulf.
The Electronic Beowulf Project was developed by The British Library since spring 1993 in cooperation with the University of Kentucky and Western Michigan University.
The first manuscript to digitize was the Old English epic poem Beowulf, and a huge collection of images was created. By 1998, the database included fiber-optic readings of hidden characters and full electronic facsimiles. The same year, The British Library started offering the digitized manuscripts to the public. ⇢ More info.
In 2011, 24symbols launched the world’s first subscription-based ebook platform.
A Spanish digital company 24symbols launched the Netflix-like service in June 2011, allowing members to access and read ebooks in any internet browser. Over 1,000 titles were available at launch, and the company planned on releasing iOS and Android apps.
24symbols started the ebook subscription service two years before Scribd (which launched in 2013) and three years before Kindle Unlimited. ⇢ More info.
In January 1992, the Voyager Company revealed the first digital books available on floppy disks in HyperCard format.
The ebooks were a part of the Expanded Books project which developed ways to present and use print book content on digital screens. They highly contributed to how ebooks work today.
The first three books, The Complete Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy among them, offered search, navigation, bookmarks (called “dog-ear”), annotations and copy features, as well as font styling. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
GemBook was a concept e-reader from 1999 that used replaceable memory cards and required no connection to another device.
GemBook was promoted as a device designed to work with replaceable memory cards. Each GemCard would hold up to 600 pages of text. Users would exchange cards just like they exchange traditional books.
The e-reader was told to be both “beach proof” and “ketchup proof.” However, a working prototype of GemBook was never revealed. ⇢ More info.
Digital Bookmobile is the world’s first mobile library dedicated to ebooks and audiobooks.
The first Digital Bookmobile started in Central Park in August 2008. Operated by OverDrive, it is designed to teach readers how to access digital books and audiobooks.
In the first 10 years, the Digital Bookmobile was visited by 225,000 readers of all ages, traveled over 200,000 miles across North America, and co-organized 900 events. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
In 2011, for the first time ever, Amazon customers were buying more Kindle ebooks than print books combined.
In May 2011, Amazon announced that Kindle ebook sales surpassed all print book sales – both hardcover and paperback. Sine April 1, for every 100 paper books purchased on Amazon, 105 Kindle ebooks were bought.
Earlier, in July 2010, Kindle book sales surpassed hardcover book sales. Six months later, in January 2011, Amazon customers bought more Kindle ebooks than paperback books. ⇢ More info.
BiblioTech, the first ebook-only public library, opened in Texas in 2013, with 10,000 titles.
Located in Bexar County, the first fully operating all-digital public library is designed to bridge literacy and technology gaps in the surrounding area.
At launch, the library was equipped with 45 iPads, 40 laptops, and 48 desktop computers. Members could also borrow one of 800 e-readers, with 200 of them being enhanced for children. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
An entire collection of an average school library could fit into a single e-reader.
A vast majority of school libraries report collections of up to 25,000 volumes. This number of book files can be stored on every e-reader that’s equipped with 32 GB of internal memory, such as Kindle Paperwhite or Oasis.
Even more books can be stored on e-readers that come with the ability to add external memory cards. ⇢ More info.
In 1932, the first “talking books” were recorded, marking the beginning of the modern audiobook.
The talking-book program was established by the American Foundation for the Blind and the US Congress a year earlier. It was intended to provide reading material to visually impaired war veterans and other blind adults.
Talking books were played on special Talking Book machines. Among the early recordings were Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, Shakespeare’s sonnets, and works of disability rights advocate Helen Keller. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol” was the first-ever novel from a major publisher that was released simultaneously in print, ebook, and audiobook versions.
The novel was released on September 15, 2009, and became the fastest selling adult novel in history, with over 1 million combined copies purchased during the first day.
By the end of the first week, 2 million copies were sold in the US, UK, and Canada. On the first day, the Kindle edition of The Lost Symbol outsold on Amazon the sales of the hardback version. ⇢ More info.
Blink (book + link) was a concept book linked to digital content thanks to conductive ink and a Bluetooth module.
Created in 2006 by Manolis Kelaidis from the Royal College of Art in London, the book had buttons that were printed with conductive ink.
When you touched a button and your finger completed a circuit, the book sent a command to a nearby computer via the Bluetooth module hidden in the back cover.
As a result, the computer could perform certain operations, for instance search the web for a blinked word. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
The world’s smallest working e-reader has a 2.9-inch E-Ink display and is designed just for reading haiku.
This micro e-reader was developed by an Argentinian electronic artist Roni Bandini, who bought a cheap 128-by-296 display made by Waveshare and created a cabinet on a 3D printer.
Originally, the Haiku Reader had a few Japanese poems hard-coded into the system, but the author planned on adding a microSD port. ⇢ More info.
Bookerly is the first font that was created exclusively to be used in ebooks.
This beautiful, warm, classic-style typeface was designed by Amazon from scratch to increase legibility and reading speed as well as reduce eyestrain across as many devices and screens as possible.
The typeface was being added to Kindle apps and devices from the beginning of 2015. A few months later, Google introduced their own ebook-friendly font Literata, designed by Type Together. ⇢ More info.
Sensory Fiction is the first book using a wearable to convey the plot, set the mood, and feel the main character’s emotions.
Created in 2013 by Felix Heibeck, Alexis Hope, and Julie Legault, Sensory Fiction explored new ways of reading with digital augmentations.
A special wearable connected with the book allowed the reader to experience the protagonist’s emotions, for instance, a change of the heartbeat rate (through air pressure bags) or localized temperature fluctuations. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
Launched in October 2012, Txtr Beagle was the world’s smallest e-reader to date. It had a 5-inch screen and could operate on two batteries for over a year.
Txtr Beagle was surprisingly cheap – you could get it for €10 (about $13). It was extremely thin and weighed just 128 grams. Users could download ebooks via Bluetooth thanks to a dedicated mobile app.
The e-reader was designed to unlock a huge mass market of customers who were not yet accustomed to ebooks. The plan was to bundle the e-reader with cell phone plans offered by mobile network operators. ⇢ More info.
Launched in 2013, Whispersync for Voice feature allowed users to switch between reading and listening across all their devices.
Ability to seamlessly switch between reading and listening was previously only available in standalone interactive book apps. Amazon made it a part of the reading ecosystem.
At the same time immersion reading was introduced, making it possible to listen to Audible audiobooks while simultaneously seeing the text highlighted on the page. ⇢ More info.
A collection of works by Dylan Thomas was the first commercial audiobook, released in 1952 by Caedmon Records.
The recording session took place on February 22, 1952, marking the beginning of the audiobook industry in the United States.
The record included five poems and a holiday story A Child’s Christmas in Wales. The author agreed to an initial fee of $500 for the first 1,000 records and a 10% royalty thereafter. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
In 1999, Simon & Schuster launched ibooks – the first imprint simultaneously publishing books in ebook and print format.
The website, available at that time at ibooksinc.com domain, offered the catalog of 16 titles in total, including the first book about the hit television TV series The Sopranos.
Users could buy print versions via Amazon or Barnes & Noble or read free chapters online. ⇢ More info.
James Patterson is the first-ever writer to sell one million ebooks.
In July 2010, Hachette Book Group announced that James Patterson, the author of the popular Alex Cross and Women’s Murder Club series, had sold 1,141,273 ebooks and was the first one to cross the one million mark.
At that time no third-party monitoring of ebook sales was available, so Hachette used its own sales figures and checked other bestselling authors. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
“afternoon, a story,” published in 1990 on a floppy disk, is one of the first examples of electronic literature.
The novel was written by Michael Joyce in 1987 and announced at the first Association for Computing Machinery Hypertext conference. It is one of the earliest examples of hypertext fiction.
In 1990, Eastgate Systems published the book on a floppy disk. Later on, the novel appeared in other formats, as well: a website, CD-ROM, Mac-compatible USB stick, and downloadable digital file. ⇢ More info.
Within a year since its launch in 2008, Stanza iOS book-reading app was downloaded more than 2 million times.
The same year Steve Jobs said that people didn’t read anymore, Lexcycle’s Stanza book app for iPhone and iPod Touch became one of the most popular in the App Store.
The app offered access to thousands of free public domain books from several sources. It featured many advanced options, including customization, book management, look-up and sharing. Within a year, Stanza users downloaded more than 12 million ebooks. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
Launched in 1993, BiblioBytes website was dedicated to offer paid and free ebooks over the internet.
Initially, the site experimented with ways to sell ebooks, for instance, by organizing giveaways. The first paid titles were available in 1994: Loading Las Vegas by David Hiatt and Tonguing The Zeitgeist by Lance Olsen.
In the next years, BiblioBytes offered mostly free ebooks, with most of them coming from the public domain. In 2000, you could find and read over 370 free publications. ⇢ More info.
Fiske’s reading machine from the 1920s was designed to read printed texts miniaturized to fit 6×2 inch cards.
This portable device was invented by Bradley Allen Fiske. It featured a magnifying lens to enlarge the text. There was also an adjustable metal cover to shield the other eye.
The text was miniaturized using photo engraving techniques. Fiske managed to fit the first volume of Mark Twain’s Innocent Abroad on 13 cards. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
Electronic books as described by a sci-fi writer Stanisław Lem in 1961.
In a classic science fiction novel Return from the Stars, first published in 1961, Stanisław Lem imagined electronic books – optons and lectons – and bookstores selling them. ⇢ More info.
The bookstore resembled, instead, an electronic laboratory. The books were crystals with recorded contents. They can be read with the aid of an opton, which was similar to a book but had only one page between the covers. At a touch, successive pages of the text appeared on it. But optons were little used, the sales-robot told me. The public preferred lectons – like lectons read out loud, they could be set to any voice, tempo, and modulation.
In 2012, a Bucharest subway station was turned into the digital library where you could download free ebooks and audiobooks using QR codes.
The walls of Victoria Square metro station were covered with large-format posters resembling library bookshelves. Commuters entering the station suddenly found themselves in an impressive library.
You could scan QR codes visible on book spines to open a mobile website from which you could download free versions of 60 ebooks and audiobooks. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
The world’s longest audiobook ever recorded is 2,441 hours long. It’s 10 months of listening.
The audiobook was created to promote the teachings of yogi guru Lord Swaminarayan. If you were listening to it for 8 hours a day, you would be able to finish it in 10 months.
The recording started in 2011 and took over 6 years. The audiobook was registered in the Guinness Book of Records in October 2017. ⇢ More info.
Sony LIBRIé, the first e-reader using E-Ink screen, was launched in April 2004 in Japan.
The device was a joint project of Sony, Philips, and E-Ink. It featured a 6-inch display with 4 levels of gray (SVGA, 800×600 px, 170 ppi) and a physical keyboard with a row of function buttons.
Sony LIBRIé was powered by four AAA batteries, which were sufficient to read approximately forty 250-page books. The 10 MB built-in memory allowed to hold up to 500 ebooks. Users could rent books from the dedicated ebook store; the files expired after 60 days. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
Stieg Larsson, the author of the bestselling Millennium Trilogy, is the first author to sell over one million Kindle books.
On July 27, 2010, Amazon announced that Stieg Larsson has become the first member of the new Kindle Million Club. The club recognizes authors who sold over 1 million copies of their books in the Kindle Store.
Two books from the Millennium series are on the list of top 10 Kindle best sellers of all time. The second author to sell over 1 million Kindle ebooks, James Patterson, joined Larsson in the Kindle Million Club in October 2010. ⇢ More info.
The first ever spoken-word sound recording took place in 1877, when Thomas Edison recorded a nursery rhyme on his newly invented phonograph.
In 1877, Edison was working on a machine that would be able to play a previously recorded sound.
When he received a machine prototype from his mechanic, Edison immediately tested it by speaking “Mary Had a Little Lamb” nursery rhyme into the mouthpiece. The phonograph played his words back to him! ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
Microfilm Book Stand was a concept device from 1935 designed to read miniature photographs of book pages.
The invention was presented in the April issue of Everyday Science and Mechanics. The reading stand included a screen that reproduced enlarged text, buttons to adjust size and focus, and a handle to set the proper angle.
In the 1930s many people believed microfilm would be the future of publishing. The same year the New York Times started copying all of its editions onto microfilm. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
The first-generation Kindle, released on November 19, 2007, was sold out in 5.5 hours and remained unavailable for 5 months.
The first-ever Kindle ($399) was equipped with the 6-inch grayscale E-Ink display and 250 MB of internal storage, which could hold approximately hold 200 non-illustrated ebooks.
Due to the heavy customer demand, the Kindle was sold out within 5.5 hours of its release. Amazon promised to bring it back on November 29, but the device remained out of stock until April 2008. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
In 1998, Michael S. Hart predicted the rise of tablets and digital education.
In 1998, in an interview for Wired Magazine, Michael Stern Hart, the legendary founder of Project Gutenberg, was asked whether he was creating ebooks so that people could print them out. He answered:
No. Nobody’s going to print these books out. 20 or 30 years from now, there’s going to be some gizmo that kids carry around in their back pocket that has everything in it – including our books, if they want.
No doubt, this is the description of the tablets, as we know them. ⇢ More info.
The world’s first ebook was created on Xerox Sigma V computer, worth $300,000.
In 1971, Michael Stern Hart was given access to extensive computer time on the Xerox Sigma V mainframe at the University of Illinois. On this computer he created the first ebook in the world – The US Declaration of Independence.
Xerox Sigma V was produced by Scientific Data Systems (SDS) since 1967, and cost $300,000. Its initial memory size was 16K. One of the Sigma V computers is exhibited at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
In 2015, James Patterson released the first self-destruct countdown ebook in the world.
As a part of marketing activities for his technothriller Private Vegas, James Patterson started a clever promotion using a specially designed self-destructing app.
On a special website, 1,000 codes were offered at random pre-determined times. With the code, you could download Private Vegas ebook app to your iPad. The book was available for 24 hours from the time of activation. A countdown clock was displaying the time until the book blew up. ⇢ More info.
The first electronic spell checker was launched in 1986 by Franklin Computer.
Spelling Ace SA-88 sold at $89. The device could check 80,000 American English words provided by Merriam Webster. The algorithm considered both typographical and phonetic misspelling.
Franklin’s electronic spell checker and corrector was a great commercial success. By the end of 1988, the company sold more than 1 million units. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” was a stunning iPad app that set a new standard for interactive children books.
Developed by Pixar ex-designer and released in 2011, the Morris Lessmore app featured several interactive and multimedia elements, such as embedded music, games, lessons, and quizzes, combined in an immersive story.
This brilliant app showed all the advantages of ebooks, creating a completely new, highly involving reading experience for users of all ages. ⇢ More info.
Memex, a concept of electromechanical desk from 1945, proposed a mechanized way to access and link books at exceeding speed.
Described by Vannevar Bush in his essay “As We May Think,” the device was an answer to a previously unknown problem: information overload.
Memex would instantly bring compressed microfiche texts on any subject and link them together to allow knowledge to be more structured and serve as an enlarged supplement to the user’s memory. ⇢ More info. ⇢ Photo credit.
Revealed in 1998, EveryBook Dedicated Reader was planned to be the first e-reader with two portrait screens resembling a traditional book.
The world’s “first true electronic book” was supposed to be used like a book, with the right screen offering the option to make own notes. It would be also capable of opening pdf documents used by publishers to print paper books.
Three EBDR devices were to be released in 1999, with the largest one for professionals supposed to be priced between $1,000 and $1,500. ⇢ More info.
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Internet users share hundreds of thousands of quotes every day. Not too many people know that many of these great thoughts come from books. Even fewer know which books.
A single iconic sentence from a classic novel is not only a shot of positive energy. It’s proof that reading the remaining thousands of sentences will give the same level of pleasure and inspiration.
Want great quotes direct you to great reads? We list our 50 favorites below. For more inspiration, you can explore two quote collections.
First of all, you should check out Goodreads Quotes catalog – a section of the popular book recommendation site where users add their favorite quotes found in books.
By default, the book quotes on Goodreads are sorted by popularity (and this means the number of likes), so right away you’ll get inspired by the most powerful thoughts.
If you are looking for well-researched and attributed quotes, make sure to visit Wikiquote. Literary quotes are grouped by title, so it’s the easiest way to research the most interesting thoughts from specific books. What’s also very helpful, each detail page includes info about which chapter the particular quote comes from.
If there is a quote you believe should be added to the list, please share it in the comments below.
And now, take your time and get inspired!
There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
– H.Jackson Brown Jr., P.S. I Love You
Well-behaved women seldom make history.
– Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History
It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
– André Gide, Autumn Leaves
You can hang this wonderful quote from André Gide on the wall. The artwork designed by Quotes and Prose is available for instant download, 8 × 10 inch jpeg or pdf file.
Who, being loved, is poor?
– Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance
Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.
– J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Get busy living, or get busy dying.
– Stephen King, Different Seasons
The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.
– Chuck Palahniuk, Diary
Travel far enough, you meet yourself.
– David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
A quote from David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas on a calligraphy print by Brenna Morris. The artwork is available in three sizes, from 4 × 6 to 8 × 10 inches.
None of us really changes over time. We only become more fully what we are.
– Anne Rice, The Vampire Lestat
Most people are nice when you finally see them.
– Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Don’t panic.
– Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.
– Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven
When someone leaves, it’s because someone else is about to arrive.
– Paulo Coelho, The Zahir
It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.
– Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The design by Sweetest Pie. You can get it from Etsy as an instant download, and print yourself in one of two sizes.
The only limits for tomorrow are the doubts we have today.
–Pittacus Lore, The Power of Six
It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
– J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.
– Lemony Snicket, The Ersatz Elevator
I don’t want to die without any scars.
– Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
Fear doesn’t shut you down; it wakes you up.
– Veronica Roth, Divergent
When you are imagining, you might as well imagine something worth while.
– Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
A quote beautifully visualized by Chasing Elephants. You can get a digital file of this green color version, but also ask the shop owner for a different set of colors.
The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
– Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath
Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.
– Oscar Wilde, The Critic as Artist
I dream. Sometimes I think that’s the only right thing to do.
– Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart
Not all those who wander are lost.
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
This beautiful design comes from The Love Shop. It’s available on as much as 38 different products, including wall art, home decor, apparel, and stationery.
If I got rid of my demons, I’d lose my angels.
– Tennessee Williams, Conversations with Tennessee Williams
It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane.
– Philip K. Dick, Valis
If you’re making mistakes it means you’re out there doing something.
– Neil Gaiman, Make Good Art
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
– Paulo Coelho, Brida
If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.
– Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
To define is to limit.
– Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
– Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island
If you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.
– John Green, Paper Towns
Everything is possible. The impossible just takes longer.
– Dan Brown, Digital Fortress
So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.
– Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
– Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
– Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Above all, don’t lie to yourself.
– Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.
– John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.
– Cormac McCarthy, No Country For Old Men
We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.
– J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
A hand-lettered artwork by Simple Serene is available on posters, travel mugs, iPhone skins, and wall clocks, among others.
Nothing that’s worthwhile is ever easy.
– Nicholas Sparks, Message in a Bottle
It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.
– Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
– Marthe Troly-Curtin, Phrynette Married
It is never too late to be wise.
– Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.
– Sun Tzu, The Art of War
When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
– Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.
– Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums
Anything worth dying for is certainly worth living for.
– Joseph Heller, Catch-22
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
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Famous quotes that creatively describe the benefits of books and libraries are among the most efficient tools to encourage people to rediscover the joy of reading.
The problem with the classic book quotes is that, when repeated too often, they become less and less inspiring. One could say: Beware of the person of one quote.
There are thousands of fascinating new books being published every year, yet we are still using a pool of well-known classic thoughts to promote them.
In the digital times, our lives are changing at unprecedented speed, so are the reasons we read books. Nowadays, books are not only about loneliness, imagination, or happiness. Technology creates a powerful new frame of reference, and is, in my opinion, the biggest challenge for book lovers.
In the recent years, I have jotted a few hundred quotes about books and reading. You will see the best ones below. I have visualized some of them to help you easier spread the word. Feel free to share them across your social media. You can also check out the original list that includes older (and crazier) visualizations.
For the newest book quotes, make sure to follow NJ State Library and The Paris Review on Twitter. Lesser-known quotes (but at least as inspiring as classic thoughts) can be found in the Goodreads’ quote directory. In a separate list, we picked and visualized the best Goodreads’ quotes about the importance of books and libraries.
You can also connect with us on Twitter to tap into a continuous flow of ready-to-share image quotes that motivate to read books and use libraries.
Note: The following quotes were coined and designed by Piotr Kowalczyk, the founder of Ebook Friendly, who is passionate about how books evolve in the digital times.
There is only one thing that can replace a book: the next book.
Reading a book is like sitting in an autonomous car driving into an unknown paradise.
You can always read a book tomorrow, but make sure you will have started yesterday.
A day without a book is like a latte without coffee.
Choosing between print books and ebooks is like choosing between first and second sip of a coffee.
Think of your future as a list of books you want to read.
Books are your own stories served from another mind.
You can read one chapter and take a rest, or you can read one chapter and read the rest.
You either borrow books or money.
Reading is like installing a new operating system inside your brain without the need to make a backup.
Life is like a novel, with you being both its author and main character.
If you want to focus, start reading a book. If it’s a good book, you won’t be able to focus on anything else.
There are two kinds of books: read and missed opportunities.
My brain is proudly powered by books.
Start reading books, and you will stop complaining about your life. Or the other way around.
The web is full of wrong answers. Books are full of right questions.
Movies are the keyhole. Books are the key.
We have to improve books if we want books to improve us.
Prove you are a human. Read books.
A book is like a cold drink vending machine on an endless desert of information overload.
An audiobook is your mind reading a book in a nice voice.
Except books, no existing technology is capable of taking you through time and space.
If you want to move the world, move your finger to the book-reading app and tap once.
Reading is an act of selfless help to oneself.
A book is a login to an exciting world, no password required.
Nobody can force you to read, just like nobody can force you to breathe.
The only space you have to reserve for books should be inside your brain.
Bookshops and libraries are a backstage of success.
In the back garden of your mind, there should always be an opened book.
There are two kinds of magic: the one captured in sparks and the one captured in words.
If you want to hear a sound of happiness, turn the page of a book.
A book is a humble messenger from paradise to a daily life.
A library card is a gift card you can use to pay your brain for getting smarter.
A librarian is a shop assistant who sells you a better version of yourself.
If a brain were an app, books would be a programming language.
A library card is the only card in your wallet that costs you nothing and gives you everything.
Even a bad book can teach you something. For instance, how to avoid choosing bad books.
Delight the book to the last stop.
A book is not an escape from life but a shortcut to a better one.
Reading the wrong book doesn’t harm as hard as applying the wrong technology.
A book is a picturesque mountain road where your imagination chases that of the author.
Make books a part of your day, and they will make happiness a part of your life.
One picture is like a thousand words, and one book is like a million pictures.
A book is a thought-vending machine.
It’s better to have a small bookshelf and a big mind than the other way around.
I see a book, I see a coffee, I see a good day ahead.
Pretending you read books is worse than admitting you don’t.
Sometimes between the lines of a book you can find the meaning of your entire life.
Books are the deadliest enemies of your ignorance.
A book is a social network for your thoughts.
An algorithm to live a good life is coded between the lines of the books you have read.
Delete old files and read new books.
My world consists of two parts: places that are close to my library, and places that are not.
Read books before robots do.
Owning a Kindle and not reading books is like owning a theme park and sitting at home.
Book lover’s Sunday dream: to read in bed as if there were no Mondays.
Life is lighter with a heavy bookshelf.
A book is a first-aid box for the mind.
Reading is a lifetime pass to adventure.
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Just like books, these clever cartoons will help you reduce stress – and provide refreshing reasons to read even more books.
A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading for just 6 minutes can reduce stress by up to 68%.
It turns out books can be a more efficient relaxation method than listening to music, meditating, or even taking a short walk.
What’s an even more efficient stress reliever? A good cartoon will make you laugh out loud, force stress to leave, and instantly improve your mood. One cartoon a day keeps the bad mood away, one would say.
Cartoons about books and libraries are exceptional because they don’t just entertain. They give book lovers the continuous flow of reasons why reading is important and why there is no such excuse as “I don’t have time for reading.”
Every time, when I check my Twitter timeline and come across a new cartoon by Tom Gauld or Grant Snider, I am laughing my head off, admiring the wisdom and creativity of my favorite cartoonists. And I end up switching from Twitter to my book reading app.
Which of the cartoons listed below would make you close the computer, pick up a good book, and start reading?
Best cartoons for book lovers – artists to follow
Grant Snider – this Kansas-based writer and comic strip artist creates cartoons tailored for the digital era. Most of them are devoted to books, libraries, and reading. You can find his most recent cartoons on Incidental Comics blog and Twitter profile. Snider is the author of a few books that will delight book lovers around the world. I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf is a collection of witty illustrations showing the joys of reading in the modern world.
Tom Gauld – drawings from this Scottish cartoonist are highly addictive. They combine a minimalist drawing style with a unique sense of humor. You can find more info on Tom Gauld’s website, including links to his gorgeous books such as The Snooty Bookshop, as well as original artwork for sale. If you want to see his latest cartoons drawn for The Guardian Review or New Scientist, make sure to follow him on Twitter.
Maureen “Marzi” Wilson – this book-loving cartoonist and graphic designer is the artist behind a highly popular webcomic Introvert Doodles, where you can find many stories that and book lovers would enjoy to the fullest. So far, Marzi has released four illustrated books with hilarious and heartwarming doodles every introvert will identify with.
Do you want to see more book-related comics and illustrations? Make sure to check out our lists of the best library cartoons and cartoons about ebooks and digital reading.
The beloved book – the cartoon by Grant Snider. How does your favorite book look like? Have you bought a new copy because the old one has fallen apart? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Stages of reading a good book – the cartoon by Three Under The Rain. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Hard to stop reading – the cartoon by Aaron Caycedo-Kimura (INFJoe). “That paragraph just flowed right into the next.” ⇢ Credits and more info.
Classic fiction with binary numbers – the cartoon by Tom Gauld. Which one would you read? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Best smells, ranked – the cartoon by Mike Hinson for BuzzFeed. What is the greatest smell in the world? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Names for my novels – the cartoon by Grant Snider. Do you think about writing a novel? Do you already have a title? I would add “250 blank pages.” ⇢ Credits and more info.
Bookshops in the future – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. Have you ever wondered how bookshops would look in the future? ⇢ Credits and more info.
I love this book – the cartoon by Liz Climo. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Minimalist bookshelves – the cartoon by Grant Snider. How does your bookshelf look like? Mine is a window ledge with a sleeping cat. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Rearranging my bookshelves – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. There are books I want to read and books I want people to see behind me on Zoom calls. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Books versus phones – the cartoon by Shen Comix. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Book collection – the cartoon by Introvert Doodles. Which books take the most of your bookshelf? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Novels for time-pressed modern readers – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. ⇢ Credits and more info.
My ideal library – the cartoon by Grant Snider. What’s a favorite thing in your library? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Thoughts I have at the library – the cartoon by Introvert Doodles. “I can’t believe they’re letting me just walk out of here without paying for these! I feel like I’m shoplifting!” ⇢ Credits and more info.
Prequels to classic novels – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. I’d love to read “The Young Man and the Sea”! ⇢ Credits and more info.
Other people’s bookshelves – the cartoon by Grant Snider. You should never judge a book by its cover, but judging others by their bookshelves is a completely different story. ⇢ Credits and more info.
How to enjoy a fine book – the cartoon by Aaron Caycedo-Kimura (INFJoe). ⇢ Credits and more info.
Reading outside – the cartoon by Pedro Fequiere for BuzzFeed. Expectation versus reality. It always ends up like this! ⇢ Credits and more info.
Reading: what it feels like – the cartoon by Three Under the Rain. How does your reading feel like? ⇢ Credits and more info.
The writer’s block – the cartoon by Grant Snider. These symptoms very well describe the reader’s block, as well. ⇢ Credits and more info.
This book makes me sad – the cartoon by Elizabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz (War and Peas). ⇢ Credits and more info.
Holiday reading – the cartoon by Tom Gauld. How many books do you usually take with you when you go on holiday? ⇢ Credits and more info.
My holiday wish list – the cartoon by Grant Snider. What books are on your holiday reading list? Do you have enough space for all of them? ⇢ Credits and more info.
How to tell if your dog is interested in the novel you are writing – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. ⇢ Credits and more info.
How to tell if your cat is interested in the novel you are writing – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. ⇢ Credits and more info.
How’s that book? – the cartoon by Liz Climo. Don’t stop reading a book. That would be childish. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Books are… – the cartoon by Grant Snider, after Rudine Sims Bishop. Books are windows, stepping stones, escape hatches, beacons to new readers, and so much more! ⇢ Credits and more info.
Browsing used books – the cartoon by Introvert Doodles. Oh, the joy of recognizing old friends! ⇢ Credits and more info.
Children in the library – the cartoon by Grant Snider. Please do not leave children unattended in the library. ⇢ Credits and more info.
The perfect summer holiday read – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. What’s your perfect summer holiday read? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Stay-at-home-reading – the cartoon by Grant Snider. Your favorite place at your home to read books? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Picture books for young billionaires – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. I’m hesitating between “The Cat in the Private Jet” and “The Very Wealthy Caterpillar”. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Dances with books – the cartoon by Grant Snider. My favorite dance is plot twist combined with page turn. What about you? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Bookworm’s wildest dreams – the cartoon by Three Under The Rain. What are your wildest dreams involving books? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Nobel Prize in Literature FAQs – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Perfect reading spots – the cartoon by Grant Snider. What was the most unusual reading place you’ve ever been in your life? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Tragic deaths in a badly written novel – the cartoon by Tom Gauld. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Finding herself – the cartoon by Introvert Doodles. Why is it that whenever there’s a novel about a woman trying to find herself, she ends up finding… ⇢ Credits and more info.
Reading goals – the cartoon by Grant Snider. What are your reading goals? Update them with some of these clever ideas. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Any plans for the weekend? – the cartoon by Aaron Caycedo-Kimura (INFJoe). What’s your triathlon training plan for the weekend? ⇢ Credits and more info.
New on your e-reader – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. Which personality mode would you use? ⇢ Credits and more info.
The book fair – the cartoon by Grant Snider. I have to try speed reading contest and bestseller bumper cars. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Reader’s block – the cartoon by Grant Snider. Do you suffer reader’s block sometimes? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Why do you read so many books? – the cartoon by Introvert Doodles. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Portrait of a parent reading – the cartoon by Grant Snider. A big round of applause for all parents who read books to their children. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Holiday reading – the cartoon by Grant Snider. What books are on your summer reading list (and do they include cold, ice, or snow)? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Classic books reissued with lower standards – the cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian Review. Trying to imagine the mediocre Wizard of Oz. ⇢ Credits and more info.
Stages of becoming a reading multitasker – the cartoon by Introvert Doodles. I’m somewhere between “skilled” and “professional”. You? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Stages of the reader – the cartoon by Grant Snider. What stage are you at? ⇢ Credits and more info.
Keep exploring. Here are recent lists our readers love the most:
[ef-archive number=5 tag=”lists”]
]]>Are you looking for refreshingly different alternatives to Kindle covers you have used so far? It doesn’t have to take too much time – just have a look at this quick roundup.
When you buy a new Kindle, the first place to find the cover is Amazon. This time, don’t go the usual way and automatically add to cart one of the covers featured in Kindle accessories section.
There are thousands of brilliant covers for your Kindle. The only thing is how to find the one that will perfectly fit your style of life.
Do you already know which kind of cover you are looking for? A slim smart cover with auto sleep & wake? A folio stand cover that’s perfect for hands-free reading? A sleeve that’s hand-crafted from eco-friendly materials? A cover you can personalize?
Jump directly to:
You can perform the search using Google web. You can head directly to other sites, such as Etsy or eBay, where the selection of Kindle cases it also huge.
Or you can take a shortcut and quickly go through this round-up of the best Kindle covers we’ve found for you around the web.
When you’ll buy on Etsy, the biggest marketplace for handmade goods, you’ll order the case or sleeve that will be made to your specific order. To get it in the right dimensions, make sure not only to select your Kindle from a list of supported devices but also write down the dimensions in a message to seller.
If you haven’t found the case or accessory, feel free to ask us a question on social media or via the contact form. Make sure to explore Kindle cover roundups for specific models:
Fashionable marble & gold Kindle cover. Offered by LuvCase, this range of gorgeous Amazon Kindle covers combines marble pattern with golden inserts the way nature would do it. You can choose from eight boutique-style variants.
Cute Kindle stand cover with a hand strap. The case features an adorable animal illustration and features a stand to read hands-free as well as a hand-strap to conveniently read with just one hand.
Vintage leather Kindle cover with external pocket. This faux leather cover offers a classic look of a vintage book combined with advanced functionality: large external pocket flexible holding mechanism. Available in over 20 color variants.
New Butterfly cover for the basic Kindle. An interesting cover from CoBak is a great option for everyone who is looking for new designs. The golden Butterfly pattern is elegant and classic.
Vintage Amazon Kindle cover inspired by Harry Potter. From KleverCase comes a range of fascinating Kindle cases that are inspired by the Wizarding World. They are handcrafted in England using 40 years of bookbinding experience.
Amazon Kindle cover 2-pack. If you are planning to buy more than one Kindle, you can save on the covers by getting a 2-pack offered by Omoton. They are affordable alternatives to original Amazon cases.
Library-themed Kindle cover. Are you looking for a Kindle cover that’s perfect for a book lover? It’s lightweight, opens like a book, and sports a cozy library illustration.
Premium leather Amazon Kindle sleeve. Handmade to order from the finest Italian full-grain leather, this minimalist sleeve is available in three colors: Tan, Gray, and Black. The inside is lined with 100% wool felt for extra protection.
Durable Amazon Kindle pouch bag with pocket. The main benefit of this solid and durable sleeve is an external pocket that you can use to carry your earphones, cables, or smartphone. You can choose from five colors: Light Gray, Green, Purple, Denim Blue, and Dark Gray.
Slim leather Kindle pouch over. Available in two designer variants, the sleeve features a large multicolor closing strap and microfiber interior for extra protection against dust and scratches.
Cute handmade cotton sleeve for Amazon Kindle. From Bertie’s Closet comes an adorable sleeve handmade from light gray linen fabric combined with a mustard yellow geometric print cotton used for the front pocket.
Slim magnetic Amazon Kindle cover from MoKo. It offers a solid protection thanks to thin but sturdy back shell. Auto sleep & wake is supported. the inside is lined with soft microfiber. Lifetime warranty is included. Available in 25 colors and designs.
Mystery limited edition printed cover. From Amazon comes a range of printed covers that feature gorgeous illustrations inspired by books and libraries. Besides Mystery, you can also check out Bookscape and Library.
Personalized monogrammed Kindle leather sleeve. From Popeq come great-looking leather sleeves for Kindle that you can personalize: choose a color combination and add a custom text to be stamped on a front side.
Designer black leather cover for Kindle. The case combines classic style with designer touch. The front is divided by irregular stripes, with prominent stitches adding a premium and unique look.
Floral Kindle zipper sleeve custom monogram. The gorgeous floral design will catch everyone’s attention. Add a personal touch by having your initials hand-stamped on a leather label on the front.
Low-priced Amazon Kindle cover alternative. The case sports a magnetic closure that’s compatible with wake / sleep function. It comes in eleven bright color variants and is an affordable alternative to Amazon’s original covers.
Vertical flip standing Amazon Kindle case. This unique cover lets you read books without the need to hold the Kindle all the time. It’s extremely helpful if you want to reduce neck or back pain. You can choose from three reading angles.
High-quality print designer Kindle smart cover. From Ayotu comes a range of the most creative covers that are designed for the basic Kindle. You can choose from thirty unique designs that are printed in high quality.
Thin multi-layer protective smart Kindle cover. The case is solid but lightweight. Its multi-layer structure includes anti-drop plastic back, faux leather exterior and soft microfiber interior. Available in cool desaturated colors including Orange and Mint Green.
Folio Kindle Paperwhite 4 cover with marble texture. The case easily folds back for convenient one-handed reading. It supports auto sleep / wake and sports a large pocket on the front for your library card, notes, or documents.
Standing origami cover for Paperwhite 4. From MoKo comes a series of origami Kindle Paperwhite 4 cases that support sleep / wake function and can turn into either horizontal or vertical stand, giving you 100% freedom of reading.
Cat-shaped Paperwhite 4 sleeve from fleece and linen. This adorable sleeve is handcrafted to order from three layers: smooth inside lining, fleece for softness and safety cover, and beautiful decorative fabric on the outside.
Twelve South Kindle Paperwhite 4 BookBook cover. The iconic vintage leather cover is now available for the 4th-generation Kindle Paperwhite. It features leather exterior with classic book design, hand-finished details and solid stitching, a zipper designed to disguise as yellowish pages of a closed book.
Biodegradable felt sleeve for Paperwhite 4. The sleeve is made of high quality 3 mm Merino felt which is non-flammable, water repellent, and wrinkle free. It comes in several combinations: you can choose the color of felt, inner layer, and a strap.
Smart shell Kindle Paperwhite composition book cover. The legendary composition book design is available on covers designed for the Paperwhite 4. The case provides full protection without adding too much bulk.
Padded linen Kindle Paperwhite 4 sleeve. The sleeve is made of gray colored linen with 2 mm thick felt padding. You can choose your favorite padding color when ordering.
Original fabric cover for Paperwhite 4. The case is made of a water-safe material, what combined with waterproof device gives you peace of mind wherever you read. Opens and closes just like a book to wake your Kindle or put it to sleep.
Double-sided designer cover for Paperwhite 4. Most cases show the same design on the front and back. The series from Ayotu is different – many variants feature artwork spreading across the entire cover.
Vertical Paperwhite 4 cover with a kickstand. The front cover folds back completely. On the inside, there is built-in support that will let you turn the case into a stand. There is also a hand strap if you want to read one-handed conveniently.
Jonathan Adler Kindle Paperwhite cover. A fashionable series of covers by Jonathan Adler features a unique silicone backed 4-point elastics to securely keep your Paperwhite in place.
Klever Case vintage Kindle Paperwhite covers. Want your Kindle to look like a real book? Klever Case offers a selection of traditionally handcrafted designs that use the original cover art from famous classic novels.
Nupro folio cover for Kindle Paperwhite. The case is slim and lightweight while maintaining the same level or protection as other covers. It’s built from durable polyurethane with a soft microfiber interior. Thanks to elastic corner straps, the case can be used with multiple Kindle models
Hand embroidered wool felt Paperwhite 4 sleeve. Wool felt Kindle sleeve cover comes with an amazing colorful flower embroidery. Make sure to provide the dimensions of your Kindle when placing an order.
Slim Paperwhite 4 cover with floral design. A series of covers offered by Infiland features a set of most sought-after features: auto sleep / wake support, lightweight design, and lifetime warranty.
Elegant cork & felt sleeve – fits Paperwhite 4. The outside is made of high-quality cork imported from Portugal. The internal layer is made of German wool felt. Both materials are extremely robust and insensitive to dirt.
Designer smart cover for Kindle Paperwhite 4. The new range of cover designs from Walnew will fit every taste. Make sure to pick up the variant that reflects your personality to the fullest.
Fashionable watercolor slim cover for Paperwhite 4. Watercolor patterns are highly popular this year. One of the best designs is offered by LuvCase. The pattern is printed in high quality on a slim and durable case.
Folio Kindle Oasis cover with kickstand and hand strap. The case features a stand to read hands-free, a hand-strap for one-handed reading, and a convenient card slot.
Slim cover for Kindle Oasis – 20 variants to choose from. Take a look at the slim case offered by MoKo. It supports auto sleep / wake function and adds minimal bulk to the already extremely light Oasis.
Personalized Kindle Oasis leather sleeve. This gorgeous sleeve from Popeq is handmade from full-grain leather and thick felt. You can customize it with your name or favorite quote.
Origami-style Kindle Oasis stand cover. If you are looking for a clever combination of minimalist style and stand functionality, make sure to check out this origami cover from Fintie. Set your hands free during your reading sessions!
Kindle Oasis smart cover alternative. Here is another affordable alternative to original Amazon case. This simple and light case supports the auto sleep / wake function, thanks to the built-in magnet.
Words – padded cotton Kindle Oasis sleeve with pocket. Inspire yourself to write poetry with this wordy case. It is handmade from cotton & linen and features a text print fabric pocket with a suiting fabric background.
Official Amazon water-safe fabric cover for Kindle Oasis. Amazon’s trademark design, the folding cover, is also available for the latest Kindle Oasis. The fabric variant is water-safe – a perfect match for the waterproof device.
Eco-friendly Kindle Oasis cork vegan pocket. Designed with the planet in mind this vegan sleeve is handcrafted to order from the highest quality Upholstery grade cork. It’s strong, water resistant and extremely lightweight.
Multi-angle vertical flip cover for Kindle Oasis. Using the Oasis with one hand is extremely easy, but you can set your hands free if you have this cover from MoKo. Multi-angle stand lets you adjust a reading angle.
Wise Stitch dark felt sleeve for Kindle Oasis. The sleeve is hand-crafted from premium 4 mm felt and genuine leather. Felt is soft and durable, and it will increase the level of protection against scratches, bumps, or dirt. It closes with metal buttons.
Fashionable waterproof Kindle Oasis cover. The cover is available in over thirty colorful variants that will suit every taste. Most importantly, the producer claims the cover is waterproof – just like the device it protects.
Premium designer slim Kindle Oasis smart cover. The case is lightweight, supports auto sleep / wake feature. Most importantly, it’s available in a few unique design variants like the one shown above.
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Keep exploring. Here are more tips and lists for Kindle users:
[ef-archive number=5 tag=”kindle”]
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