How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book. – Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Books, not which afford us a cowering enjoyment, but in which each thought is of unusual daring; such as an idle man cannot read, and a timid one would not be entertained by, which even make us dangerous to existing institution — such call I good books. – Henry David Thoreau

Good as it is to inherit a library, it is better to collect one. – Augustine Birrell, Obiter Dicta, "Book Buying"