Over here in Canada it is time for thanksgiving. So in honour of the holiday I thought I would do a post about 5 books that I'm thankful for. All of the books mentioned are close to my heart and I connect with them and have sentimental value for different reasons. All are important, and I thought I would share with you why they're so important to me.
________________________________________________________________________
In the Hand of the Goddess (Song of the Lioness #2)- Tamora Pierce
This was the book that set me on the path to becoming a reader. At this time I was reading the books at school, but nothing had really sparked my interest and made me fall in love with it. So I was wandering in Chapters on day with my family and this was pre-goodreads and pre-Internet recommendations I found Im the Hand of the Goddess and my parents bought it for me. I was about 11 or 12 at the time and my parents never denied buying me a book if they could afford it. So of course I didn't know that this was the second book in the series until I started reading part way through and realized that it wasn't making sense. So of course I had to get the first book Alanna: a The First Adventure and I flew through both of those books. Here was a female character who was different from others like I was but was still strong and able to go on adventures. Alanna was everything I wanted to be and more. So every time after that I went back to Chapters with my family, my parents ended up buying me a new Tamora Pierce book. I became obsessed with the strong female characters she created and I wanted to inhabit those worlds so badly. It was a way for me to escape the real world where I didn't fit in, because in the world Pierce created, I knew there would be a spot for me. So I am thankful to In the Hand of the Goddess because for me it is the book that started it all.
_________________________________________________________________________
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter #1)- JK RowlingWhen I was younger we all had to write a book review and then do a presentation in front of the class. The whole reason I started Harry Potter was because one of the cool kids had done a book review on the first book and it sounded alright and at the book fair in the library later that day I begged my mother to buy it for me. I was 12 at the time and all I wanted was to fir in with the cool kids and I thought this would be a way to do that. Little did I know the effect this book would have on me. I ended up going home right after school, skipping homework, skipping dinner and just reading it straight through. I remember being so enthralled by the world and the characters that I no longer even cared that it was my in to the popular group. It began my love of Harry Potter that still exists to this day. I ended up getting my three siblings to love the series as well and we impatiently waited for the next instalment to come out. Going to release parties and fighting over who got to read it first. I appreciate that sometimes the best things can come from unexpected places and I appreciate how this book made me feel connected to so many other people who fell in love with it as well.
_________________________________________________________________________
Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)- Sarah J MaasThis is a book that is near and dear to my heart. I really liked Throne of Glass, and I was a little bit disappointed in Crown of Midnight, but Heir of Fire really left an impact on me. I read Heir of Fire when I was at a difficult time in my life. Due to unforeseen circumstances I had to come home from university and help out at home. I was thoroughly depressed and having a really hard time. It was during this dark time that I read Heir of Fire. Aelin is also going through a dark time in this book and I could really relate to it. In the book Aelin learns to overcome the darkness in her life and it really inspired me in my life as well. I got off my butt, got a job, made some goals, conquered those goals, and made new goals. While I didn't manage to make it back to school in time to finish my degree I am currently saving so I can head back to school and continue on with my life. I am thankful to Heir of Fire for pulling me out of my slump, inspiring me and helping me overcome a hurdle during a dark part of my life.
_________________________________________________________________________
An Ember in the Ashes- Sabaa TahirAn Ember in the Ashes was my favourite book of 2015, which came out last year. This is the book that made me really excited and get into book blogging. When I first started my blog and Booktube channel I thought it would be an easy thing that I would just do in my spare time every once I awhile. I didn't realize how much hard work and time was spent on filming, editing and posting videos, taking a picture for bookstagram, or even just writing a blog post with links and pictures and setting up a theme for the blog and making a coherent website, etc. I was struggling and only posting every once in awhile, wondering if I should even keep up with it. I was also in a really bad reading slump, so I wasn't even reading anymore. But then I read An Ember in the Ashes and everything changed. I couldn't put the book down and I just devoured it as fast as I could. That book made me want to talk to people about it and spread the word on how amazing it is. It got me super excited that I had a blog and a Booktube channel, that I had those outlets to voice my opinion and hopefully reach others. I am thankful for Ember stoking the fire of my passion for book blogging/vlogging.
_________________________________________________________________________
Truthwitch- Susan DennardThis book is one of my most recent reads and definitely one of my most recent obsessions. I am in love with this book and the world created within it. I am now a fully formed human and for the most part I am content with who I am. I'm not saying there isn't room for improvement, but I am largely comfortable with my personality and who I am as a human being. The same way that I am comfortable with voicing my opinions and what i like from a book, and the types of books I love to read. What I particularly loved about Truthwitch was how that sometimes the family you create is more your family than hose who share your blood. I love my family, but I am also very appreciative of the book community who has accepted me and welcomed me as a part of their family. My second family which I am looking forward to getting to know better over the next few decades or more.
_________________________________________________________________________
So, these are the 5 books and the stories behind why I am so appreciative and thankful for them. I know we all have these connections and emotional stories to certain books and I would love to hear what some of yours are! Let me hear about your stories down in the comment section below. Happy Thanksgiving!
No comments