Indie Books Quotes

“It's the witching hour once more-
When the Muse comes out to play.
He calls me through that magic door-
Where galaxies of worlds await!”
― Belle Whittington

“Sometimes my thoughts were hard to digest. Sometimes my brain would get stuck on a concept that troubled me and would create endless rabbit holes in my head. It seemed like the more I tried to find an answer, the more complicated it would become. And sometimes unsettling images would randomly flash into my head. I didn’t want to describe what they were. I knew the images weren’t true, but they often made me feel uneasy.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“I found it strange how people could sit in an airplane flying miles high at hundreds of speeds and not think about it. We got used to magnificent things. I wanted to think it’s cool every time I fly. I wouldn’t want to act overdramatic but just sit there and look out the window for a moment and process what I’m doing. Really process it. Maybe before turning on a movie or going back to normal life, I would begin the flight with a moment like that.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“All I can say is that I felt alive and didn’t want to think about anything else besides this moment.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“…sometimes my thoughts were hard to digest. Sometimes my brain would get stuck on a concept that troubled me and would create endless rabbit holes in my head. It seemed like the more I tried to find an answer, the more complicated it would become. And sometimes unsettling images would randomly flash into my head. I didn’t want to describe what they were. I knew the images weren’t true, but they often made me feel uneasy.”
― J. Aleong

“There was something about nighttime that made time feel slow and our thoughts feel large. Daytime was a beauty to the eyes, and nighttime was a beauty to the soul. I decided that they were equally beautiful in different ways and couldn’t be compared.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“The fact that we have to decide what to do for the rest of our lives at seventeen is crazy. How are we supposed to know?”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“Even in difficult times, there could be good moments.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“But he’s still my best friend, and I’ve known him for years. I’m not going to just give up on him.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“What do you do when neither person is wrong yet they completely disagree?”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“I figured that distance happens and connections fade, and I wouldn’t want anyone to feel obligated to stay friends with me. That wasn’t fair to ask. It just seemed to happen a lot with me.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“I realized that you could appreciate something without wanting it back. Everything had its own purpose and time.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“Tyler’s chest tightened and her heart pounded through her sweater. Pull yourself together. It was just a peck on the lips, remember. She held her palm against her eye to stop it from twitching, a tell that she was freaking out.”
― Hunter Snow, Rock Crush and Roll

“But girlfriend sounded stupid, considering the way he felt. No. He needed, not wanted, needed her to be his wife.”
― Hunter Snow, Rock Crush and Roll

“I loved music. What struck me most about a song wasn’t the lyrics or genre but simply the way it sounded. It’s like when you hear that right song, no matter where you are or what you are doing, the way it sounds just stirs something inside of you. Maybe it’s the melody, the instruments, or the singer’s voice, but for that short moment you forget everything else on your mind and just feel.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“The truth was, we all should try our best in life, but sometimes our best wouldn’t match the best of others. Sometimes our best wouldn’t match the standard. Sometimes our best wouldn’t match perfection. And that was OK.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“…remember that helping others doesn’t mean denying to help yourself.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“Then the five of us talked about junior year and how we felt this looming pressure toward taking the SATs. Afterwards, we somehow got on the topic of artificial intelligence and whether society would become like The Terminator films. You know, typical conversation. It was enjoyable.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“I remember my pastor once said that peace in God doesn’t omit emotion; Jesus was perfect and still cried and felt anger. So peace was, that in the midst of our trials and emotions, our heads could remain above the water without drowning in it. This kind of peace could help us continue to live on through our struggles.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“Sometimes we connect with people and sometimes we don’t, but caring what other people think shouldn’t matter.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“Strength doesn’t have to mean putting your problems aside or staying silent. Strength is sometimes being brave enough to seek the help that you need.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“Remember that helping others doesn’t mean denying to help yourself.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“Things felt a little different and that was OK.
Life would never stay in one place, after all. I was just glad to have my friends.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“Whenever my mother was worried, she would
whisper her prayers in Spanish. I think it gave her a sense of privacy but also a sense of power.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“When I got out of the car, I told her, ‘Thanks. Thanks for everything. You’re a good friend.”
― J. Aleong, A Most Important Year

“Danika does not scream. She does not cry. She does not even move. She just kneels there on the rocky forest floor, her hands resting on the top of her belly, staring at the grotesque thing that had only a short time before been the father of the child growing inside her.”
― J.H. Smithson, Deadman

“A true man-eater. To Ben, there are no words more beautiful in any language.”
― J.H. Smithson, Deadman

“When he looks back up, the tiger is still grinning at him, purring. Their stares meet. Bronson sees himself in the cat’s eyes, floating inside the yellow depths. For just a moment, as he gazes at his reflection, he feels as if his soul is being sucked up. Pulled into the animal. Trapped inside the black abyss of the tiger. Imprisoned there forever. It would be a punishment befitting a man whose only real purpose in life was to bring death to this species, and countless others like it.”
― J.H. Smithson, Deadman

“She hates my music,” Cary told Vegas as he climbed into their chauffeured SUV.

Vegas turned his head. “What?”

“Tyler Robertson.” His tone became impatient as he went on, “She hates my music, Vegas. It’s kind of obvious.”

He shrugged. “What the fuck do you care?”

“What did she say? Does she think I’m a has-been?” His biggest fear in life was becoming obsolete. His records weren’t selling like they used to and hit singles were few and far between. He’d rather die than have his new love interesting thinking he was passé.

“She hasn’t said anything.” Vegas arched an eyebrow. “At least not to me. What’s gotten into you, man?”

Cary slid down in his seat and scrolled through his phone. “Nothing,” he said dismissively, not wanting to talk about it even though he’d been the one to bring it up in the first place. Tyler was the first woman in years, maybe ever, who’d made him feel insecure.”
― Hunter Snow, Rock Crush and Roll

“She read the route over and over, hoping it would suddenly change, and she wouldn’t have to make that stop. But every time she blinked her eyes, wishing it would be different, it stared back at her through the screen.
Those eight letters and two syllables stirred up painful memories of the life she’d spent years running away from.
Curesall.”
― Eve Tara, Broken Down Ghost Town