If you ever feel the need to escape to something cosy, look up Howl's Moving Castle too.

I don't think I've ever read any HP fanfiction. Maybe I would have liked it then but now in my late 20s I'm not so sure 😅

>especially when ignorance is bliss regarding quality

I kind of miss that. I remember some corny tv shows and movies in the 90s and we'd be so excited. Now everyone dissects everything.

Yeah... It happened to me for a while when I was studying for a literature degree. Plus, I was so analytical and, after reading some "good" literature, my standards became too high. Now I've been working on reading for fun again. I almost wish I had the lower standards I used to have beforehand lol.

I completely get what you mean. It's how a child's brain works I guess! Absorbing everything, imagination running wild, easily evoking vivid imagery. Back then we were like a blank canvas and more carefree. Also, it was a time when we didn't have the reading and life experiences. Most motifs, genres etc were fresh and captivating. At least we can be happy that we did experience this!

Haven't read that one yet! I'm planning of rereading HP and then looking at her other work.

I'm sorry to hear this :( I empathise with this. It's very possible you have become overly familiarised with the books and the novelty has worn off. Happened to me with Tolkien. It's ok to take a break and return after a while. The loss of novelty is completely normal but definitely something that makes me sad when it happens with something I used to love.

I find Rowling's writing to be very immersive and flowing. I'm also a literature graduate and I went through a two-year burn out after my studies. I noticed I couldn't focus enough to lose myself into a story until I picked up HP and it was like returning to a second home. It's amazing.

This is a really nice memory! I like this type of little experiences that reconnect us with our inner child.

I'm a big Tolkien fan and I know many people who have it as a personal tradition to reread LotR every year. It must be cool to associate your first reading with the excitement of the first movie.

Exactly this. Especially associating them with certain seasons! But for me it's also years like "ah yes, for those 6 months before university, I was reading Tolkien".

Same for me! HP was and still is the only book series I read and immerse myself into it so fully. Rowling's world and characters felt so inviting and intimate. And HP always reminds me of Christmas holidays when I was a teenager. I used to read them by the Christmas tree's lights under my blanket while it was snowing outside. Really miss those times.

What has helped me is draw inspiration from books to improve aspects of my life. I finished reading the Mistborn series the other day. And there's this character, Kelsier, who's been through A LOT of shit but he always smiles. He's so positive and always tries to turn a negative situation into something positive and he never gives up. I found that really inspiring. It gave me a motivation boost.