I often say

I’d rather be busy than bored, but I’m not sure if that’s entirely true. It’s a good tagline, but bored is when I follow my nose and find a new bakery. Bored is when I wander around Brooklyn and discover a "George Washington slept here" plaque. Bored is when I pull out a box of disorganized craft supplies and create something new.

And bored is the sentiment that starts off one of my favorite stories in the history of ever, The Phantom Tollbooth. In 1961, readers were introduced to Milo (a bored boy), Tock (a literal watchdog), and the warring kingdoms of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis (places where words and numbers rule respectively). It’s a story full of puns and wordplay. Characters who are hard to believe, but are somehow familiar. Things that seem impossible and realizations that are everlasting truths. And having just listened to an all-new narration (by someone you probably recognize!), I promise the story is still a sure-fire way to beat boredom.

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