Books, Books, and More Books!

I love books! I mean, I really love them. They are like friends I want to surround myself with ALL THE TIME. And I have, there are books on shelves all over my house and stacks purposely placed here and there. It makes me so happy to see them and be surrounded by them. You’re probably thinking, “This chick is crazy!”. Crazy for books, heck yeah, I am!

A few books lining my steps.

I plan to read the books that I buy in all seriousness, but then I think there is not enough time in my lifetime to get through them all. That is the procrastinating side of my brain, and she can be pretty loud when she wants to. I could get through a hefty amount of the books I own if I made an effort. Unfortunately, I find myself in a reading slump more often than not. Lately, I’ve realized that I can change that.

I am currently taking a Young Adult Literature class in college, and when I got the reading list, I nearly fell over with stress. Luckily I had a book nearby to fan myself. No, really, I was freaking out. I emailed the professor asking if I had to read them all and hoping we would be choosing a few from the list of EIGHT books. Her response, we will read them all, sent me reeling for a moment. It takes me a year to read a book sometimes; I read so slow. I’m sure that’s because I read a chapter then come back a month later for the next one. But still, it takes me almost a year!

I was determined to change that! 2021 would be a different year for me in many ways, and reading more would be one of them. I started one of the books in late December and got another in an audiobook to listen to while I cooked or did chores. It is now the second week of February, and I have finished five of the required books! I read three and listened to two. I am so amazed at how much I am reading! Being intentional and pushing myself is paying off. I am so grateful, this course has reignited my love of reading.

My book stack to read in 2021.

I have found that like everything else, the more you do something, the better you get at it, the more you do it. I learned this a long time ago, and for the life of me, I don’t understand why I don’t use this nugget of gold knowledge all the time. Sometimes I feel like there is a seventeen-year-old inside me that bucks up against the system just for the hell of it. She’s probably in charge of procrastination, too, now that I think about it.

My book goal for 2021 is to read a minimum of ten books in completion. Yes, I am counting the school-required books. Let’s be honest; they give me a huge leg up. Full disclosure, I have a stack in my bedroom of books to read this year, and it’s quite tall, but I don’t want to overwhelm that rebellious internal teen! I am excited to enter the world of Fairies in The Cruel Prince, return to Hogwarts in my newest version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (this book comes with pop up pages, letters, and add ons), dive into a social media influencer's life in Big Summer, step back into Forks where Edward and Bella have switched roles in Twilight Sun, and fall into so many other worlds.

My obsession with Harry Potter is REAL!

Reading is an amazing escape for me. I can find myself invested in the character's lives and wanting to know more about them when a book ends. For me, a great book is one where I miss the world when I close the book. Over the years I have also found myself drawn to Non-Fiction books that pour into me, making me a better person.

I wanted to share some of my favorite reads…

Harry Potter series (this series got me through a very dark time in my life)

Most any Jodi Picoult novel (she keeps me in the dark until the end, which is hard to do)

The Hunger Games series

The Twilight series

I would love to know your favorite book and what some of the books you have on your list this year! Please comment below or tag me on my Instagram Charmedmamabear.