It is no secret. I absolutely love to read. I always have. Summertime is when I get to read the most because I'm not busy with school, sports and other things. Once I start a book it's hard for me to put it down. I devour them and I often times have to consciously tell myself to pull back. I don't care what genre it is (besides Harlequin novels) I will at least attempt to read it. And if I find one that I LOVE....i will re-read it over and over and over again. Example? To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I read this book for the first time in my Honors English class in 7th grade and have read it multiple time since.
Recently, I have discovered Beth Pattillo. I read her first novel, "Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart" in about 2 days. I haven't ever really been into the whole "romantic" thing (at least in novels) but I was sold in the first chapter. I am now reading "Jane Austen Ruined My Life". Jane Austen is one of my all-time favorite authors. She didn't sugar coat anything and threw the whole in your face damsel in distress prince to save the day thing out the window. I respect that about her. This is where Mr. Darcy comes in. I don't understand why everyone swoons over him. He was really just an arrogant, full of himself, holier than thou jerk who passed things up because he felt they were "beneath him". The ONLY reason I have even an ounce of interest in him is because of the PBS version. Colin Firth is just so endearing as Mr. Darcy and makes him a little less obnoxious.
Harry Potter is a guilty pleasure that I tried to ignore for the first few years the books came out. Once I gave in I was a goner. Yes, I was one of THOSE people that counted down the days until the final book hit the shelves. I was on vacation with my family in Orange Beach, AL and I made my parents drive 45 minutes to Foley to buy it. It took only a day for me to finish it. I re-read it again this summer and am still enchanted by it exactly like the first time.
Now, I'm sure you're asking yourself. How does GLEE connect with Mr. Darcy and Harry Potter? Good question. The show is an escape from real life. For an hour a week you can forget about homework, practices or whatever else and just enjoy the hilariousness (yes, I just said that) of the program. Not to mention the songs are AMAZING!
Escaping from real life is fun occasionally, but if you are constantly escaping you might miss things going on around you. I recently read a book called "How It Ends". The main character, Hanna, goes through the trials and tribulations of every other high school student (plus a few more). She finds herself continually reading while her boyfriend ignores her and plays his guitar for hours and hours during the afternoon. He says he's playing for her but she doesn't buy it. When she attempts to talk to him about something that went on in the books she's reading or in her life, he tells her "you don't live in a novel." While the way it is said, as well as the context, is rather uncalled for it makes you realize that you have to come back into reality occasionally. This is exceptionally hard for me because I have always been a dreamer. My mom makes fun of me and tells me that my head has always been in the clouds, I have delusions of grandeur (pardon the cliche) to the extreme. Dreaming is what makes life fun. It brought Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett to life, Harry Potter and the wizarding world into my lap and GLEE into my living room (and stereo).
"Go confidently in the directions of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined"
-Henry David Thoreau
