Tag: reading

Why I’m Obsessed with the Library (and You Should Be Too)

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The library has always been a main staple in my life. Like myself, my mom is a huge reader and would always (and still does) take me to the library and let me pick out all the books that I wanted. One of the best days of my childhood was when I was old enough to take out my own library card. Since then, I go to my local library at least two times a week, and I am the queen of the YA section. I encourage you, my fellow reader, to use your local library for the following reasons!

You save money- Listen, I am all about buying and collecting books. However, if I bought all the books I read each month, I’d probably be spending $70-$100 a month that I don’t have. I’m a broke college student after all! I buy about 25% of the books that I read, with the rest coming from the library.

You’re always encouraged to read- My library allows me to take out more books that I could possibly read within two weeks. Even if I can’t finish a book before the return date, I can almost always go online and renew it for another two weeks. Also, even if your local library doesn’t have a book that you’re looking for, most branches can get the book from another library in their system in a quick amount of time. It’s another fun form of book mail!

You feel better about not finishing books– I’m all about reading books that I genuinely enjoy. If you follow me on Goodreads , you’ll rarely see me give a 1-2 star reading. When I am not enjoying a book, I almost immediately put it down and don’t rate or review it. I really don’t feel guilty about DNF’ing a library book because I didn’t pay for it. If I bought a book that I DNF’ed, I would just think about the money I wasted on the book.

Saves shelf space- Let’s be honest, even though I am a frequent library user, I still buy a lot of books. While I would love to own every book that I read, my bookshelves and storage space certainly would not feel the same way. I just don’t have enough space (still wishes for that Beauty and the Beast size library). By using the library, I can read all the books I want without having to reorganize my shelves a thousand times.

You support your local community- Libraries are one of the main community centers in most towns and cities. My library has a variety of services, and they offer a lot of events, from author meet-and-greets to story-time hours for younger children.

Do you use the library or do you buy all of your books? Do you do both? Share in the comments below!

Review: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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Summary: Sixteen-year old Starr Carter leads two lives: the one in her poor, black neighborhood and the one at her predominantly white high school. Starr does her best to balance both worlds, until she witnesses her childhood best friend, Khalil, die at the hands of a police officer.  Contrary to the officer’s belief, Khalil was unarmed and innocent. Starr deals with the aftermath of Khalil’s death head on, as he quickly becomes a national headline and Starr’s community looks for answers. Starr must decide how she’ll prove to her friends, community and the nation that Khalil wasn’t the thug the police and media are trying to make him out as.

Star Rating: 5/5 Stars

Cover Lust?: Yes! This cover is just so clean and I love the way Starr’s poster stands out in person

My Thoughts:

I admit, I was a little nervous to pick up The Hate U Give because of all of the hype it was receiving. Angie Thomas’s debut novel has been #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers list for weeks,and so many bloggers and Booktubers are raving about it. I was afraid that I would end up not liking the book. However, within the first three chapters of The Hate U Give, I just fell into it.  When I’m completely memorized by a book in the very beginning, I know there’s a 99.99% chance that I’m going to absolutely love it and I did.

I was enchanted with many of the characters, especially Starr. She’s the side we rarely get in these horrific situations. I love how this book portrays what we don’t see in the media: what actually happened.While it was heartbreaking, I greatly appreciated Thomas for writing Starr’s breakdowns throughout the book. The tears don’t stop right after Khalil dies; they continue throughout the period after his death. Starr didn’t magically stop feeling sad and suddenly become this martyr. She struggles to prove that her friend wasn’t a thug. He was a human, he was her Harry Potter-loving best friend.

Sidenote: I loved the Harry Potter storyline in this book. Starr, Khalil, and Natasha were their own trio. I mean c’mon, “tighter than the inside of Voldemort’s nose”?? That’s genius! I also enjoyed how Seven and Starr find comfort in the series. One of my favorite moments was when Starr’s dad offered to watch Harry Potter with her, even though he didn’t understand why no one ever thought to just shot Voldemort.

The Carters soon became one of my favorite families in the YA world. They have such a strong family dynamic and each brought their own character to the story. Beside his humor, Starr’s dad was one of my favorite characters in THUG because of his love for his family. He refuses to be defined by his past and just wants a better life for his kids.. Also,can Starr’s mom be my honorary aunt or something?? She was just so extremely caring and gave Starr such great advice and support. One of my favorite quotes in the novel comes from Lisa, telling Starr, “Brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared, Starr. It means you go on even though you’re scared”. I also loved Starr’s relationship with Seven and Sekani, as they go from giving each other wedgies to standing up for one another.

From the  #BlackLivesMatter movement to Starr’s use of social media, I love the contemporary relevance in this book. It feels like 2017. In relation to the political climate that is the #BlackLivesMatter movement, I like how Starr and Thomas make it a point that not all cops are bad, which is additionally exemplified through her Uncle Carlos. They want to call attention to police officers who are in the wrong and don’t take responsibility for their actions.

It was so heartbreaking and frustrating that Starr’s story wasn’t taken seriously in the eyes of the jury and other individuals. In relation to social media, I love how Starr’s Tumblr and Twitter reflect her activism. I even love how during her fight with Hailey, someone shouts “World Star”. While it was a small detail, the fight would be something that was posted to the“World Star” Twitter account. It made it feel like something similar could have happened in any high school or college.

Overall, I loved The Hate U Give because I learned something. I learned about Tupac and Thug Life (by the way, Angie Thomas is a genius for coming up with the anagram, THUG!!!). I learned to not make conceptions about people based on their race, their class, their habits. I learned that it is important to stand up for what you believe in. To stand up for the truth and the people you love.

Have you read The Hate U Give? Share your thoughts and feels in the comments!

How to Read for Fun in College

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Between classes, clubs, and coursework, college is a super busy time. As an English major, I’m constantly reading for my classes, and I do my best to read for fun. If you’re trying to improve your reading game while at school, here are some tips for lowering your TBR pile!

Read before going to bed

Instead of scrolling through Instagram or watching one more episode of Gilmore Girls (I’m definitely guilty of this with Friends) before going to bed, try reading instead . By not staring at a bright light and focusing on the pages, you’ll feel relaxed and hopefully you’ll fall asleep easier. Unless you’re reading Crooked Kingdom and are way too invested in those characters. I think I cried myself to sleep after staying up until 1 AM on that emotion-filled journey.

Always carry a book on you

Always having a book on you is perfect for that half hour between classes or waiting for your next club meeting to start. If you’re not meeting a friend for lunch, pull out a book if you’re talented enough to not get crumbs or spills on the pages.

Use Goodreads as a motivation tool

Goodreads allows you to keep track of your TBR pile and keeps you up to date on the latest bookish news. The website has a ton of other features, such as giveaways, interaction with readers and authors, and setting reading goals.

Don’t stress out about reading or not reading

Reading for fun should be relaxing,not stressful. Don’t be worried about far along you should be in your reading goal. Don’t push yourself to keep when you have a paper to write or an exam to study for. While it’s hard to stop reading at times, my schoolwork is always my number one priority, even if it means not picking up A Court of Wings and Ruin the day it comes out.

Read books that you have a lot of interest in

Keep books at school that you are genuinely interested in reading. By doing so, you’ll be even more excited and motivated to read. Save books that you want to read purely for the hype or that you randomly picked up for breaks. If you start reading a book and aren’t liking it, put it down! You’ll have more time to pick up a book that you’ll actually enjoy.

What are some of your tips for reading during the school year? Share in the comments below!

What I Read in February 2017

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February was my first full month back at school. While it was a struggle to find time to read in between classes and papers and life, I was able to read 4 books this month:

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (4.5/5 stars) : Adam Silvera has once again written a novel that had me totally captivated from the start. I was obsessed with his first novel, More Than Happy Not, last year so I was excited to get my hands on History Is All You Left Me. Griffin’s heartbreak over Theo’s death is devastating enough, not to mention the fact the Griffin has to deal with Jackson, the guy Theo was seeing before he died. There were sad moments, cute moments, and some moments that made my jaw drop. What prevented me from giving HIAYLM a full five stars is that Griffin definitely makes some irrational decisions throughout the book. I understand that he is grieving, but there were moments where I wanted to pull him out of the story and give him a talking to.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (2/5 stars): There’s a reason why I never picked up this book before having to read it in my American Literature class. While I appreciated the book’s transcendentalist moments (what I’m focusing on in class), the only tears I shed came from my boredom of the writing style. It dragged on and on and that was only The Custom House. Leave this book about a woman and a minister having a child out of wedlock and her crazy stalker husband in the classroom kids.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer (4/5 stars): I was never really a Twilight fan, so I was excited to give another Stephenie Meyer’s book a go. While I wasn’t overly impressed with the writing style, it was fun jumping back into a classic dystopian with a love-triangle read.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (5/5 Stars): I loved We Are Okay. The book follows Marin, a college freshman who abruptly left her life in San Francisco and is now forced to face the tragedy she left behind when her best friend comes to visit. Going in, I totally wasn’t expecting how emotional I would get attached to this story and its characters. LaCour switches between the past and present (I think that’s becoming a theme I really enjoy in books) and focuses on family relationships, which is a subject that doesn’t get enough focus in YA.  Since it’s on the short side, I was able to finish it in one weekend, which made this reader and her TBR pile very happy.

Favorite Book: We Are Okay– From the cover to the characters to LaCour’s writing style, everything about this book is beautiful. AND IT HAS FOOD. Get a box of tissues and go read it now!

What was your favorite read in February? Share in the comments below!