Everyone had a favorite subject in high school. Some students find that the practicality and formulaic structure of algebra and calculus provide them with a sort of comfort and sense of predictability. Others seek the excitement of chemistry, looking for an outlet for discovery and exploration of the physical and chemical properties that define the world as we know it. For me, neither of these subjects held a special place in my heart. My scholarly ambitions were focused elsewhere.
I found my place in the English classroom. It was here that I grasped onto literature, and found within it the magic of the written word. Reading was my chance for adventure, and books were my method of transport. I came to find that authors were master manipulators of their craft, artists who painted pictures in the forms of sentences. Reading fueled a certain curiosity and a distinct hunger to learn more, and I came to this conclusion that words have the power to change people. Some of the best books I've ever read are those which challenged the times they were written in. Those which eloquently spoke of change and difference making. It was within these stories that I found the most memorable of words. They are wonderful words, in wonderful books, by wonderful, wonderful authors.
1. "Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren't so different. We saw the same sunset." - The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
2. "We need never be ashamed of our tears." - Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
3. "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." -The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne Frank.
4. "Laugh as much as you want, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion." - Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen.
5. "She burned too bright for this world." - Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
6. "It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime." Khaled Hosseini.
7. "All I'm saying is kindness don't have no boundaries." - The Help, Kathryn Stockett.
8. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." - The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald.
9. "I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship- Little Women, Louisa May Alcott.
10. "Maybe everybody in the whole damn world is scared of each other." - Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck.
11. “Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” - Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery
