50 Book Inscription Quotes You Can Use Today

Check out these book inscription quotes to see who authors or book givers choose to thank, express love or dedicate their works to.

Book inscriptions are personal quotes in the front of books that the author or the giver of the book writes to thank someone, express love, or dedicate the book to someone.

If you’re gifting a book to another person, it’s a nice way to add a personal touch and encourage the soon-to-be reader of the book.

I still have books from family and friends I received as a child with treasured comments inscribed in the front of the book for me.

Your book inscription should be from the heart, but here are some ideas on how to write a great book inscription:

• Mark the date – it is always important to date your inscription
• Inspiration – the inscription should be because the person inspired you or because you are trying to inspire that person
• Personal – a personal message always means more than a generic message
• Think – Take the time to think about what you want to say 

Take a few minutes to read these book inscription quotes to see what other people value when writing book inscriptions.

Top Book Inscription Quotes

Here are ten of the best short and inspirational quotes to use when writing an inscription in a book for someone. 

1. “Success is a journey, not a destination.” — Ben Sweetland

2. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” — Confucius 

3. “Live the life you have imagined.” — Henry David Thoreau

4. “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” — Plato

5. “If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.” — Seth Godin

6. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Lao Tzu

7. “Success only comes to those who dare to attempt.” — Mallika Tripathi

8. “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.” — W. Clement Stone

9. “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” — E.E. Cummings

10. “You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” — C.S. Lewis

Baby Book Inscription Quotes

Here are a few great examples of baby book inscriptions. 

11. “Children reinvent your world for you.” — Susan Sarandon

12. “And though she be but little, she is fierce.” — Shakespeare

13. “Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” — Shel Silverstein

14. “A baby is born with a need to be loved and never outgrows it.” — Frank A. Clark

15. “Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age, and Dreams are forever.” — Walt Disney

16. “A baby is as pure as an angel and as fresh as a blooming flower.” — Debashish Mridha

17. “You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.” — Dr. Seuss

18. “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — A.A. Milne

19. “A new baby is like the beginning of all things; wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.” — Eda J. Le Shan

20. “Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever-fresh and radiant possibility.” — Kate Douglas Wiggin

21. “A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years, and in your heart till the day you die.” — Mary Mason

Inspirational Book Inscription Quotes

These quotes will help inspire whoever you’re gifting the book to. 

22. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle

23. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela

24. “Above all, be the heroine in your life, not the victim.” — Nora Ephron

25. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot

26. “Dream as if you’ll forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” — James Dean

27. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.” — Henry David Thoreau

28. “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney

29. “Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.” — Guy Finley

30. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Book Inscription Quotes to Motivate Friends and Family

Jot one of these quotes down on the inside of a book and pass it along to a family member or friend to help motivate them. 

31. “Time moves slowly, but passes quickly.” — Alice Walker

32. “Embrace the glorious mess that you are.” — Elizabeth Gilbert

33. “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain

34. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” — Charles Swindoll

35. “Celebrate endings—for they precede new beginnings.” — Jonathan Lockwood Huie

36. “The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” — Josiyah Martin

37. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

38. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” — George Bernard Shaw

39. “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” — Paulo Coelho

40. “By being yourself, you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.” — Edwin Elliot

Additional Quotes to Use in Book Inscriptions

Here are several more ideas on quotes you can use when writing a message in a book for someone else (or even a reminder for yourself.)

41. “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” — Margaret Fuller

42. “That’s the thing about books; they let you travel without moving your feet.” — Jhumpa Lahiri

43. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

44. “Keep reading. It’s one of the most marvelous adventures that one can have.” — Lloyd Alexander

45. “Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” — Leo Buscaglia

46. “If my mind can conceive it, if my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it.” — Muhammad Ali

47. “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” — Vince Lombardi

48. “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” — Steve Jobs

49. “What makes cookbooks interesting is to find out about the people and the culture that invented the food.” — Vincent Schiavelli

50. “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Who Are Book Inscriptions Written To?

Book inscriptions can be written to whomever you please, but some examples are:

• Spouse
• Someone that helped the author write the book
• A friend that you want to read the book
• A family member that is going through a tough time and could use the knowledge contained within the book

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