I'm youth, I'm joy...

Everything in my life is making me really tired right now, so I'm escaping. I'm planning a short trip to a secret somewhere, and instead of doing important things like laundry and dishes, last night I read the first half of this edition of Peter Pan, and it's already become my favorite book in all of literary history.

Pardon the imagery here, but about 20 pages in, I already felt like I was lying in the arms of a charming British man as he told me this lovely fairy story to make all my problems go away. Right, and we were naked, but whatever.

What I'm getting at is there's this comforting, genuine quality to J.M. Barrie's style that makes it feel like I'm hearing this story from a close friend instead of just some dude who wrote a book. It reminded me of, and hear me out here, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

This has nothing to do with C.S. Lewis' writing style. I didn't read that book. It was read to me by somebody I was dating about whom I care very much. (Note present tense.) I remember those nights so fondly. Being read to is probably one of the more intimate things I've ever done with anyone. I'd have my head on his chest as he did this deep Aslan, and holy God, he has this soft, creepy voice for the Ice Queen that turned me on so much I can't even handle it. (I swear, if you ever get the chance, date an actor and make him read to you, but make sure he's a guy.)

Anyway, the relationship didn't work out because I have emotional problems, so in the current absence of a talented Prince Charming (or, preferably, a Dread Pirate Roberts), Peter Pan has come the closest to simulating this lovely experience. You should all stop what you're doing and read it immediately, but make sure you have a blanket. It's also nice to let your cat sit on you.

So, I've decided to do a Peter Pan bookfest. After this, I'm reading Peter Pan in Scarlet, some authorized sequel that they got this chick to write for some reason. I dunno why, whatever. And then I'm reading Peter and the Starcatchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry, and they had better be good because I'm putting a lot of stuff on hold for this. Then I'm watching Finding Neverland because Johnny Depp is hot.