Capture the Magic of Books With These Quotes about Reading

It's no secret that we at Country Living are big bookworms (do you participate in our Front Porch Book Club?), and we could easily spend hours rounding up all the books we want to add to our TBRs (new releases! Books for horse-lovers! The best books for children!). Reading is "one of the most marvelous adventures that anyone can have," Lloyd Alexander, a two-time National Book Award–winning author, once said. And we couldn't agree more.

From the ability to transport us to fantastical worlds we'd never imagined to providing us the opportunity to experience a culture and viewpoint different from our own, reading is an act of transformation, joy, and, in some cases, even healing. “It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive," said James Baldwin. Indeed, books allow us the chance to connect with others in a profound way. So it's natural that these quotes—from actors, poets, and authors themselves from around the world—reflect our myriad of sentiments about the power of a good book.

We hope these quotes about reading help put into words the power and joy we all experience from reading. As Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin wrote: "Sleep is good....And books are better."