It's been a challenging sort of week, what with being super sick and all, but today I woke up feeling...well, not great, but as close to normal as I've felt in nearly a week. All morning long I've been creating an ambitious To Do List of all the things that I want to get done, things that have clearly NOT been done due to the amount of time spent in bed/couching.
But first, a deep breath. I'm not 100% yet. More like 76%. A respectable score for some, to be sure, but not for an overachiever like me. I was the kind of student who would do extra credit even when I was in no danger of getting anything less than an A.
Having been sick, I definitely didn't get any writing work done this week and I've barely felt like reading. I had just finished the book I'd been working on (The Miseducation of Cameron Post) before I got sick and wasn't sure what I was in the mood to read next even though I have several really exciting things lined up.
I think, like comfort foods, there are comfort books. Books that you go to when you want something familiar, something to warm you up and make you feel good. Right now, my go to comfort book remains Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.
I have a HUGE crush on this book and have since I read it in December of 2010. I recently read/heard a statistic that says a crush normally lasts something like 3 months. I'm pushing 13, so maybe this relationship is something more serious...
It is currently the single book I've read the most times in the shortest period of time. I am only a couple chapters away from what is probably my fifth time reading through the book and I love how with each read through, I notice something I hadn't seen before.
I am not a huge fan of the title, which is why I passed it up when I first saw it and it wasn't until someone whose opinion I highly respect mentioned the book that I actually picked it up and read it. Twice. In a row. An action that was previously unprecedented. I don't know what I would have titled it if given that particular task, but for now I have taken to calling it Anna and Étienne since I feel like the story is nearly as much his as it is hers, even though the story is told from Anna's perspective.
I've given a great deal of thought as to why I love this book so much. The characters are real people with real people qualities. They make mistakes, they have crushes on people they shouldn't, hearts get hurt, they learn how to forgive each other. It's about friendship as much as falling in love. It makes me happy that I know all the book/film references. I love that the book visits some of my favorite things in Paris. There is a very real quality to this book, something that you don't find in the likes of Twilight (supernaturalness aside). I think my love for this book is similar to the love I have for Anne of Green Gables. I think it may well be one of those novels I carry with me for always.
Thinking back to the list of things I'd like to do today, I've decided to shorten/prioritize.
Oh brilliant iPod, thank you for bringing this song to my attention today. In the spirit of the NaNoWriMo posts, I'll end with a song...
"If I could do just one near perfect thing I'd be happy. They'd write it on my grave or when they scattered my ashes. On second thought I'd rather hang around and be there with my best friend if she wants me."from If She Wants Me by Belle & Sebastian.
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