Okay let’s clarify that before I have the police knocking on my door. I didn’t actually steal any books. Nor do I have any unreturned library books collecting dust and fines alike (I hope?)
But I did steal words.
I never had a diary, but what I did have was a notebook (or several) that I would fill with favourite lines from books, songs, and what appears to be several quotes from Buffy The Vampire Slayer (hey, she had some good advice!)
As I got older the lyrics and Buffy quotes were dropped and more and more pages from books found their way into my notebooks.
Whilst unpacking (yet more boxes!) I re-discovered some of these books, and thought I’d share some of the things I considered important enough to copy out for myself.
Wolf Brother - Michelle Paver
‘We…we could be friends, you know’ said Coraline‘We could be rare specimens of an exotic breed of African dancing elephant’ said the cat ‘but we’re not. At least’ it added cattily, after darting a look at Coraline, ‘I’m not.’Coraline - Neil Gaiman
'Devil’s Snare, Devil’s Snare… What did professor Sprout say? It likes the dark and the damp– ’‘So light a fire!’ Harry choked‘Yes of course – but there’s no wood! Hermione cried wringing her hands.‘HAVE YOU GONEMAD ? Ron bellowed ‘ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?’The Philosophers Stone – JK Rowling
‘If you have ever lost someone very important to you, then you already know how it feels, and if you haven’t, you cannot possibly imagine it.’The Bad Beginning – Lemony Snicket
‘The world had teeth and it could bite you with them anytime it wanted. Trisha Mcfarland discovered this when she was nine years old. Lost in the woods.’The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon – Stephen King
‘Not all those who wander are lost’Lord of The Rings - JRR Tolkein
‘It didn’t matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls, but only that we had loved them, and that they hadn’t heard us calling, still do not hear us…calling them out of those rooms where they went to be alone for all time…and where we will never find the pieces to put them back together.’The Virgin Suicides – Jeffry Eugenides
‘There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve foot mountain Troll is one of them’The Philosopher’s Stone – JK Rowling
‘…that’s what Hermione does,’ said Ron shrugging ‘When in doubt, go to the library’The Philosopher’s Stone – JK Rowling
I haven’t added to this book in about eight years or so, but the impulse to carry words with me hasn’t gone away. No, I’ve just discovered a different art form, that’s all…
Have a good weekend folks!
What a cool post mate, fascinating stuff. The headline grabbed me as my book is all about a 14 year old kleptomaniac! You should open a museum, or just charge people to come into your house to see this brilliant stuff! Cool illustrations as well, you talented buggar! :) I used to keep my old English Lit notebooks with some of my very first stories in them, but they've gone missing somewhere along the way, which is a shame, as I also had essays and stuff from all the books that inspired me at school, from Fantastic Mr Fox to Of Mice and Men. What genre are you writing in, by the way - don't think I've ever asked? Hope your 'do not disturb' sign is working and you're writing feverishly - very cool tat - too! Have a top weekend, catch you later, should our Twitter paths cross :)
ReplyDeleteHi Tom! Your old Eng Lit books...missing or stolen? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI often wish I'd kept more stuff from school (I once made a book about a hedgehog in the shape of a hedgehog!) but I think I’m remembering a lot of it through rose tinted lenses! I remember doing well with creative writing at school, but what I have kept of my teenage writing is nothing short of cringe-worthy! Still all good fun!
I have been writing feverishly the past couple of week, and been making good progress. I write YA fantasy, and I’m glad you asked because nowhere on this blog does it mention that! Perhaps I need another sign made?