bibliophile

Last night, we were laying in bed talking, as we are wont to do, daydreaming to the extreme, also as we are wont to do.  Our recent visions have entailed farms, wildflowers, rickety cottages, and lack of civilization.  Knowing us, the only thing we would be able to grow on our own is tomatoes.  And I'm the last person in the world you would want handling animals. So we'd need people for that stuff.  But lately living off the grid has sounded....idyllic.

But getting back to last night, the farm morphed into a cottage in the UK where we both study to be Doctors of Literature.

My husband's idea.

I have never been more attracted to this man!  Ever.

Just like that, my growing obsession with the written word, which has always been strong, has an outlet, a justification.  A purpose.  Beyond filling my mind with new words, all sorts of wonderful information, and letting me dwell in other worlds.  The very idea of being a Doctor of Literature sends chills down my spine.  How amazing would that be?!  I mean, seriously!?

This spring I started reading like words were about to go extinct and this was my last chance to experience them in the flesh.  I devoured books.  It started with the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.  Guys.  There are eight books in that series so far.  Eight.  And on average, they each have 1000 pages.  

I've read all of them.  Since April.  I read five of them in April.  They're so  good!

The further I delved into the Outlander world, which is rich, vast, and deep in historical fiction, the more I wanted to know.  So I kept reading.  I reread some of my favorite young adult series (like The Goose Girl books and the Soulfinder series ) and even gave new books a try, like the Divergent  series.  (Why didn't anyone warn me about the end of that series?!  I mean, seriously?!!)  I've been frequenting local bookstores and trolling Goodwill for new finds.  The more I find, the more I want to find.  I feel like Matilda, unlocking powers unknown before through the written word.  True, right now I'm steeped in novels, but the thirst for more is there.  I want to read poetry, read everything by the Greeks and finally understand all of the allusions to them that have shown up in every book I have ever read.  I want to learn more about U.S. History, a subject I am shamefully ignorant on.  I want to know more about space exploration and the rise of Alexander the Great and what really happened to Amelia Earhart.  

One of the most delicious aspects of this bibliophilia is Andrew's support.  For months now the mantra in our little home has been, "Reading is sexy."  I love him for thinking that.  Our conversations have grown deeper, richer.  Our interests merging and colliding in the webs of a new vernacular we're developing together.  He keeps me abreast on articles he's been reading while I share the intricate mythology of the latest world I've steeped myself in.  And it is so, so good.

So, yeah, we're working towards business school right now.  But how great does that PhD in literature sound?  Pretty amazing, right?  Maybe we can just live on a farm through business school and keep part of the dream alive...

What have you been reading?  I could really use poetry suggestions, as well as all of the other books!  (: