my state of mind | my happy place

(The Goldfinch | Carel Fabritius, 1654)

There is a finite number of activities that make me truly happy. I will admit I am a cautious pessimist and a proud introvert, so it is no coincidence that there are such few things that are blissful to me. Of those select few, the excitement of discovering a new book and searching for it in the bookstacks of a library is an act I absolutely cherish. Although it does not happen more often than I would like it to, reading has always been my thing. As I have grown up and passed the reading level of harry potter, and the long list of core novels back from my high school years, I have become to realize that the simple act of searching for a book that will peak your interest may be the source to my complete solace in reading books.

For the first time since spring break (which was actually not very long ago), I had the time to wander into the library...in search of two drastically different books. One More Thing by TV star and comedian BJ Novak, and the critically acclaimed thriller novel The GoldFinch by Donna Tart. I have desperately been wanting to read these books and was very surprised that both were readily available! You may be asking then, why would I check out two book at a time? Queue the second reason I love reading. This particular preference actually started last summer when I was reading three books at once: Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K Rowling--hope that didn't ruin it for you), Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, and This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The fact that I enjoy reading multiple genres of books at once is fitting to who I am. I am someone who cannot be at one place doing the same thing over and over again for a long period of time. It's a vice and a virtue. The reason why I love it is that there is a point in the novels where I begin to mentally mix plots, interchange characters, and swap settings between the actions occurring uniquely in each separate book. Thus, Cormoran Strike from Cuckoo's Calling may suddenly appear in the search for Amy Dunne in Gone Girl. Call me weird but this is how I roll.

I'm excited to start reading these fresh picks I just brought home, albeit it may take a while to finish as I will soon be juggling with finals and "end-of-the-semester" shenanigans. And on a brooding end note to make you ponder and contemplate, here is a little quote that starts the chapter title Boy with a Skull in The GoldFinch.

"The absurd does not liberate, it binds"

-Albert Camus

(my all-time favorite author...it's a sign that this is gonna be a good read) 

Happy reading!