Lines you may recognize from your favourite books

If you love reading you probably have your favourites. And if you have read a lot in your life, then chances are you will recognize a good number of these lines, curated by the Genretop review team.

1. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

— 1984.

2. So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be.

–– Perks Of Being A Wallflower.

3. And presently, like a circling typhoon, the sounds of battle began to return.

–– Vile Bodies.

4. But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy.

–– A Moveable Feast.

5. Mother died today.

— The Stranger.

6. Stay Gold, Ponyboy.

–– The Outsiders.

7. It was the day my grandmother exploded.

— The Crow Road.

8. Vaughan died yesterday in his last car-crash.

— Crash.

9. Of all the things that drive men to sea, the most common disaster, I’ve come to learn, is women.

— Middle Passage.

10. High, high above the North Pole, on the first day of 1969, two professors of English Literature approached each other at a combined velocity of 1200 miles per hour.

— Changing Places.

11. All children, except one, grow up.

–– Peter Pan.

12. The moon lives in the lining of your skin.

— The Essential Neruda.

13. In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart.

— The Diary of Anne Frank.

14. You were at the age where you could fall in love with a girl over an expression, over a gesture.

— This Is How You Lose Her.

15. Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.

— Slaughterhouse-Five.

16. It was strange the way he loved her; a sidelong and almost casual love, as if loving her were simply a matter of course, too natural to mention.

— The Art of Fielding.

17. So it goes.

— Slaughterhouse-Five.

18. I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

— Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven.

19. Her legs swing complete afternoons away.

— From Rockaway.

20. Two people in love, alone, isolated from the world, that's beautiful.

— The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

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Books from classical literature you should read again and again

If you love the classics, then you should read these two books curated by the Genretop review team. They should be on everyone’s to-read list!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

In this novel by Jane Austen, she shows the folly of judging by first impressions plus superbly explains the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class British life.

The story involves Elizabeth Bennet who meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy. At first she thinks he is arrogant and conceited; while he is indifferent to her attractive looks and curious mind.

When she later discovers that he has involved himself in the relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, Elizabeth is determined to dislike him more than ever.

I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

Cassandra Mortmain lives with her bohemian family in a crumbling castle in the middle of nowhere. Her journal records her life with her beautiful, bored sister, Rose, her not-so-glamorous stepmother, Topaz, her little brother Thomas and her novelist father who suffers from writer's block.

When the American heirs to the castle arrive, their lives are turned upside down and Cassandra finds herself falling in love for the very first time.

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Inspirational quotes about classical music

From scientists and philosophers to poets and playwrights, here are how some of the greatest minds were touched by classical music, curated by the Genretop review team.

Tony Bennett: ‘In the 1920s and ’30s, there was a renaissance in music that was the equivalent of the artistic Renaissance. Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer and others created the best songs ever written. These are classics... This is classical music’

Albert Einstein: "I know that the most joy in my life has come to me from my violin."

St Augustine: "To sing is to pray twice."

Plato: "Rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul."

John Dryden: "What passion cannot music raise and quell!"

John Milton: "Such sweet compulsion doth in music lie."

Maya Angelou: "Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness."

Hans Christian Andersen: "Where words fail, music speaks."

Leo Tolstoy: "Music is the shorthand of emotion."

John Keats: "Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter. Therefore, ye soft pipes, play on."

Heinrich Heine: "When words leave off, music begins."

For more great classic content, check out Genretop today.

Great classic films to watch now

Looking to sit down with a good movie to take your mind off things? Then choose one of these great American films, selected by the Genretop review team, and get your popcorn popping!

Ninotchka by Ernst Lubitsch

Greta Garbo is at her loveliest (and funniest) as a humorless, hard-line Soviet emissary who unwillingly succumbs to the capitalist charms of Melvyn Douglas and Paris in the spring. Every frame is a delight.

Duck Soup by Leo McCarey

The Marx Brothers are at their most anarchic in this pointed but hilarious send-up of government, politics and war. How can you not love a picture in which the main character is named Rufus T. Firefly? 

The Maltese Falcon by John Huston

This is probably the ultimate detective movie, the detective movie other detective movies want to be when they grow up. Humphrey Bogart plays Sam Spade, whose dogged pursuit of his partner's murderer leads him to something much bigger.

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Bob Dylan Quotes That Will Speak To Your Mind And Soul

These Bob Dylan quotes curated by the Genretop review team are excellent for anyone who dares to be a true original.

1. “You learn from a conglomeration of the incredible past – whatever experience gotten in any way whatsoever.” – Bob Dylan

2. “Behind every beautiful thing, there’s some kind of pain.”― Bob Dylan

3. “I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.”― Bob Dylan

4. “I define nothing. Not beauty, not patriotism. I take each thing as it is, without prior rules about what it should be.” – Bob Dylan

5. “May your heart always be joyful. May your song always be sung.”― Bob Dylan

6. “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.” ― Bob Dylan

7. “When you cease to exist, then who will you blame?” ― Bob Dylan

8. “When you feel in your gut what you are and then dynamically pursue it – don’t back down and don’t give up – then you’re going to mystify a lot of folks.”― Bob Dylan

9. “You’re gonna have to serve somebody; well, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody…”― Bob Dylan

10. “I’m mortified to be on the stage, but then again, it’s the only place where I’m happy.” – Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan quotes that will inspire you to create your own way of thinking

11. “The future for me is already a thing of the past – You were my first love and you will be my last”― Bob Dylan

12. “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” ― Bob Dylan

13. “If you try to be anyone but yourself, you will fail; if you are not true to your own heart, you will fail. Then again, there’s no success like failure”― Bob Dylan

14. “People seldom do what they believe in. They do what is convenient, then repent.” – Bob Dylan

15. “Even if you don’t have all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don’t have that you don’t want (Bob Dylan’s dad)”― Bob Dylan

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The best classic American films to watch now

Looking for a good classic film to watch tonight? Then why not pick one of these curated by the Genretop review team?

The Sixth Sense. M. Knight Shyamalan, 1999.

It’s not just that this picture sports one of the best plot twists of all time, the rest of the film is top-notch, too. Even with Bruce Willis and Toni Colette, the performance that stands out is that of young Haley Joel Osment.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. George Roy Hill, 1969.

At the time, this was a very modern take on a Western. The heroes are lovable criminals taking on the establishment by robbing banks. With Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Katharine Ross, there is an awful lot of beauty on the screen at one time.

Toy Story. John Lasseter, 1995.

The first computer-animated picture is still the best — it’s a combination of an irresistible story, bold characterizations (even of the smallest characters), wonderful voices and unbeatable animation.

Psycho. Alfred Hitchcock, 1961.

“Mother…isn’t quite herself today.” That line still cracks me up.

Bringing Up Baby. Howard Hawks, 1938.

Dizzy Katharine Hepburn decides she loves paleontologist Cary Grant and goes all out to land him, including using a pet leopard named Baby. And that’s not the only leopard in the film.

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Great lines from literature

You may forget a scene from a novel, or perhaps the name of the leading character, but you certainly won’t forget these great lines from famous literary works, curated by the Genretop review team.

“Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination.”

'Passing' by Nella Larsen

"[S]he hadn't the air of a woman whose life had been touched by uncertainty or suffering. Pain, fear, and grief were things that left their mark on people. Even love, that exquisite torturing emotion, left its subtle traces on the countenance."

'The Left Hand of Darkness' by Ursula K. Le Guin

"It is a terrible thing, this kindness that human beings do not lose. Terrible, because when we are finally naked in the dark and cold, it is all we have. We who are so rich, so full of strength, we end up with that small change. We have nothing else to give."

'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee

“It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.”

'Severance' by Ling Ma

"The past is a black hole, cut into the present day like a wound, and if you come too close, you can get sucked in. You have to keep moving."

'In the Dream House' by Carmen Maria Machado

"I speak into the silence. I toss the stone of my story into a vast crevice; measure the emptiness by its small sound."

'Station Eleven' by Emily St. John Mandel

For the very best in classical literature, head over to Genretop today.

Life-changing quotes from literature

2020 and 2021 have been years all about change, and not good change, but these life-changing quotes from famous lit can certainly help you manage. Check this list out curated by the Genretop review team.

"Drive away and try to keep smiling. Get a little rock and roll on the radio and go toward all the life there is with all the courage you can find and all the belief you can muster. Be true, be brave, stand. All the rest is darkness."

—Stephen King, IT

“'Why did you do all this for me?' he asked. 'I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you.' 'You have been my friend,' replied Charlotte. 'That in itself is a tremendous thing.'"

—E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

"Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic."

—Frank Herbert, Dune

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget."

—Arundhati Roy, The Cost of Living

"The loneliest moment in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly."

—F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing."

—Charles Bukowski, The Captain Is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship

"Nothing is random, nor will anything ever be... In the end, or rather, as things really are, any event, no matter how small, is intimately and sensibly tied to all others... And, when all is perceived in such a way as to obviate time, justice becomes apparent not as something that will be, but something that is."

—Mark Helprin, Winter's Tale

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Quotes From The Classics

If you love the classics, then you will love these standout quotes from dozens of world-renowned classic novels curated by the Genretop review team.

That is the one unforgivable sin in any society. Be different and be damned! - Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

Six months ago I had never been to England, and, certainly, I had never sounded the depths of an English heart. I had known the shallows. - Ford Madox Ford, The Good Soldier

The whole mad swirl of everything that was to come began then. - Jack Kerouac, On the Road

In his Petersburg world, all people were divided into two completely opposite sorts. One was the inferior sort: the banal, stupid and, above all, ridiculous people who believed that one husband should live with one wife, whom he has married in a church, that a girl should be innocent, a woman modest, a man manly, temperate and firm, that one should raise children, earn one’s bread, pay one’s debts, and other such stupidities. This was an old-fashioned and ridiculous sort of people. But there was another sort of people, the real ones, to which they all belonged, and for whom one had, above all, to be elegant, handsome, magnanimous, bold, gay, to give oneself to every passion without blushing and laugh at everything else. - Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

I prefer unlucky things. Luck is vulgar. Who wants what luck would bring? I don’t. - D. H. Lawrence, Women in Love

Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars. - Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

They looked at each other, baffled, in love and hate. - William Golding, Lord of the Flies

I never liked to hunt, you know. There was always the danger of having a horse fall on you. - Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

“Begin at the beginning,” the King said gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” - Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

I do suspect that he is not really necessary to my happiness. - Jane Austen, Emma You can’t breathe dead hippo waking, sleeping, and eating, and at the same time keep your precarious grip on existence. - Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Time, which sees all things, has found you out. - Sophocles, Oedipus the King

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Great quotes from classical literature

If you are looking for some great classic reads, and in particular, take in some very powerful words, then get your hands on these classical literature novels curated by the Genretop review team.

The Scarlet Letter

Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Year: 1850

“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.”

The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Author: Oscar Wilde

Year: 1890

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

The Children Of Men

Author: P.D. James

Year: 1992

“We can experience nothing but the present moment, live in no other second of time, and to understand this is as close as we can get to eternal life.”

Revolutionary Road

Author: Richard Yates

Year: 1961

"No one forgets the truth; they just get better at lying."

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Author: Zora Neale Hurston

Year: 1937

"She had waited all her life for something, and it had killed her when it found her."

Great Expectations

Author: Charles Dickens

Year: 1890

“We need never be ashamed of our tears.”

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Leadership quotes to inspire anyone

You don’t need to be a leader to be inspirational. Instead, read through these quotes from Genretop and be an inspiration to everyone around you.

People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives. - Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States.

If we cannot disconnect, we cannot lead. Creating the culture of burnout is opposite to creating a culture of sustainable creativity . . . This mentality needs to be introduced as a leadership and performance-enhancing tool. - Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post

No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it. - Andrew Carnegie, 19th-century business magnate and philanthropist.

Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration. - Robin S. Sharma, Canadian writer and motivational speaker

Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others’ success, and then standing back and letting them shine.- Chris Hadfield, astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station

A leader is a dealer in hope.- Napoleon Bonaparte, French military leader.

Leadership is a privilege to better the lives of others. It is not an opportunity to satisfy personal greed. - Mwai Kibaki, Kenyan politician

Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want. - Dianne Feinstein, U.S. senator

People have to trust you. You have to build in trust for people. - Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership. - Nelson Mandela, South African political leader

Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership. - General Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State

For lots more inspiration, check out Genretop.

Classic Quotes From To Kill a Mockingbird

As an American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird gives a child's view of race and justice in the Depression-era South. Here are some of the best quotes from the classic novel on Genretop.

“Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose circumstances you know nothing about?” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“Just remember that sometimes, the way you think about a person isn’t the way theyactually are.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“Try fighting with your head for a change . . it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“Clowns are sad, it’s folks that laugh at them.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win,” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“Bad language is a stage all children go through, and it dies with time when they learn they’re not attracting attention with it.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“I had never encountered a being who deliberately perpetuated fraud against himself.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“The apple does not fall far from the tree.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“Atticus sometimes said that one way to tell whether a witness was lying or telling the truth was to listen rather than watch.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“I don’t see why I have to when he doesn’t. Then listen.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“Don’t worry, though, he’ll be as good as new. Boys his age bounce.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“It seems to me, that love could be labeled poison and we’d drink it anyways.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“He was as good as his worst performance; his worst performance was Gothic.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

For more of the classics, head over to Genretop.

Classic eBooks You Should Enjoy With Your Family

Classic eBooks are a sure bet for any family looking to bond and spend a wonderful time together. They have revolutionized the way people read books. Here is a list of some of the breathtaking classic eBooks that families can enjoy together.

Charlotte’s Web - E. B. White

Originally published October 15, 1952, Charlotte's Web is a children's eBook written by one of the respected authors best-known for writing some of the most loved classic tales for children. In the eBook, Wilbur the pig has a charming and innocent personality that impresses many. Spider Charlotte, on the other hand, is endlessly welcoming and heartwarming. This makes this edition to be loved and read by many classic eBook fans.

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L’Engle

Meg Murry and her little brother find themselves stranded when their father goes missing in a time-travel experiment that went wrong. They have no option but to travel across space to go and rescue their father. The digital edition includes an introduction written by Ava DuVernay: The director of Disney film adaptation.

Bleak House - Charles Dickens

If you are a huge fan of Charles Dickens, this book is likely to capture your attention. This audiobook provides you with all the answers to your questions about some places you’ve never been to. The book's narration performance by the narrators helps enhance the melodrama that Dickens intended to portray.

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5 Best Selling Books of All Time

Some books become an immediate hit and capture the public imagination. These often become bestsellers, but few manage to reach the top of this list. Here are the 5 best selling books of all time.

1 - Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Originally released in 1612, this tale of chivalry that never dies has sold over 500 million copies. It just goes to show that good books will be popular no matter how long they have been around.

2- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The famous wordsmith is known for many classic works, but this story, published in 1859, has sold the most of all with 200 million copies. However, this was and perhaps still is a staple read of many schools, so maybe that has helped.

3- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

One of the biggest books and movie series in the world, Lord of the Rings was published in 1954 and went on to sell 150 million copies. Many more copies were sold when news of the big blockbuster movies was announced.

4 - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Released in 1943 and selling more than 150 million copies, The Little Prince laments about the perils of growing old. Since it was released, it has been translated into more than 300 languages.

5 - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Published in 1937, The Hobbit precedes The Lord of the Rings and follows Bilbo Baggins on his adventures. It eventually sold as many copies as The Lord of the Rings, just over 150 million.

To read one or all of these amazing books, visit www.genretop.com.

Books You Need to Read if You Like These TV Shows

With so many streaming services out there, you will never be short of a TV show that will keep you entertained. Many of these shows also have similarities to books that can take your love of the genre to the next level. Here are books you should read if you like these TV shows.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

One of the big TV hits was The Umbrella Academy which sees a group of kids with special powers getting into all types of trouble. If you loved that show, you should also read Meddling Kids, about a group of kids that later meet up as adults and deal with the nightmares of their past.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Dysfunctional superheroes in The Boys were worth a watch. If you are waiting for a new series, then in-between times, you can read Vicious. It’s about two people who work to create artificial superpowers, only to decide to eradicate them years later.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothic is about Noemi who goes to see her cousin at her countryside house. Noemi finds that the house has dark secrets that could mean trouble if they are unearthed. If you love this book, then you will also love The Haunting of Bly Manor, the chilling TV series that will make your hair stand on end.

Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words by Andrew Morton

The Crown is another huge TV series that portrays the life of the Royal Family in the United Kingdom. Although many say it is a work of fiction, if you want to find out about the real Diana - Princess of Wales, then the book Diana will give you a great insight into her world at the time.

To find more books like your favorite TV shows, visit www.genretop.com. and check out the range.

What makes a book a classic?

When we are asked to think of classic novels, we might immediately rhyme with titles like Moby Dick, War and Peace or The Great Gatsby. The list of books that may be considered classics could be a very long one.

What constitutes a classic has always been the source of some debate, but one thing that can be agreed is that many classics transcend personal taste or contemporary trends. That is to say, that a particular book doesn’t have to necessarily be to your taste to be universally considered a classic.

While Jane Austen, for example, maybe considered one of the greatest novelists of all time, many people don’t find her books to their taste. However, they still will recognize Jane Eyre as a classic.

So what makes a classic? There can be many components that go towards conferring classic status on a book.

Time and influence

Can a book that has been published in the past decade be considered a classic? Many of those books we put in that bracket have been around for decades, if not centuries. The reason why older books are considered classics is that they have heavily influenced work that has come after them. So, for books release now to be considered classics, time will be the biggest test.

Changing perspectives

A classic novel will look at certain issues either through different eyes or from a perspective that hadn’t previously been considered before. Many of Charles Dickens’s novels through an unforgiving light on poverty in Victorian England, for example, and many ways, changed public attitudes.

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Check Out The Latest Adaptations Of These Classic Novels

The enduring appeal of classic books means that they continue to reach new audiences with each generation. Many classic novels gain popularity due to numerous TV and movie adaptations and 2021 will again see some much-loved books given the big-screen treatment. Here are a few to look out for.

Death on the Nile

Slated for a 2021 release, this movie is based on the 1937 novel by Agatha Christie. It is directed by Kenneth Branagh who also reprises his role as eccentric Belgian detective Hercule Poirot from the 2017 production of Murder on the Orient Express, which he also helmed. The cast also features Annette Bening, Armie Hammer and Gal Gadot.

In this latest instalment, Poirot is on vacation on the Nile when he finds himself investigating the murder of the young heiress in a story of passion and obsessive love.

Dune

Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel has seen a number of adaptations since the book’s original release in 1965. The most notable version was perhaps David Lynch’s 1984 feature film and 2021 will see another Dune movie released.

The movie will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, the man behind Bladerunner 2049 and includes among its star-studded cast Timothee Chalamat, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin and Jason Mamoa.

The Stand

An adaptation of Stephen King’s classic 1978 novel seems timely. It tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world which have been ravaged by a man-made plague. Fans of King will be eagerly awaiting this 10-part TV series, which is due to release in late 2020 and star James Marsden, Jovan Adepo and Whoopi Goldberg.

Check out some more classic tales with the books at www.genretop.com.