#wanderingthroughbooks

[welcometothisby]

RE: Free Rein

@wanderingthroughbooks: This show is interesting in that it's like 80% cheesy, 5% aims to be serious, 5% beautiful scenery shots

@fluerette: whats the other 10%

@wanderingthroughbooks: ~mystery~

[dlaneym]

Book 1: Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

On New Years Eve, instead of going out into the foggy, muggy atmosphere, I stayed home and watched Love, Simon. I had been dying to see it since it came out, so I thought ending the year watching it was a great idea. I really enjoyed it until the ending fair scene, when things got a bit cringy. I heard the book was much better in that respect, so I gave it a try. Yes, I read the book after I watched the movie - what grave atrocity. But, I’m not lying when I say I absolutely devoured that book. Despite having just seen the movie, I ripped through those pages like it was my first time encountering it and like there was no tomorrow to finish it. There was one main theme that I gleaned from this book and it was about change. Yes, it was a coming-of-age story. Yes, it was a coming out story. But, there was a broader theme of {change} that anyone can relate to at any point in their life. I think this passage summarizes the feeling present in Simon and so many others:

“But I’m tired of coming out. All I ever do is come out. I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these tiny ways. I get a girlfriend. I have a beer. And every freaking time, I have to reintroduce myself to the universe all over again.” 

Every time I do something that doesn't fit with my current character profile up until that time, it’s a big deal. I think, “let me try this. let me do that.” If it is out of the norm for me, people will ask “why?” Not only do I have to deal with coming out to myself about the things I might want to try or do, I have to come out to the world that this is the new me, maybe, I think, at least in this moment this is what I want to do. Maybe I will change my mind later. Who knows. 

Change is hard and difficult for all parties involved. No one wants to go through the grueling process of altering perceptions, but what good is a story without a little character development? 

I really loved this book and its relatable themes as well as the author’s simple yet clear and modern writing style. I liked it so much so that I have picked up another of Becky Albertalli’s books The Upside of Unrequited. I hope it’s as good as this one. 

This is book 1 in my journey towards reading more fiction this year. Follow along for more.