The 21 Stages of Reading a Good Book as Told by Paddington Bear
When news broke that Paddington Bear creator Michael Bond had passed away, people of the literary world really felt his loss. We thought that a great way to honor Bond’s legacy of giving kids and adults magical books to read was this list – The 21 Stages of Reading a Good Book as Told by Paddington the Bear.
Perhaps you will relate, perhaps you won’t. Either way, there is no greater feeling than escaping to a world of make believe for just a little bit.
1. So, you’ve decided it’s time to start a new book and you’re ready to go!
2. You set off to the world’s most magical place to start your adventure – the library!
3. Don’t forget to bring your library card, though.
4. Of course, once you’re there it’s literally impossible for you to pick just one book.
5. So you end up just having to check them all out.
6. You head home and make the hardest decision of the day…picking your book.
7. You’re finally ready, so you get comfortable and prepare for your literary escape.
8. You’re a couple hours in this whole new world now, and you’ve met some amazing new characters.
9. Tried to dissect and predict the twists and turns.
10. Basically, you’re flying high and nothing is going to take you away from this book.
11. Hungry? Psssh. That old bag of candy you have hidden in your room will have to do.
12. Your friends are blowing up your phone? Well, that sucker’s going on silent. The outside world no longer exists.
13. But, it’s getting late and you know you need to go to bed. You don’t want to stop, but you begrudgingly tell yourself you can read one more chapter.
14. Except, of course, right at the very end of the chapter SHIT. GOES. DOWN.
15. You’re knocked completely off your feet.
16. Your emotions have been completely wrecked by a work of fiction and you don’t know how to deal. You’re basically walking around like this.
17. You know it’s almost over though. So, you timidly get back into it.
18. And by the time you reach the last page, everything turns out okay!
19. You spend a few moments reflecting on the amazing story that you just read.
20. Crawl out of your hole.
21. And finally enter back into the real world as a whole new person ready to suggest your book to anyone who will listen.
Then rush to the library to do it all again!
Having studied Media & Writing at James Madison University, I always knew that I wanted to do some type of creative writing, but being able to write about zombies, Starks, and superheroes on a daily basis for Fan Fest is my actual dream. While I probably shouldn’t be as proud as I am to be so similar to Nick Miller, I do hope to one day write my own “Pepperwood Chronicles’.
