tldr at the bottom

times are tough. again.

remember middle school when we would throw ourselves into a ya novel with a simultaneously convoluted and overused plot, reading for hours until we had to sneak the flashlight into bed to read some more? do you ever reminisce on those stories and the simplistic time of escaping into a story that had nothing to do with your real life? 

do you ever wish you could capture that simple joy just one more time?

i've been rereading books from that time in my life, and it's been strangely relaxing and fulfilling. it's been a great way to unwind after a long day at work and slip away into something completely different than my everyday adult stresses. it certainly eats away at the time i would have spent doom-scrolling on social media and being spoon-fed nothing but internet discourse and whatever else is out there.

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the cons -- not as bad you may think.

so your old favourite book from your childhood isn't as good as you remember: this seems to be the wall that we all run into when it comes to nostalgia. it's not as well written as your young mind was led to believe, and these characters are not as cool as you once thought. 

this is what i've been finding as i'm trying to get through a series i was into: "hush, hush" by becca fitzpatrick. patch may still be relatable (in his too quick to forgive, sarcastic way, not his sometimes overbearing way), but nora is not as sweet of a girl as i remember. something about this is almost laughable though. my frontal lobe almost being developed and all, i realize that books like these are why i got into the relationships i did, why i made the friends and choices i did, and why i behave the way i do.

and that's the great part about it -- it's not what you once thought it was.

but look how far you've come since then. that's got to count for something, right?

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the pros -- as obvious as you'd think.

contrary to what we all used to think, adult life is not as bad as middle school.

it's been really cool to look back and see the journey i've made since the last time i read these books. as common sense as it may be to realize the immortal, supernatural being should not keep falling for a high school girl in all these ya novels, at least we're all mature enough now to understand that dating somebody much older than us is not the way to go. maybe the real coolest realization is that i don't have to check the book back into the library when i'm finished with it.

i've done and learned a lot since i last picked up these books, and that's really neat at the end of the day. something as simple as rereading a book can make you think about all sorts of things. 

sometimes the little things in life are just enough to keep us going, keep us happy. with the world coming off the cusp of the recent (and relatively still ongoing) pandemic, things are still a little bleak. a little positive thinking and proper time to yourself can really go a long way. with the hustle and bustle of work, managing life's trials and tribulations, and trying to keep a steady social life, remembering to take time to rest is more important than ever.

what better way to rest than sit down with a book, a blanket, and a nice, cold (or warm, who am i to judge) beverage?

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tldr -- yappersville digest

the point i'm trying to convey here is simple: if you're getting tired of the doom-scroll and the negativity the internet seems to be filled with, reread a book. 

it might be more fulfilling and thought-provoking than you think.

-- next series to fall victim to this book reread journey will be "house of night" by p.c. and kristin cast. what book(s) will you reread? --