BookTube-A-Thon TBR

Hi everyone! As some of you may know, I'm a big fan of the BookTube-A-Thon, which I think I'm doing for the third year in a row. Since I've had a bit of a reading slump recently, I'm really excited to start reading more. Also, I'm not working a lot during that week (July 18th-24th), so I'll have a lot of free time to read. There are seven reading challenges and I intend to complete all of them, so here's my TBR based on the different challenges!

You can find all the information about this year's BookTube-A-Thon here: http://booktubeathon.com/  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1UucWZ0Ylg

Challenges:

1. Read a book with yellow on the cover

Hearts, Fingers and Other Things to Cross by Katie Finn

It's on my summer TBR, it's bright yellow and I almost started reading it the other day, so it's perfect!

2.  Read a book only after sunset

The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer

I'm scared of everything, especially at night, so I have to read lighter books after the sun sets. This one seems perfect!

3. Read a book you discovered through BookTube

Zenith (The Androma Saga #1) by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

I discovered this book because one of its authors is on BookTube (and a pretty big part of it, I would say), so this challenge is an easy one for me!

4. Read a book by one of your favourite authors

The Story Girl (The Story Girl #1) by Lucy Maud Montgomery

L. M. M. is by far my favourite author, but I'm guilty of not having read all of her books yet. This one has interested me for a very long time now, so it's about time I start reading it.

5. Read a book that is older than you

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I really hope that I'll like this book, because otherwise, I feel like it'll be really hard to read it during BookTube-A-Thon. It's a challenge though, so I accept it!

6.  Read and watch a book-to-movie adaptation

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Believe it or not, I've only seen Matilda once, and I can only remember one moment of the whole movie. Since everyone keeps mentionning both the book and the movie, I've been trying to remind myself to read it at some point, so it's the perfect time to finally do it.

7. Read seven books

Since there are only six books on my TBR right now, I'll choose the final one during BookTube-A-Thon. Who knows what I'll feel like reading?

If anyone has recommendations for me, please let me know! I also want to see who will participate this year, so I can't wait until it's July 18th :)

Gimme a Call - Sarah Mlynowski

Goodreads summary:

A new life is just a phone call away!

Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left.

Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago!

Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self?

Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything?

Fans of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series will love this hilarious novel with a high-concept premise.


My review:

4/5

I think that the concept of this book is fantastic. I always wonder about the impact of a simple choice, so books about the different lives a person could be living because of some decisions they make are must-reads for me. This one is different from everything else I've read, so I was really interested about it and I wasn't disappointed.

I loved how the younger and the older Devi felt like two different people - which they are, in a way. They're the same person, but their life experience makes them two separate people, which we often forget about our younger self. This book really made me realize how much a person, including myself, can change in a few years only. Also, I've always wondered about what I would think of my older self and vice-versa, so seeing something like that in a book was very interesting to me.

Although it's not explained all that much, I loved seeing the relationship aspect of this book. Devi's relationship with Bryan has done bad things to her life, but it's not all black or white. Through this experience, older Devi learns a lot about life and about her relationships with everyone around her, which was nice, since it's like her younger self taught her a few things. I do wish that we could have seen more of Bryan, since 1) he seems dreamy, and 2) he's from Québec, where I live. I wasn't expecting that, but it made me like him even more. His relationship with Devi sounds pretty intense because of how much in love they are, but I would have loved to see some of it, because it sounds extraordinary.

I loved this novel more and more as I continued reading it, so I would absolutely recommend it. It's not too serious, but it makes you think about your choices in the present, but also in the future. I'll make sure to look up the author's other novels now, since it's the first one I read from her!

My Summer TBR

I've had a reading slump for my entire first month of summer vacation, so I really haven't been reading as much as I hoped to. Now that I'm getting back into it (slowly, so we're not going to get too excited in case it's a fail), I hope to read a lot more this summer, because it's definitely the best time for me to tackle my TBR pile. I'm going to make a list of books I want to read this summer to help myself whenever I'm looking for a new book to read, but this could also help some of you guys who want to know what to read next! I'm also open to recommendations, as always. Like all of my blog posts, the pictures will take you to the books' Goodreads page. 

YA

Summer in the Invisible City by Juliana Romano

This book is a new release that intrigued me a lot from the very beginning, so I couldn't resist buying it. It's set in NYC, where I've never been, and a lot of it is about photography, which is an awesome passion. I'm actually already reading this, because I simply couldn't wait.

When We Collided by Emery Lord

I've loved both of Emery Lord's first novels, so her newest one is definitely on my TBR. It doesn't seem as light-hearted as her other books, but her writing feels like summer and her romances are always great, so now's the perfect time for me to read it!

Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein

I was desperate to find a cure for my reading slump, so I started browsing new YA releases that sounded light and adorable. This one popped up and it intrigued me, even though it sounds predictable. I'll let you know what I think of it!

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Being away from Goodreads and blogs, I forgot that this novel was coming out this summer, which I wasn't proud of. If you didn't know, I'm the biggest Kasie West fan, because she's my go-to when it comes to light-hearted YAs. She writes the cutest stories and her love interests are always so swoony, so I cannot wait to pick this up. Also, it comes out only a few days before I go on vacation, so I know it'll be part of the entire library I'm bringing there!

The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer

This book came out about ten years ago, so it's not a new release, but I've been dying to read it for a really long time. In fact, even before I started reading Strohmeyer's novels, I watched the movie adaptation for this book and I loved it. Since then, I've probably watched it 5 more times, so I was really happy when I found out it was actually a book. I finally got my hands on it, so I can't wait to read this.

Wrecked by Maria Padian

I received this in exchange for a review and I think it sounds really interesting and different from the other YAs I mentionned, so I'm excited to read it!

Classics

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I've always wanted to read this novel, but when my teachers started talking about it non-stop last semester, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible, so I'm hoping to get to it this summer!

1984 by George Orwell

I've started this book last fall, but I stopped reading and never got back to it. Since I loved Animal Farm and I've heard so many great things about this classic, I just have to read it this summer.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

I'm going to be honest here: I've never read a thing Hemingway has written, so I have no idea what to expect with this book, However, I'd really like to have an opinion for myself, so that's what I'll be doing this summer.



Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

I've read quite a few of Austen's books and I've loved all of them, so I want to keep going and this novel is the next one on my list. I downloaded the audiobook for it, so I might listen to it when I'm in the car.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn  by Mark Twain

I'm not sure if I'll be able to read it this summer, but I plan on doing it in the future because it'll be part of the season three of Crash Course Literature, which I love. Also, this will be my first Mark Twain book!

Romeo and Juliet  by Shakespeare

Since I have yet to read one of Shakespeare's plays, I decided on this one, because someone lent the book to me ages ago and I want to be able to give it back to that person (I'm the annoying person who has tons of books lent by other people, but it's simply because I didn't ask for them and I never feel like reading them. Also, I think everyone forgets about the books they lent to me). I'm actually really excited to read this!

Series

City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare

It must have been three years since I started reading this series and I still haven't finished it, so it's about time I read this. I think I'll bring it with me on vacation to motivate me.

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Okay, so I won't lie, this book is pretty much the biggest reason why I'm finally going to finish TMI, because it sounds amazing and I really want to read it. Since I've heard that it's better to have read CoHF before reading it, I've been trying to refrain myself from picking it up, but it's a big struggle for me.

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead

I really want to read this novel, since I loved the first three books in the series, which I read this year. It's only a matter of time before I pick it up!

The Last Star (The 5th Wave #3) by Rick Yancey

I'm one of the only ones who liked the movie adaptation for The 5th Wave, so I really want to keep on reading this series, especially since it's the final book and it recently came out. It's one of the ebooks I always have on my phone and e-reader, so I'll pick it up whenever I'm somewhere I can read and I have one of those with me instead of a physical book.

Destined for Doon (Doon #2) by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

I've had this book for months and I always want to read it, so I think it's finally time for me to do it. I really liked the first book, so I'm hoping that this will be just as good!

Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross (Broken Hearts & Revenge #3) by Katie Finn (also known as Morgan Matson, if you didn't know)

As a big Morgan Matson fan, I had to read this series, and I really enjoy it so far. This is literally the perfect summer book, so I can't wait to continue with this series!

Shattered (Slated #3) by Teri Terry

I have honestly loved the first two books in this series, so I bought the third one pretty much as soon as it came out, but I never read it (which is really stupid, I know). Since I own it, I should read it this summer, because I have to know what happens with the story (even though I admittedly don't remember much of it now).

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas

I love this series more with every new book I read, so I am dying to pick this one up. It's been out for quite some time now, so I really have no excuse not to pick it up!

Re-reads

Sapphire Blue & Emerald Green(Precious Stone Trilogy #2 & 3) by Kerstin Gier

This is one of my favourite series of all time and I recently re-read Ruby Red, which got me out of my reading slump, so I just have to continue reading the series.

Rainbow Valley (Anne of Green Gables #7) by Lucy Maud Montgomery

LMM is my favourite author, and this is my favourite series, so I'm almost always reading one of the eight novels in it. I don't remember much about the last two, since I didn't read them as many times as the others, so I'd love to do it this summer.

Out of my Comfort Zone

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkings

I don't usually read thrillers, but I've heard great things about this one. Also, there's going to be a movie adaptation of it, so when I saw it on sale for one dollar, I had to pick it up. Again, it'll probably be part of my vacation library!

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

I would read this book simply because of its gorgeous cover and title, but I also think that the summary is incredibly intriguing. It's not really my usual genre, but I think I'll love it anyways, and since they're doing a movie of it, too, I can't wait to read it.

What Lies Within by James Morris

This is a book I received to review and I still haven't read it, which I feel really bad about. The only reason for that is that I'm not a huge fan of thrillers, so I never have the urge to pick one of them when I'm looking for a book to read, but I'll push myself to do it this summer, I swear.

The Choices We Make by Karma Brown

This is a little bit more like something my mom would read, but for some reason, it really intrigues me. I've also received it from its publisher, so it's one more reason for me to read it this summer!

There are a lot of books on this list, but I know I can easily read that many if I don't get any more reading slumps. I can't promise I'll only read these books though, especially since I already have some that I know aren't on this list but that I want to read, so I'm not sure if I'll tackle this entire TBR, but I'll try to! I'll make a readathon of my entire summer if I have to. Good luck on your summer TBR, everyone!

Split Second (Pivot Point #2) - Kasie West

Goodreads summary:

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too... but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories... once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot... and a future that could change everything.


My review:

4/5

Kasie West, I love you. When have you ever written something I didn't like?

This book puts an end to a fantastic series. The idea of a world where a small part of the population live secluded and have awesome abilities is incredibly intriguing, which is why so many readers can't stop reading once they begin. When you start reading, you're impressed by these people and wish you could have such powers, but as the story goes, you start doubting that it would be a nice world to live in, because there will always be people using their abilities to do bad things. I really liked seeing the deterioration and wondering what I would do if I were in Addie's place.

I really liked Laila in the first book, so I have thrilled to see more of her in the second one. She's so fierce, independent and smart that I wish I could be like her. I loved her relationship with Connor, who's an awesome character. Although he's described as a bad boy in the summary, I think he's actually the opposite of that, because once you get to know him, you realize he's so incredibly nice and caring. I think he and Laila might be one of my new favourite ships. 

I wish we could've seen a bit more of Addie's ability in this book, because it's awesome and there are pretty much no possibilities of doing something bad with it. Also, I thought the ending could've been a little bit more complex and interesting, because I didn't get that much into the story by the time it ended. 

In the end, I really enjoyed reading this series and I would recommend it to anyone. Kasie West will always be a favourite of mine, even though I must admit that I preferred her romance novels now that I've read everything that can be read from her.

Butterfly Dreams - A. Meredith Walters

Goodreads summary:

In a powerful romance for fans of The Fault in Our Stars and If I Stay, New York Times bestselling author A. Meredith Walters tells the story of a troubled young woman and the unforgettable guy who teaches her to live—and love—to the fullest.

She’s waiting to die. . . . Corin Thompson is paralyzed by her obsession with mortality. Having lost both of her parents, she is terrified by the idea that she too will die young, and she loses control at any sign of illness. But when Corin connects with someone who has survived a very real brush with death, she begins to see the world in a whole new way.

He’s learning to live. . . . As Corin struggles under the weight of her neuroses, Beckett Kingsley is attempting to rebuild a life that feels all too temporary. With the ever-present threat of heart failure never far from his mind, he just wants to make the most of whatever time he has left. And that means pursuing the girl he never expected to find.

Together, Corin and Beckett finally learn to let go of their fears and take solace in everyday pleasures. Who knows what the future holds? After all, nothing lasts forever—the only promise they have is right now.


My review:

4/5

There are some books that you just know are going to be good. When I picked this one up, that's exactly the feeling I had, and I was not disappointed. 

While I was expecting some sort of love story, I was surprised to find that this story is more about Corin's mental illness. It wasn't a bad surprise at all, because her character development is absolutely insane. She goes from an unstable character in denial to an amazing woman who's been through many things and is now much stronger. It was great seeing her change so much while staying true to herself. Also, I loved discovering more about hyponcondriac people, because I don't know much about this illness. My mother's cousin has it, but I haven't seen her for a couple of years now and her mental state was just confusing to me then. Now, I feel like I understand a lot more about how she must have felt, because part of the story is told in Corin's perspective and she has to go through this every day. 

That being said, I still really enjoyed reading about her and Beck's love story. They're the cutest together and I loved reading what Beck thought of her, because he's the only one who can see her for who she really is, which I found amazing. They never give up on each other and I wish there were more stories like that, where the characters are always there for each other and they become strong as a whole. Beck's past (and present, to be honest) is very sad, especially since he was such an active person and he had to give up on anything close to exercice. I may not be like him, but with the way his feelings were explained, I really felt like I understood precisely how hard it was for him. I'm glad he gets better with Corin, because it shows how being together fights back their issues. 

Overall, this story is really great. I loved every page of it and I'm glad I got to read such an awesome book. 

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Sugar - Deirdre Riordan Hall

Goodreads summary:

I’m the fat Puerto Rican–Polish girl who doesn’t feel like she belongs in her skin, or anywhere else for that matter. I’ve always been too much and yet not enough.

Sugar Legowski-Gracia wasn’t always fat, but fat is what she is now at age seventeen. Not as fat as her mama, who is so big she hasn’t gotten out of bed in months. Not as heavy as her brother, Skunk, who has more meanness in him than fat, which is saying something. But she’s large enough to be the object of ridicule wherever she is: at the grocery store, walking down the street, at school. Sugar’s life is dictated by taking care of Mama in their run-down home—cooking, shopping, and, well, eating. A lot of eating, which Sugar hates as much as she loves.

When Sugar meets Even (not Evan—his nearly illiterate father misspelled his name on the birth certificate), she has the new experience of someone seeing her and not her body. As their unlikely friendship builds, Sugar allows herself to think about the future for the first time, a future not weighed down by her body or her mother.

Soon Sugar will have to decide whether to become the girl that Even helps her see within herself or to sink into the darkness of the skin-deep role her family and her life have created for her.


My review:

4.5/5

I LOVED this book. I expected to read this in a couple of days, but once I started, I simply couldn't stop myself.

This book made me so, so , so sad. I hated how Sugar's family treats her, except for Fat Henry. They don't even give her time to breathe, they just shoot her without interruption. I was so angry that I wanted to cry and I had to stop reading for a couple of seconds once in a while to digest all of this. The worst part is probably the fact that Skunk and Sugar's mother don't even seem to realize how badly they treat a family member and they're completely guiltless. I would've punched them repeatedly. Also, the way Sugar sees herself made me really sad. I'm no stranger to confidence issues, even though I might not be fat, but her thoughts made me ache for her. The way her family members treat her doesn't help, which is another reason why I was so angry while reading this book.

All the anger and sadness I experienced made Even perfect to me when he arrived. I loved how he treated and how much better he made her feel. I was really happy when he realized how bad Sugar's life was and tried to make her realize it, too. He made a great difference in her life and I'm really thankful for him. He acted so sweet towards her that he made my heart melt and I would've cried at things he said or did sometimes. He's a great character and I loved how he and Sugar bonded.

I think this book is good at dealing with eating disorders because Sugar tried to change the way she eats, looks and lives for herself. She realized that always being breathless wasn't good for her and that there are other ways for her to feel better than to eat. I'm glad she didn't do it to please someone, because it would've been such a fragile change in her life.
I wish Sugar had realized that she isn't the only one with confidence issues. She always talks about people who aren't fat as confident and fat people as insecure, but weight isn't the only problem. It bugged me a little, because it's as if she's judging, too. I understood her point of view, though, I just wish she had realized people around her have insecurities, no matter how beautiful or confident they can seem.

There's an event that surprised me and that I wish didn't happen, especially since it seemed an odd moment for it to happen. However, things got better after and I liked how the story ended, so it wasn't too bad.

I highly recommend this book. It made me feel so much more emotions than any other book I read recently and I'm convinced I'm not the only one who experienced that.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

 

BookTube-A-Thon 2015!

This year, I was able to take part in the amazing read-a-thon that is BookTube-A-Thon. I wanted to last year, but since I was new to this BookTube thing, I didn't really understand what it was and it was too late when I finally realized it's a read-a-thon. This year, I was prepared! I have to admit I only do it as a regular read-a-thon, with the reading challenges, but not the video ones, since I'm not a BookTuber.

This year's challenges:

1// Read a book with blue on the cover
2// Read a book by an author who shares the same first letter of your last name
3// Read someone else's favourite book
4// Read the last book you acquired
5// Finish a book without letting go of it
6// Read a book you really want to read
7// Read seven books
I changed my original reading list, but I still (kinda) managed to complete all the challenges. Here's what I did:

The second Sunday turned to Monday, the first day of the read-a-thon, I started reading The Death Cure, by James Dashner, to complete challenge number 1, which is to read a book with blue on the cover. It was quite easy for me, since I've owned the book for over a year and I really wanted to read it. I read half of it in about two hours before I went to bed, which was a great start. When I woke up, I started reading Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler, which is the last book I acquired. It was so good and short that I finished it on the same day! It made me tear up a lot, but I liked how it was more about grief than about love. I rated it 4/5.

On Tuesday, I was starting a new job, so I knew I wouldn't have much time to read that day. It's actually why I tried to read so much on Monday. I didn't bring any book to work, but I had my phone with me during lunch break, so I decided to start a book I had on my phone that was on my reading list for BookTube-A-Thon, Sugar, by Deirdre Riordan Hall. I cheated a bit, because I read this book to complete challenge number 2, even though Riordan is probably the author's middle name and this is the only first letter we share. I really wanted to read a book that I received to review during the read-a-thon and I couldn't find any book I own written by an author whose last name starts with a R, so I decided to let it count. I actually REALLY liked Sugar and I wanted to read it as fast as possible, because it made me feel so much anger and love at the same time (but not towards the same people). I finished The Death Cure when I got home. I liked it, but I didn't love it, which is why I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars. However, I'm glad I finished the series! I can't wait for The Scorch Trials movie now, because it was actually my favorite book of the series.

On Wednesday, I was working again, so I had to read after work and during lunch break. I loved Sugar so much I finished it as soon as I could when I got back home. I highly recommend it, it was awesome! I made me feel sad when I was reading it though, but it was alright in the end. I ended up giving it 4.5/5, because there's one thing I didn't really like in the story. Afterwards, I started reading The Martian, by Andy Weir, and I loved every page I read that day. I realized it was quite long to read it, so I decided to read a bit of it every day while reading other books to complete the challenges. This is the book I chose to complete challenge number 6, because I had been wanting to read it for such a long time and I had just gotten it.

Surprisingly, I didn't read a single page on Thursday. I had a big shift at work and I came home wanting to Watch TV and sleep instead of reading, which is rare for me. I had a one-day reading slump, which wasn't exactly a good thing during this read-a-thon, since it made me late.

I continued reading on Friday, since I had a day off. I completed challenge number 5, which is to read a book without letting go of it. I was really excited by this challenge and wanted to read a relatively short book, but since I was late by this point, I realized a novella would be the way to go. I read Destroy Me by Tahereh outside in the sun (which got hidden by clouds towards the end of the book and made me shiver). I really liked it! I gave it 4.5/5, because there was a tiny missing spark for me. However, I really enjoyed it, especially the last scene. I started reading Choose Us by Caylie Marcoe to complete the seventh challenge, because I just wanted a simple seventh book to read.

In the early hours of Saturday, I finished Choose Us, which I unfortunately didn't enjoy as much as I expected. It saddened me a bit, because I thought it would be the kind of nice fluffy novel that'd make me swoon, but I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. I was really busy on that day, so I knew I wouldn't be reading much. Before I went to a wedding, I started reading Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella, because someone told me it was her new favorite book and I need to complete the third challenge. I read about 40% of it that day.

On Sunday morning, I read as much as I could of The Martian, because I really wanted to complete this year's challenges. I was working at 3 PM, but before that, I managed to get to page 209, which I was happy about. I read Finding Audrey during lunch break and I got to a couple of pages before the end, so I couldn't wait to get home and finish it. I did within minutes and I really liked it! I rated it 4/5. Then, I concentrated on The Martian, even though I realized I couldn't finish it before midnight. I stayed up until 2:30 AM, but I finished it, so I think I pretty much completed the challenges. I wish I had finished it before the read-a-thon officially ended, but I think a few hours delay is okay.

Overall, I (kinda) completed all the reading challenges! I'm really proud of it, even though I wish I didn't have such a busy week. I also watched many video challenges and updates from BookTubers and I have to say that ABookUtopia's videos were my favorite ones!

So that was my experience! Did any you participate?

Libraries

As a book lover myself, I've often heard fellow book lovers talk about how much they dislike renting books from the library because of how many other people read them. It's always been a mystery to me why this would be a problem to anyone, but I decided to explain why I love libraries, especially my local one, to death.

First of all, whether you like them or not, you can't help but be excited when you walk into a library if you only slightly like books. There's just so many of them, everywhere, and you feel like there are endless reading possibilities. Your eye might catch a great fantasy book, but then you'll find the most interesting sci-fi novel that want to start right away. Just like bookstores, libraries hold thousands of stories within their walls and you're happy as long as you're surrounded by them.

I personally love wandering between the rows of full and constantly surprising bookshelves, letting my eyes go from one cover to another, one title to another, one author to another. It's all about inspiration, whether it's from a colourful spine, a catchy title or a well-known author. Sometimes, I find myself renting the most unexpected book, simply because something in it caught my attention. I don't even care if the novels I picked out are going to be bad, because I still have to return them in the end, and I like to believe they attracted me for a particular reason. When you're doing some online shopping on eBay, Amazon or any other website, you can never get that amazing feeling of reading the back of a book simply because you were attracted to it. While I do try to find some books I've heard great things about and I'm excited to read, I prefer letting unread books find me.

The next reason might not be a good one for everyone: money. I am a teenager who's still desperately trying to get herself a job, so money is an issue for me. With what little money I get from babysitting once in a while and presents, I have a very limited choice of books to purchase. My worst fear when I'm thinking about buying a book is that I would end up really not liking it and having spent money for nothing. For this particular reason, I only buy books I've already read and loved. I'll still end up with a small collection of amazing books, but I would never expect to have rows and rows of books myself. I also ask for iTunes gift cards as presents to purchase ebooks I've been dying to read for a long time, like new releases or sequels that my library doesn't have yet. I need to be very careful when I'm spending money, so being able to read books for free is an amazing privilege.

The main reason where there's a debate is the fact that someone probably rented a book before you did, just like someone else will after you did. Some people hate not knowing what's going to happen with the book they're reading, afraid the next reader might alter the book's state. Although I do think it's important to take care of books so they stay in a good state, I love the idea of someone else imagining the story while holding the same exact book I held while reading. I think reading is sharing, from recommending a book to your friends to lenting it to others. While the next readers might not be friends of mine, they're readers just like I am, which brings us closer already, and the fact that we shared a book unknowingly is wonderful. It's like having hundreds of friends who don't even need to speak to stay connected with you, and I love it. I hate seeing my brand-new books stand on my bookshelf unread for years because I have no one to share them with, but libraries allow me to believe in the "reading is sharing" motto I've now had for years.

In the end, those facts about libraries, along with some more, are the reason why I would never want libraries to disappear. Go visit your local one, you might find a new favourite place, just like I did!

 

 

Reading is sharing.