Gifting Books

This blog has been all about books and reading. Its also been about how reading and books affect the lives of people and those around them. I really believe that books help to shape who we are. They give us a chance to escape reality and all we have to do is take it. Since Christmas is only about two weeks away, and its on everyone's mind then why not talk about getting and giving books out for the holidays.

Giving people books can be tricky sometimes and for several reasons. One, you don't know what books they like to read. Sure you can always ask but just because they like a genre doesn't mean that they will like the book that you happen to pick out. Two, so say that you do know what they like to read which definitely makes things easier but there is still a hitch. Depending on when you picked up the book, there is a chance that they could have already read that book. If that does happen, its not completely doom and gloom. That book could be a book they've read sure, but it also could be a book that was so enjoyed and loved that whomever gets it will gladly read again. These are a few reasons why giving a book as a gift can be tricky but its also very rewarding at least in my opinion.

I believe that when someone gifts a book, they are opening up a whole new world. Even more so when the book they are gifting is one that they have loved. I think its one of the best ways to get to know someone. When you share a book, it's like another connection is born between the pages and ink. It's a really great feeling knowing that someone is giving you the chance to make new connections and that they want to give you to chance to have the same great time they did. I think that when a book is shared between people then those people have a better understanding of each other. A book opens you up to new thoughts, experiences and sometimes even new worlds. So when that process is shred with someone else, it's a great time. I know that with my friends since we are all big bookworms, it's amazing to be able to talk about the characters as though they are as flesh and blood as we are. There is this quote that I found once that I like and it makes a really good point.

This is very true. While two or more people can share a book and love it, what each reader interprets and takes from the story is unique to the reader. It's pretty amazing to me that people can read the same book cover to cover and its still different for each individual. In short, gifting books can be tricky but I think its something that is definitely worth the risk. 

Happy Holidays everyone and happy reading!

Tales As Old As Time

Fairy tales are a part of everyone's life. Whether it be the occasional Disney binge day or a story that you read as a child. Fairy tales give us the ability to see that happy endings do happen and a chance to slip out of reality for awhile. Of course, Disney's version of events isn't exactly what happened. The original fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers, Hans Christian Andersen, and others were much darker. For example, in Cinderella in order for the evil stepsisters to fit into the glass slipper they cut off parts of their feet. Not exactly the pretty picture that Disney painted. Not to say I don't love Disney. I'm a huge Disney fan. It's something that is interesting to me about how many different takes there are on these beloved fairy tales.

I recently started watching Once Upon a Time (OUAT), which as the title indicates is a show from ABC about all the different fairy tales come to life and clashing with the modern world . To name just a few characters there is Snow White, Captain Hook, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, and tons more. It was really interesting to me how the show took the characters that we all know and still managed to create something new. They have the villain being a hero and a hero as a bad guy. It was very different seeing some of my favorite characters being portrayed as something else. I went from watching the Disney version where good and evil are very clearly defined to a TV show that proves no one is all bad or all good. Now here are gonna be some spoilers so if you ever plan on watching this show, you should stop reading now.

                   SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

For an example, I grew up with Peter Pan being a good guy. But in OUAT, he is a bad guy and Captain Hook ends up being a good guy who is fighting for the love of main character, Emma Swan. It was really hard for me at first to see one of my favorite characters as a villain. He wasn't even a small villain. He was the main advisory for a good chunk of season three. Instead of being the mischievous boy who never grows up, he is the villain that tricks a boy into giving him his heart in order for Pan to live. In one episode, we get Pan's back story and a surprising connection to Rumpelstiltskin, who is another villain and oddly a hero. We find out that Pan was Rumpelstiltskin's father that gave him up to live in Neverland and thus Peter Pan was born.

I just find it amazing how the same story can be told in so many different ways. There is the darker version of the Grimm Brothers. Then you have the sugar-coated Disney and then there is OUAT. All have a place in people's lives and they all provide us with something. For me, Disney is part of my life. I grew up watching the movies. Disney gives me a chance to break away from reality, see the magic, and all the happily ever afters that we don't get in everyday life. OUAT shows us that not everything is always cut and dry. OUAT is more real life even though its based on fairy tales. It shows that not all villains are completely evil and not all heroes are completely good. Life is much to complicated for that. All in all, it's amazing to me that the books about these characters that were written so very long ago can be turned into movies, and shows that will stay with us for a long time to come.

Long Over Due

A few times, I've mentioned my love for Barnes and Noble. Well, I say love when I really mean obsession but you get my point. It is one of my favorite places to go. But its also dangerous because then I add several more books to my never-ending reading list. I swear if I actually wrote it all down, I think I'd have over a hundred books.

Since I got out of class early this week, and I had some time to kill before I met up with my best friends, I decided to drive head on over there. It was long over due. I think the last time I went there was at least three months ago. Considering I used to go there every couple of weeks that was quite a long time for me.

Usually my friend, Courtney and I go there together because she is a huge bookworm too. When we hang out we end up there at some point. Its like we can avoid it even if we tired, though honestly we don't try at all. Barnes and Noble is right up there with the library in my book. Anyway, back to my story. This time I went by myself and I found about twelve more books to add to my list. A few I had already known about but I didn't know they were out yet. What's even better is when I find that an author that I love has come out with a new book. It always gets me excited to read it. I always get a good feeling walking through those doors and seeing all the new books on the shelves. 

Here are a few of the books I found:

                       

Dangerous Lies was an exceptionally good find because I didn't even know she had a new book out. All the books I've read by Becca Fitzpatrick have been super good! She wrote the Hush, Hush saga, Black Ice, and that's just the more recent and more popular books. This one is about a girl who is the star witness in the murder trial of a big drug dealer and she is in the Witness Protection Program. She has to stay under the radar but trouble seems to have a way of finding her. It definably had chills running up and now my back when I read the summary of it. Also I know after reading her other books, that she is sure to deliver a fantastic novel.

The White Rose is the sequels to The Jewel. I loved the first book. For anyone who has read The Selection series by Kiera Cass then you would defiantly like this series. Its about a society in which girls are bought by the wealthy women that live in the Jewel, which is like their capital, to bear children for them. Its a great book about not being in control of your our body and the cruelty the owners show their surrogates. I have no doubt that the sequel will be just or maybe even better than the first book.

Survive The Night is about an all night underground rave in the tunnels of New York. It's one hell of a party until Casey, main character, finds a murdered girl in the tunnels. Then she and her friends, desperate for help search for a way out. But will they find help before they are hunted down by who or what killed the girl? Who knows, but I for one am excited to read this one. Hopefully it won't lead to any nightmares. :)

Here's to my new finds and hopefully I'll get to them before too long. I hope I'll find the time to visit Barnes and Noble again soon and get even more books to stock up on the cold days ahead.

Happy reading everyone!

On The Go

Road trips are always fun. Whether it be to a amusement park, seeing family, or just because you felt like it. There is something about getting in the car and getting away from the chains of everyday life. My family is big on camping. Its one of my favorite parts of summer. I love getting the chance to get away from the normal day to day activities. It's where I get a ton of reading done. Both in the car ride there and once we are at the campsite.

Since my mom always liked to go somewhere different, that meant at least a three hour drive. Sometimes more if we decided to go to the UP. Packing six kids into a car for a three hour plus drive wasn't always easy. My brothers and I learned very quickly that we had to keep ourselves occupied. So I always made sure that I had a book. Actually, I always made sure I had several books depending how long our trip was.

Reading in the car isn't always the greatest of places but I made it work. Mostly by taking breaks when my eyes would start to hurt.

All of my extended family lives in Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and some of them are even out of state. When I was younger, we used to have a family reunion every summer. It used to be the family canoe trip down the Rifle River. But it had since changed to the family kayak trip because kayaks are much easier to handle down that river. If you've never been on the Rifle River, its a fairly large river and its very fast. I was never particularly interested in going down the river once I was old even to go. I had this fear that if the kayak tipped over (and on the Rifle, you will tip at some point) I wouldn't be able to get out and I would drown. Not a really rational fear but very few fears are rational.

Since I stayed behind I would fill my day with going to the beach and reading the many books I had brought with me. The quiet that I get when I go camping is perfect. It's nice to be able to unplug from the outside world every now and then.

I remember when my brother, Evan was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Georgia. It had finally worked out for us to go see him and have a nice vacation. Since we were driving down there rather than flying, I knew I was going to need lots of books to get me through the trip. If you have even done the summer reading program and you get a tote bag as one of the prizes, I filled one of those to the brim and then some with books. It was so heavy and I really thought I was going to read them all. I was even a little worried I hadn't brought enough.

In reality though, instead of reading the many books I brought, I slept. Seriously, I practically slept the whole way there. I really only woke up when we stopped for food. I'd eat and be wide awake but once we were back on the road I'd be asleep once again. To say the least, that's not how I thought it was going to go. So then I was stuck lugging around that colossal bag of books from the car, to the hotel rooms we stayed at and back again.

Now a days though, I don't read in the car as much. Simply because now I'm the one driving myself to the places I want to go instead of my mom. Sometimes I wish I could get that time back to read books but until they come up with a way to safely read while driving, I'm stuck. But for now that's okay.  

No Time

Obviously, I love to read as this blog is focused around books and reading. I've always loved to read ever since I can remember. I think my mom instilled that in me. She is a big reader too. She has always encouraged my brothers and I to read. I remember every summer when she would take us to the library to sign up for the reading program. It was always a blast. I loved seeing how far I would come to get the prizes. Reading was a big part of my childhood and it still is today.

I'm the girl to always have a book with me. Wherever I go there is usually a book in my bag. Sometimes even two or more depending on how close I am to finishing the book I'm on. I bought a hipster bag from Vera Bradley online this past summer. It was a print that I've been wanting forever. I debated getting the bag because it looked fairly small. I wasn't sure if my wallet and a book would fit. Plus all the other random things that find their way into my bag. In the end though, I did end up buying it and I was a little worried that my books wouldn't fit. But when the bag arrived I saw that it was actually a lot bigger than I thought. Although, I soon realized that it was awfully heavy when everything was in there and the thicker books took a lot of shoving to make them fit. I carry a book with me pretty much wherever I go because you never know when there will come a time to read.

Now, though it had become increasingly difficult for me to find any time to read. Between work, school, friends, and trying to get any sleep I've hardly read anything at all. I think I've been carrying around the same book for at least four weeks and I'm only on page 68. When I usually can finish a book in about a week, maybe two if I'm busy, that's pretty bad. The really crappy thing about it is that its a book I've been dying to read. When by some miracle I actually have time where I could read, I just can't find the energy to pick up my book. This is the reading slump. Its that period of time when the thought of picking up a book makes you even more tired than you were before. For an avid reader like myself it is horrible. I hate the feeling of it too. Its like I want to read and I have all these books from the library that are just sitting on my shelf, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I wish there was more hours in the day to all that I want and need to do. But hopefully sometime soon I'll get out of this reading slump and back to the stories I love so much.

The Dud

Have you ever gone to the library, or the bookstore and found a book that sounds awesome? The cover makes your eyes pop. The title grabs your attention, and the dust jacket pulls you into the story. At this point, I'm pretty excited and this process happens with a few books in a trip to the bookstore. So, I add the book to my list (which never stops growing) and I'll order it from the library. Depending if its a popular book and where its being sent from it can take a few weeks before the book is in. Then there is nothing to do but wait, wait, and wait.....

A FEW WEEKS LATER....

Finally the book is in!! Then I head over to the library to pick it up. This trip usually ends with me leaving with more than books then I planned to leave with because I have to check out the new releases. Then I finally make it over to the check out counter, check out my book(s), and head home. Once I get home, I have a whole process of filing my books. When that is done I settle in and start reading my book. Now this is where things get a little dicey....

This awesome book that I've waited weeks for and had the anticipation build turns out to be a Dud. The Dud is the book that sounds great until you actually start reading. My experience is that it starts off kind of slow but some books take time to pick up. So I keep reading thinking that it'll get better. Unfortunately, that isn't the case with a Dud. The book doesn't pick up. It drags and drags. But I'm usually optimistic and I keep going. But when I do admit defeat it usually ends up that I'm already in the middle of the book and I that point I feel like I can't just stop. So I push myself to finish the rest of the book. What I thought would be a really awesome book turned out to be weeks worth of torture trying to finish it. I hate calling it quits on a book which is probably why I always end up in the middle before I call it what it is.

Duds really suck and that's putting it mildly. I think the Duds are some of the reason why more people don't read. They either keep picking Duds or found a Dud and lost interest. Another problem I find with them is that you never know if a book is going to be one. Any time I pick out a book there is a chance it could turn out to be a Dud. That's one of the risks with books but I believe that the great books far out number the Duds. In short, Duds are an inevitable part of reading but I think the risk is defiantly worth it, especially when I find books than keep me turning page after page.    

Old Tales

Books affect our life in so many ways. They can change the way we see the world. I think they bring back to us the magic and the mystery that we sometimes lose sight of. In my opinion, particularly children's books. I mean think about it, those are some of the first stories that you are exposed to. They open your mind to the possibility of the extraordinary.    

A few months ago, I went to Barnes and Noble with my mom to find a children's book for a baby shower. It was my stepbrother's wife that was having the shower. Instead of cards, she asked for books. I had so much fun looking through all the kids books. I saw quite a few books that I had read when I was little. Just seeing them brought back the memories of sitting with my mom, having her read to me. It was hard to pick just one book because their were so many that had brought happy memories to me growing that I wanted to pass along to this new family.

My oldest brother, Adam, grew up reading Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. My mom would read it to him all the time. My mom always instilled in us a love of reading. Adam is turning 27 this year, and yet this story continues to affect him. His favorite childhood book is now a tattoo on his arm. Whenever he looks at it, he is reminded of the many times our mom would read the story and the happiness attached to it. This story has stayed with him throughout all the triumphs and the sorrows. One of my favorite books growing up was Corduroy by Don Freeman. This was about a teddy bear who desperately wanted someone to buy him. When a little girl wanted him, her mother said no because Corduroy was missing a button. After looking all night for a button, the next day Corduroy was bought by the little girl and she gives him a button for his overalls. This book had a happy ending as most kids books do, but it also has a deeper meaning then what's on the surface. This book touches on that basic need to belong. We all want to be accepted and loved for who we are. I think that's a pretty deep message for a children's book to make. It goes to show that just because its a book for little kids doesn't older people can't benefit from it as well.

That's why I believe books change us. They help to shape who we are and how we see the world. They teach valuable lessens that we can take into adulthood. Take my brother for example. His favorite book from childhood was about a boy who doesn't fit in so he goes to this world of incredible creatures and learns that everything isn't always what it seems. I believe there are many lessons worth learning in not just kids books but in all books. From this one, my brother learned about making the right choice for you and to see that being different isn't something to be afraid of.

                                    
                                    

What Are Endings?

Endings are hard. Whether it be the ending of a long friendship, relationship, or a book. It may seem strange to lump in books with the end of a long connection, like a friendship. But for a lot of people, myself included, the ending of a book or series is like losing a friend.

I know that may seem a bit dramatic to some people. But reading is making a connection to characters. Its one of my favorite parts of books. That ink, paper, and words can make characters that seem as real as you and me. Take the Harry Potter series for example, that series has affected people world wide. I know that it made me want to be a witch and go to Hogwarts. The Harry Potter series made people believe in magic again. It brought about seven books, eight movies, and a connection with millions of people. When the end did finally come, it was touched with great triumph but also great sadness. It was like the end of an era had come. I remember when the last book came out. I had a friend at the time that got the book before I did. When I was talking to her on the phone and she let a major spoiler slip. I was furious and at the same time crushed. I could've strangled her (just kidding...kind of). I had only just gotten the book from my mom that day too. My mom had to read it before me, which I saw as only slightly evil (:D). Anyway, I gave the book back to my mom and told her I didn't need to read it because the ending was ruined for me. She told me to still read it and that it wasn't the whole story. Thankfully, I listened to her, read it, and seriously bawled my eyes out. I didn't want the story to end and I didn't want to say goodbye to all the characters that I loved. With this series, it was a fantastic ending, and bittersweet. I closed the door to the world of magic, muggles, Harry, all of Hogwarts happy and glad to have been along for the ride.

Not all books or a series will leave a big impact. I think its more like the smaller ones that don't hurt as much prepare you for the ones that can leave a hole in your heart or feel like they just punch you in the stomach. I think if all books left that big of a mark that everyone would walk around drained. Not to say that the small ones don't hurt, or aren't as important. Believe me, they are, sometimes even more so than the big ones. While endings are hard, they are something we need. If nothing ended, nothing could begin. Endings allow us to say our goodbyes to loved characters. Then we get to move on to new worlds, new characters, and new adventures.

Books vs. Movies

More and more books are being made into movies. It seems to me that most movies coming out lately are adaptations of books. To name a few would be, The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns, If I Stay, The Maze Runnner trilogy, The Hunger Games trilogy, the Divergent trilogy, Harry Potter, Beautiful Creatures, The Danish Girl, and almost all of Nicholas Sparks' books. Having a favorite book or series go from the page to the big screen is something that a bookworm will eventually face. My feelings are a little mixed.

On one hand, I get super excited about it. I start thinking about what it would look like, and the actors who will play the characters. Sometimes, when I get bored, I'll find myself on YouTube. I would search for some fan made videos of casting for book adaptations and fan made movie trailers. It's fun to see what others have thought up after reading the same words that I did and seeing how they visualized what the characters would look like too.

Then there's the other hand. After the initial excitement passes, I get this feeling of my stomach being in knots. I get these knots because I worry that the director, producer, basically the whole cast won't do the book justice. Everyone knows that when a book becomes a movie parts get and sometimes parts get added to help the movie flow better. It's a game of chance on what will get cut or if something will get added. So when I hear about a book I like being made into a movie, I'm a little hesitant about the final product.

A good example of this was when The Hunger Games trilogy jumped to the big screen. I was particularly wary of this one. In the first book which is titled, The Hunger Games most of the book takes place in Katniss' head, especially when you get to the arena for the Games. I wasn't sure how they were going to move a book where not a ton of action takes place until much later. When I did see the movie when it come out, I was super stoked about it. I loved how they added transitions form Katniss in the Arena to seeing the Gamemaker in action. I really liked how they did it and I kind of liked the movies better. Don't get me wrong the book was still really good but at times it dragged on because you only saw and experienced what Katniss did. For the most part with this series, I actually liked the movies more than the books, which is very different for me.

The Debate

E-readers are a big part of books and reading these days. There's the Nook, the Kindle, iPads, iPad minis, and basically any type of tablet. I mean, hell you can even get books on your phone if you have the app now. There are two sides to every debate. The two sides in this are fairly clear, but there is a grey area, as with most things. The people who love e-readers and those who think that they are a waste of time.

Some of the cons of e-readers to me are as follows. One is that I love having the feel of a book in my hand. I like the weight of it, which probably sounds a little weird, but what can you do? With an e-reader, I don't get that feel of the book. Another is, I like to be able to see my progress through a book, of seeing how far I've gotten, and the feel of turning the pages. I also, as weird as it is, I like to smell the pages of my books. It's a guilty pleasure and its something that I've always done. I don't really know why and believe me I've gotten my fair share of strange looks from people, even my fellow bookworms. One big problem I have with e-readers is that, I feel like with e-readers growing in popularity, what's going to become of the libraries and the bookstores? Now, I will admit that the likeliness of e-readers running a huge book distributor, like Barnes and Noble out of business is pretty slim, especially since they sell their own version of one. My fear is also for the smaller, less known bookstores and town libraries. That being said, its still a fear, perhaps an irrational one, but I digress.

Don't get me wrong, there are some pros to e-readers as well. One being that with e-books, authors can now make novellas much easier. Rather than having to go through the process of getting it in print, they can just type it out and release. Of course, its also frustrating when an author that I really like has a novella come out, and its only available as a e-book, especially with a series that I really, really liked. Another is the size, with an e-reader its possible to carry around several books, rather than one, or if you are really dedicated sometimes two or more. It also makes it easier to carry around the really big books, for example the novel Under the Dome by Stephen King is 1074 pages! That's quite the book to haul around everywhere. E-readers also make school easier and cheaper too. Instead of having to buy, sometimes the option is available to get it as an e-book, which is in most cases cheaper than buying or renting.

I used to think that e-readers were something to scoff at and that it wasn't really reading a book. That it was cheating in a way. I couldn't wrap my head around why people would chose e-readers over actual, physical books. It seemed that it was black and white, with no middle ground. Now, I see the grey area that surrounds e-readers. While I prefer physical books to e-books, I still see and understand the appeal pf e-readers. I believe now that e-readers aren't ruining books, more that they are simply a new part of the ever growing world of books. A quote I found when scrolling through Pinterest one day sums up my point perfectly.

More Than One

What is your favorite book?

This is a question that will inevitably come up for any reader. It could be by family, friends, an English class, or the random person that happens to see you reading. It always seemed to me that there are far too many books out in the world to just have a favorite. The word favorite has always felt to me like such a loaded word, as though there is no middle ground. That it has to be black and white. However, there are grey areas in everything, even in the matter of books.

Rather than list a bunch of books, that I would deem my "favorite", I'm going to talk about the memorable books. The kinds of books that stay with me long after the last page. The books that when I see them in the bookstore or the library, I smile and flip to my favorite parts just to relive the story. The books that I greet like an old friend.

One book that falls under this would be, Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. This book is the story of Alex and Brittney. Brittney is the beautiful, blond, wealthy popular diva. While Alex is the hard as nails Hispanic gang member from the wrong side of the tracks. To say the least, these two are living in opposite worlds. But in their chemistry class, as fate would have it, they end up as lab partners. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but this a story about finding love and understanding in the last person you thought you would.

Another book would be, Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. This is a retelling of the classic story, Beauty and the Beast. Now, this book is very different from the Disney version. It follows a girl named Nyx, and she is betrothed to a monster. The monster being the evil ruler of her kingdom. Nyx is charged with the task of killing her new husband to free her people from his tyranny. As much as she knows that it's her duty to carry out this task, Nyx desperately wishes she could flee and never look back. When the dreaded wedding day arrives, which happens to be her seventh birthday, it's all Nyx can do to bring herself to the alter where the ceremony takes place. After the ceremony, Nyx is whisked away to the castle of the monster himself, she soon finds that nothing is like she thought. This story had all the best parts of the classic while still being its own book, and not the same story told over again. It's about learning to accept all of yourself, even the darkness that resides in us all.

I started out this post with a question. I've had the question asked of me many times, and usually my answer is that I don't have  favorite, I have tons. Now thinking about the question more, I think my favorite book is one that leaves me feeling as though I've just had an adventure. One that I can dive into and be as though I'm in the story. One that leaves me bittersweet that it ended but it was so good while it lasted.

Books and Me

I chose books because it’s something that I’m passionate about. Really, I’m a huge nerd about books. I’ve been a big reader for as long as I can remember. I remember getting so excited in school about the classroom trips to the library.  The library was this whole different world, where you could have so many adventures. I remember throughout elementary school doing the AR or accelerated reading tests on the computer to get as many points as I could. In second grade, I was one of the top readers in my class. I even got a t-shirt with top reader on it, which to a second grader was one of the coolest things ever. 

Books are wonderful pieces of art. Some may think that a book isn't art because there aren’t pictures. On the contrary, the words are the pictures. The words paint the picture in your mind. It activates your imagination, and soon you are inside the story or so it seems. I believe one of the best parts about books is that the characters and their life become so real. That you can become so attached to characters that you feel as they do. Happiness, heartache, depression and on it goes. These words on a page can make me feel so much that by the end of the book, I can sometimes feel as though I lost a friend or something great just ended. An example of this is when I read ​The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. If you haven’t read or watched, The Fault in Our Stars ​ then you should stop now if you don’t want spoilers.  

SPOILERS AHEAD!!! 

Anyway, when I found out that Augustus’ cancer came back, my immediate thought was no!!! Up until that point I was thinking that Hazel was going to die or that John Green was going to pull what happened in ​ An Imperial Affliction ​ by Peter Van Houten, which is the book-within-a-book of TFiOS. What happened is that Anna, the main character of ​ An Imperial Affliction, ​ dies from cancer or is too sick to continue in the middle of a sentence. On a side note, how completely evil would that be for a book to end in the middle of a sentence?!?! I, for one, completely understood the utter outrage that Augustus had when he finished the book. Back the point, I still didn’t think that Augustus was going to die. I’m not ashamed to admit that I had the fantasy that he would somehow get better, then Hazel would get better and then would all live happily ever after. Needless to say, that’s not what happened. When Augustus did eventually pass, I was a total wreck.  

Me reading TFiOS (mind you this was at 3am too!):  

 

This is just one example of how books can make you feel so much with just words. That is one of my greatest loves about books. That by the end, whether good, bad, or feeling like your heart has just been ripped out, you feel something. I believe that is one of the best parts about books.