Quotes about books and reading fit bookmarks, classroom walls, gift tags and book club invites. This list has 87 quotes. Three are classic lines from Henry David Thoreau and Jane Austen, checked against the original texts. The other 84 are original sayings about books, readers, novels and the love of reading. You will also find current US reading numbers from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Quotes about books and reading at a glance
| Section | Count | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Famous quotes about books from classic authors | 3 | Essays, book clubs |
| Quotes about books | 10 | Bookmarks, posters |
| Quotes about reading | 10 | Classrooms, libraries |
| Short quotes about books | 10 | Captions, shirts |
| Cute reading quotes | 8 | Kids, reading nooks |
| Love of reading quotes | 8 | Book lovers |
| Quotes about why reading is important | 8 | Teachers, parents |
| Quotes about readers | 6 | Book clubs |
| Reading novels quotes | 6 | Fiction fans |
| Quotes about reading and writing | 6 | Writers, students |
| Slogans about books | 6 | Libraries, book fairs |
| Short meaningful book gift quotes | 6 | Gift tags, inscriptions |
Famous quotes about books from classic authors
Many "famous quotes about reading by authors" online were never written by the author named. The three below come from the original books, linked to the text we checked.
- "Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations." Henry David Thoreau, Walden, chapter "Reading," 1854 (University of Vermont text).
- "How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book!" Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854 (University of Vermont text).
- "I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!" Miss Bingley in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, chapter 11, 1813 (full text). In the novel she says it while pretending to read to impress Mr. Darcy.
The quotes from here on are original to this page and are not attributed to any author.
Quotes about books
- A good book is a door you can open from any chair.
- Books hold the voices of people you'll never meet.
- Every bookshelf is a map of where someone's mind has been.
- A book waits patiently until you're ready for it.
- The best books feel like they were written just for you.
- One book can change the way you see a whole year.
- Books are the cheapest tickets to anywhere.
- Some books you read. Some books read you.
- A worn cover means a well-loved story.
- You can tell a lot about a person by the books they lend.
Quotes about reading
- Reading is a conversation with someone who isn't in the room.
- Ten pages a night adds up to a whole shelf by December.
- Reading lets you live more lives than one.
- The quietest hour of the day is the one spent reading.
- Reading turns waiting rooms into adventures.
- Read slowly when the words are good.
- Reading teaches patience one chapter at a time.
- Every reader was once a child sounding out letters.
- Reading before bed beats scrolling before bed.
- Read what you love, and you'll read more.
Short quotes about books
- Just one more chapter.
- Books over everything.
- Booked for the weekend.
- Reading is my cardio.
- Stories make us.
- Bookmarks are commitment.
- Read more, worry less.
- So many books, so little shelf.
- Paper, ink, magic.
- Lost in a good book.
Cute reading quotes
- Snuggle up, it's story time.
- Little readers grow big imaginations.
- My favorite blanket comes with a book.
- Books and cocoa make a cozy combo.
- Reading with you is my favorite part of the day.
- This bookworm is busy.
- Every page is a tiny adventure.
- Read to me, please. One more time.
Love of reading quotes
- I fell in love with reading one page at a time.
- Book lovers never go to bed early. They go to bed at "the end."
- A day with a good book is a day well spent.
- My heart beats faster at plot twists.
- I don't need a bigger house. I need more bookshelves.
- Loving reading means always having a friend nearby.
- The smell of a new book still makes me smile.
- I read because life deserves more chapters.
Quotes about why reading is important
- Reading builds the words you need to explain yourself.
- Children who see adults read learn that books matter.
- Reading helps you understand people unlike you.
- Every new word you read is a new tool for thinking.
- Reading trains your focus in a distracted world.
- Strong readers become strong learners.
- Reading together builds family memories.
- A library card is one of the most useful cards you can carry.
Quotes about readers
- Readers are the people who notice the details.
- Readers always carry a book "just in case."
- A reader's to-be-read pile only grows.
- Readers make the best listeners.
- Book readers know the joy of a happy ending and the ache of a sad one.
- Find your readers, and you'll find your people.
Reading novels quotes
- A great novel makes you miss characters who never existed.
- Novels let you try on a life for a few hundred pages.
- Reading novels is practice for empathy.
- I started the novel at 9 p.m. It's now 2 a.m.
- The best novels stay with you after you close them.
- Fiction tells truths that facts can't hold.
Quotes about reading and writing
- Every writer starts as a reader.
- Read widely, write truthfully.
- Writing is reading turned inside out.
- Read a page, write a line.
- Good writing comes from great reading.
- Readers and writers keep stories alive together.
Slogans about books
- Open a book, open your mind.
- Read today, lead tomorrow.
- Get lost in the library.
- Check out a book. Check out a world.
- Readers welcome here.
- Turn the page on boredom.
Short meaningful book gift quotes
Write one of these inside the cover when you give a book.
- I thought of you on every page.
- This story is yours now.
- For the reader who taught me to love books.
- Read it, then tell me everything.
- May this book keep you company.
- Happy reading, with love.
Reading facts
The National Endowment for the Arts reported these results from the 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (NEA, 2024).
- 48.5% of US adults read at least one book in the past year, down from 52.7% in 2017 and 54.6% in 2012.
- 37.6% read a novel or short story, down from 41.8% in 2017 and 45.2% in 2012.
Those numbers make a good case for one more bookmark quote in a kid's backpack.
How to use sayings about books and reading
- Bookmarks: use a short quote about books.
- Classroom walls: pick quotes about why reading is important.
- Gift tags: write a book gift quote inside the front cover.
- Book clubs: open each meeting with one quote about readers.
For readers, an embroidered "Just one more chapter" sweatshirt or tote makes a fun gift. Browse our personalized embroidered gifts. For more meaningful lines, read our quotes about caring.
Frequently asked questions
What is a famous quote about books?
Thoreau wrote in Walden that "Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations."
What is a short quote about books?
"Just one more chapter" or "Books are the cheapest tickets to anywhere."
What is a cute quote about reading?
"Snuggle up, it's story time" or "This bookworm is busy."
What is a quote about the importance of reading?
"Reading builds the words you need to explain yourself."
What should I write in a book as a gift?
"I thought of you on every page" or "Read it, then tell me everything."
How many Americans read books?
48.5% of US adults read at least one book in 2022, according to the NEA.
