I wish sometimes I could just live in a book and never come up for air. I think of all the stolen moments of my childhood, holed up in my bedroom diving into worlds of espionage, 18th century Britain– even worlds made up from myth, legend, and hearty imagination.
I remember sunny afternoons on a blanket in the front yard, my book the only shade from the sun. There were days when I stole moments in the pages at any free time I could. Breaks between classes. Over my lunch plate. Even at pauses in conversation.
Everywhere I went, I carried a book.
Some things have not changed.
And yet everything seems to have changed. The whole world has changed, and nothing seems as certain as pages beneath my fingers, hobbits at the gate, or Gatsby gazing across the Sound. Nothing seems big and possible anymore, over the moon fantastic. Reading is still an escape, but it’s also become a chore.
Find the time. Prioritize. Stay up later. Grab moments here and there.
Sometimes I wish I could live in a book, but not just any book–the books that opened my mind as a child. The books that made the world seem wide and wild, and yet completely at my fingertips.
I supposed what I REALLY want is to read again with the wonder of a child.
Prose Lovers! Do you ever feel this way? Just a strong sudden push for the nostalgic. I would love to hear some of your favorite books, especially those that have stayed with you since childhood.
For me, Little Women is one that I still reread to this day, and it takes me right back to the feeling I had as a child, curled up in an armchair next to the wood stove, reading as the sun sparkled off the snow outside. The Great Gatsby is another that I discovered as a young teenager, and then quickly read through all the F. Scott Fitzgerald I got my hands on.
Any of you Prose Lovers writers as well? What authors and writers have most influenced your style or inspired you to write in the first place?
I would love to hear from you 💕
P.S. If you would like to see how Fitzgerald influenced my early writing, you can click on the post below. It was written at the height of my obsession. Enjoy 🙂
Seeking Prose 
I look at books as my magic carpet, a time machine. I travel in my mind, see places, learn customs, meet people. It’s a great escape, a great tool to have. 🙂
LikeLike
That’s exactly how I look at them, too! I can go anywhere, learn anything, meet anyone. I love to read 😄 And I always enjoy talking to people who love to read too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We are a special breed 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s so true!!
LikeLike
I remember those Walter Mitty-esque (outdated reference, I know) days well, especially during the trying times when living inside the limitless vista pages of a book was preferable to existing in the real world.
Those were the halcyon days when the top answers to “What do you want to be when you grow up?” were things like a policeman, firefighter, and astronaut, when we built things with our hands, when the American Dream still retained some of its wholesome value, and when the imagination applied to the written word was a hundred times better than any special effect that Hollywood could create.
Anyway, job well done! Cheers!
LikeLike
Thanks for you kind words! It is true everything seems possible when you’re a kid. I always think that writing and reading bring those feelings back, at least for me 😊
LikeLike
I’m a big reader too!🙌💕✨
I think the way you feel about reading book is such a lucky, blessed thing…it doesn’t always happen to meet all these “page-turners” that make you willing to sacrifies sleep😌❤️
PS: I admire you…I tried reading Great Gatsby a couple years ago but…the vocabulary is too difficult that made me wonder if I’m really reading story or dictionary😂 I’ll try reading it again, since everyone says it’s a great book🤞
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do love Gatsby, but I totally understand what you mean about the vocabulary. It’s not the easiest or very modern, and almost every time I read it I notice something I didn’t before… there’s a part where the main character is drunk, and I always thought it was the weirdest section of the book. I didn’t understand it when I was young. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized he’s writing from the perspective of a very drunk man so that’s why it felt so strange. 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! Then we’re on right track, I’d never understand drunk people (and also, myself when I’m drunk😂)
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful manifestation. Bookworms are wonderful. I love bookworms. I know that my family and relatives always look at me with misgivings and censure because of my love for books, which is a priority for me. Still, my love continues. Once one is bitten by the bookish bug, one is infected with such a love forever…
LikeLike
I love bookworms too! Luckily I’m from a family full of them. Hopefully, your family won’t give you too much of a hard time. Thanks for your kind words 😊
LikeLike