Here’s to the novels
To the escape from reality
to the adventures
and the love stories
and the worlds that entranced me.

Here’s to the worlds that trapped me
in their embraces.
To the worlds that let me hide in them
and sheltered me when I was scared,
sad,
or when I couldn’t deal with the
pressure of society.

Here’s to the novels that made me
a nerd
a geek
and an outsider.
Because those are the things
I love most about myself.
The fact that I understand
deeper
hidden
meanings.
And the fact that I am
not
like every
single
other teenage girl on this planet.

Here’s to the authors
for creating these stories.
For the papers dripping with ink
and covered in letters
that create the worlds
that love me more than anyone
or anything
else.

Here’s to the novels.