Good Bye 2013: An Amazing Year in Reading

2013 was the year I really started to love reading again. I fell off the wagon in about 4^th grade when The Babysitters Club became too juvenile for my interests. Nothing else really appealed to me, until I discovered the young adult library of my seventh grade ELA teacher, Ms. Healey, was full of different genres, and different authors that I had never seen before. Authors like Ellen Hopkins, Rainbow Rowell, and Stephen Chobosky became important to my life. But overall, the book that really gave me true joy was The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobosky.

            The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about a fifteen-year-old boy named Charlie. Charlie is depressed because his friend, Michael, committed suicide the year before. He is entering high school and befriends two seniors named Sam and Patrick.  They take Charlie under their wings and give him confidence, joy and a way to accept himself. This book was written in letters to an unknown “friend” and this craft move made me think that Charlie was writing them to me. I felt like I had to listen to help Charlie. I felt like I was someone he was relying on. I also really enjoyed that this book wasn’t predictable and it showed me that anything could happen. This book really started my reading life off with a bang.

            My reading life started with a well-known and highly praised book. But it ended with a hidden jewel. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell pulled me in from the first word and made be begging for more until the last. Eleanor is a soft-spoken new girl being bullied and Park is teen his friends just don’t understand. They begin to notice each other and build a relationship. This book was one of my favorite books in 2013 because it had a mix of poetry, letters and a taste of real life. I really enjoyed the character growth especially with Eleanor, and Parks rebellion really inspired me to be who I am. I almost lost it with the cliffhanger ending Rainbow Rowell left me with. And this book really made me think and infer about the characters. I’m hopeful to continue to let Rainbow Rowell lead my 2014 reading life.

            My 2013 has been an eventful year with my life and reading. I’m making it a serious goal to instead of going online when I’m bored, I will read. I also hope to discover new books that will become my new favorite and keep inspiring me to make good life choices and to embrace reading.