--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Half the time I pick up a book, that's…" description: "\"Half the time I pick up a book, that's what I'm trying to get.\" — Donald Miller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/donald-miller-607_book_half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-wh_2316310.png" --- # Half the time I pick up a book, that's what I'm trying to… ![“Half the time I pick up a book, that's what I'm trying to get.” quote by Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/donald-miller-607_book_half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-wh_2316310.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/donald-miller-607_book_half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-wh_2316310.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/donald-miller-607_book_half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-wh_2316310.png) > “Half the time I pick up a book, that's what I'm trying to get.” [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading is a tool for seeking meaning and connection, not just entertainment. **In simple terms:** Books help you find purpose. Key Takeaway Read to explore purpose. Themes search for meaning literature spirituality growth Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - spiritual quest - creative block - education Key Concepts existentialism narrative therapy self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - What do you hope to discover in a book? - How does reading shape your identity? A Different Perspective May ignore practical knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Whenever I pick up a book I think, "Tell me something I don't know."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/whenever-i-pick-up-a-book-i-think-tell-me-something-i-don-t-know/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [“some quality time with a good book. Trying to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-mallery/some-quality-time-with-a-good-book-trying-to/) [Susan Mallery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-mallery/) > [That was my fear, which is why when I was took over a book, I was always trying to tweak it a little bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was-took-over-a-book-i-was/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [I don't necessarily read everything. I read what I need to read to inspire the book I'm trying to finish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/i-don-t-necessarily-read-everything-i-read-what-i-need-to-read-to/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [I remember as a young child, during one of my frequent trips to the local library, spending hours looking at book after book trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tammet/i-remember-as-a-young-child-during-one-of-my-frequent-trips-to-the/) [Daniel Tammet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tammet/) > [In my book, I was trying to get into my own soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-bloom/in-my-book-i-was-trying-to-get-into-my-own-soul/) [Claire Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-bloom/) > [“Meantime do you see me as still working on the book, still trying to answer such questions as: Is there any ultimate reality, external,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-lowry/meantime-do-you-see-me-as-still-working-on-the-book-still-trying-to/) [Malcolm Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-lowry/) > [“It's not enough to know what all the words mean," he continued. "A good reader starts to see what an entire book is trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/it-s-not-enough-to-know-what-all-the-words-mean-he-continued-a-good/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“As regards any specific book, I'm trying primarily to tell a story, in the most effective way I can think of, the most moving,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/as-regards-any-specific-book-i-m-trying-primarily-to-tell-a-story-in/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [With each book, I'm trying to do something that terrifies me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/with-each-book-i-m-trying-to-do-something-that-terrifies-me/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [Sometimes when I pick up a book off the shelf, when I'm buying a new book to read, I'll look at all of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-carpenter/sometimes-when-i-pick-up-a-book-off-the-shelf-when-i-m-buying-a-new/) [Jennifer Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-carpenter/) > [Everybody can't be Lil Wayne. Some of us have to pick up a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrann-mathieu/everybody-can-t-be-lil-wayne-some-of-us-have-to-pick-up-a-book/) [Tyrann Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrann-mathieu/) > [You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-never-too-old-too-wacky-too-wild-to-pick-up-a-book-and-read-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we had to do book reports, I would pick a book that no one read and just make it up and turn that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmet-zappa/when-we-had-to-do-book-reports-i-would-pick-a-book-that-no-one-read/) [Ahmet Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmet-zappa/) > [If you're going to pick a book and you want to base a system of government around it, why not 'Harry Potter?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/if-you-re-going-to-pick-a-book-and-you-want-to-base-a-system-of/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) ## More by Donald Miller > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I think each of us can, through our writing, discover our super power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-think-each-of-us-can-through-our-writing-discover-our-super-power/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [If you don't feel free and be yourself, you can't connect. Find people who accept your quirks. They'll heal your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-don-t-feel-free-and-be-yourself-you-can-t-connect-find-people/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [And so I have come to understand that strength, inner strength, comes from receiving love as much as it comes from giving it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-so-i-have-come-to-understand-that-strength-inner-strength-comes/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“Humans, as a species, are constantly, and in every way, comparing themselves to one another, which, given the brief nature of their existence, seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/humans-as-a-species-are-constantly-and-in-every-way-comparing/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“alone, lonely, and loneliness are three of the most powerful words in the English language... Those words say that we are human; they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/alone-lonely-and-loneliness-are-three-of-the-most-powerful-words-in/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“It isn't about what you don't get done; it's about what you do get done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/it-isn-t-about-what-you-don-t-get-done-it-s-about-what-you-do-get-done/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“Most Christians have enormous respect for the space and freedom of others, it is only that they have found a joy in Jesus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/most-christians-have-enormous-respect-for-the-space-and-freedom-of/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“The soul needs to interact with other people to be healthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-soul-needs-to-interact-with-other-people-to-be-healthy/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Don't let go of your strength or your beauty. It was given to you by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/don-t-let-go-of-your-strength-or-your-beauty-it-was-given-to-you-by/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [There's a lot of letters, and a lot of people come say "hi" at book signings, but I'm amazed at how normal everybody is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-a-lot-of-letters-and-a-lot-of-people-come-say-hi-at-book/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I am something of a recluse by nature. I am that cordless screwdriver that has to charge for twenty hours to earn ten minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-am-something-of-a-recluse-by-nature-i-am-that-cordless-screwdriver/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [The most important thing that happens within Christian spirituality is when a person falls in love with Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-most-important-thing-that-happens-within-christian-spirituality/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Every day you live is a page. Every year, a chapter. Your life, a book. What is it about?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/every-day-you-live-is-a-page-every-year-a-chapter-your-life-a-book/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“And that’s the first time I realized that the idea a character is what he does makes as much sense in life as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-that-s-the-first-time-i-realized-that-the-idea-a-character-is/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) [Explore all 448 Donald Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Half the time I pick up a book, that's what I'm trying to get.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald Miller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-what-i-m-trying-to-get/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-what-i-m-trying-to-get/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/donald-miller-607_book_half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-wh_2316310.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/donald-miller-607_book_half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-wh_2316310.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/donald-miller-607_book_half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-wh_2316310.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Half the time I pick up a book, that's what I'm trying to get.” — Donald Miller", "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": "Donald Miller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Half the time I pick up...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-what-i-m-trying-to-get/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-what-i-m-trying-to-get/#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 } } ] } ```