BOOKS I READ | SUMMER 2015

As I said in my How to Enjoy Reading post, I have recently gotten into reading, when I have the time. . If you haven't read that post, click here.

This summer, I wanted to try to read at least 2 books that I was genuinely interested in. This was a big step for me because normally, I don't really do much with my summers. I am proud to say I read way more than 2 books. It helped that I read most of these on airplanes where I had nothing better to do.

1. PAPER TOWNS BY JOHN GREEN
Contrary to popular belief, I was not a fan of this book. I enjoyed the first part, where Quentin and Margo go on their midnight adventure. But after that, I thought that the plot was boring; nothing really exciting happened. I was hoping to see a hopeful ending after a boring plot, but I was disappointed. The ending was uneventful. I did not like this book. It got to the point where I had to buy the audio book just to finish it.

2. TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE BY JENNY HAN
I actually loved this book. At first, I thought this book would be a bit too young for me, but I ended up enjoying it a lot. As you can kind of guess, it's about a girl who writes "love letters" to guys once she is over them, but she never sends them. There's a letter to her first kiss, a boy from camp, and even her sister's boyfriend. One day, the letters get sent out and she has to deal with her past loves face to face. I started it on a plane to Chicago and finished it the next day; it's a super easy read. This book kind ends so abruptly that you almost need to have the second book on hand.

3. P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU BY JENNY HAN
This is the sequel to To All The Boys I've Loved Before. This book honestly picks up right from where the first one left off. I loved this book so much. I read it on the plane back from Chicago. Again, it's a super easy read. This book also ends kind of abruptly. I really want the author to come out with a third book to the series.

4. STOLEN BY LUCY CHRISTOPHER
This book is amazing; I think I read it the fastest. It is about a teenage girl named Gemma who gets taken by a 26-year-old man named Ty in an airport. He takes her to a house in the middle of Australian dessert where there is no other people or houses for hundreds of miles. Don't worry if you think this book is going to be too violent because it's really not. Ty doesn't do anything super harming or sexual toward Gemma. All he wants is to have a companion. Honestly, I did not think I was going to like this book that much, but I ended up loving it. It is told in the second person point of view so it really gets your attention. I highly recommend this book!


5. THE SELECTION SERIES (THE SELECTION, THE ELITE, & THE ONE) BY KIERA CASS
I really loved this book series! It's basically like the Bachelor but royalty edition. The main character, America, takes part in the Selection, where girls "compete" for the heart of the prince. These 3 books just detail the process that America goes through while getting to know the future King. Again, I read these books super quickly. I think they were super easy reads for a 17-year-old. The second and third books pick up right where the one before left off, so I suggest having all 3 books on hand.

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HOW TO ENJOY READING

I discovered a love for reading at the end of last year during an English class. The teacher I had gave us a deadline to finish a book by; it didn't matter how fast or slow I read it. I just had to finish it. I absolutely loved this technique. 

Other teachers would give me a couple chapters to read for the next class. My problem was that I didn't have enough time every single night to read. So, my new teacher's technique worked perfectly. I read when I could and when I was in the mood to. That semester, I read every single English book I was assigned. I don't think that has ever happened to me. Ever. I think I just hate being forced to read even when I don't have the time.

If you want to start leisurely reading books, then here are my top tips and tricks.

1. FIND YOUR NICHE

Find out what you like to read. Is it blogs? Is it short stories? Is it thrillers? Whatever it is, find it. Experiment with different books. Read through some at the bookstore or read samples of e-books before you purchase them. Before I purchase an e-book, I ALWAYS buy the sample first so I can "test" out the book to see if I like it. This way, I'm not going to be reading something I absolutely hate.

2. READ ON A PLANE

Reading on a plane to me is the easiest because there isn't much else you can do. You can watch TV but what if there's nothing entertaining on? I recommend putting your light on (if it's dark) and reading a book. You can even put your earphones in and play some low lyric-less music. I find that is the perfect thing to cancel out the noise of that loud baby or the guy snoring next to you. Whenever I am on a plane, I read a book so quickly and end up finishing it during that flight (if it's more than 3 hours).

3. READ BEFORE BED

Reading before bed will ease you into it without overwhelming you. Before you go to sleep, take a half hour or so and just read a book. It will clear your mind and relax you before you sleep. If you seem to really like the book you're reading, maybe increase your reading time to 45 minutes the next night. 

4. READ E-BOOKS

I definitely prefer e-books as apposed to hard copies for many reasons. One of the reasons is that I can't see how much of the book I have left. I know for e-books you have the thing at the bottom notifying you of your page number or your percentage, but I just take that away. To me, seeing that I've only read 1/10 of the book is daunting. For some reason, I just want to quit. I just prefer reading on an e-book and not focusing on where I am in the book. When I finish it, I'll be so surprised. Like, "Wait, what?!"

I hope you found at least one of these tips helpful. If you are curious about the books I have been reading this summer, follow me on Bloglovin'; I will be posting that in a few weeks.