The Darkest Evening of the Year

In previous posts (like this one - click here), I've mentioned the idea of actively reading and marking favorite passages in books, and I felt like it was time to address the topic again.

As writers, we love to read, and sometimes we should do it solely for the pleasure of reading, however, if we want to improve our own writing, it's a worthwhile effort to read with the purpose of learning.

I recently finished reading THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR by Dean Koontz. (To read my short review, CLICK HERE.)

I keep skinny Post-it Note tabs where I usually read, so that I can quickly mark a sentence that moves me. I put the clear adhesive part of the tab right over the sentence and leave the colored end sticking off the edge of the page, that way I don't have to search the whole page for the sentence I enjoyed.

Here are some sentences from this book by Koontz:

"Matching plump sheepskin-covered dog beds mushroomed in two corners of the bedroom" (page 81).

"Exhaustion whetted his imagination even as it dulled his mind" (page 137).

"In that small refuge, brightened by one flashlight, the ceiling and the walls transmitted vibrations from the punished earth above, and dust sifted down, and the hordes of Hell howled at the door and tested the bolts that held it" (page 207).

"Although the chimes usually appealed, something in their jangle disturbed her. In her years here, this was the first wind that was not a good musician" (page 394).

...

When you've finished reading a book, add the marked passages to a file on your computer, or hand write them in a notebook reserved just for great lines. Then when you're feeling blocked or frustrated or lacking with your own writing, read through your favorite passages and find inspiration.

Do you have a favorite line from a book you're currently reading or that you've read in the past?