He who lends a book is an idiot. He who returns the book is more of an idiot.

"In reading, a lonely quiet concert is given to our minds; all our mental faculties will be present in this symphonic exaltation." Stephane Mallarme

it may seem strange, but i find that the busier and more tired i get from schoolwork and assessments, the more time i give myself to read. probably you're thinking that's stupid because when i'm reading i'm wasting precious time that i could be using to study or to make notes.

but... i almost can't describe it... when all this information is going into my head and my brain is steadily working and i keep pushing myself harder and harder- it's just not sustainable. i need some sort of outlet where my mind can rest, instead of struggling to understand, struggling to remember- i need a time where my brain can stretch, wander off to the dusty corners of my imagination and give it some breathing time.

i guess that's why i love books so much. just opening up that first page means that for a few hours (or however long i'm waiting at the library till my mum arrives) i can forget about everything and escape from reality. I can forget about my assessments and instead, be the character that i'm reading about.

the hardest part is finishing the book. having to climb back out of the story and back into real life isn't much fun; but somehow i always manage to drag myself away and get back to work. one day when i grow up, my house is going to be full of books so that my children will love books too. who needs tv when worlds of fantasy are waiting to be picked up in that book on the table?