---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As always, a lot of bad books will be…"
description: "\"As always, a lot of bad books will be published. Some good books will be published, and you have to seek them out.\" — Colson Whitehead"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/colson-whitehead-1042_always_as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-pub_1019664.png"
---

#  As always, a lot of bad books will be published. Some good…

![“As always, a lot of bad books will be published. Some good books will be published, and you have to seek them out.” quote by Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/colson-whitehead-1042_always_as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-pub_1019664.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/colson-whitehead-1042_always_as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-pub_1019664.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/colson-whitehead-1042_always_as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-pub_1019664.png)

> “As always, a lot of bad books will be published. Some good books will be published, and you have to seek them out.”

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Literature varies in quality; readers must actively discover valuable works amidst the abundance.

**In simple terms:** Not all books are good; find the worthwhile ones.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate selective reading.

Themes

literature critical thinking curation

Mood

curious reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- library browsing
- book club selections
- personal reading lists

Key Concepts

quality assessment literary value reading habits

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance openness with discernment?
- What criteria define a 'good' book for you?

A Different Perspective

Too much curation can lead to echo chambers.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Good book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-book/) [Good books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [Good books get praised, bad books get praised. Good books get ignored, bad books get ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-books-get-praised-bad-books-get-praised-good-books-get-ignored/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“All books are good,’ he said. ‘That’s not true,’ I said. ‘I’ve read some really bad books.’ I was thinking specifically of Anne of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-jewell/all-books-are-good-he-said-that-s-not-true-i-said-i-ve-read-some/)

[Lisa Jewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-jewell/)

> [Don't seek to be published, seek to be read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-hickman/don-t-seek-to-be-published-seek-to-be-read/)

[Tracy Hickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-hickman/)

> [It's really hard to get a book published, even a good book, but the better the book is the better chance it has of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/it-s-really-hard-to-get-a-book-published-even-a-good-book-but-the/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [One can never read too little of bad, or too much of good books: bad books are intellectual poison; they destroy the mind. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/one-can-never-read-too-little-of-bad-or-too-much-of-good-books-bad/)

[Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/)

> [I love books. If they are good books, I love them even more. But even if they are bad books, I still love them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/i-love-books-if-they-are-good-books-i-love-them-even-more-but-even-if/)

[Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/)

> [There are good books and there are bad books, period, that's the distinction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/there-are-good-books-and-there-are-bad-books-period-that-s-the/)

[Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/)

> [“Life was too short for bad books, or even good books that you just don’t like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moriarty/life-was-too-short-for-bad-books-or-even-good-books-that-you-just-don/)

[Sarah Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moriarty/)

> [Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/reading-good-books-ruins-you-for-enjoying-bad-books/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [Bad books engender bad habits, but bad habits engender good books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-descartes/bad-books-engender-bad-habits-but-bad-habits-engender-good-books/)

[Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-descartes/)

> [I had my success too soon. Three books published with Scribner's in New York before I was 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/i-had-my-success-too-soon-three-books-published-with-scribner-s-in/)

[Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/)

> [My own best books have not been published. In fact, they've not even been written yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/my-own-best-books-have-not-been-published-in-fact-they-ve-not-even/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [I had my success too soon. Three books published with Scribners in New York before I was 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/i-had-my-success-too-soon-three-books-published-with-scribners-in-new/)

[Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/)

> [Marketing starts even before our books are published.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-hart/marketing-starts-even-before-our-books-are-published/)

[Heather Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-hart/)

> [All these books are published in Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/all-these-books-are-published-in-heaven/)

[Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/)

## More by Colson Whitehead

> [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [I want to keep growing as a writer. I find myself doing unexpected projects and sort of challenging my idea of where I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-want-to-keep-growing-as-a-writer-i-find-myself-doing-unexpected/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [“Every Tuesday, James Fulton (and later, Orville Lever) stood in the downstairs drawing room and lectured on the intricacies of his science. Lectured on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/every-tuesday-james-fulton-and-later-orville-lever-stood-in-the/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [I started writing in the '90s, so I was free to just have an eccentric career and not conform to some idea of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-started-writing-in-the-90s-so-i-was-free-to-just-have-an-eccentric/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [“Is this the truth of our historic encounter?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/is-this-the-truth-of-our-historic-encounter/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [“The Great War had always been between the white and the black. It always would be. Cora”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/the-great-war-had-always-been-between-the-white-and-the-black-it/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [“The worst sort of scoundrels took up the chase. Drunkards, incorrigibles, poor whites who didn’t even own shoes delighted in this opportunity to scourge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/the-worst-sort-of-scoundrels-took-up-the-chase-drunkards/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [Don’t go searching for a subject, let your subject find you. You can’t rush inspiration. … Once your subject finds you, it’s like falling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/don-t-go-searching-for-a-subject-let-your-subject-find-you-you-can-t/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [“its terms? Homer watched her as she dressed, like a valet who had waited on her since the cradle. “I’m caught,” Cora said. “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/its-terms-homer-watched-her-as-she-dressed-like-a-valet-who-had/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [These days I find myself wanting to avoid being pigeon-holed, ghettoized, held in a different category than other authors. And when people ask me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/these-days-i-find-myself-wanting-to-avoid-being-pigeon-holed/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [Part of any book is establishing the rules at the end of the world. My first book, 'The Intuitionist,' takes place in an alternative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/part-of-any-book-is-establishing-the-rules-at-the-end-of-the-world-my/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [There's always an attack on the sophomore novel from some quarters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/there-s-always-an-attack-on-the-sophomore-novel-from-some-quarters/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [“All he felt now was envy. These people had expectations. Of the world, of the future, it didn't matter--expectation was such an innovative concept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/all-he-felt-now-was-envy-these-people-had-expectations-of-the-world/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [Growing up as a product of the black civil-rights movement, I had a lot of different models for black weirdness, whether it's Richard Pryor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/growing-up-as-a-product-of-the-black-civil-rights-movement-i-had-a/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [Schools don't teach American history that well, especially a lot of black American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/schools-don-t-teach-american-history-that-well-especially-a-lot-of/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

[Explore all 302 Colson Whitehead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

## More Always quotes

> [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/)

[Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/)

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/)

[William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/)

[Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/)

> [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/)

[Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/)

> [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/)

[Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/)

> [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/)

[Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/)

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/)

[Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/)

[Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/)

Browse all 36,048 Always quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "As always, a lot of bad books will be published. Some good books will be published, and you have to seek them out.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Colson Whitehead"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-published-some-good-books-will/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Always"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-published-some-good-books-will/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/colson-whitehead-1042_always_as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-pub_1019664.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/colson-whitehead-1042_always_as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-pub_1019664.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/colson-whitehead-1042_always_as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-pub_1019664.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As always, a lot of bad books will be published. Some good books will be published, and you have to seek…” — Colson Whitehead",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Colson Whitehead",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As always, a lot of bad...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-published-some-good-books-will/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/as-always-a-lot-of-bad-books-will-be-published-some-good-books-will/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
