by Philip Pullman. The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. Very rich and engaging fantasy stuff! Cool metaphysics, strange fauna and flora, and some wild adventures!
The Hobit and LOTR. The Phillip Pullman‘s His Dark Materials. V.C. Andrews (which no one that age should be reading 🤦♀️). Harry Potter was just taking off when I was that age, too.
This NYT piece from last year explains why it’s actually a Good and Normal thing to do. I used to have like six in the bed at once but recently culled my crew to two practical ones: this sleeping Charmander plushie, which I hug while I’m in the fetal position, and an Ugly Doll I put between my knees because it’s nice and flat. They're so comfy and I fall asleep in 30 seconds like this (also they’re cute and I love them)
Consciousness can be agonizing but it's also a miracle. Sometimes the pressure to make the most of it feels debilitating. There's so much I want to do, and I have to remind that the stuff that really gives life meaning isn't hard to access. I think making a true effort to know yourself, make connections with the people around you, and observe and engage with the world are more than enough reasons to justify your existence.
