What I Read: January 2015

I'm doing my "book posts" a little differently this year. Instead of writing about what I'm reading as I read it, I'm going to wait until I finish, and then share my thoughts on it.

The first book of 2015 that I've read so far is "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell. I was very excited to finally land my hands on a copy of this, as it's been kind of a popular book at my library. But of course, that only means that if it's *that* popular, then it must be a really good book, right?

"Fangirl" was an unexpectedly quick read.. I managed to get through it in a matter of days. And I say "unexpectedly" because lately I feel like I've been reading books by authors who use such eloquent and descriptive, flowery language, (Donna Tartt's "the Goldfinch", anyone?) and long sentences that take me quite a while to get through, sometimes. (And that's not a bad thing! I loved the Goldfinch, but I'm just saying.. it takes me a while to read because I like to savor the words, if that makes sense..?) Rowell's "Fangirl" was different. She doesn't go into great details with settings, or even her characters in this novel, and the whole story was dialogue-heavy, so that made reading through it as swift as a conversation with a friend.

The story focuses on a character named Cath, a certified geeky FANGIRL of a wildly popular (but entirely made up by Rainbow Rowell)  Harry Potter/Twilight-esque book and movie series about a character named Simon Snow. Just how geeky does she get? She happens to be *the* go to and world-famous online persona behind the Simon and Baz fanfiction stories. Cath loves living in the world of Simon Snow so much that she never wants to leave, but things start to get complicated when she and her twin sister Wren go off to college together, but start to drift apart in ways she wasn't prepared for. Family drama ensues. A budding relationship with an interesting dude blossoms. Cath's antisocial nature gets thrown for a spin when she's forced to (*gasp*) get to know other people, and her writing career takes a nose dive down the drain when she realizes that she can't call herself a real author if all she's good at writing is fanfiction, and using characters that already exist/belong to somebody else.

 I enjoyed this book immensely, especially because I felt I could relate to Cath so much. While I've never written (or even read much) fanfiction, I understand how it feels to be SO in love with a character and their  world that you never want their story to end! Everyone has a favorite movie, tv show, song, whatever that makes them so happy that it becomes a part of their life. These things change you, or they save you, and they give you so much joy that it only makes sense to want to immerse yourself in them completely, right? And sure, some people might think you're a little crazy, or even immature and childish to obsess over something fictional so much, but who cares? If it's real to you, then that's all that matters. And true friends understand that. After all, isn't that how fandoms are born?

So if  you happen to think of yourself as a fangirl or geek (of anything), who has sometimes struggled to fit in with "normal" humans, then I recommend this story. It's heartwarming, without being cheesy, and it's a good reminder to be exactly who you are, always. Your quirkyness is what makes you YOU.

I, myself, am proud to be a FANGIRL. Always!