Literature: Words in my Mind and a Smile on my Lips

   Good day dear readers! Oh how I missed being able to write and read, but even with a full summer, I wasn't able to do nearly as much as I would have wanted. I've only managed to complete one book (with three others I'm reading simultaneously) but I've been able to make some good progress on a new story that I developed when I was in Iceland. No, it's not about snow or hiking, but inspiration comes in the strangest of ways.

   I can't tell you how amazing it was to let myself be absorb, and consumed by the story I had chosen to be the first to break my academic streak. Of course I read some books for fun when I was in school, but they were more or less to keep me from going insane rather than letting me make it my sole priority. And the book I finally chose was The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I will give credit to the movie (which I proceeded to watch the day after I read the book); you weren't as bad as I expected you to be, but I was still frustrated with some of the misplaced or disregarded details. I get that you can't put everything from the book in the movie, but often I feel like some of the most crucial components (however simple they may seem at first) are swept under the rug or embellished disproportionately. The beauty of books is in the details, and then, the rest is up to the reader. It's like Edgar Allan Poe once said: "Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality." So when you take away some of those little words, some of the mind blowing reality of it gets lost too.

   Since The Maze Runner was so good, I decided to continue with the second book of the series (followed by watching the movie) and then finish off the two others to complete the series. I honestly hope they don't split up the last book into two movies because that money grabbing tactic is getting real old, real fast. But I understand that everyone needs to pay their bills, even big Hollywood stars and producers; hopefully they realize sooner than later that the magic dies a little more with every passing year after the first one is released.

   So the point I'm trying to make my dearest readers (because I know I tend to babble on sometimes, especially now since I haven't spoken to you all in a little while), is that a true reader will always go back to their calling, no matter how long they have to put it off for this thing we call life. Because unfortunately, part of life is that we have to prioritize; however, readers have an instant escape at a moments notice which allows us to keep it together when others cannot. Therefore, even if you haven't read for yourself in a while, keep the book you've been saving for, on you at all times because maybe, just maybe a moment will present itself, and those words will be able to mystify your reality once more.

K.P.H.