--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My criteria for what makes a book an…" description: "\"My criteria for what makes a book an official 'favorite,' is based almost entirely on how desperately I don't want the story to end.\" — Barbara Park" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/barbara-park-14714_almost_my-criteria-for-what-makes-a-book-an-off_2909269.png" --- # My criteria for what makes a book an official 'favorite,'… ![“My criteria for what makes a book an official 'favorite,' is based almost entirely on how desperately I don't want the story to end.” quote by Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/barbara-park-14714_almost_my-criteria-for-what-makes-a-book-an-off_2909269.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/barbara-park-14714_almost_my-criteria-for-what-makes-a-book-an-off_2909269.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/barbara-park-14714_almost_my-criteria-for-what-makes-a-book-an-off_2909269.png) > “My criteria for what makes a book an official 'favorite,' is based almost entirely on how desperately I don't want the story to end.” [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A book is truly cherished when the reader wishes it would never end, indicating deep emotional engagement. **In simple terms:** Loving a story means not wanting it to finish. Key Takeaway Seek books that captivate you fully. Themes attachment storytelling emotion Mood nostalgic reflective Type literary personal When to use this quote - reading for pleasure - book clubs - personal growth - literary analysis Key Concepts immersion narrative resonance Questions to Reflect On - What makes a story feel indispensable? - How does longing for continuation affect your reading choices? A Different Perspective If you finish a book quickly, you may miss subtleties. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Almost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almost/) [Based](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/based/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Official](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-official-4181353/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Criteria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criteria/) [Desperately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperately/) [End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end/) [Entirely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entirely/) [Entirely Desperately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entirely-desperately-4181355/) [Favorite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favorite/) [Favorite Based](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favorite-based-4181354/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes/) [Official](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/official/) [Official Favorite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/official-favorite-4181352/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Story End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-end/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Every story has an end but in life, every ending is just a new beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-story-has-an-end-but-in-life-every-ending-is-just-a-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I could have anything I wanted, I would choose story without end, and it seems I have lots of company in that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-barrows/if-i-could-have-anything-i-wanted-i-would-choose-story-without-end/) [Annie Barrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-barrows/) > [He had seen the end of an era,the sunset of the pioneer. He had come upon it when already its glory was nearly spent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/he-had-seen-the-end-of-an-era-the-sunset-of-the-pioneer-he-had-come/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“But answer me this: how can a story end happily if there is no love?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-di-camillo/but-answer-me-this-how-can-a-story-end-happily-if-there-is-no-love/) [Kate Di Camillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-di-camillo/) > [Some people are going to leave, but that's not the end of your story. That's the end of their part in your story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-are-going-to-leave-but-that-s-not-the-end-of-your-story/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My Caroline, If you’re reading this endnote then I can assume you’ve suffered your way through the story, our story once again. I suppose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-reisz/my-caroline-if-you-re-reading-this-endnote-then-i-can-assume-you-ve/) [Tiffany Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-reisz/) > [Every story has an End but in LIFE... every ending is the new beginning!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-d-r-l-testament/every-story-has-an-end-but-in-life-every-ending-is-the-new-beginning/) [Junior Dè Rèál Testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-d-r-l-testament/) > [“That’s when Eena cut in. Both Ravelly and Unan looked to her as she announced, “My favorite part of the book is at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/that-s-when-eena-cut-in-both-ravelly-and-unan-looked-to-her-as-she/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [When someone walks away from you, it's not the end of your story... it's the end of there story, the lord put you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-jones/when-someone-walks-away-from-you-it-s-not-the-end-of-your-story-it-s/) [Crystal Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-jones/) > [I love you Angel but every story has its end. Now ours ends here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buffy-the-vampire-slayer/i-love-you-angel-but-every-story-has-its-end-now-ours-ends-here/) [Buffy The Vampire Slayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buffy-the-vampire-slayer/) > [Nothing’s worse than a story without an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/nothing-s-worse-than-a-story-without-an-end/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [Every moral has a story, every story has and end. Every battle has its glory, and its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-harper/every-moral-has-a-story-every-story-has-and-end-every-battle-has-its/) [Ben Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-harper/) > [It's hard to Imagine that love is a story with an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idk/it-s-hard-to-imagine-that-love-is-a-story-with-an-end/) [Idk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idk/) > [“We're all just story at the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-nixon/we-re-all-just-story-at-the-end/) [Mae Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-nixon/) > [But if I'm it, the last of my kind, the last page of human history, like hell I'm going to let the story end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/but-if-i-m-it-the-last-of-my-kind-the-last-page-of-human-history-like/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) ## More by Barbara Park > [“Then Mrs. confiscated my shiny glitter jar. Confiscate is the school word for yanked it right out of my hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/then-mrs-confiscated-my-shiny-glitter-jar-confiscate-is-the-school/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [A stick or a stone only stings for a minute. A name seems to hurt forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/a-stick-or-a-stone-only-stings-for-a-minute-a-name-seems-to-hurt/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [Even though sometimes you can control your anger, you can't control your sadness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/even-though-sometimes-you-can-control-your-anger-you-can-t-control/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [Of all the novels I've written, my favorite is 'Mick Harte Was Here'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/of-all-the-novels-i-ve-written-my-favorite-is-mick-harte-was-here/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [I happen to think that a book is of extraordinary value if it gives the reader nothing more than a smile or two. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/i-happen-to-think-that-a-book-is-of-extraordinary-value-if-it-gives/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [“How many minutes is shortly?” I asked. “Is it one minute or eight minutes or eleven minutes? On account of if it's one minute,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/how-many-minutes-is-shortly-i-asked-is-it-one-minute-or-eight-minutes/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [“That Grace looked annoyed at me. "I didn't say you would go to jail, Junie B.," she said. "I just wish you would say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/that-grace-looked-annoyed-at-me-i-didn-t-say-you-would-go-to-jail/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [“They really liked each other, too. Not like boyfriend and girlfriend, I don't mean. But they both had naturally curly hair, and they both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/they-really-liked-each-other-too-not-like-boyfriend-and-girlfriend-i/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [When you’re in between dreams, you get to lean back and relax and stop trying so hard. Trying to be somebody, I mean. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/when-you-re-in-between-dreams-you-get-to-lean-back-and-relax-and-stop/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [All of my characters are less than perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/all-of-my-characters-are-less-than-perfect/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [Sometimes grown ups don't act their right old age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/sometimes-grown-ups-don-t-act-their-right-old-age/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [“I don't even like clowns. Clowns are not normal people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/i-don-t-even-like-clowns-clowns-are-not-normal-people/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [I'm not actually sure I'm grown-up enough for grown-up books,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/i-m-not-actually-sure-i-m-grown-up-enough-for-grown-up-books/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [Ever since I began writing my Junie B. Jones series, people have been assuming that the character is based on me when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/ever-since-i-began-writing-my-junie-b-jones-series-people-have-been/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [“Y are you called the cheese man?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/y-are-you-called-the-cheese-man/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) [Explore all 42 Barbara Park quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) ## More Almost quotes > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/my-mother-worked-in-the-white-world-but-i-lived-almost-exclusively-in/) [Edward P. 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I like structured things that you can throw on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/my-favourite-designers-always-create-a-strong-silhouette-like-mcqueen/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) > [Harry Truman wrote scathing letters, but he almost never sent them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/harry-truman-wrote-scathing-letters-but-he-almost-never-sent-them/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [It's almost inevitable there's going to be an escalation on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-luther/it-s-almost-inevitable-there-s-going-to-be-an-escalation-on-both-sides/) [Bill Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-luther/) > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) > [If you watch wrestling, you now know the hip-hop culture is being represented with wrestling. For the longest time, the cultures have almost been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/if-you-watch-wrestling-you-now-know-the-hip-hop-culture-is-being/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [Almost every Monday I have a charity thing. I like that. I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/almost-every-monday-i-have-a-charity-thing-i-like-that-i-do/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Almost immediately, I remember right when Tikrit even fell, a few days after Baghdad fell, there was talks of insurgency, there was talks of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farnaz-fassihi/almost-immediately-i-remember-right-when-tikrit-even-fell-a-few-days/) [Farnaz Fassihi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farnaz-fassihi/) > [While it is often true that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, it seems like Yahoo's almost obsessive focus on Google is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swisher/while-it-is-often-true-that-the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend-it/) [Kara Swisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swisher/) > [I'd had episodes before, but I swept them under the carpet. This time, I couldn't do that because everyone knew. 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