A.K.A. 10 book quotes for nyctophiles, like me!
You might not know this, but I love the night. I’ve mentioned before that the “Moonlight” part of my blog name is actually a reference to my love for the night rather than the actual moon. I’ve always been a night owl. Everything—reading, watching movies, working out, driving, talking (especially talking)—is just better after the sun goes down. I mean, have you ever stayed up until 4 in the morning just talking to someone, getting to know them? There’s nothing that compares.
I’m also most creative at night, which I read somewhere is a common thing for creative people. (In case you’re wondering, it is, in fact, the middle of the night as I’m typing this, even though writing blog posts doesn’t generally take much creativity for me, but I digress.)
There’s just a stillness and an indescribable magic in the night that words could never truly do justice to, but these ten quotes sure do give it their best shot!
1. His Master’s Summons by Cassie Sweet
I do so agree with this one.
“Darkness is a lonely emotion.” The words were low, garbled, barely recognizable.
Henri frowned. “Darkness of the heart maybe, but the night is made for possibilities.”
2. Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente
I tried to stick to books I’ve read, but I had to cheat a bit since I only had eight quotes. I haven’t read this, but this quote still deserved to be shared!
Night poured itself down my throat. Night was my wine and my meat. Night wed me and bedded me, widowed me and murdered me and resurrected me whole a thousand times over with each hour.
3. Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto
This is the other one from a book I haven’t read, but I couldn’t not include it when it references those magical late-night conversations I so love and was just talking about.
On nights like this when the air is so clear, you end up saying things you ordinarily wouldn’t. Without even noticing what you’re doing, you open up your heart and just start talking to the person next to you—you talk as if you have no audience but the glittering stars, far overhead.
4. Never Sleep by Cady Vance
I too feel more alive in the night!
When I was younger, I loved my insomnia. Being awake when the world was asleep made me feel special, more alive than everyone else somehow. I would sneak out my bedroom window onto the oak tree that curved against our three-story, red-brick house and look up at the night. The darkness was a blanket; the stars were pinpoints of light. I felt like I could do anything, felt like Odin and I could take over the world while eyes were shut tight against our every movement.
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
I just couldn’t resist using this one lol.
“This is night, Diddykins. That’s what we call it when it goes all dark like this.”
6. Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond
I love how she uses the word “folded.” It’s so perfect.
Back then, the night had folded around us, and we’d been hidden in the tent like it was a pocket and we were safe inside.
7. Seduced by Innocence by Alex Lux
I had never thought of the night that way, but it’s a good point.
I’d always been most comfortable at night. The cloak of darkness allowed me to hide my sins, or flaunt them, depending on the company.
8. The Dragon King and I by Adrianne Brooks
There really is something so unique about being in places that are usually so busy when they’re so empty at night. I love it.
But usually when I wandered around after nightfall, the sidewalks and streets were nearly empty. I liked that part the best. An empty city was like an empty library or school, it made you feel as if the entire thing was built just for you and gave familiar landmarks an individualism that they usually lacked when surrounded by people.
9. Nocte by Courtney Cole
The story in this series may have turned into nonsense, but the writing was damn beautiful.
By night, I am free.
No one hears my monsters but me.
My freedom is fragile, though,
Because every morning,
Over and over,
The night is broken by the sun.
It’s a good way to die.
10. Nocte by Courtney Cole
Yes, two quotes from Nocte. Really, it would just be shameful if the book whose title literally means “night” didn’t have the best quotes!
Insomniacs know that there is something about the night.
A darkness, an energy, a mystery that shrouds things.
It hides things at the same time as it illuminates them.
It is this thing
that allows us to examine our thought
in a way that we can’t during the day,
It is this thing that brings truth and clarity.
You can also follow my night themed Pinterest board if you want more quotes!
Talk to me!
Are you also a nyctophile, or an insomniac, or nocturnal?
Which of these quotes about night is your favorite?
Do you have any other favorite book quotes about the night?
Your Thoughts
22 thoughts on “Bookish Musings: 10 Book Quotes about Night”
I'd love if you'd share your thoughts, too!
What a great collection of quotes, Kristen:). I’d forgotten the ones from Radiance – but then there is so much remarkable writing in that book… I, too, am a thorough-going night owl and would love to roam around in the wee small hours, but our streets aren’t that safe and I am a coward. J and I used to go night-walking when we were dating, though. And perhaps we should do that again…
Thanks! I haven’t read Radiance, but that quote alone has made me consider it! I love beautiful writing. I don’t usually roam around in the night since it’s not safe here either, but I still love the night, even if I’m inside!
I really like the first one.
It’s so true, right? The night is definitely made for possibilities!
Great quotes. Especially #4- there’s something about the night when it’s all quiet. Staring up at the stars while the neighborhood slept, in summer you have the night sounds and in winter the bracing cold. And fall is the best, with leaves on the ground and a bite in the air. I think nighttime and music are a great combo, I like moody, atmospheric music at night- ambient or space music, even Hearts of space stuff. It can be good driving music too when no one else is on the road. 🙂
Thanks! AND YES TO THE MUSIC/DRIVING THING. In college I would often end up driving after dark, sometimes even the middle of the night (that sounds really shady, I swear it wasn’t lol), but I never minded the extra driving because I’d put on this alt rock station that would play this really chill, ambient, techno-ish (but not like the high energy crazy stuff, the calm stuff) music. And I’d just be on the freeway with almost no other cars, and it was so peaceful. Like, I was just alone in my car, but those are such nice memories.
Yup. I love music like that. Especially at night, it’s just a different thing. I used to drive home from college and it was the same thing- usually at night, late and it’s just you in the dark car lol. Rolling down the window if I was tired… I discovered Pink Floyd one time and found Shine On You Crazy Diamond from their Wish You Were Here album to be most excellent driving music. 🙂 I loved those drives…
I’ll have to look up that song! It’s funny how something as mundane as driving can be so enjoyable.
Aw, I love Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto. That’s such a great book. You should read it!
I do love that quote, so maybe I should consider reading it!
I love night too! If I didn’t have kids I would seriously keep a vampire schedule. Back when I did homeschool I did sleep all day and I worked on school at night and stayed up till the sun came up. I find I can focus better at night, I feel more energized, and like you I am more creative at night. Sadly, with kids this schedule doesn’t work. LOL. Love these quotes too. You picked some really good ones. 😀
I can see how having kids would make it hard to be nocturnal lol. It’s not unusual for me to still be awake when the sun is coming up, so I totally get you. If I go to sleep to early, I feel like I’m not getting enough night time, and my mood and creativity and productivity suffer. I hate that the world runs on such a daytime schedule because then I have to adjust my schedule anytime I need to do something somewhere that’s only open until 3 or whatever lol. Anyway, glad you like the quotes too!
Yes!!! I wish more places were open later. Once my kids are older I would love to go back to a awake at night/asleep during the day schedule lol.
Seriously, there’s gotta be a lot of people out there like us. Why is everything so day-centered? There should day places and night places so that people can be awake and live their life on whatever schedule works best for them!
I couldn’t agree more! Plus there are people that work night shift. ?
Exactly! And they have to suffer since everything else they do, everywhere they have to go, is only open during the day, and that doesn’t fit with their schedules. We should totally change society to include daytime and nighttime schedules!
Ooo! I love these! Especially 3 and 10! I’m definitely a nyctophile. Night owl all the way! I love this quote from Agent Carter, “The early bird don’t got nothin’ on the night owl.”
Nyctophiles unite! Lol. I think 3 and 10 and are my two favorites too. They just describe the feeling so perfectly. Haha, that Agent Carter quote is great!
I do stay up late most days, but I don’t always love the night. There are part of that i like and others not so much. I like the talking in the night part, things slow down a bit and nights seem better for talking. I remember many nights that I spent late chatting with people online or in real life and it feels like the time just slips away and you can keep talking forever. Doubts and negative emotions do seem a lot more difficult to deal with at night though. And I hate it when I can’t sleep as my thoughts always become so sluggish, weird and confusing when I am trying to sleep and can’t. I have to be calm before I go to sleep as else I keep working through whatever topic occupies me during the night. I just keep obsessing about it then.
I love all the quotes you picked out and how they are all about the night, but also illuminate different parts of it. Great picks! I especially like the last one from Nocte “It hides things at the same time as it illuminates them.” this one seems very fitting with the hiding and illuminating. I like the contradiction in that sentence.
Also i didn’t realize I didn’t follow you on pinterest yet, so now I do :).
I completely agree, the night does make me feel more, especially negative emotions, but I like that part too. I feel like it’s good for me to feel those things so I can process them and experience them instead of keeping them all covered up where they only make me feel worse. But yes, talking to people at night is the absolute best! In high school my summers were always filled with late night phone calls and online conversations, and suddenly it would be 4 in the morning.
But the not being able to sleep thing, yeah, that sucks. Sometimes even when I’m exhausted I just lay in bed for hours and my mind starts getting distracted by all these thoughts. Sometimes I just give up and turn my kindle back on to read or play a little puzzle game since those things pull my mind away from all the random thoughts by making it focus on something else.
Thanks, glad you like the quotes! I love that Nocte quote. I don’t even pay attention to who follows me on Pinterest to be honest and haven’t used it much lately lol, so no worries.
Can I just say Banana Yoshimoto is the best name ever!
I would rather stay up late, I love it at winter when the sky is so dark and the stars are so bright.
Unfortunately I also love sleep and at the minute it is winning over staying up!
Lol it is a great name. Staying up late is the best! And that sounds beautiful, there’s too much city light where I live to see many stars. But yes, sleep is good too 😛