This is what I have right now. A book hangover. Considering I can’t actually remember the last time I had a real hangover I can’t tell you if it’s better or worse than one which was alcohol induced.
I’ve been in a fog, a haze, whatever you want to call it, since finishing Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell last night. I have read and reread some of my favourite sections numerous times today. It’s like watching your favourite scenes from a movie. Just hitting the highlights. Of course, reading one scene reminds me of another I love, and another, and another and all of a sudden I have probably read the book a second time (albeit out of order) throughout last night and today.
The problem I have with a good book is moving on to the next. If it’s not as good, I won’t finish. I want to read more about these specific characters so the trick to finding a new book is to find one with a similar feel/style or something completely different. Luckily Rainbow Rowell has a great selection of fantastic books that come highly recommend by my friends who read A LOT!
I devoured Fangirl in less than two days. It’s not really surprising. I haven’t been reading much since having kids 3.5 years ago, but I’ve always been a fast reader. The few books I’ve read have rarely taken me more than a few days to finish. I was a few chapters into Fangirl when I started to notice similarities between the main character (Cath) and my first year university self. It is weird for me to think about that person because while she is still me, and parts of her definitely still come out, most people who know me now (or met me second year and beyond) would not recognize her and I as the same person.
In first year, I was quiet, shy, kept to myself and in my room. I relied on my roommate asking me to join her for meals to have someone to eat with. I don’t think I actually made friends until second semester. I studied, a lot. I got great grades and I spent a lot of time msn’ing/icq’ing (ahh, showing my age!) with high school friends. It was also my first real time away from my sister. While we are not twins (like Cath and Wren are in the book), we are only a year apart and did practically everything together. We had the same circle of friends and graduated the same year (I fast tracked through high school). It was different being away from Tara, and truthfully, I don’t know if I really knew how to make friends. The more I read in Fangirl, the more it brought back memories of my first year. I am so grateful for the friends I did make, the ones that my roommate made first and were always super nice and welcoming. It made it easy when I finally wanted to join in and participate in the university experience. I am happy to say they are all still people I reconnect with every so often as I cannot say that about all the friends I made after that defining first year.
I think that’s sometimes the best part about a book. It allows you to connect and identify with characters that may remind you of a part or piece of your life. For me, it was like reconnecting with a past. A portion of my university life that I sometimes forget about as it was so different compared to everything else I experienced. And I shouldn’t forget about it. Sure it was lonely, and sad and scary, but it had wonderful moments too. Moments that helped shaped the remaining years I had and it allowed me to discover who I was outside of my sister and childhood friends. Leave it to a gloriously written teen novel about a young woman who writes terrific fanfiction to bring this all back up! Seriously, you should read it. Now.
