Flash Back July - Week One

So I finally started my July reading challenge and already I am thinking of a theme for August. While I have been a late bloomer to begin this journey I have cracked and carved the time to delight in reading while no one is awake, but my cats. It’s been odd without my partner around the house and you would think that having the time alone would have prompted me to go on a reading spree, but when I look at the pile of books by his bedside table I feel a little odd and reminiscent of the times when I lived alone and would stay up all hours of the night chatting to him with a book in hand.

The idea for July, revolving around me experiencing some of my favorite books growing up has already been a challenge in itself. I found myself putting it off even though I was excited to begin with, because as well as the memory of reading the book itself, along comes with it the memories of life around the time of reading the book and the experiences that I took and shared with others.

I started with a book that I know was meant to be in my possession. Let me take you back to a time when my pocket money consisted of loose change I found in odd places around the house and small tokens of begging or subtle hinting. I was looking through a bargain bin at a local bookstore and was coming up with some hideous options. Then as I dug deep into the pit of books I found it – Frankie Says Relapse by Siobhan Curham. It cost me five dollars and forever has stayed in my collection of books. Never to be given away and rarely lent out. [ I almost killed my sister for bending the cover and dog earring the pages] Dubbed as one of our family favorites, my sister, my mum and I have enjoyed reading this countless times and it was my first choice when looking at the pile of books I wanted to read for July.

It took me a little to pick up the courage to begin the novel because a lot of strange memories and old fears that came with my reading experience jarred me in the possibility that I could relapse myself in the memories of my teenage years. I don’t know if you could call it irony. But facing those issues like the character in the book quickly made me realize that there was a message still to be learned from the novel and while I was reading for enjoyment, I began to read – in search for what I could take from it re-reading it again.

At 4 am in the morning, with my bland tea and aching tooth, I warm to the pleasure of reading again late in the morning. I am dedicated to at least finishing one book out of the pile and if I don’t complete them all I will be revisiting them regardless.

I would urge all readers to give this a go at some point. I know there are so many books to be read, and while you can never read them all. Sometimes even at the most splendid times in your life, it’s important to remember why you fell in love with books in the first place and reignite the experiences you had with your favorite books, so you can learn and grow and make new ones to share with those who delight in the same bookish passions you do.

Looking forward to the month ahead, Happy reading as always,

Bittenbybooklust – Blair xx